A WOMAN who’s landed a life-changing Postcode Lottery prize says it’s not the first time a house has helped her land a big win.
Melissa Setchfield, 50, scooped a generous £58,823 in the recent draw and now she and husband John, 54, are celebrating.
The couple and their Peterborough neighbours found out they’d won their share of £1million in recent days.
But the mum says her house helped score something amazing 27 years ago, too.
The former estate agent met John when she sold him the house – and says it was certainly something worth celebrating.
Now the couple are going to use their winnings to commemorate their silver wedding anniversary.
Melissa said, “I want a new kitchen and a holiday.
“I’d like to do New York and we’ll be married 25 years next year, so it’ll be nice to say to our travel agent, ‘Don’t worry about budget.’
“Our son Nathan, who is 22, will get a helping hand too. It’s going to help a lot of people.”
But John had his sights on something more short-term – takeaways from their local.
The dad said: “We might even get a Chinese – I’ll be having my usual chicken omelette, chips, sweet and sour chicken balls and spare ribs.”
The couple were just one of 14 residents who hit the jackpot.
One of the other lucky punters was Caroline Buist who bagged the exact same amount.
But the 65-year-old has different plans for her winnings – and the heartbreaking reality behind her win struck quickly.
Carol’s husband, who sadly died last year, was originally the one who paid £12-a-month to play.
Despite not being here to spend the winnings, Caroline said she plans to splash the cash on everything the couple planned to do if they ever won the lotto.
She said: “I wish my husband Paul was here to see it. He passed away last year.
“It was him who started the lottery. I think he’s looking down on us today.
“I’m 66 at the end of the year and I’ll be retiring.
“This will mean I can do a lot of the things that me and my husband said we would always do if we won the lottery.”
Robert Johnson is a UK-based business writer specializing in finance and entrepreneurship. With an eye for market trends and a keen interest in the corporate world, he offers readers valuable insights into business developments.
