Three next-door neighbours on quiet Derbyshire cul-de-sac each win £200k in Postcode Lottery

Three next-door neighbours in a quiet cul-de-sac are planning a ‘big, big street party’ after pocketing a share of a £1m People’s Postcode Lottery prize. 

Paul Rowland, 63, George Mounsey, 81, and Alison Browne, 66 – who all live in semis next to each other – gasped with shock when they each revealed £200,000 cheques. 

They shared a £1m pot with Paul White, 78, who lives in a bungalow opposite, and another neighbour who wished to remain anonymous. 

Alison said they will all have a celebration in their neat street tucked away in the picturesque village of Breaston, Derbyshire. 

She said: “It’s a fantastic feeling and I can’t stop smiling. But we’re going to have a big, big party on the street.  

“It’s wonderful. We’ve known George and Paul for over 30 years and we get on really, really well.  

“It’s a lovely street, lovely neighbours and a lovely place to live.” 

George said: “We couldn’t believe it when the three houses won together. 

“We didn’t know they were in it, until we went round and banged on the door and asked ‘are you in the Postcode Lottery? Have you had a phone call?” 

Paul Rowland added: “There’s a lovely community spirit and it’s lovely to have three winners in a row.” 

The five neighbours landed the whopping windfall in Breaston after DE72 3BZ bagged Postcode Lottery’s weekly Millionaire Street prize on Saturday 19 October. Every ticket was worth £200,000. 

Four of the winners whooped, laughed and hugged each other after being presented with their prizes together. 

George said: “I’m in shock at the moment. I thought it would be £30,000. But this is unbelievable.” 

And he laughed: “When does this go in the bank?” 

Paul Rowland said: “I was going to take my wife for a weekend away. Now it’ll be a fortnight away. What are the chances of this happening here?” 

Paul White said: “It’s a lot of money. I’m nervous and gobsmacked.” 

And Alison added: “I don’t know what to think. This is life-changing, it really is.” 

Her husband Tim, 67, dashed home from work at the end of the cheque presentation and after spotting the prize, he said: “I can’t believe it. I’m just glad she didn’t phone to tell me the amount when I was driving!  

“I didn’t even know she was doing the People’s Postcode Lottery to be honest.” 

Now the winners are all excited for the future. 

For Alison and music teacher hubby Tim that means resurrecting big travel plans to celebrate their 40th anniversary, which landed during lockdown. And it includes fulfilling a lifelong dream of going on the iconic Orient Express.  

Tim beamed: “It means everything. We always wanted to do the train trip across the Rockies in Canada and also the Orient Express.  

“There’s lots of trips that we’ve never done and have never been able to do. And now we’ll be able to do them and that’s fantastic.” 

Alison, a freelance school music exam coordinator, said: “We’ve been married 43 years now, but our 40-year anniversary fell during lockdown so we weren’t able to celebrate properly. Now we can do that.” 

The mum-of-two revealed she’d hardly slept for a week since receiving a call to say she was a winner. 

She said: “I’ve lost half a stone this week. But it’s good! You have dreams that you have won lots of money, but then you wake up and think damn it’s a dream. 

“This is how I felt every night this week when I managed to get to sleep at 3am. Then I woke up and thought ‘no, it’s not a dream!’” 

Alison explained exactly what the win means to them. She said: “It just shows you. You think it will never happen to me. But it has happened to us so it can happen to anyone. 

“Never in my wildest dreams did I think we would win this much.” 

Musician Tim, who plays the clarinet and saxophone, said youngest son Matthew, 29, follows in his dad’s musical footsteps and plays the classical guitar.   

He said: “He is autistic and that really calmed him down when he was younger.  

“That’s why we haven’t told him yet because he hates attention. He lives in a supported flat and the security this will bring him is great as well.” 

Asked if he was looking forward to being spoiled by his parents, older son James, 30, an engineer, laughed: “I’ll be happy with a pint in Spoons. It’s £6 a pint!” 

Tim said his dream gifts from Alison after the win would be another puppy to keep Pointer Finlay company - and a new Gore-Tex waterproof jacket.  

But Alison said: “If we get another dog we’ll need a house with a bigger garden.  

“My son and daughter-in-law don’t want us to get another dog because they have to look after them if we go away. 

“We’re all going away to Wales on holiday together next week so we can celebrate there.”  

Across the road, retired electrical contractor Paul White is already planning a Christmas holiday to Australia. 

And the classic car fanatic is also eyeing up his dream motor. 

Paul said: “I always wanted to go away at Christmas. I think that might be on the cards now. I’ve got two cousins, one in Alice Springs and one in Melbourne. 

“I always wanted to go to Australia. When I first got married, I got all the paperwork to emigrate. My wife at the time said she didn’t want to leave her parents, so we didn’t go.” 

The emotional great grandad, who also has a son, daughter and two grandchildren, added: “I will see my family right, too, obviously. 

“I’m apprehensive. It still hasn’t sunk in really at the moment. I was expecting a couple of thousand, but that’s a lot of noughts. To look at this piece of cardboard and then you can’t imagine it as £200,000 in a pile on the floor.”