Stranraer Millionaire Street

A STUNNED gran has bagged a lucky prize after her hubby's plant-pot-winning streak in a local raffle turned into a standing joke.

Lynn had got used to only winning pot plants and was left in total disbelief after winning a quarter of a million pounds.

Now the couple are hoping to set sail on an unexpected Baltic cruise, Lynn's eyeing up last-minute tickets to see Taylor Swift at Murrayfield in Edinburgh, and they want to spoil their nearest and dearest.

The retired librarian's win comes after her husband Tom had been the source of amusement among his golfing pals as he kept bringing home plant pots won in a raffle.

Lynn, of Stranraer, in Dumfries and Galloway, said, "Oh, my goodness me! This doesn't happen to people like me.

"£250,000 is absolutely ridiculous. I still feel like I'm going to wake up and it's just going to be a big dream. The most we've ever won is pot plants in the raffle."

Tom added, "This is absolutely life-changing!

"It's a standing joke at the golf club that we buy raffle tickets and keep winning plant pots. We've won three now!

"I keep telling the ladies at the golf club, I don't want any more pot plants because we've won three and Lynn kills them."

Lynn landed the windfall with three other neighbours in Stranraer after DG9 7BY won our weekly Millionaire Street prize today. Every ticket was worth £250,000.

Now the grateful gran-of-four wants to take care of her family and "live in style".

Lynn said, "This money will mean a lot, I'll be able to help my family out, and my charities, and go on a nice holiday for once.

"I've got two daughters and four grandkids who will be absolutely over the moon tonight."

As Taylor Swift mania sweeps across Scotland this weekend, Lynn was asked if last-minute tickets for her grandchildren were on the cards.

She replied, "You never know, I might go with them. I might become a groupie. Why not? Get my youth back."

Lynn had been expecting a food mixer so got a bit more than she bargained for when our team turned up at her door with a cheque for £250,000.

She said, "I won a mixer recently and I've been looking for it coming every day but it's still not arrived and then the Postcode Lottery turned up at my door.

"I saw all these people in red and thought, that's not the postman - there's too many of them - and as they came towards the house, my heart started going.

"And when they rang my bell, I thought this is not happening, this is what you see on television, this doesn't happen to me."

Despite being the brunt of a long-running joke, Tom poked fun at his family before the big reveal.

Teasing Tom said, "We've been having a hoot with the family since Lynn got the call. I've been winding them up and I'm saying, 'I can see the red Postcode Lottery truck coming along the shore.'"

Lynn added, "He was keeping me going all morning and saying, 'Oh, I'll go and get a nice new car,' but never thinking for one moment that it would be this big."

Tom, a retired works maintenance council worker, and Lynn are now ready to sweeten their retirement with a Baltic getaway.

Lynn said, "It's just a dream come true. I've always fancied going on a Baltic cruise. We have gone on a Mediterranean cruise, but I'd love to go on a Baltic cruise.

"I thought our cruise days were over and it wasn't possible for another one, but there you go."

Lynn plans to celebrate properly with a slap-up family meal but will be settling for a few glasses of Prosecco and a box of Maltesers tonight.

Next-door neighbour William also scored a whopping £250,000.

William, a semi-retired gardener, said, "It's absolutely amazing. I can hardly believe it. Mind blown!

"Life's funny sometimes, it throws you a curve ball."

William was alongside Nancy, his wife of 56 years, for the winning moment.

She added, "Oh aye, it's the loveliest surprise I've ever had."

The couple also can't wait to give their two grandchildren a helping hand.

William said, "It's a fantastic amount and it means we can help our grandchildren, which to me is more important than anything else.

"My grandchildren are at an age - one is 27 and the other is 30 - that they'd never be able to buy a property. They'll buy a property now, both of them."

Green-fingered William also has grand plans for his manicured garden.

He said, "I've got two glasshouses round the back and I'm going to take them down and put a bigger one up. And that'll happen sooner than later."

Helping Charities

The winners all mentioned that an important reason for playing was to help charities and good causes.

After receiving £22,000 in grant funding from People's Postcode Trust, local charity Stranraer Water Sports Association (SWSA) has been awarded an additional £25,000 thanks to the Millionaire Street winners in the community.

The charity sits on the picturesque shores of Loch Ryan and was launched to get the young people and adults of Stranraer engaged with the Loch while getting active, socialising, and learning new skills.

Wendi Chuffe, Trustee of Stranraer Water Sports Association, said, "To say we're grateful for the funding we've received is a massive understatement.

"The grant funding gave us a leg-up to dramatically expand our inventory of water sports equipment and we're blown away to be receiving an additional £25,000. For local charities this is a dream come true."

Offering a range of water sports, from paddleboarding to sailing, one of SWSA's key goals is to upskill young people by providing training to young volunteers.

Wendi added, "Community is at the heart of everything we do so training the young people of Stranraer who volunteer for us is an important factor in what we do and also hugely rewarding.

"Thanks to the money received this week, we'll now be able to pay our young volunteers during the holidays so they can focus on their training and development without the need to get a summer job."

Other local charities who have benefited from this week's Millionaire Street prize include:

• Coronation Day Centre Limited - £50,000 A volunteer-run day centre which offers a variety of activities to over 60s.

• Fed Up Community Café - £30,000 A community cafe which offers free food, drink and support services to those who need it.

All funding was awarded by Postcode Community Trust (opens in a new tab).

Good Causes Everywhere

Today's prize is part of a draw promoted on behalf of Postcode Education Trust (opens in a new tab). Supported by our players, this trust delivers grant funding to organisations that provide education, particularly in emergency situations. Benefiting charities include Save the Children, Theirworld and UNICEF UK.

With 33% of the ticket price going to charities and good causes, players of People's Postcode Lottery have raised more than £1.3 Billion for thousands of deserving causes and projects across Great Britain and around the world. Our players are making a difference every day for a wide range of amazing organisations.

With fabulous Prizes announced every single day, it's a great time to become a People's Postcode Lottery player. Take a look at How It Works and, if you're feeling lucky, sign up to play.