Little Neston's Millionaire Street

Two cousins who live next door to each other have won £1 Million on the People's Postcode Lottery thanks to their own unique postcode.

Margaret and her cousin Joyce built a pair of semi-detached houses with their husbands on land gifted to them by their grandfather 47 years ago. And because they are the only two houses, the local council said they'd have to name the street - and get their own postcode.

Now they are celebrating after CH64 9YA in Little Neston, Cheshire, got lucky in our weekly Millionaire Street prize.

Just Incredible

Retired secretary Margaret and her husband Harry each picked up £333,333, and Joyce netted the same amount, making their street a real Millionaire Street.

Stunned Harry said, "I can't repeat what I thought when I first saw the cheque! We'd been stewing all weekend."

Margaret added, "We built the houses ourselves. It was a real family affair. They're the only ones on the street, so we needed our own postcode. This is just incredible."

Despite winning so much, all three have told how they would give it all up to get their precious dogs back. Margaret and Harry lost their beloved West Highland Terrier Chloe a month ago, and Joyce still misses her Golden Labrador Lucy.

Margaret - who'd love a big family holiday with their two daughters and four grandchildren - said, "We used to have a little square hole in the fence and the dogs used to talk to each other.

"I'd give all the money away just to see and hold them again. They are a big part of the family."

It's No Joke

The trio thought their good luck was a hoax at first - even after People's Postcode Lottery Presenter Judie McCourt turned up at their doors last Friday to tell them they'd won a prize, but not the amount. They still found it hard to believe after being whisked up to Edinburgh to be presented with their cheques at our annual Charity Gala on Monday.

Reality finally dawned when Joyce had to be held up by People's Postcode Lottery Presenter Matt Johnson after swooning when she saw how much she'd won.

Joyce - whose husband Peter died of bowel cancer 12 years ago - said, "When I got on stage to collect the cheque, the main thing for me wasn't the money or anything. It was because my husband wasn't with me to share it. He was a very hard worker and a brilliant man."

She added, "My legs just gave way. It was lucky Matt was there."

Harry, a retired Shell UK shift foreman, told how Judie's Friday visit left them all shell-shocked. He said, "I started doing a bit of research on Postcode Lottery. I knew it must have had something to do with the Gala, but I didn't have any idea that it was that £1 Million.

"Postcode Lottery spent a lot of money to get us to Edinburgh, so I knew we must have won something big. I thought it was more than £30,000, so I was being flippant and said to Judie £50,000. I never imagined it would be this."

Margaret added, "I was in my reclining chair when Judie came to the door, but I couldn't get up. I eventually did and Judie explained, but I still didn't believe her."

But the trio's win was well-deserved after they all battled through a string of serious health scares. Dad-of-two Harry underwent open heart surgery at the height of the COVID pandemic in April 2020 after having suffered from cardiac problems. Wife Margaret has just been given the all-clear for a fourth year after being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2019. And mum-of-two Joyce suffered a serious stroke 20 years ago which left her temporarily unable to talk.

Harry decided to join People's Postcode Lottery following his operation, before landing a £1,000 prize in November 2021. After that, Margaret joined up - then Joyce.

Shut The Front Door

The trio - who have joined a WhatsApp group called Shut The Front Door with other winners after meeting and swapping stories at the charity gala - are all apprehensive about the amount of cash they now have. Grandmother Joyce - who fancies a Norwegian fjords cruise - said, "We can spend the £333 part, but it's the big bit that we have to be careful about."

Despite being nervous, they have all joked about their boosted bank balances. Harry told how he turned up for the Gala without a tie - and ended up buying one for £3 from Primark. Joyce added, "I just wish that I'd brought my Harrods bag with me."

But it is their families who will reap the benefit of their £1 Million windfall. Harry said, "It's not just our children and grandchildren who will benefit from this, but it will be their children too. It will just go on."

People's Postcode Lottery Presenter Matt Johnson surprised the trio on stage in Edinburgh. Matt said, "It was my absolute pleasure to surprise Joyce, Margaret and Harry with such a phenomenal amount of money.

"The first thing on their minds after winning was their family and it was lovely to hear how they plan to share the money."

Deserving Projects

Today's prize is part of a draw promoted on behalf of Postcode International Trust (opens in a new tab). Supported by our players, this trust delivers grant funding to organisations that work to alleviate poverty, hunger and enable food security. Benefiting charities include Action Against Hunger, ActionAid and British Red Cross.

Lucky winners aren't the only ones who benefit from People's Postcode Lottery. With 33% of the ticket price going to charities and good causes, our amazing players have raised more than £1.1 Billion for thousands of deserving causes to date.

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. Every Saturday £1 Million will be shared by one postcode in our Millionaire Street.