George Derbyshire, who works at Wetherspoons in Manchester city centre, won big on the Postcode Lottery
George happy with win
A Wetherspoons manager has won £144k just weeks after signing up for the lottery. George Derbyshire was waiting for the No59 to Manchester city centre when he spotted an advertisement for the Postcode Lottery at his bus stop.
The 33-year-old signed up before his shift at Wetherspoons last September and five months later, he has been awarded £12k a month for a year.
The diehard Manchester United and Salford City fan, who lives in a block of flats across from the fateful bus stop, said: “I saw the advert for the Postcode Lottery at the stop where I get the bus into town to work.
“Casting my mind back I can still see the advert in my head and the animals on the cheque. Seeing the red, yellow and green poster for the Postcode Lottery I thought, ‘let’s sign up’.
“This is where I am now. It’s amazing, especially after just playing for a relatively short period of time.”
He added: “I can do a lot of good with this money. I would have been happy with anything. The weather’s glorious and the day’s just gotten glorious as well.
“I enjoy the simple things in life and I’m easily pleased. It’s an incredible amount of money and I’m so grateful for it. I’ll stare at it in my account for a few days, but it’s going to be an amazing year.”
George presented with prize by lottery’s Judie McCourt
George won with four other neighbours in Manchester after M8 8BW landed the Postcode Lottery prize on Friday 20 February. Every ticket was worth £12,000 a month for a year.
Now the history buff is planning to get his first passport in almost a decade and visit Rome’s archaeological wonders, which he studied at uni.
George said: “I’ve not even got a passport now. It expired a few years ago, so the first thing I’ll do is renew it. I’ve not been abroad for nine years. The last place I went to was Prague with a mate.”
He added: “I think the new passport will have a few stamps on it over the next few years.”
George studied archaeology and ancient history at Birmingham University. And, as a student, he once appeared in a BBC report during a dig at Chedworth Roman Villa in Gloucestershire when a new mosaic was discovered.
He said: “I did archaeology and history at uni and spent 20 years of my younger life studying Rome and Greece and I’ve never been. I’ve never seen any of the monuments I’ve studied. I’ve never seen the Colosseum, so I’m going to Rome.”
George displays his year of cash
He is also planning to spoil his family, including his siblings and parents. He said: “I’ll treat the family. They deserve it just as much as I do.
“Me and my younger brothers have booked a holiday in the Lake District. I’ll pay that for them.”
George did a half marathon to raise money for Alzheimer’s Society to support research four years ago – and it’s a cause close to his heart, having affected a family member.
He said: “Alzheimer’s is something that’s not really talked about and it’s stigmatised in society. When I had the opportunity to raise money, I couldn’t say no.”
A clinical trial using a blood test to help diagnose Alzheimer’s disease, supported with £5 million in funding raised by Postcode Lottery players, is underway. It could lead to faster and more reliable diagnosis of Alzheimer’s, the most common form of dementia.
George said: “It’s supporting charities like that which made me want to join the Postcode Lottery. There is a lot that people can do to help. That’s what charities are all about – communities, friends and family coming together to support them.”
He added, with a laugh: “Maybe I’ll get a new pair of running shoes now.”
Neighbour Jason Brennan, who lives in the next block, was also in the running for the same prize.
The 53-year-old mail centre worker was left stunned when his chain of 12 cheques unfurled, then said: “This is unbelievable. I’ve heard of this but never thought it would ever happen to me.
“There are not enough words in the English language to explain how unbelievably excitable and stupendous this is.”
He added: “I work for Royal Mail, so I know all about postcodes. I deal with them every day.”
Jason will take mum to Caribbean
The first thing Jason’s planning is a trip to a travel agency to make his 74-year-old mum Barbara’s dream come true with a Caribbean holiday.
He said: “My mother wants to go on a Caribbean cruise, and I have the means now. It feels great to be able to do that. I’ll need to sit down and think what else I’ll do with it. It’s just amazing.”
And he added: “I’m going to carry on playing, because I know that lightning does strike twice.”