Mandy and Gav hit the jackpot with People’s Postcode Lottery (Picture: Supplied)
Mandy Birtley always kept her fingers cross when she played the lottery – but like most people, never quite hit the jackpot.
In fact, the 49-year-old, from Boughton, Nottinghamshire, was on the the verge of giving up, and says she only carried on playing because her partner Gav Meek nagged her not to jack it in.
‘You don’t think it’s going to happen, so I guess you lose hope,’ former healthcare assistant Mandy explains.
Just weeks after Gav, 46, told Mandy to keep entering the cash draw, the couple were stunned to learn they had scooped a stunning £100,000 with People’s Postcode Lottery.
‘This amount feels like I’m dreaming,’ says Mandy. ‘It probably won’t feel real until it’s in my bank account.’
And Gav is proud to take full credit for the win, after pleading with Mandy to keep entering the prize draw.
‘Mandy wanted to cancel so many times, but I said, “don’t cancel it, keep it going, it’s for a reason isn’t it?”‘ he recalls. ‘And it’s all worth it now.’
The couple’s substantial winnings will see them live far more comfortably in the face of the ongoing cost of living crisis.
For Gav, getting a new set of gnashers is top of the agenda.
‘I’m going to Turkey to get some teeth. I’m going to look like Rylan,’ he jokes. ‘I’ve always wanted to get them done as it’s so expensive these days so I can get them all brand new and we can have a holiday.’
But aside from more frivolous purchases, Gav believes the £100k win will also seem him hugely advance in his trade.
‘This morning, I was at work on minimum wage, doing loads of overtime and now I’ve got 100 grand. It’s life-changing!’ he says.
Mandy and Gav are using their winnings to treat their family – and get new teeth (Picture: Supplied)
‘I’m a level three mechanic and I only need a few more tools and a van and I can be a mobile mechanic. It means I won’t need to settle for minimum wage.’
The couple, who have been together for 23 years, are also looking to treat their family.
As well as buying a caravan for sale that they’ve had their eyes on, they now are going to buy their 21-year-old son Jamie his first car.
