The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Kirkcaldy folk win big in Postcode Lottery
Grandmother celebrating after she scoops cheques totalling almost half a million pounds
The moment when Kirkcaldy woman Lorraine Reilly realised that her Postcode Lottery win was a big one.
More than 750 people in the KY2 6 area were winners and received their prizes at the event on Saturday.
Biggest winner on the day was Elizabeth Smith who had two jackpot tickets, winning her more than £490,000.
Living in the Lang Toun proved lucky for hundreds of Kirkcaldy residents on Saturday as they shared an amazing £3 million prize through the People’s Postcode Lottery.
A total of 753 players in the KY2 6 postcode area scooped prizes from a healthy £2,094 to a life-changing £491,040 for two-ticket winner Elizabeth Smith.
The 66-year-old said: “It’s just fantastic – I’ve never won anything like this before.
“I got the envelope for the £4,000 first of all and I thought ‘this is great’ because I’ve never won that amount of money before.
“But then they ripped that up on stage when the postcode came up and when I got the first cheque I thought ‘I can’t believe it’.
“To get the second one because I’ve got two tickets, it’s just fantastic.”
Former factory worker Mrs Smith has been playing for a decade, narrowly missing out on £25,000 in the game’s early days when her old postcode, KY1, was drawn.
A holiday to Toronto might be on the cards, although she said her two sons and 13 grandchildren will feel the benefits.
“That’s my first priority, my kids. I’m going to treat my 16-year-old granddaughter Rebecca to her university fees,” she added.
Asked what her first purchase might be, she said: “We’ve worked all of our days and got what we wanted.
“My husband Andy can’t drive now because he took a stroke, so it might have been a new car. I might get a chauffeur, right enough.”
Sums of £2,094, £4,188 and £6,282, were handed out before the big winners of £245,520 were revealed as George Wight, 68, Katy Honeyman, 35, and Lorraine Reilly, 58. Mrs Smith doubled her prize by having two tickets.
Father-of-four and grandfather-oftwo Mr Wight, said: “I would have been happy with £500 but this is just amazing. I’m exhausted.”
The retired builder plans to visit his sister Jessie, who he hasn’t seen in years, and son Charlie in Australia.
Neighbour Mrs Reilly is also planning on spending part of her £245,520 on a trip Down Under, to visit her son Jamie who has lived there since 2011.
She said: “I’ll be flying business class all the way.”
Mrs Honeyman, an administration clerk at Scottish Widows, will visit the USA and husband Colin will buy new golf clubs and book some lessons.
She said: “It’s definitely a life-changing amount of money.
“I’m not really sure what we’re going to spend it on yet. We’ve just got to let it sink in first.”
I would have been happy with £500 but this is just amazing. I’m exhausted