A woman who forgot to update her lottery ticket after moving house has received an incredible surprise, winning £83,333 thanks to her old address!
Zoe Wallace, 53, moved from Sussex to London in August last year. However, she completely forgot to change the address linked to her People's Postcode Lottery ticket. More than a year later, that small oversight turned into a life-changing win when she learned her former street had landed a share of a £1 million jackpot.
Zoe drove from London back to Saltdean on October 10 to discover exactly how much she had won.
“I'd forgotten that I still had the ticket on my old house. I sold the house a year ago and forgot to move the ticket,” she explained. “I got a call saying that I'd won and that the Postcode Lottery would be on my old street. I drove down from London the next morning to find out how much I'd won. It's been a wonderful shock.”
Nine Neighbors Share £1 Million Jackpot
Zoe was one of nine winners celebrating after postcode BN2 8LT won the lottery's Millionaire Street prize on Saturday, October 10.
Here's how the prize money was divided:
- Six winners received £83,333 each, with one ticket apiece.
- Three lucky neighbors won £166,666 each because they had purchased two tickets.
Zoe, who runs her own small project management business, admitted that forgetting to update her ticket turned out to be a very lucky mistake.
“I run my own business, I work for myself, and I just completely forgot to update my Postcode Lottery ticket. What a good thing!” she said.
Lottery Win Brings Hope After a Difficult Year
The unexpected windfall comes after an especially painful year for Zoe and her family. Her mother and her sister, Emma Lane, 50, were both diagnosed with breast cancer just four weeks apart.
Tragically, Zoe's mother died only 10 weeks after her diagnosis in July. Emma is still undergoing treatment, including chemotherapy and radiotherapy, but has been told she is currently cancer-free.
Emma joined Zoe to celebrate the lottery win, making the occasion even more meaningful for the family.
“It's been a really tough year this year. The toughest,” Zoe said. “Emma's undergoing her treatment, but once that's finished, we're going to make some memories with this and make more memories in the future with everyone in the family.”
Holidays and Family Memories Ahead
Zoe plans to use her winnings to enjoy holidays and spend more quality time with her loved ones.
In a couple of weeks, she will travel to Mexico to meet her 23-year-old son, Harvey, who works as a ski instructor in Canada. She also plans to visit Whistler with her 27-year-old daughter, Lucy, over Christmas and New Year to spend time with him.
Zoe is looking forward to trying new experiences, including a winter holiday in Canada. She has never been on a winter-sun vacation or tried skiing, but she's ready to enjoy the adventure.
Although her lottery win came from a forgotten ticket, the £83,333 prize will give Zoe and her family a welcome opportunity to create happy memories after an incredibly difficult year.
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