A Scots gran has won a quarter of a million pounds on People’s Postcode Lottery – but she has no plans to retire.
Evelyn Evans, 73, bagged a share of £1m when her postcode came up trumps on Saturday – and doubled her winnings after playing with two tickets.
Now the Edinburgh-born pensioner plans to take her whole family on holiday and tick off a bucket list trip of her own. But she insists she won’t be quitting her job.
The gran-of-ten, of Alcester, Warwickshire, shared the £1m jackpot with six neighbours after B49 6PX landed Postcode Lottery’s Millionaire Street prize on Saturday, April 20.
Ecstatic Evelyn said: “It’s just mind blowing! To think your postcode does actually come up when you least expect it. It’s been absolutely unforgettable. I’ve never ever thought I’d win such a big amount.”
Evelyn, who works as a Military Maintenance, Repairs, Overhaul (MRO) specialist primarily sourcing spare parts for military helicopters, said she loves her job and won’t be giving it up in a hurry.
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She said: “I love what I do. I’ve always worked, they’ll be carrying me off in a box and I’ll still be typing on the computer, ringing a customer, or sending an email.
“I was straight back to work after the Postcode Lottery visited. As they say ‘time stands still for no man.’
“I keep on working, not necessarily for the money, but because it’s something to do, keeps me busy and keeps my mind going. I don’t know what I’d do if I didn’t work.”
Evelyn, originally from The Inch, in Edinburgh, has lived in England for most of her life, after moving to London in her twenties - but she still calls Scotland home.
She said: “I always feel when I fly or drive back up the road that you’re going home. It’s something that never leaves you. You just belong there.
“And I love coming back, coming over the bridges and you see the hills. It’s just like going back home.”
Evelyn was contacted by the lottery last week to say she’d won something and that they’d be visiting her in person. But when she hung up the phone, she was berated by her son Craig.
She said: “I didn’t even ask how much I’d won when the Postcode Lottery phoned to say they were coming to my door and that I’d won a prize. My son scolded me for not asking!”
Evelyn’s son Craig watched on in delight as his mum received a cheque for £250,000 but he was quick to say she needed a new TV.
Craig joked: “She’s got a 42-inch TV but it’s about 42 years old. Mum can invest in a new one, and I’ll take her to the shop myself.
Evelyn added: “My TV works perfectly fine, but yes I guess I could get a new telly.”
Evelyn was working from home when the lottery arrived at her door. Moments after she found out how much she’d won, one of her clients was on the phone.
She said: “One of my clients was on the phone asking how much I’d won and when I told him the amount he said, “Is that just for you?’ and I told him yeah that’s all mine!
“I’ll also need to ring my best friend. I bet she’ll say, ‘are you going to retire now?”
After finishing her day’s work and a bottle of Champagne, Evelyn says she’ll be planning a big family holiday for her entire family.
She said: “I’ll take the all the family away on holiday and I’m going to let them decide where we go.
“With eight grandchildren and two honorary grandchildren, it’ll be quite the family affair. I’ll just take them all-inclusive, and they can do what they want.”
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Evelyn also has another destination in mind. She said: “I think my friend and I could go to the Norwegian Fjords next year. It would be something else to see the Northern Lights. That’s on my bucket list – so I’ll tick that one off.”
As for holidays this year, Evelyn says she’s jetting off for some sunshine in Turkey and Spain, and she’ll be travelling to her late sister’s ‘happy place.’
She said: “I’m going back to Tenerife in November, that was my sister’s favourite place, we used to go there together every year before she passed away in January 2023. It’s just me and the rest of the Scottish crowd from Edinburgh – it was my sister’s happy place.”
Evelyn won the largest share of the £1m prize, playing with two tickets, with six of her neighbours winning £125,000 each.
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