War veteran, 98, wins £685,000 on People’s Postcode Lottery, making him oldest ever winner
A war veteran is looking forward to spoiling his family after becoming the oldest ever winner of the People’s Postcode Lottery.
Bernard Botting, from Burnham-on-Sea, Somerset, has won a huge £685,000 at the age of 98, making him the oldest ever winner of the major prize.
The grandfather, who joined the Royal Marines, mid 17 years old WWII, received three checks for £228,571 after purchasing three tickets – a total of £685,713.
He celebrated his victory with his delighted family – and the three generations proudly posed with Bernard as Jeff Brazier presented him with his win.
“I never thought I would win, I just hoped,” said the retiree. “The family is all going to get something.”
Bernard Botting, from Burnham-on-Sea, Somerset, won a huge £685,000 in the People’s Postcode Lottery at the age of 98 – making him the oldest winner of the big prize
War hero Bernard celebrated his victory with his delighted family – and the three generations huddled around him for a photo as the widower accepted his victory
Bernard first started participating in the People’s Postcode Lottery with his late wife Doris, who died in 2017 at the age of 93.
He promised her that if he ever won, he would share the total amount with his happy family, but told her BBC news: ‘My daughter gets the most because she has been fantastic. She took over from my wife when she died and took care of me every day.”
Bernard is’It was the one lucky winner: four of his neighbors who lived exactly in his zip code also triumphed.
And the remainder of the £3.2 million prize pool was shared with 1,053 people in the wider postcode area.
Dinner lady Shirley Baynham also beamed with joy as her check was unveiled – and credited her win to her late husband Les, who tragically died from cancer in 2019.
Shirley, 71, shared Somerset Live that she has been participating in the Postcode Lottery since her husband died four years ago.
“I wanted to continue it, so I changed it to my name. It seems like he looks down on me and takes care of his sons and grandchildren,” she said.
Dinner lady Shirley Baynham also beamed with joy as her check was unveiled – and credited her win to her late husband Les, who tragically died from cancer in 2019.
Shirley in shock as she posed with son Mark, a warehouse manager who said: ‘This is a bit of good news for a change’
The generous winner is still serving food at her local primary school – and plans to treat her colleagues and her family with the new income.
Her son Mark, a warehouse manager, said: ‘This is good news for a change’.
Neighbor Peter Wrigglesworth also took a win, and the retired lorry driver, 81, and father-of-two, said he would treat his wife Joyce to a share of the fortune.
The Wrigglesworths can now visit their grandson Gavin and his wife Myra – who have a one-year-old child in Ohio – as well as Peter’s brother, 90-year-old Donald who lives in New Zealand.