Thirteen households in the Cotswolds village of Down Ampney were left stunned by a massive Postcode Lottery win, with one couple unknowingly holding three winning tickets between them.
Stuart and Sarah Ware-Lane discovered, just weeks ago, that they had both been playing the lottery independently — holding three tickets in total and winning a combined £214,284.
Sarah, 49, held one ticket that won £71,428. Meanwhile, Stuart, 48, surprised them both with two tickets of his own, which brought in a staggering £142,856. Neither realized the other was playing until just four weeks ago.
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“I genuinely thought I was paying for Sarah’s ticket too,” Stuart explained. “Turns out we both had our own!”
The couple, who moved from London to the Cotswolds eight years ago seeking a quieter life for their daughter Maya, are still processing their life-changing win. “It doesn’t seem real,” said Sarah. “Things like this don’t happen to people like us.”
Their postcode, GL7 5QW, shared a £1 million total prize among 13 neighbors, each receiving £71,428. Stuart was unique in holding multiple tickets.
Sarah had been playing for years, while Stuart joined secretly about a year ago. The truth surfaced when Stuart spotted a PayPal payment on Sarah’s phone for the lottery. That rare discovery turned into one of their luckiest moments.
Shortly after, a Postcode Lottery representative called them, confirming their joint winnings.
Stuart works as a manager at Halfords Autocentre in Oxford, while Sarah supports students at Cirencester College and works with a dance charity. The couple expressed excitement over future plans to indulge in luxury holidays, mentioning dream destinations like the Maldives, Bora Bora, and safaris.
Their daughter Maya, 14, jokes about buying another puppy or even a horse with the prize money.
The lottery win is especially meaningful to the family, who have endured personal losses in recent years. “It’s been really hard,” Sarah shared tearfully about losing her dad. “This means a lot to us.”
Other winners in the village include Nathan Barnett, a digital marketer who joined the lottery five months ago via a referral. He was thrilled with his £71,428 prize that will help fund family holidays and home improvements.
Retired egg wholesaler Clive Maltby, 72, is dreaming of holidays to the Far East and upgrading his photography gear, while Sheila Panther, 80, a former air hostess, says she’s “living in a dream” following her win.
The village of Down Ampney, known for its close-knit community spirit, has been forever changed by this unexpected jackpot — a story that feels as charming as it is improbable.