STUNNED Kevin Jones celebrated becoming a millionaire after winning People’s Postcode Lottery’s biggest ever prize – then revealed his dad predicted it.
Kev, 58, was left speechless after scooping a record £1,210,914 jackpot in the lottery’s monthly Postcode Millions draw for January.
Then he told how his stepdad John Davies, 79, called him the night before to tell him he’d win big – despite Kev’s protests that his prize would be a maximum of £2,000.
Kev, of Llandrindod Wells, Powys, mid Wales, said: “My dad said to me yesterday, ‘get a Bentley and show them’. I said, ‘I’m only going to get a grand, dad, or a couple of grand at the most’. But he said, ‘no, it’s your turn now’.
“The thing is, my dad is never far off from being right. Now I might just rent a Bentley and take him out for the day.”
He added: “I don’t need much. I always say, it’s the simple things in life.”
Kev revealed he first signed up for Postcode Lottery to help smaller charities.
He said: “The Postcode Lottery is a great way of giving to charity. There are so many smaller charities included and some don’t get a lot of money.”
He won the mammoth jackpot after being the only player in the full winning postcode of LD1 5HR. Each ticket was worth £403,638 – but Kev tripled that by playing with three.
And he shared the joy with 407 other players who also banked cash prizes – ranging from £4,305 to £17,220 – in the buzzing Victorian spa town’s wider postcode sector of LD1 5, which made up the rest of the £3.2m pot.
Now Kev plans to kickstart a new life by quitting his top floor flat and fulfil his dream of moving to a plush chalet in the nearby Sunny Haven Park – so he can get a garden again.
Unemployed Kev, who suffers from emphysema and sleep apnoea, said: “I’ve been dreaming about the chalets for a long time. Every time I pass the place, I imagine living there. It’s nice and quiet and I’m sure the people would be really friendly.
“I’ve always loved my garden and, since I’ve been here, I’ve not had one. That would give me one again. Now my dream can come true.”
He added: “It would be good for me. I don’t get out much. I’ve made this flat my little home.”
But the petrolhead also has his sights set on a trip to the British Grand Prix at Silverstone to celebrate his 59th birthday in July and replacing his current money pit motor with a version of a much-loved car from his past – but not a brand new one!
The F1 fan said: “I’d rather go to a Grand Prix at Silverstone rather than anywhere else. Monaco is a different kind of track…whoever is in front tends to stay in front.”
He told how he’s spent a fortune souping up his 08 plate Ford Fiesta.
He said: “I’ve spent about £5,000 on the car I’ve got. It’s near enough a new car with everything I’ve replaced on it.
“I like the Audi A5 S line in Ibis White. I was looking at one on Ebay costing £5,000 to £6,000. I’m not big on the new ones. They kind of changed the shape a wee bit. I might get a newish one now, though. I had a few hundred quid put by for another car.”
The Liverpool FC supporting grandad also hankers after a first trip to Anfield.
He said: “I’ve never been to Liverpool. I’ve been to Wolves, but not there. I might take a trip now.”
Kev has vowed to take care of his family, including mum Theresa, 76, and younger brother Alun, 57.
The keen carp and pike fisherman is dad to two sons, aged 26 and 24, and a 30-year-old daughter who is pregnant with his fourth grandchild.
He said: “I’ll get advice and put some money into trust for them. I also want to help my brother with some home improvements. My brother has always been there for me. He’s a rock to me.”
Kevin admitted he had goosebumps before ambassador Matt Johnson knocked on his door to reveal he was the biggest single winner in Postcode Lottery history – then exclaimed that he ‘felt greedy’.
After he opened three envelopes, each with a cheque for £403,638, he staggered back and said: “What? What? What? I was expecting like a grand! Oh my days! I don’t believe that. I’m speechless.”
Then he exhaled, wiped away tears and added: “I never in the world expected that. I don’t believe this. It means the world to me. I can do some things for people with this. I’ll help out family and friends and find a charity. Thank you so much. I’m still in shock, but so grateful.
“I forgot all about the other two cheques after seeing the first one. I feel a bit greedy now, to be honest.
“You don’t ever think about winning, especially big money. Big money never happens. I never thought this would happen to me…never in a million years. I’m overwhelmed and in shock, but very, very thankful and grateful.
“It feels crazy, absolutely crazy. I didn’t know how it worked and never thought the amount would get anywhere near this.”
He added: “I’m also so excited for everyone else in the town that’s won. I’m so happy for them as well.”
He then walked to the town’s Pavilion venue to celebrate with hundreds of other locals who had turned up to be presented with their cheques.
And, as he stood on the podium with a lit-up sculpture of the winning postcode, there were chants of ‘Kevin, Kevin, Kevin’.
Another winner was dad-of-one Ryan Evans who made the event a family affair – by picking up a cheque with SIX of his partner’s relatives.
The self-employed electrician celebrated with teaching assistant Ebonie Collard-Francis, 26, after bagging £4,305.
Ryan was joined by Ebonie’s grandad David Collard, 73, her great-uncle Paul Dudley, 66, her teaching assistant aunt Julie Hughes, 52, and second cousin Bryony Cox, 47, who all won £4,305. Ebonie’s great-gran Pam Dudley, 91, landed the same amount. But another great-uncle Tony Dudley, 53, doubled his winnings to £8,610 with two tickets.
Ryan, 28, said: “We’ll be going on holiday. Don’t know where yet, but I’ll have to renew my passport first.”
Retired David said: “I thought we’d be getting £1,000, so this is a bonus. We need a new shower to start with.”
Paul, a plumbing and heating engineer, added: “I never realised the others in the family did the Postcode Lottery, too. Turning up here this morning is the first time I knew they’d won.”
Mum-of-three Bryony added: “I’m really pleased and shocked.”
May Blackman, 40, was stunned with her £4,305 win – because she cancelled her ticket the day before the prize was announced.
Support worker May, collecting her cheque on a quick break from work, said: “I didn’t expect to be in this draw – I cancelled my direct debit a few days ago because I moved house.
“I’m so excited I’ve won otherwise I would’ve been gutted.”
She added: “I think I might just go on a nice holiday to Spain or Tenerife. And I will sign back up again with my new address now, definitely!”
OH BOY!: New parents Chris and Coryn plan Disney break with baby son
National Grid worker Chris, who won £4,305, said: “We got a seven-week-old son, Oliver, so this will make a massive difference. You don’t realise how expensive babies are until you have one.”
Now Chris is planning the trip of a lifetime for him, his primary school teacher wife Coryn and their newborn son.
Chris said: “We definitely want to go on holiday. We really want to take Oliver to Disney World in Florida when he’s a bit older. We can do that now – we’ll do the whole works with this!”
Powys County Council worker Francis Hydes, 40, is planning on putting his £4,305 windfall towards home improvements at the pad he shares with partner Anna Poulton and their three dogs and two cats.
Anna, 40, who works for mental health charity Mind, said: “Having five pets and puppies that eat the walls and chew things up, we’ve been putting off home improvements for a little while until it was the right time, but I think we’ll do them now.
“We might give ourselves a little treat and go away somewhere nice. With all the animals we won’t go far, but we might bribe some family now to come and stay.”
Anna joked: “I’ve just seen our builder is here too. He’ll probably be getting most of this!”
Sophie Harper, 29, discovered she’d scooped a cheque for £4,305 when the Postcode Lottery team surprised her at the town’s Metropole Hotel, where she works as a receptionist.
The mum-of-two is now planning to spoil her two young sons Gethin, six, and Rhayn, four, as well as hubby Dan, 31.
She said: “I’d like to spoil my boys and do all the nice things that we’ve missed out on over the last few years with work and school getting in the way.
“Me and Dan might have a nice takeaway to celebrate – either a Chinese or maybe we’ll treat ourselves to a burger from Fabian’s!”
Sisters Jo and Sarah Francis celebrated together after they each bagged £4,305 windfalls.
Civil servant Sarah, 47, said: “It feels amazing winning together. I thought it would be £1,000. Anything over that is a bonus.”
The mum-of-one added: “I’ll get my garden done with this.”
Primary school teacher Jo, 51, had only signed up for the lottery four months ago.
The mum-of-three said: “It’s great to win so quickly. I’ll go on a little holiday and help my son with uni.”
Postcode Lottery ambassador Matt Johnson said: “It was wonderful to be back on my home turf of Wales making history with our biggest ever winner.
“You could feel the electricity in the community as hundreds of players got the good news about their wins.”
Fellow ambassador Danyl Johnson added: “It was a special morning making a lot of people happy. All’s Wells that ends Wells!”
