They missed a lotto emails.
A couple ignored messages from the National Lottery for weeks, believing the notifications that they had scored big were just incessant spam.
James and Sally Briggs weren’t convinced of their impressive winnings — ringing in at more than $145,000 — until receiving a fourth email a month after the winning numbers were drawn in the lotto on Aug. 3.
Now, the “laid back” couple from Walsall, West Midlands, have paid off their car loan and plan to purchase a “bespoke” front door, a new laptop and watch for James, invest in property and take a trip to Vancouver.
Sally, a crafty 40-year-old, even wants a “she-shed” for her art materials, which are currently littered about her home.
“If I could have a room to myself, life would be so much easier, and I could be more creative,” she told Southwest News Service.
“A special place for crafting would be a dream come true. Men have man caves, I want a ‘she shed.’”
Set For Life winners can win up to more than $12,000 per month for 30 years when players’ numbers match the five drawn and the Life Ball.
On Aug 3, the winning numbers were 2, 11, 17, 30, 38 and Life Ball 3, winning the Briggs more than $12,000 per month for a year.
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42-year-old James, who has played Set For Life since its inception and purchases his routine scratch-offs a month in advance, said he received an email about the drawing but was too busy to mind it.
The pair, who have been married for four years, were so distracted by their international travel, Sally’s birthday and household projects that they didn’t realize until receiving a fourth email that, perhaps, there was merit to the messages.
It was Sunday, Oct. 9, and James opened up one of the emails to read it while lounging in front of the TV, unsure if the alert was spam or genuine.
“I didn’t say anything to Sally but decided I’d call the National Lottery line the next day and see if all these emails were true,” recalled James, who met Sally seven years ago while speed dating.
“I called the following morning, still wondering whether it was real but, after chatting to various people and seeing everything on the app it finally dawned on me that it could actually be true.”
Then, he messaged his wife to tell her that he “had some news” to announce when she came home that evening.
Sally, in turn, panicked, thinking there was an emergency or problem — then she found out they had hit the jackpot and was in “total disbelief.”
“I play Lotto and EuroMillions when there’s a big rollover, but I like Set For Life because I feel there’s always a good chance of winning…and I’m now winning proof of that!” James said.
