Lotto Jackpot For Print Syndicate

A syndicate of seventeen, with several members working at Bradford University and College's Inprint and Design, has won the 21 October Lotto jackpot worth a whopping £5,229,849. The syndicate have been playing the lottery for the last four years, led by the organiser Barry Waterhouse.

It wasn't Barry who discovered the win, but he did find out about in on the night of the draw, as he explains: "One of the syndicate members, David Firth, called me to break the good news but I didn't really believe it so my wife called her brother-in-law who writes the numbers down every week. As he was reading the numbers to her, David called me back and read the numbers out again. I started reading out loud the numbers from the ticket as my wife was repeating the winning numbers to me and it was then that I realised we had won!"

At that point, it was Barry's responsibility to let the other members know about their good fortune. "I called the rest of the syndicate to let them know, and then celebrated at home until the small hours of Sunday morning," Barry said. The syndicate members were worried I hadn't actually bought the ticket that week, but I assured them I had."

He also kept the ticket safe. Not in his wallet, but in a metal tin which he kept beside his bed! "Someone told me to do that, because if there was a fire, the ticket wouldn't get burnt!" he explained.

The seventeen syndicate members are now creating their shopping lists, which include houses and holidays among the more expensive items. "We are all over the moon about the win," Barry said. "It will mean greater financial security for us all, and I'm really looking forward to having a great Christmas with my family."

26 October 2006

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