A plasterer has jacked his job in after hitting the lottery jackpot and winning an £10,000 a month for the next 30 years.
John Stembridge is the latest lucky winner in the National Lottery’s ‘Set For Life‘ draw.
The 51-year-old has traded in his trowels and plastering gear for what sounds set to be a laid-back luxury lifestyle with ample time for fishing, travelling, and photography after scooping an impressive £10,000 a month, every month, for the next three decades.
After a long career of labouring, the Wiltshire resident’s “life-changing” lottery win means he’s was able to give up working for good last month.
John says he’d been out for the day on a wildlife photography shoot when decided to swing by a local supermarket on his way home to grab a few bits, and bought the lottery ticket for that night’s game just by chance.
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Like most people, John says he “didn’t believe” he would win – but that didn’t turn out to be the case for once, as the jackpot had his name on it.
Now, the keen fisher and photographer will be able to spend as much time as he likes on his hobbies, and has admitted that his first purchase with his lottery winnings will be a luxury campervan so he can travel all across Europe photographing rare wildlife and honing his craft.
“There’ll be no more days of coming home covered in plaster dust and worrying about money and my family – all of our lives are now changed forever.
Plasterer quits his job after winning £10k a month for 30 years on the lottery / Credit: National Lottery
“It makes me so happy that I can now help and support my family and those closest to me, and I literally have no more worries in that respect [as] to be in the position where I get £10,000 every month, tax free, is just phenomenal.
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“This win has changed everything for me and those closest to me, and I still just cannot believe it.”
John also reflected back on the moment he found out he’d won the top prize, admitting to “bursting into tears” after the lady on other end of the film confirmed he’d hit the jackpot.
“The lady on the end of the phone said to me, ‘are you sitting down?’ and she then confirmed that I had won the top prize. I literally burst into tears and I cried my eyes out. I could not believe it.
“My life was about to change forever – and this really was happening to me.”
Featured Image – National Lottery
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Manchester has been named one of the ‘friendliest’ cities in the UK
Emily Sergeant
A new study has crowned Manchester as one of the ‘friendliest’ cities in the UK.
With reviews playing a huge part in the success of small businesses – especially in the hospitality and tourism sector – business insurance expert MoneySuperMarket has analysed more than 100,000 reviews of customer-facing businesses in over 100 cities worldwide to discover where the UK’s ‘friendliest’ places are.
Their new research reveals which cities nationwide attract the highest number of reviews that particularly highlight friendly staff and excellent customer service in their venues and attractions.
For each city, the reviews were analysed for mentions of friendly staff and excellent service.
Cities were then ranked by the percentage of reviews containing these markers – with the highest percentage earning the top spot for friendly customer service.
Manchester came in at a very respectable ninth place in the whole of the UK, with just over 50% of reviews mentioning friendly staff and service.
Other northern cities in the top 10 include Leeds at number six and Liverpool at number two, while looking at the global rankings, the UK dominates for friendliness – with four cities making the top 10, more than any other country in the world.
According to MoneySupermarket, the even spread of cities across the UK suggests that excelling in customer service is a national trait, rather than a local one.
European cities make up seven of the top 10 spots, suggesting that hospitality and friendly service are deeply embedded in the continent’s culture.
Featured Image – Manchester City Council
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Bolton man sets Guinness World Record for most fish fingers eaten in a minute
Emily Sergeant
A man from Bolton has set a very unique world record.
Nathan Davies, from Westhoughton in Bolton, is on a roll – first he won £98,000 on ITV‘s hit gameshow The 1% Club, and now he’s a world record holder.
After telling the show’s host, Lee Mack, that he wanted to break a world record, the 32-year-old has followed through on the promise he made on national television by claiming the title for the most fish fingers eaten in one minute.
The dad-of-two managed to scoff down 15 fish fingers in 60 seconds.
A man from Bolton man has set the Guinness World Record for the most fish fingers eaten in a minute / Credit: Guinness World Record
Nathan chose fish fingers as they’re a staple in his household thanks to his two young boys, and after first testing how quickly he could eat four of them, he decided to go for the official Guinness World Record attempt.
“I decided fish fingers was achievable given that I’ve got a few less formal eating records, so it’s up my street,” Nathan explained of his world record attempt.
Despite his impressive effort though, Nathan admits he was still a little gutted about how many he managed to chow down in the allotted time, adding: “I think I could have done more if I had let them cool down longer, but just happy to have the record.”
Nathan says it’s a ‘bit strange’ to have an official Guinness World Record for eating fish fingers, of all things, but he is ‘very proud’ of it all the same.
Emily Sergeant -
10th August 2023 
