THREE neighbours in the same tower block are celebrating after sharing an incredible £1m prize on People’s Postcode Lottery. 

The bumper pot landed in Harlow,, at the Hugh Tower, the 11-storey high-rise flats where, incredibly, all three winners live. 

One winner Martin McBride, 58, was left stunned when his £333,333 cheque was revealed, then said: “People like me don’t win anything much. You spend, take a chance and keep going. I’m shocked, absolutely stunned, amazed…and relieved. 

“And it’s nice to see different people from this block benefitting from the win.” 

Five floors down, Mark Pearce, also 58, started shaking when he saw his cheque and said: “For £1m to land in this tower block, that’s nuts! 

I thought it was a wind-up. I thought it was a bloke called Howard at my work. He doesn’t normally wind me up, but it kind of sounded like him when I got the call to say I’d won. 

“I’ve never seen that much money in numbers. That’s amazing, absolutely amazing.” 

The pair shared £1m with a third unnamed neighbour in Harlow after CM20 3QT landed the lottery’s weekly Millionaire Street prize. Every ticket was worth £333,333.  

And the win comes almost exactly two years to the day since another Harlow postcode bagged the same prize. Less than two miles away, 11 neighbours shared £1 million after CM18 6QT landed the Millionaire Street prize on Saturday 16 December in 2023. Every ticket was worth £90,909.   

Harlow’s known as being the world’s first ‘Sculpture Town’ due to its public artworks by artists including Henry Moore, Auguste Rodin and Barbara Hepworth.

Now divorced truck driver Martin – who made his home in the town after being brought up in Loughguile, in County Antrim, Northern Ireland – is making big plans for his new fortune. 

The techno superfan performed some dance moves with lottery ambassador Danyl Johnson when the cheque was handed over. 

And the dad-of-four quickly said: “I intend to do as many concerts as I can in the next year. I’m already going to at least five, now I’ll have a few more. And when I go, where I’m staying will greatly improve.” 

Martin’s already booked a string of electronic dance music gigs including a rave in London next month and Amsterdam’s ‘Don’t Let Daddy Know’ event in March. Then in May he’s planning to hit the dance floor at the Rong Open Air Festival in Malta, London’s Silverworks Island in July and the Clubland Weekender in Blackpool pencilled in for October. 

And he’s now determined to bag tickets for his all-time dream concert next July – Tomorrowland in Boom, Belgium, which is one of the biggest electronic music festivals in the world. 

Martin said: “It’s held every year in the summer and has 400,000 people. The arena is roughly the size of 63 football pitches. 

“That would be the ultimate dream. It’s massively expensive and hard to get tickets. But it will be happening next year…definitely.” 

But trendy grandad Martin has more treats lined up for himself – including a new set of wheels. 

The former chef said: “I’ll get a nice new car and go on a few holidays. I’ve got a Dacia Sandero Stepway at the moment, so I’ll get a brand new one of those. 

“I’d like to go to Australia and New Zealand, partly for the weather, the sights and the food with me being an ex-chef. 

“I’m determined to make the most of life. One of the fellows I used to work with died last week and he was just 42. I’m going to live life.” 

He added: “I’ll treat myself. No one else will, so I might as well. I’m working after this, but at the weekend I’ll get myself a nice bottle of Champagne and let myself go.  

“It’s still sinking in; I’m struggling to get my head round it. But I’m going to do as much as I can to enjoy it. This is going to set me up.” 

On the fourth floor of the block, finance firm computer operator Mark pulled out his cheque and gasped: “That’s a bit….ooooooh! 

“I’m going to go on holiday. I fancy Malta. I saw it on the TV last night and I like a bit of history. There are so many things that I could do with this sort of money. It’s unbelievable. I’m waiting for someone to pinch me.”  

He added: “I’ll take some time to think about what I want to do. But it’ll be a nice Christmas for the family.” 

But there is one thing the vintage car fanatic has his heart set on – a nifty, 60s-built, three litre MG C roadster. 

He said: “I’ve always fancied an MG C sports car. I could get one for about £20,000 plus. It’s not too much…I don’t want a Ferrari. 

“I like vintage vehicles. I’ve got a Lambretta scooter that my grandad gave me on my 21st when he retired and stopped riding it. It’s about the same age as me and being restored at the moment.” 

And it’s not just joy for Postcode Lottery players, because their wins mean local charities have benefitted too. 

And one organisation, Harlow-based Michael Roberts Charitable Trust (MRCT), has been awarded £40,000. 
 
The charity – which previously received funding from players two years ago -has been giving invaluable support to vulnerable people experiencing poverty by empowering them with tools to develop their own potential and self-confidence since 1997. 
 
They also run the Harlow Foodbank as well as the Bounty Club, which puts fresh food on the table at a reduced cost for those in financial hardship. Both services help over 6,000 families every year and save 300 tonnes of food from going into landfill. 
 
Andy Thornton, Chief Executive Officer at Michael Roberts Charitable Trust, said: “MRCT are thrilled to have become recipients of funding from players of People’s Postcode Lottery.  

“Our work supports over 5,000 people around Harlow each year, enabling them to have the necessary items they need to stay afloat when times are hard.

“Through our Foodbank, Community Supermarket, Bump to Five kids’ essentials project and Maybury Open Door drop-in, we give practical items that stops kids from losing out and adults from losing hope.”

He added: “We will continue to offer a happy place for Harlow neighbours and do it even better thanks to support from players.”