'I Couldn't Believe It': Truck Driver Quits Job of 42 Years After He and Wife Each Win the Lottery The couple is based in Newcastle, England.
By Emily Rella
A truck driver in England worked his final shift after 42 years on the job after discovering that both he and his wife held winning lottery tickets worth roughly $210,000 each.
Tom Hedley, 68, and his wife Christine Hedley, also 68, each won the People's Postcode Lottery based in the U.K. on Thursday, prompting Hedley to call into work and quit his job.
Related: Maryland Man Wins Lottery Jackpot 15 Times on 15 Tickets
"I've been working all my life, and I think it's time I had a break," Hedley told The Independent. "When they revealed the envelope, it was just surreal."
The People's Postcode Lottery is a subscription-based lottery system that raises money for different charities. The winners are rewarded in cash as subscribers are automatically entered in every day's drawings for around $13 per month.
According to the organization's website, the lottery system has raised over $1.29 billion for charitable causes over the years.
The Newcastle-based couple plan to use their winnings to vacation in Pitlochry, Scotland, and finish up home renovations. They also plan to put money aside to help their children and grandchildren.
"I couldn't believe it. I just cried," Christine said to BBC. "It's lovely to know that we can just relax and live life for us now."
The now-retired couple plans to "take things slowly" in the months ahead and settle into some much-needed rest.
Related: Man Wins $22M Lottery But Won't Tell His Children, Parents
