A builder who won the lottery celebrated his win by going back to work and buying a round of bacon butties for all his coworkers.
Paul Bevans, from Pembrokeshire in Wales, popped down to his local Nisa store on Marble Hall Road in Milford Haven a couple of months back on 27 March to buy himself a lottery ticket - and to his surprise, the ticket he bought ended up matching all five main numbers in the National Lottery’s 'Set For Life' draw.
His win means he now gets an impressive jackpot of £10,000 every month for a year.
"I couldn’t believe what I was seeing," Paul told the National Lottery after his win, "In fact I was so unsure, that I scanned the ticket about five times with my eyes firmly open, and each time there was the same winning message."
The 50-year-old wasted absolutely no time in celebrating after hitting the jackpot, but first made sure to hop in his van and head back to work to "show [his] boss and the other lads" the ticket, before heading to the local shop to get it checked over properly and calling the National Lottery.
Not only that, but he also treated his work pals by "shouting the lads a bacon, sausage and egg roll to celebrate" his win.
Builder celebrates winning lottery by buying bacon butties for all his coworkers / Credit: Aled Llywelyn (via the National Lottery)
Paul has revealed that, for now, he has no plans to stop working despite his win, and once he made the call to the National Lottery to confirm the ticket, he headed straight back to the house clearance job he was on along with everyone else.
He has said that he's beginning to think about what the future may hold, and does have a couple of ideas on his wish list for spending his winnings.
"To be honest it really hasn’t sunk in," Paul admitted.
"The idea that £10,000 will be paid to me every month for the next year takes some getting used to. I’ve worked all my life but never had money like that, or dreamt I ever would, but I do have a few ideas up my sleeve.
The 50-year-old gets £10,000 every month for a year / Credit: Aled Llywelyn (via the National Lottery)
"I won’t be buying anything too soon, I’ve waited this long so I’ll wait until the end of the summer when there should be some good deals about.
"If I can get the time off, I might book myself a little trip to Jamaica, as years ago my mum went and she said it was an island paradise, so I fancy a bit of that. And the only other thing on my wish list for now is a trip to Anfield to see Liverpool play at home.
"I’ve been a lifelong fan and never seen them play, other than on the telly."
Paul also started saving up for a campervan a couple of years back, and his winnings now mean he could be the proud owner of one by the end of the year "hit the open road and explore more of Wales and the UK".
An independent matcha stand in Leeds has launched a petition to save the business, after council concerns could result in its closure.
This front garden matcha spot is none other than Sips Matcha, and it's safe to say its become a firm favourite in Leeds, with more than 12,000 followers on Instagram.
Many of us have made the trip to the vibrant green, family-run matcha shed at its Little Woodhouse residential location, and tasting some of Leeds' best matcha while nattering away to Matt and Julia, but this could soon change.
The self-proclaimed 'tiniest matcha stand in Leeds' only just celebrated its one year anniversary, but now faces closure in the coming weeks after a retroactive planning application was rejected.
According to Sips Matcha, Leeds City Council has given them 28 days' notice to stop trading and remove the shed.
In this published document via Leeds City Council website, multiple reasons are listed for the decision to refuse planning permission for the bright-green matcha shed.
This electronic letter signed by Martin Elliot, Chief Planning Officer, lists spoiling the property's character, increased footfall, and a failure to comply with numerous development and design policies.
The full statement reads: "The Local Planning Authority considers that the design, scale and position of the wooden shed fails to respect the previously un spoilt character of the host property, resulting in an unacceptable impact on visual amenity and the wider street scene.
"The Local Planning Authority considers that the use of the shed for retail sales in this quiet residential location would result in an unacceptable impact on the amenity of local residents due to increased levels of comings-and-goings, demand for parking and antisocial behaviour including increased noise and litter, to the significant detriment of neighbouring amenity."
The matcha maestros have now launched a petition urging people to save Sips Matcha, labelling the painted wooden shed-turned-coffee shop as a 'Community Stand'.
Co-owner Julia has published a statement via the petition link where she details: "After being made redundant and at a crossroads in life Matt threw himself into making Sips something special - and it has become exactly that...
"Their concerns are that the shed is in a front garden, and that the business could cause nuisance - litter, traffic and parking issues. In over a year of trading, none of these have been a problem. Leeds City Council asked neighbours on the street for their opinion. Not one negative response.
"We are a registered food business with Leeds City Council, insured and hold our food and hygiene certificates. They have now asked us to stop trading and remove the shed within 28 days."
TESTBED unveils major transformation to become Leeds’ premier destination for music and culture
Clementine Hall
Here's your first look at the new and improved TESTBED music venue in Leeds city centre.
Gearing up to relaunch this September, the landmark Leeds venue will reopen its doors to showcase permanent structural improvements and major upgrades across sound, lighting and overall customer experience.
With a capacity of a very impressive 2,500, there's no denying that TESTBED is preparing to relaunch at the forefront of Leeds’ vibrant creative culture.
The venue is expanding from 10,000 sq ft to 23,000 sq ft, guests will now enter through a new lobby where they can enjoy a brand-new 5,000 sq ft mezzanine level with customisable seating and a view of the dance floor from a brand-new balcony.
Image: Supplied
There will be a new upstairs bar that will continue TESTBED’s commitment to support local brands and suppliers.
Downstairs, the custom-built stage allows for a 360-degree crowd and a room two is also underway for a 2027 reveal, creating a multi-purpose space and chill-out area.
Image: Supplied
The newly designed lighting includes multiple moving lights and strobes, together with a large LED ceiling installation and bespoke under-balcony display of LED strips and curves, complemented by a high-res 8m x 4m LED video wall.
Guests will also keep cool thanks to significant upgrades to ventilation and air circulation, with powerful high-capacity fans creating a fresher, more comfortable environment throughout.
Image: Supplied
Now onto the important stuff... the portaloos are gone and replaced by four brand new toilet blocks, doubling capacity and of course - comfort.
So, what are you waiting for? We'll see you on the dance floor at the brand-new TESTBED when it opens its doors again this September.
Full lineups and opening details will be announced soon, we'll keep you posted as and when we find out more.
The Hoot -
11th May 2023 
