A father who once won nothing more than a cabbage in a 1977 meat draw has now landed a dramatically bigger prize – a £4 million Georgian mansion in Bath, Somerset, along with £250,000 in cash.According to SWNS, Wayne Wood, 64, from Loughborough, Leicestershire, and his wife Catherine, 53, won the historic property through an Omaze prize draw. The couple, who have been married for 18 years and have two teenage children, will also receive the property mortgage-free, with stamp duty and legal fees covered, as well as £140,000 worth of furnishings.
From a cabbage to a £4 million mansion
Wayne Wood’s cabbage win got a major upgrade. (Photo: SWNS)
Wayne said his previous prize was a cabbage, which he won nearly five decades ago after entering a meat draw with friends.“A £4 million mansion is quite the upgrade from a cabbage!” he said.“I remember I was with my brass band friends on a trip somewhere up north in the 70s and we all entered a meat draw, buying a load of tickets for 2p each, and I ended up winning the cabbage. It’s been a running joke ever since.”Despite the humble win, Wayne never stopped entering prize draws and said he had always dreamed of winning a house.“I’m a dreamer who always wanted to win a big house, that cabbage started my winning streak!” he added.Wayne, who works in marketing, had been an Omaze subscriber for four years, although Catherine was unaware of his subscription.
‘I thought I was being punked’
Inside the £4 million Georgian mansion that’s now a family home. (Photo: SWNS)
When Wayne received the news about the latest prize, he initially suspected it was a prank.“I thought I was being ‘punked’ at first, so I didn’t say anything to my wife until I was 100 per cent sure,” he said.The father said he had always dreamed of owning a large home with a great view, making the win difficult to comprehend.“We have a very lovely life with beautiful children, but you’ve got to keep dreaming and not just settle for less,” he said.Catherine admitted she initially paid little attention when Wayne told her he might have won.“He would win little things here or there, but I’ve never really paid any attention, so even when he first messaged to say he might have won a prize, I just ignored it,” she said.She added that while Wayne had always been the bigger dreamer in the family, she was now convinced that his optimism had paid off.
Historic Bath home has a wine cellar and Coach House
This £4 million Georgian villa comes with a wine cellar and landscaped gardens. (Photo: SWNS)
The property was built in the early 1800s by celebrated Bath architect John Pinch and comes with a range of period features and luxury amenities.The Georgian villa includes a wine cellar, underfloor heating, landscaped gardens and a separate Coach House for guests.Wayne said the family had never previously visited Bath and was stunned by the city.“Just last week we were on holiday visiting a UNESCO World Heritage site in Greece, and now we own a house in a UNESCO site – I can’t believe it!” he said.“We’ve never been to Bath before and didn’t realise how beautiful this place is, and now we own one of the best houses here.”
Catherine wants a Bridgerton-themed party
This historic Bath mansion looks straight out of Bridgerton. (Photo: SWNS)
Catherine, a fan of Bridgerton, is already imagining celebrations at the new property.She said the house felt like something straight out of the Netflix period drama, which is partly filmed in Bath.“It’s like something out of Bridgerton – I felt like I was on the Bridgerton set!” she said.“Bridgerton is filmed in Bath and my sisters and I are big fans, so we’re already thinking about having a Bridgerton themed party here. How perfect would that be?”She also joked that the multiple fridges and wine cellar made the property ideal for entertaining.
Wayne wishes his late mother could have seen the win
The grand Bath villa that has turned one family’s dream into reality. (Photo: SWNS)
The life-changing win has also been an emotional one for Wayne, who lost his mother last month.He said he wished she had been alive to see the family’s extraordinary new home.“I used to call her my ‘one in a million’ and now I’ve won this home which is worth millions, she would have loved it,” he said.“I wish she knew about this, maybe she did, maybe she’s looking down on us, maybe she had something to do with this. If she was still here, she’d be ecstatic.”
£250,000 cash could cover years of running costs
If the family chooses to keep the property, the additional £250,000 prize money could help cover its running costs for years.Alternatively, local estate agents estimate that the property could command a long-term rental value of between £9,000 and £10,000 a month if the couple decides to let it out.Matt Pohlson, founder and CEO of Omaze, said the organisation was delighted that Wayne and Catherine had won the Bath home while supporting English Heritage.He said Omaze had now raised more than £150 million for good causes across the UK.Alongside the guaranteed £1 million raised through the draw, Omaze has also committed a further £3.5 million through a separate multi-year grant to support future projects at Stonehenge. This takes its total contribution to English Heritage to £4.5 million.
