We all think about the day when our lucky numbers are drawn and we walk away with thousands, if not millions, of pounds.

For some lucky Cumbrians that dream became a reality.

Tracy Birkbeck from Penrith won £370,000 on The National Lottery's Lotto draw in 2013.

Stephen and Tracy Birkbeck from Penrith, Cumbria, toast their £369,151 Lotto win at Ullswater in the Lake District. The lucky couple put their fortune down to a scarab beetle they had recently purchased on a holiday to Egypt. Their numbers came up

She explained: "We had friends over that evening so it wasn’t until they left that we checked the numbers. My husband, Stephen, shouted in from the living room that we had three numbers and we had won £10, then it went to four numbers and I thought we could maybe go on holiday with the money. But then he said we had matched five numbers – I didn’t believe him at all, we thought we had won about £20,000 which would have been amazing.

“It wasn’t until we contacted Camelot that we realised just how much we really had won – I burst into tears straightaway…it was an incredible feeling."

The couple bought new cars right away and paid off their mortgage. Having just moving into a new house "the win felt like a real blessing." said Tracy.

She went on to say: "We had never been able to go away on holiday so we decided to take the whole family to Mexico – we have been back about five times since, as it’s just so special to us now.

“We were already very happy but winning The National Lottery has taken the stress and worry away – we don’t have to think about prices in restaurants and can afford to go away for the weekend if we want to. Being able to provide for our children is the absolute best thing to come from winning – it’s fantastic to know we don’t have to say ‘no’ to the things we used to.”

Karen Lucock, from Carlisle is another lucky winner. She bagged herself £100,000 on a National Lottery Instant Win game in 2020.

Karen Lucock, from Carlisle – won £100,000 on a National Lottery Instant Win Game in 2020. Picture: National Lottery

Karen said: “I initially thought I had won £100, so I called Camelot to claim my prize – the lady on the other end of the phone was asking me if I was excited, as she couldn’t understand why I wasn’t screaming down the phone.

“It was only when she told me I had read the figure wrongly and I had actually won £100,000 that I went into complete shock. I kept asking her to repeat it back to me, as it wouldn’t sink in."

Karen booked a family holiday straightaway with her winnings, however, lockdowns have put a hold on this and the family are hoping they'll be able to get away this summer.

As well as booking a holiday she spent money on her sons and grandsons, making sure everyone has been "absolutely spoilt."

Karen continued: "One of the first things I bought was a new dishwasher for my mum, as she refused to take any of our winnings off us! And my mother-in-law would only take a new Hoover off us!

“Winning this amount of money has meant my husband, John, has been able to retire two years early and we’ve just been able to relax more, not worrying about bills or how we can afford things.”

In 2017, Helen Garnett, from Ulverston, won a whopping £1m on the EuroMillions.

Ulverston Lottery winners Helen and Derek Garnett. Pic for Camelot by Paul Burrows, Manchester, 07768 553530

She explained: "I’d been out for dinner celebrating my dad’s birthday, so the next morning I went to check my numbers online. When I saw all the zeros, it was surreal.

“Neither my husband, Derek, nor I could process just how much we had won – we kept checking the numbers again and again to make sure."

First on the list for the couple was to buy a new car, a Mercedes, before they set about finding their dream up.

Helen and Derek decided to build their own dream home, and in the last year this has been completed and ready for them.

Helen added: "Winning has given us so much more security – Derek used to work away and did long hours but having this extra money meant he was able to give it up and find something closer to home. I was also able to give up working as a part-time retail assistant, which is something I would have never been able to do.

“We are definitely still the same people as we were before our win – we have the same interests and values but we’re just able to enjoy life that little bit more. We know we can provide for our family and their future, which is what it’s all about.”