THIS DORKING CABBIE FROM DRIVING!!! £26 MILLION LOTTERY WIN
Cabbie George Sturt, 76, became the fourth wealthiest UK EuroMillions jackpot winner when his family syndicate scooped half of the Euro cumulative jackpot on Friday January 15 – a total of £26,151,124.20. But he says he won’t give up driving his taxi.
The widower, who has eight grandchil- dren and two great-grandchildren, plans to give the bulk of the money to charity.
“I couldn’t believe it when I found out,” he said. “I don’t care about having a lot of money - I am just glad that my children will be looked after. I just really want other people to benefit from this money.” The news of the win stunned the commu- nity of Dorking, and the nation. No one was more shocked than the staff at the Dorking Advertiser, who were delighted when the unassum- ing gentleman
walked into the office and said: “I’m the £26 million lot- tery winner.”
The driver will share his win with his three children, Teresa, 44, Colin, 53, and Gary, 51. However, Mr Sturt said the cash boost was tinged with great sadness as he lost his wife Maureen six months ago. The devastated widower told the Advertiser he want- ed his lottery win covered by the paper because of a tribute to his wife which was published in the same paper when she lost her battle with breast cancer in July last year.
“I just wish my wife could have been here. We were mar- ried for 55 years in October and she just meant everything to me.” George said he was delighted his daughter Teresa would now be able to buy a house for herself and her four children. Son Gary, a plumber
IN THE NEWS WON’T STOP
Dorking as well.” George Sturt’s col- leagues in the Dorking taxi commu- nity have been delighted to hear about his good for- tune.
George Sturt and his family celebrate the amazing lottery win
and dad of 23-year old twins, said: “We just can’t believe it. It’s life changing. When Dad phoned up and first said we had won the lottery I thought it was a joke.” The motorbike enthusiast now plans to splash out on a Harley David- son; plus “mortgages will be paid off and new cars bought.”
Builder Colin, who is a dad of six, said: “To give the kids the security and a roof over their heads is just great. I will
expect them all to work; we are from a hardworking family, and I’ve no doubt the family building firm will continue, but it will certainly make a big differ- ence to their start in life.” Mahesh Amin, from Bradshaws newsagents in Dork- ing, sold George the winning ticket. He said: “I have known George for 13 years. He comes to the shop every week. On Saturday and Sun- day, even when he knew he’d won the lottery, he still came
to help his grandson with his paper round. But that is what they are like – they are a very hard- working family.” As he said from the moment he got the news, it is George’s intention to devote the majority of the rest of his windfall towards helping oth- ers.
“I love children and I want it to go towards helping them, so I am going to give a lot of it to the Children’s Trust in Tadworth. I want it to go to differ- ent charities in
Jeremy Silwood has been a taxi driver in Dorking for the last 25 years. He said: “I am very, very happy for him. Everyone has nice things to say about him and are so happy to hear his news. Everyone heard about him los- ing his wife to cancer and... I wish him all the best in life.”
He added: “I can understand why he wants to keep being a taxi driver. It is a great job, you meet lovely people and the work is great for the soul.”
George Sturt insists he will carry on driv- ing his taxi in and around his home area of Dorking: “I would- n’t give it up. I have met too many nice people through it. “I might stop the 3am jobs, though.”
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PHTM FEBRUARY 2010
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