A Somerset mum won a £4m home – then immediately broke her ‘dry January’ with a bottle of Champagne. Primary school teacher Hannah Drury, 42, scooped the latest Omaze Million Pound House Draw – a secluded mansion in the Lake District at Coniston Water.
Opera-singer Hannah, who lives in Frome, won the keys to the waterside home worth £4 million along with £250,000 in cash. She then immediately broke her ‘Dry Jan’ promise to celebrate – with some bubbly.
The stunning property was redeveloped and redesigned by Omaze and comes mortgage-free with all legal fees covered. Hannah has also been given £250,000 in cash and can decide to either live in the house, rent it out for a supplementary income or sell it.
If the mum-of-three decides to keep the stunning property, it is estimated that the £250,000 would enable them to run the house for over ten years. But if she decides to rent it out local estate agents estimate that the property could achieve a long-term rental value of £4,000 per month.
Hannah bought her £4 million winning entry for just £25 as part of her Omaze subscription which she’d only just signed up to in late December.
She has been working as a music teacher for 20 years, and currently teaches at a local primary school. Hannah is also a trained operatic soprano, who has sung lead roles in over 25 operas nationwide.
Her husband of ten years Rupert, 49, is also a music teacher at a local secondary school – and an operatic tenor. It is how the lucky couple met, singing opposite each other in a production of Donizetti’s Elixir of Love 18-years ago.
The couple, who recently celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary, said winning the house “is obviously the best present we’ll ever give to each other”. They have two girls and a boy aged between two and eight and have lived in their current three-bedroom house in Frome in Somerset for nine years.
Hannah and Rupert Drury at the £4 million property in the Lake District at Coniston Water.
When Omaze first contacted Hannah to tell her she’d scooped a prize she assumed it was a friend winding her up. Hannah was only three days into her Dry January attempt when she got the good news, but immediately broke out the champagne to celebrate.
An elated Hannah said: “I got a random call on Friday night saying I’d won something from Omaze, at first I just assumed it was a friend winding us up, then when I didn’t recognise the voice I thought that maybe we’d scoop a little bit of cash or something.
”But all of a sudden, Omaze turned up to reveal I’d won a £4 million mansion! I was speechless, and that never happens! My husband was flabbergasted as he didn’t even know I’d entered!
“I had planned to do Dry Jan this year, but that went out the window immediately! I lasted all of three days, but if you can’t have a drink when you’ve won a £4 million house when can you!?
“We opened a bottle we’d been saving for a special occasion, but it had actually gone off and tasted like vinegar! Luckily we had a backup so popped that instead. Our daughter came downstairs the morning after and said she’d dreamt someone had given us a big house, we told her that on this occasion her dream had come true!
“We’ve barely slept, we had butterflies all weekend. Keeping the news a secret from our friends has been tricky, especially when you have three very chatty children!”
She continued: “The house is simply spellbinding! We’ve never seen anything so spectacular. The views of the lake are unreal and all the children are so excited, they can’t wait to jump into the hot tub!
“I’m a trained opera singer—being a soprano might raise some eyebrows with the locals, but they can rest assured I’m a singer, not a gangster! We’re both teachers so have technically skived off school to come and see the house today—we’ll go straight to the head mistress’s office tomorrow!
“I’m also a doula, but on this occasion it’s Omaze that has delivered!
“We’ll definitely enjoy the house as a family for a while. I’ve got a feeling we’re going to be very popular this year—our phones won’t stop ringing! My parents currently live with us at the end of the garden, they’re ecstatic as they’ve now got their eyes on an upgrade!”
On what the future holds she said: “Thanks to £250k we also got as part of the win, we could afford to stay here for more than ten years if we decided to. I only bought my tickets on the 22nd of December, so winning this was quite the stocking filler…and all for just £25!
“We’ve got so many options now—we could do some kind of opera masterclass retreat here, where we can combine all the things we’re passionate about, it’s so exciting.
”Whatever we decide to do long-term, this win has changed our lives forever. Our children’s future is secure no matter what, and they can live lives that are rich in experiences, it’s a wonderful feeling.”
The £4 million property in the Lake District at Coniston Water.
Hannah’s spectacular house offers reverse-level living, with bedrooms and bathrooms on the ground floor and the first floor featuring the spacious open-plan living spaces, with bespoke kitchen, dining room and spacious lounge area.
There is plenty of glazing incorporated into the design to offer breathtaking views of the lake and the surrounding mountains and Grizedale Forest from almost every room, whilst also allowing natural light to fill the entire home.
Sitting in complete harmony with its surroundings, the plot provides 200 metres of lake frontage, a private wood-panelled jetty and six acres of natural woodland interspersed with free-flowing streams—providing a haven for lovers of the outdoors.
The elevated property also has a spa house featuring a rainfall shower, Himalayan salt wall, therapy table, gym and wooden in-ground hot tub on the terrace. There is also a standalone summerhouse for Hannah to enjoy with friends and family.
The house is just a short drive from the charming village of Coniston, nestled between Coniston Water and popular mountain, the Old Man of Coniston.
As well as making Hannah a multimillionaire, the Omaze Million Pound House Draw, the Lake District, raised £5,250,000 for Age UK—Omaze’s biggest ever raise for a charity partner.
The Omaze partnership was backed by radio presenter and Age UK Ambassador, Ken Bruce who said he couldn’t believe the “terrific” amount of money raised and that it will make “such a huge difference” to the people Age UK support.
Paul Farmer, Age UK’s Chief Executive said: “We can’t thank Omaze enough for their incredible support. Almost a million older people in the UK often feel lonely. This can mean struggling in silence, with only the TV or radio for company—wishing the phone would ring or someone might stop to say hello.
”The funds raised will enable Age UK to provide over 10 million minutes of vital friendship, social activities and practical support, both locally and nationally, to older people who need us the most.
“‘Thank you to every single person who entered the draw and helped us raise funds for older people at this critical time.”
James Oakes, Chief International Officer at Omaze, said: “Everyone at Omaze is delighted that Hannah has won this very special house in the Lake District, whilst also contributing to our biggest ever raise for a charity partner!
“Omaze offers people the chance to win amazing houses, whilst also introducing charities to new audiences that they wouldn’t normally reach – it’s a real win-win for entrants and our charity partners.
”We’re immensely proud that the Omaze community has now raised over £72 million for good causes across the UK.”
Draw entries for the latest Omaze Million Pound House Draw, Bath, are available now at omaze.co.uk. The Grand Prize Draw closes Sunday 26th January 2025 for online entries and Tuesday 28th January 2025 for postal entries.
Entrants can also choose to subscribe to Omaze to be automatically entered into every new Grand Prize Draw when their subscription renews on the first of each month. Omaze subscribers receive four times the number of entries compared to non-subscribers and can cancel their subscription at any time.
For full terms and conditions, see www.omaze.co.uk. No purchase necessary to enter. Over 18s and UK residents only.
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