A 58-year-old father-of-two has won a £4million mansion in Yorkshire, transforming his fortunes 46 years after his previous prize-winning experience ended with a dead goldfish.
Malcolm Disson secured the luxury property through the Omaze Million Pound House Draw, using a £30 entry. Alongside the mansion, he received £250,000 in cash.
The Grade II-listed property, located in Little Ouseburn, Yorkshire, features six bedrooms, extensive grounds, a private lake, a tennis court and a separate two-bedroom cottage.
The prize also includes £155,000 worth of furnishings, with the property handed over mortgage-free.
Stamp duty and legal expenses have also been covered.
Dead goldfish remained his only previous winning experience
Malcolm said he had never considered himself particularly fortunate, recalling that his only memorable win before the mansion came when he was 12.
At a fair on Hampstead Heath in London, he won a goldfish by bouncing ping-pong balls into bowls.
However, the fish was already dead when he opened the bag.
He said the experience was followed by decades without another meaningful win.
Just two weeks before receiving news of the mansion, Malcolm had won £8 in a lottery draw.
He believed that small prize might signal a change in his fortunes.
However, he said he never imagined going from winning a dead goldfish to owning a £4million property with a lake full of living fish.
Business risk preceded his extraordinary win
Malcolm, who grew up in London, previously lived in a three-bedroom terraced house in Watford before spending the last 18 years in Newbury, where he currently occupies a semi-detached property.
He co-founded The British Shop, a specialist fine art and antiques packing and international shipping company based near Heathrow, in 2004.
Starting the business required him to remortgage his home, but the financial pressure became difficult during its early years.
Malcolm said he struggled to meet the mortgage payments for the first couple of years and that the decision nearly ruined him.
However, he continued working to establish the company.
He described the mansion win as a reward for the risks he had taken and the years of hard work invested in building his business.
Malcolm added that his work involves transporting valuable artwork and antiques for clients who own impressive properties, making it difficult to believe he now has a home comparable to those he encounters professionally.
Mansion win secures daughters’ futures
The father has two daughters, Lilly, 22, and Daisy, 18.
He said the prize would provide them with greater financial security and remove some of the pressures facing the family.
According to Malcolm, knowing that his daughters would be financially secure regardless of what happens in the future was one of the most rewarding aspects of the win.
He is considering reducing his workload and potentially retiring earlier, although he said he enjoys his business and does not expect to stop working completely.
Malcolm also has a border terrier named T-Bone.
New Yorkshire home offers room for family activities
Malcolm is already making plans to bring his family together at the property for Christmas.
A keen cook, he is looking forward to entertaining his relatives in the new home.
He has also started exploring the surrounding area, including a visit to York.
The mansion’s facilities include a private tennis court, which has encouraged him to consider returning to a sport he last played regularly around 40 years ago.
He said he had taken tennis lessons as a child and would need to improve his backhand and serve before making use of the court.
The property also has a potting shed and a library, two features Malcolm is particularly pleased about.
He said his busy working life had left him with little time for reading but that he intended to make more time for it.
Having never visited Yorkshire before receiving the prize, he is also looking forward to discovering the area’s pubs and sampling local beers.
A friend has already given him the nickname Earl of Tetley, referencing the Yorkshire-founded tea brand.
Omaze team initially visited his former address
The announcement of Malcolm’s win came with an unexpected complication when the Omaze team attempted to surprise him.
The team initially travelled to his previous address but discovered that he had moved.
Although he remained in the same village, Malcolm had forgotten to update his contact details.
The company eventually located him and delivered the news of his £4million prize.
The mansion draw also raised funds for Blood Cancer UK, with the Omaze Million Pound House Draw supporting the charity through the competition.
