Meet Britain's luckiest woman: The pensioner who's won over 100 competition prizes this year

13 April 2012

She's holidayed around the world, filled her living room with fine furniture, and enjoys settling back for relaxing beauty treatments.

Betty Robb's wardrobes are also packed with lovely clothes which she uses for her regular trips to the theatre and concerts.

The 68-year-old happily admits she often appears to be living a luxury lifestyle, even though she draws a pension.

Betty Robb surrounded by just some of the prizes she has won

Betty Robb surrounded by just some of the prizes she has won

The secret of her success is the competitions she enters - with 104 prizes under her belt this year alone.

And her astonishing success rate makes her arguably Britain's luckiest woman.

'Entering competitions keeps the old grey matter ticking over and it's lovely to look forward to the postman coming every day,' she said.

'They crop up everywhere - local newspapers, shops, cereal packets and cosmetics.'

Mrs Robb, a retired teacher who lives with husband Alex, 61, in Halesowen, in the West Midlands, won her first competition in 1977 when she scooped some exercise equipment.

Lucky lady Mrs Robb filling out competition entries

Lucky lady Mrs Robb filling out competition entries

She then became hooked on 'comping' when a friend introduced her to a magazine that was packed with competitions and gave tips and advice on entering.

Before the year was out she had won another three prizes and remains so dedicated to this day that she will enter a few competitions in the middle of the night if she can't sleep.

Over the years she has won hundreds of prizes worth tens of thousands of pounds.

They include a brand new Ford Escort, a dishwasher, juicer, DVDs, toys, books and £350 worth of Triumph bras.

She went hot air ballooning at the age of 50 and off-road racing at 60.

Last week she went for dermabrasion and chemical peel treatments and in June she was treated to a manicure and pedicure.

Travel prizes have taken her to three continents and she has had weekends in Paris or London and short breaks throughout England and Wales.

Her most successful period was in 1979 to 1980.

'Alex and I went on safari in Kenya but the prize was for four and as we didn't have a family they gave us the holiday plus £2,500 to spend on wherever we wanted to go,' she said.

'We had a great time going to New York and there was even enough money for a week in Crete.

'Then the following year we won a fortnight's full board at a five-star hotel in Madeira.
'When we got back there was a new three-piece suite, two reclining armchairs, a bureau and a "TV nosh trolley" waiting for us from another competition.'

Mrs Robb and her husband Alex, who says he never wins anything

Mrs Robb and her husband Alex, who says he never wins anything

She added: 'In the same year I won the car from my local Asda, which had a car work shop attached to it.

'You had to come up with a slogan and mine read "From a tyre to attire via food and wine multiple bargains entwine".'

'I remember the morning I won very clearly. My two-year-old niece, who was visiting from America, had just jumped on my bed when my husband brought up the post.

'My sister said they'd be able to hear my squeals all the way down the street. I couldn't believe it - I felt like a millionaire.'

Mrs Robb, whose husband stopped working as an engineer 11 years ago following an injury, said she had about a one in 60 success rate and had won more than 1,000 prizes.

She said her success was down to LUCK - Labour, Unceasing Care, Keenness.

But she said competitions had become much easier over the past three decades.

'When I started a lot of competitions were based on slogans,' she said.

'These days a lot of the time it's about drawing names from a hat. They're just after your name and address so that they can bombard you with junk mail.'

Mr Robb said: 'It's a nuisance going round the supermarket because she's always looking for entry forms and it takes ages.

'But I can't complain. I'm happy for her to enter and I'll carry the bags wherever we end up going.

'I do enter a few competitions but I keep it quiet from my wife because I don't win anything.'

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