The first person to buy a Premium Bond in Sunderland, as the scheme launched in Wearside
It’s almost 70 years since the first ever Premium Bond was bought in Sunderland.
Back in 1956, a Mr C Fetrich had the honour of being the person who made a small piece of Wearside history.
A big day at Sunderland Post Office
Mr Fetrich was the chairman of Sunderland Savings Committee and bought his share during the first day of sale on November 1 that year at Sunderland Post Office.
Here’s a piece of interesting information for you. A Bletchley Park code breaker invented the first ERNIE in 1956.
Macmillan’s big announcement
Following this, Harold Macmillan announced the launch of Premium Bonds on Budget Day in April 1956, offering everyone an alternative way to save.
There have been five generations of ERNIE and with continuous advances in technology, each has become faster and more powerful.
The latest version of ERNIE
These days though, it is ERNIE 5 which generates the numbers using the latest technology.
The Bonds results have not always been kind to Sunderland.
In 1975, the Echo reported how Wearside was one of the least successful places in the North East for wins.
It had only four wins - one of £1,000, one of £500 and two of £100.
Newcastle had eight wins, Durham County had three £1,000 winners and nine £100 prizes, while the remainder of Tyne and Wear had four wins - one £1,000, one £500 two of £100.
Big winner in 2010
But in 2010, there was much better news.
One winner scooped a £1million Premium Bond jackpot – but did not know it.
The mystery woman was living in Tyne and Wear but had not claimed the life-changing prize.
The winning Bond was bought in March 2008 after an investment of £30,000. It was one of more than 305,000 Premium Bonds worth more than £417million across the region at the time.
To find out more about Premium Bonds, visit https://www.nsandi.com/get-to-know-us/about-premium-bonds