Rainbow Valley - bringing you the stories from the decade that shook the world.

Join your host, Scott, as he tells the tale of Viv Nicholson—a name synonymous with extravagance, drama, and unapologetic living. When this spirited pools winner declared she’d “spend, spend, spend!” after scooping £152,319 in 1961, she didn’t just ignite public imagination—she carved her name into British cultural history

Episode 036 - Spend Spend Spend – The Rise and Fall of Viv Nicholson (1961)

1961 – the sixties haven’t really started swinging just yet, the Beatles were still finding their feet, and rationing was still a fresh memory for some 

Then BAM! Viv Nicholson and her husband Keith, from Castleford strike it richer than a triple-chocolate gateau, pocketing a cool £152,000. In today's money, that's enough to make your eyes pop and your Monzo card spontaneously combust. 

Now, Viv wasn't one for dithering or asking a financial advisor. Oh no. When the reporters buzzed around like bees to a jam scone, asking what she’d do with the money, out came those three little words that cemented her place in British folklore: "Spend, spend, spend!" And did she ever! It wasn't just a motto; it was practically a royal decree. 

Forget sensible shares or boring bonds. Our Viv was all about the high life – think champagne wishes and caviar dreams, but with a proper Yorkshire accent. Cars, clothes, holidays… if it glittered, Viv was probably signing a cheque for it. The fortune famously vanished quicker than a pint on a hot day, but honestly, the sheer audacity, the pure, unadulterated joy of it all? That’s the stuff legends are made of. Viv Nicholson, – she came, she saw, she shopped.  

Ladies and gentlemen, why not join Scott as he tells you the story of  Spend Spend Spend – The Rise and Fall of Viv Nicholson. 

 

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Thanks for listening

Scott