I could have lost £76m lott
I kept the winning ticket with stack of others in the sun visor of my Peugeot for six weeks.. Louise nagged me to check
Builder kept winning ticket in sun visor of his van for six weeks
a little bit then.” In just 24 hours the couple bought two new cars – an £83,000 Mercedes AMG C63 and a £20,000 Nissan Qashqai – and a new four-bedroom house nearby.
Andrew said he toasted his success with a sausage and egg McMuffin from McDonald’s – spending 30p extra to make the £2.29 treat a double.
He added that they intend to celebrate the win with a family meal at a restaurant in nearby Skegness on New Year’s Eve.
Trish, 51, a catering assistant at Pilgrim Hospital in Boston, went back to work after she learnt about the jackpot. She plans to carry on working there because she “doesn’t want to let them down”.
Trish, who has a 14-year-old daughter with special needs, said: “This will set her up for life. I can give her private residential care.’’
Andrew said: “The whole family will be looked after.”
The pair say the cash will not change them and there will be no lavish Christmas presents this year. Andrew said: “It’s all happened so near to Christmas it’s not going to change much. They will still be getting socks... But that will change. Next year will be a different story.”
He added: “This win isn’t just about Christmas magic, it’s about creating a lifetime of magical moments for all those around us.’’
One family member who has benefited already is his granddaughter who has just turned six.
Andrew said he put £200 in her card and she was “overjoyed”.
He said he has been a builder for 10 years after leaving Mercedes Formula One where he was a machinist.
Andrew added: “I was a little bit over halfway building Trisha’s niece’s extension but I have walked away from it... She will get someone in to do it and I will foot the bill. I would rather do that than go out in the cold again.’’
He added: “For six weeks I’ve been building an extension, laying laminate flooring, hanging doors.
“But the worst is when you’re up on the roof and it’s raining and it’s cold.
“Some mornings you can’t feel your feet and hands.
“I’m glad I’m not doing that at the moment.”
Although he has quit working for others he plans to take three months off then return to putting in five-day weeks doing his own projects. His jackpot puts him 12th on the Lottery rich list in Britain. His winning EuroMillions numbers were 5, 15, 17, 37, and 44. The Lucky Stars were 7 and 11.
The biggest winners on the EuroMillions lottery in the UK were Colin and Chris Weir, from Largs, Ayrshire, who pocketed £161million in 2011.
It is so near to Christmas it’s not going to change much. They’ll still be getting socks ANDREW CLARK ON WHAT LOVED ONES WILL BE OPENING ON CHRISTMAS DAY Hello, I think I’ve won a few quid so I’ve phoned... £76million? Just a little bit then RECORDING OF JACKPOT WINNER WHEN HE CALLED TO CLAIM THE PRIZE