£1m Lottery win will let couple retire

A couple from Ashford are getting ready to retire after winning £1 million in the Lottery.

Husband and wife, Josie and Bill Woodward, scooped the top prize in the EuroMillions Millionaire Maker on Friday, September 8.

The couple, who have been married for 37 years, are now planning their retirement and have started hunting for a new house to buy.

Josie said: “When I saw the email about the ticket on my iPad I assumed, like everyone, it would be a couple of pounds.

“I was a bit overwhelmed, so I checked on the main computer and it still said the same amount. Then I called Bill down and told him and we rang Camelot.”

The couple have regularly bought tickets over the years and say that the fact they are millionaires hasn’t quite sunk in yet.

Josie said: “There’s just disbelief, our children couldn’t believe it when we told them.

“But it’s a nice feeling knowing that we’re not going to have to worry about bills or retiring. While we were looking forward to our retirement, we were a bit nervous about renting while on a pension.”

Bill is now getting ready to hand in his notice to the maintenance firm where he has worked for 16 years. As of yet, the couple have had no big spending splurges – the only thing they have bought so far is a car seat for their granddaughter.

Instead, they are “sitting back and thinking about” their next purchase, although a new house and car are both definitely on the cards for the couple, who have lived in rented accommodation for 20 years, as well as upgrading from a “boiler” room to a balcony room on their cruise holiday next year.

Josie and Bill bought their winning EuroMillions Millionaire Maker ticket online at national-lottery.co.uk

What would you buy if you won £1million on the lottery? Write to Kentish Express, Unit 4, Park Mall shopping centre, Ashford TN24 8RY or email kentishexpress@ thekmgroup.co.uk

Above and below, Bill and Josie Woodward have become millionaires after Euromillions win