£5m lotto winner Tom is overcome with emulsion
Hubby picks up winner’s cheque then goes home to finish painting his kitchen
A GRANDAD scooped more than £5million in a lottery jackpot – then got back to painting his kitchen.
Most people would have gone out to paint the town red but Tommy Parker, 68, wanted to finish the job despite planning to have a bungalow built for him and wife Linda, 67.
Linda has mobility issues from arthritis, and her family are delighted she will soon have a purpose-built house to fit her needs.
But the couple, of Port Seton, want to stay in East Lothian, with their son-in-law already checking out land for sale along the coast.
Tommy, originally from Northumberland, wants to buy a season ticket for Newcastle United and book a dream cruise with Linda.
They intend to share their good fortune with daughters Tracey, 44, and Diane, 41, and grandson Rory, 12.
Tommy bought the winning ticket from his local newsagent and claimed £5,014,254 in the Lotto draw last Wednesday. He matched five numbers and a bonus ball, splitting the £25million prize with four other tickets.
Tommy got back to redecorating his kitchen after telling his family about the win.
He said: “I know now I’m a millionaire I can get someone to do this for me but I’ve started the job so I’ll finish it. I need to occupy my time with something while I think.”
Tommy and Linda, who have been married for 47 years, celebrated yesterday by popping a bottle of champagne at the Macdonald Marine Hotel in North Berwick.
Tommy said: “I always go and buy a paper at 9.30am and also buy my ticket. I put it under the biscuit barrel to keep safe.
“We’d gone to bed and I checked the winning numbers. I knew straight away we had five and woke the wife. That’s the quickest I’ve ever seen my wife get out of bed.”
The couple want to leave their ground-floor flat and build a bungalow with a garden.
Linda, who’s had mobility problems since she was 30, said: “My dream house would have a larger kitchen. I might even get a chef.”