It was supposed to be a quiet afternoon decorating the family home and then a trip to the panto. Those plans went right out of the window when Paul McDonald from Bexhill discovered he’d become a millionaire in the December 11 Lotto draw.
The 48-year-old had put the decorations up and then he checked his emails. One congratulated him on a lottery win but he thought it might be a Lucky Dip or £30. It was far more than that, he’d won £1,063,516 in the must-be-won draw.
No tickets had matched the six main balls, so that meant the jackpot would be divided up between other prize tiers. With five main balls and the bonus ball, Paul saw what would have been a £1 million win, enhanced by another £63,516.
How would you react to such amazing news? Well, Paul switched off his computer, had a cup of tea and then watched some football on the telly for five minutes. He thought that might calm him down, but it didn’t. Paul got back into his account and checked it around 30 times. He thought that a mistake might have been made but no way, every time he saw that win of just over a million pounds.
The Lotto winner says that the windfall “will mean we can enjoy little sparkles every now and then.” That will include luxury ski-holidays to Aspen, a Christmas trip to Lapland, weekends away and “making memories.”
Recalling that amazing afternoon, he realized just what a crazy time he’d had. “One minute you’re battling with extension leads and focused on putting up the Christmas lights, hoping to make it to the second half of the local Christmas panto to see your youngest’s performance, the next you’re a millionaire!”
Paul then took a photo of his lottery win and headed off to see the second half of the panto. His youngest child was appearing in the show, so it was already going to be a special occasion. He took a seat next to his partner, then showed her the image he’d taken. The light was a bit gloomy, and she thought the win was only £1,063. “Great, we can get the bathroom done,” was her reply and she carried on watching the panto.
Was it a £1,063 win? Oh no it wasn’t and their days of struggling financially were behind them. If Paul stars in a panto in the future, he won’t be playing Baron Hardup. A bit like Cinderella, it seems Paul has good luck with balls.
Paul has had a busy year working in distribution. He has no intention of quitting his job but will be paying off the mortgage. “It will be nice to know that every pay cheque is mine, not to be shared with the mortgage lender.” He hopes that this win will “make a difference not just to our lives but future generations too.”
