Queen Street trader wins £148.5 million on lottery
Tuesday, 14th August 2012.
A Haverhill town centre retailer and his wife have been revealed as the couple who have won £148.5million on the Euromillions lottery.
A ticket which Adrian Bayford, co-owner of Suffolk Music Centre, formerly The Record Peddlar, in Queen Street, bought in Sanjay's store nearby at 4.45pm on Friday has catapulted him and his wife Gillian, and the town of Haverhill, into national headlines.
The couple talked about their plans at a press conference held by Camalot at Down House hotel in Hatfield Heath this morning.
"I want to make people smile," said Gillian when asked what her hopes were for the outcome of this huge win, the second largest ever in Britain.
It makes them around 500th on the country's rich list, and among the wealthiest people in Suffolk, but they have no intention of turning their backs on Haverhill.
Adrian, who originates from Cornwall, and started his business 17 years ago with a stall in the old Co-op market hall, said he hiped to be back behind the counter of his shop before the end of the week.
Gillian, originally from Scotland, has been working as a healthcare assistant in the children's ward at Addenbrooke's Hopspital for the past three years, but said much as she loves her job, she will be giving up work to spend more time with her family.
The couple have young son and daughter and said they wanted to make sure their children had a normal childhood and upbringing.
Gillian has been working shifts and leaving for work often only an hour after Adrian got home from work.
The couple told journalists they were not at all unusual because many people had to struggle in the current economic climate.
Gillian said this month had been 'tight' for them financially. She described winning the money as 'a nice feeling'.
But the couple said they felt it was such a large sum that it would be right to share it around with family and friends, so they could have a similar lifestyle.
"We have a close network of friends who have supported us in good and bad times," said Gillian. "Now is the time to repay that."
Adrian described how he had checked the numbers on Saturday evening and told Gillian and they had not slept all night researching what they could do with it.
But they have not spent any of it yet. "Just because you have money there's no need to go out and buy anything," said Gillian.
Adrian said finding they had won was 'mind-blowing' and he had had to tell someone so he told his business partner and his parents, who needed a lot of convincing it wasn't a joke.
But the couple flet the support of their friends would help keep them from getting too carried away with their new-found wealth.
"We are quite quite grounded," Gillian said. "I don't think we'll change."
But she did admit the win was 'slightly frightening but exciting."
A ticket which Adrian Bayford, co-owner of Suffolk Music Centre, formerly The Record Peddlar, in Queen Street, bought in Sanjay's store nearby at 4.45pm on Friday has catapulted him and his wife Gillian, and the town of Haverhill, into national headlines.
The couple talked about their plans at a press conference held by Camalot at Down House hotel in Hatfield Heath this morning.
"I want to make people smile," said Gillian when asked what her hopes were for the outcome of this huge win, the second largest ever in Britain.
It makes them around 500th on the country's rich list, and among the wealthiest people in Suffolk, but they have no intention of turning their backs on Haverhill.
Adrian, who originates from Cornwall, and started his business 17 years ago with a stall in the old Co-op market hall, said he hiped to be back behind the counter of his shop before the end of the week.
Gillian, originally from Scotland, has been working as a healthcare assistant in the children's ward at Addenbrooke's Hopspital for the past three years, but said much as she loves her job, she will be giving up work to spend more time with her family.
The couple have young son and daughter and said they wanted to make sure their children had a normal childhood and upbringing.
Gillian has been working shifts and leaving for work often only an hour after Adrian got home from work.
The couple told journalists they were not at all unusual because many people had to struggle in the current economic climate.
Gillian said this month had been 'tight' for them financially. She described winning the money as 'a nice feeling'.
But the couple said they felt it was such a large sum that it would be right to share it around with family and friends, so they could have a similar lifestyle.
"We have a close network of friends who have supported us in good and bad times," said Gillian. "Now is the time to repay that."
Adrian described how he had checked the numbers on Saturday evening and told Gillian and they had not slept all night researching what they could do with it.
But they have not spent any of it yet. "Just because you have money there's no need to go out and buy anything," said Gillian.
Adrian said finding they had won was 'mind-blowing' and he had had to tell someone so he told his business partner and his parents, who needed a lot of convincing it wasn't a joke.
But the couple flet the support of their friends would help keep them from getting too carried away with their new-found wealth.
"We are quite quite grounded," Gillian said. "I don't think we'll change."
But she did admit the win was 'slightly frightening but exciting."
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