Euromillions couple scooped £148MILLION jackpot

Adrian Bayford, 41, and wife Gillian, 40, of Haverhill, Suffolk were the sole winners of a staggering £148.6 million fortune on Friday. 
The couple, who have two children, Cameron and Amy, are now among the 1,000 richest people in the land.

Celebration: Adrian Bayford, 41, and wife Gillian, 40, were the sole winners of a £148.6 million jackpot on Friday

Business: Mr Bayford runs the Suffolk Music Centre in Haverhill, Suffolk and hopes to expand his business

They were unveiled as the winners at Down Hall Country House Hotel, near Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire, today.

 

The couple spoke about how Mrs Bayford, who works long night shifts as a children's ward healthcare assistant at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge, plans to give up work and spend more time with her family.
The couple said they were 'like ships in the night' while she worked nights and Mr Bayford worked days at his second-hand music shop the Suffolk Music Centre in Haverhill.
He plans to carry on working at his shop, which he has run for 17 years after a stint as a market trader, and hopes to expand the business.
The couple said they plan to help out their family and friends who have supported them through the 'good and the bad times'.

Delight: The couple show off their cheque this morning as they revealed they hope to help out friends and family

Quaint: The new multi-millionaires from this sleepy market town of Haverhill in Suffolk

Winners: The couple said they struggled to fully appreciate the moment they realised they had won the jackpot as their young son had just woken-up and was crying but eventually the life-changing news sank in

Speaking to the media this morning, the couple said they struggled to fully appreciate the moment they realised they had won the jackpot as their young son had just woken-up and was crying.
Mr Bayford said: 'I had been watching the film 'The Bank Job' on TV while Gillian was out with friends. When she got back we decided to turn over and catch-up on the news.

'Scrolling along the bottom of the screen was the news that one person had won EuroMillions but Gillian confessed that she hadn't had time to get a ticket.

'As a joke, I also said neither had I when in fact I had five lines upstairs waiting to be checked.

Record riches: Colin Weir and Chris Weir, from Largs in Ayrshire, are pictured toasting their £161m win in a EuroMillioms draw last year. Their windfall was a British record and has not yet been topped

'By now both of our children had woken-up so while Gillian was trying to settle them back to sleep, I went to check the numbers on my phone.

'Gradually the numbers seemed to match-up with those on my ticket and I just couldn't believe what I was seeing.

'I rushed back and turned on the main light at which point Gillian went ballistic.

'The kids really were awake by now. I was trying to tell her that we had won the lottery and she was telling me to keep the noise down.'

The jackpot win was the talk of Addenbrooke's Hospital as staff learned that Mrs Bayford was the mystery winner.

One member of staff said: 'We knew it was somebody local but to hear it's a colleague is wonderful news.'

A spokeswoman for the hospital confirmed that Mrs Bayford worked on the children's ward. She added: 'We are delighted for her win and wish her all the best.'
As the only winners in Friday’s draw, they scooped a staggering £148,656,000.
That is enough to buy all 168 properties on sale in Haverhill at the moment and still have over £100million left over.
The couple are expected to reveal their plans for the future at a press conference this morning.
The win is the seventh EuroMillions  jackpot won in the UK so far in 2012, which is believed to be an unmatched run of luck for one country. In total, the seven jackpots add up to £400million.

For £148million you could buy the world's most expensive painting sold at auction, Edvard Munch's The Scream - which sold in May for £74million

A National Lottery spokesman said: ‘We’ve had seven jackpot winners from the UK this year, which is unprecedented.
‘We have never seen anything like this. There’s no rhyme or reason as to why we’ve been so lucky.
It’s a lottery at the end of  the day.’
The latest win is £13million short of the £161million British record scooped by Colin and Christine Weir, of Largs, Ayrshire, last year.
But it will still be enough to make the lucky pair richer than Sir Tom Jones (whose estimated fortune is £140million), Prince William or Prince Harry (£28million), Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe (£54million) and Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney (£45million).
For £148million you could buy the world’s most expensive painting sold at auction, Edvard Munch’s The Scream - which sold in May for £74million - and still have change for 292 Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupes at £253,000 each.
Alternatively, you could buy three customised Boeing 737 private jets for £49million each, or snap up
Premier League football clubs Fulham FC (valued at £83million) and Wigan Athletic (£64.5million).
Friday’s winning EuroMillions numbers were 50, 21, 17, 48 and 11, and the Lucky Star numbers were 9 and 10.

... And still have enough change for 292 Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupes