A young Colchester couple are planning the wedding of their dreams after winning £241,508.90 on the EuroMillions.
Billy Baldrey and Sarah Baldrey, both 23-years-old, matched five main numbers and a Lucky Star in the EuroMillions draw on October 21, promising a bright new future for them and their two young boys.
The couple’s win makes it a double whammy for East Anglia as 23 teachers from Brooklands Primary School in Brantham, Suffolk won £1m on a syndicate in the EuroMillions Millionaire Raffle on the same day.
The life-changing bet was placed on a whim by Mr Baldrey as he was at a loose end with Miss Baldrey and their two-year-old and seven-month-old boys out for the night.
He logged into his National Lottery online account a mere minutes before the draw closed.
The next morning he had an email from The National Lottery about a win but couldn’t see the amount because there was a problem with his connection, so he went to work as a machine operator the next day, unaware of his new found fortune.
It wasn’t until that night when he met Miss Baldrey at her mum’s house that he managed to successfully log on to his account.
Mr Baldrey said: “As soon as I saw the size of the win on the screen I let out the biggest yell and then couldn’t stop leaping about the room and whooping with joy.
“In fact I was screaming so loudly both boys burst into tears! I told Sarah what had happened but she didn’t believe me and calmly took the boys upstairs for their bedtime bath.
“We’ve been through some tough times so I think it was Sarah’s way of coping. In fact, she wouldn’t believe it really was true until the winners’ advisor visited us and finally confirmed we were £241,508.90 richer.”
The couple are now finally planning their wedding after being engaged for three years but never been financially able to tie the knot.
Mr Baldrey said: “Of course the wedding will be amazing but the thought that we will then be coming home to our own house, in our own car, knowing that there is money in the bank for the boys future is the stuff of magic.
“I never dreamt for one moment that our life could be like that.”
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