A lucky Stowmarket couple who scooped £1million on a scratchcard are determined the money won’t change them - although they do intend to splash out Wimbledon final tickets and a dream holiday in Jamaica.
Marilyn Fairfull, 64, and her husband Matt, 62, won the jackpot on Sunday, May 13, having bought the winning scratchcard at the Esso garage in Combs Ford.
Mrs Fairfull had bought two £5 National Lottery Monopoly scratchcards to kill ten minutes while waiting to pick up her son from Stowmarket railway station.
“The first one won me £20 and I thought ‘lovely, I’ve more than doubled my money,” she said
“Then I thought I would scratch the other one.”
On revealing her jackpot win, Mrs Fairfull said she sat at the station ‘shaking like a leaf’ until her son turned up.
“As I handed it over I said ‘have a look at this - is that real? “I think he thought I’d gone mad until he looked at the scratchcard and saw the £1million symbol. Soon enough he was shaking too.”
When she got home she told Matt about the win, although he thought she was pulling his leg.
Mr Fairfull said: “My son walked in with his mum and said ‘Dad, Dad, you’ve got to put the phone down, we’ve won £1million.
“I said ‘excuse me I think my wife and son are trying to wind me up, I better ring you back.”
The couple, who have four children and five grandchildren, with another on the way, said the big win still hasn’t quite sunk in.
“It is absolutely surreal,” said Mrs Fairfull.
“No-one can prepare you for how you feel.”
Mr and Mrs Fairfull, who have not been on holiday for ten years, have decided to use the money to spruce up their three bedroom home, as well as taking a dream holiday to Jamaica.
Her husband, a self employed plasterer, said he has been working seven days a week to make ends meet recently, but this should no longer be a problem.
He said: “Like everybody you have good times and bad times - now it has got a lot better.”
Mrs Fairfull added: “My sport, the sport I love, is tennis.
“If we can get a ticket (to the Wimbledon final) we would definitely go. I have never been before.”
She added: “This time last week I was wondering what we’d be having for dinner, now I’m wondering what to do with a million quid.”
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