I won an incredible £1 million on Christmas Day… but I was left heartbroken the first time

A COUPLE who won the EuroMillions lottery only thought they had won £100, leaving them desperate.

But Patricia and John Gill actually won the £1 million ticket on Christmas Day in 2015, but didn’t blow the money on a fast-paced lifestyle.

Since then, the Cheshire couple have both retired and enjoyed a cruise to the Maldives, while Patricia, 60, has been able to help local charities.

“The win bought us time – time to do so much with our lives,” Patricia said.

The couple has also been able to support their two children on the housing ladder.

“Just being sensible and thinking carefully about how we want to spend the money, that’s what it’s all about, but also about making our dreams come true,” Patricia said.

John recalled when he won and said he couldn’t fathom what exactly had happened.

“I just couldn’t work out whether I’d won £100, £1,000 or £100,000 – and then I realized it was £1,000,000,” the 64-year-old told the Mirror.

Now the couple is building their dream home and hope to move this spring.

John, the former boss of a truck repair company, did most of the work himself to “keep costs down.”

“I did all the initial drawings and then gave them to someone to draw up the plans,” he said.

‘I do all kinds of things. All the plumbing, central heating, but obviously I’m not going to fit the boiler.

“I put in all the windows, I took down all the fireplaces and cleaned all the bricks. It would cost a fortune if you didn’t do it yourself,” he said.

While Patricia, a former accountant, also helped.

“I brush my teeth, I make the tea, I do the sandwich run, but I’ve also been sanding the door frames so everything I can do gets stuck.

“I like to keep it clean and tidy because when you work in a tidy environment it’s so much more fun,” she said.

Patricia said John has always been “handy.”

“He prefers to do it himself. Now that he’s retired, it has something to sink his teeth into.”

The couple have a ticket for Friday’s draw, which includes a jackpot of £173 million.

“I hope someone in Britain will be as lucky as I am,” said Patricia.

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