Rosy Win For Florists

A married couple of florists from Darlington will have something extra special to celebrate this Valentine's Day after winning a "rosy" £1,173,329 share of the Lotto Jackpot on 27 January. Paul and Sue Watson are the owners the Farmers Market, a floristry and greengrocer shop in Cockerton, Darlington, so getting hold of roses to mark their first February 14 as millionaires won't be a problem.

The Watson's winning ticket was bought from their local Somerfield supermarket and their numbers selected at random using the National Lottery Lucky Dip system. The jackpot on the night of the draw stood at £4,693,076, but four tickets matched all six main numbers to win a quarter share. When Paul discovered their win, he experienced the commonly reported desire to check his numbers several times.

"I always check my ticket on Teletext and was quite literally shocked when I realised I had all six numbers," he explained. "I double-checked everything. I couldn't believe my eyes. I had to make sure myself properly before I was able to tell my wife Susan and my sons Phillip and Chris. We're all still a little shocked but absolutely delighted."

Paul and Sue have played the UK National Lottery ever since it was launched in November 1994. They have had a little time since the win to think about how they might want to invest their fortune, and new family cars top their shopping list, along with a holiday to St Petersburg, Florida. They also into the pay off their mortgage.

Whilst many lottery jackpot winners take their sudden millionaire status as a good excuse to quit work and live a life a leisure, Paul and Sue intend to continue running their business for the simple reason that they love what they do.

"We love owning and running the shop and would probably miss the buzz and chatting to our regulars," Paul said. "So we made a joint decision at the weekend to carry on, despite the early mornings!"

Article Last Updated: 02/08/2007