National Lottery winner went back to work the next day - 'I'd have been happy with a tenner'

As soon as he was back in his car, the factory worker scratched off the card and was in disbelief at what he saw.

“This can't be real,” he repeated to himself over and over again.

The new millionaire rushed home to tell his fiance, Alison Coke, 34, the good news.

After confirming the win with a call to the National Lottery, the family didn’t let their excitement get the best of them just yet, with both Harris and Coke going to work the next day, and the kids attending school too.

Discussing the fateful evening which changed their lives forever, Harris said: “It was just your average Wednesday evening in our house, Alison and I were sitting down having dinner with our four kids. I eat quickly, so had finished my meal before everyone else.

“We needed bread for packed lunches the next day, so I decided to go to the shop and have 10 minutes out of the house.

“Whilst I was in the shop buying my loaf of bread, I decided to buy a Scratchcard on a whim. I scratched it as soon as I got in the car. I looked at it about 10 times, and kept saying to myself, ‘this can’t be real’. I try my luck on a Scratchcard now and again, but I never imagined I would win that amount – I would have been happy with £10!”

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Coke added: “It was bath and bedtime for the kids whilst we tried to contain ourselves. We both had work the next day and the kids had school, so we just carried on as normal. We did eventually manage to celebrate as a family with a game of bowling and dinner together the following weekend.”

The family only moved into their house three months ago, and they believe that the “stars aligned” in their favour.

Harris explained: “We hadn’t considered the area, but the estate agent sent it through to us by mistake and we decided to look at it – we ended up loving it! We put an offer in, and it was ours. If we weren’t in the area I wouldn’t have gone to that shop and won £1million. It feels like the stars have aligned with the house and the win.”

The couple, who got engaged last month, are now looking at wedding venues. They said they will also use the money to pay off their mortgage, as well as go on some luxury holidays, including a skiing trip.

The factory worker is also looking at a career change, hoping to go back to college and eventually start his own company.

He said: “I want to try something new, work-wise. I am looking at starting my own business eventually. I’m not sure what that will be yet, but I want to go back to college and invest in myself. That is one of the best investments you can make.”

Harris said that on the scratch card - which he purchased from the Co-Op on Island Road in Canterbury - the last number he scratched off was 31. This is a significant number for the couple as August 31, 2020, was the day of their first date.