Couple celebrate £1.2m Lottery win reliving romantic weekend in Weymouth

A couple aged in their 60s are celebrating a £1.2 million National Lottery win by reliving a romantic weekend away in Weymouth 44 years earlier.

Graham and Caroline Parris, both 65, from Reading, Berkshire, matched five numbers and the Bonus Ball in the Lotto Must Be Won draw on November 1.

Mr Parris, who describes himself as a “changed man” following the win, said the couple’s first plan to celebrate the prize was to return to the Dorset seaside resort but this time with their children and grandchildren.

Graham and Caroline Parris said retirement looked ‘significantly more exciting’ than it had done previously (National Lottery/PA)

He said: “I couldn’t have dreamt when we checked in as Mr and Mrs Smith for our ‘romantic weekend’ in 1979 that, 44 years later, we would be back as Lotto millionaires.”

Mrs Parris also celebrated their win of £1,236,481 by handing in her resignation as a part-time receptionist for a local company where she had worked since she was 14.

She said: “When my manager emailed to confirm my upcoming review, I replied saying she needed to watch something first, and I sent the video I had taken of Graham on the phone confirming the win with the National Lottery.

“She quickly messaged me back with plenty of shocked emojis before calling to tell me she was over the moon for us and completely understood my decision, although we did agree I would be on call to cover holidays so maybe I’m not fully retired yet.”

We’ve always worked hard, I started with a milk round at 12 while Caroline joined the hairdressers at 14, so it will be quite an adjustment. Not only that, the retirement we will now be able to enjoy in the future is significantly more exciting than it was initially looking

Graham Parris

The couple are now looking to spend their winnings on buying a new sofa, and travel plans to follow England’s cricketers to the West Indies, as well as to test out prestigious golf courses and spas around the world.

Mr Parris said: “We’ve always worked hard, I started with a milk round at 12 while Caroline joined the hairdressers at 14, so it will be quite an adjustment.

“Not only that, the retirement we will now be able to enjoy in the future is significantly more exciting than it was initially looking.”

Describing how her husband broke the news of the win, Mrs Parris added: “He was emotional and had tears in his eyes, I was terrified it was bad news so when he said ‘we’re millionaires’ it took quite a while to sink in, to be honest it still hasn’t.”

Mr Parris bought the couple’s winning Lotto ticket at Sainsbury’s on Bath Road in Calcot. The winning Lotto numbers on Wednesday November 1 were 09, 15, 36, 37, 42, 43 and the Bonus Ball was 50.