A COUPLE had a dramatic change of fortune when they won the EuroMillions lottery – and then enjoyed another big win.
Retired HGV driver David Long and his wife Kathleen first scooped £1million on the EuroMillions UK Millionaire Maker prize in 2013 and then won again two years later.
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Despite winning the huge amount of money the pair still have simple tastes and were still living in their static caravan in Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire, even after their first win.
At the time, David said: “We’re not extravagant people.
“We still live in a mobile home, believe it or not. We’ve done it up nice, mind – we’ve extended it, put in a modern kitchen and added a conservatory.”
The couple then went on to beat odds of 283billion to one, according to Camelot, in 2015 and win £1m for a second time.
The pair did think about buying a home, with Kath, 63, a retired pub landlady, saying they had seen a four-bedroom home that they liked.
After their first big win, the couple finally had the money to get married after a 12-year engagement.
David had proposed drunk one night while they were in their local pub, The Mallard.
Kath went to Ibiza for her hen do while David spent his stag night in The Mallard.
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They spent the relatively modest amount of £12,000 on their big day.
One of Kath’s daughters did the table decorations and slipped a lottery ticket into each napkin – although no one won a major prize.
When Kath was asked how it felt to be married to Britain’s luckiest man, she replied: “Good i’nt it?”
However, things could have been very different for them as David nearly missed out on his first win in July 2013.
He initially misread his numbers and thought he’d only won £2.70 and so threw the ticket in the bin.
David fished it out though on a whim when he decided to pop to the shop to get a paper.
He said: “By the time I’d got to the shop I realised it was worth a heck of a lot more.”
Then in March 2015 David won another million, along with a luxury car.
He revealed at the time that he didn’t feel guilty about doing the double.
David said: “There’s no guilty feeling at all. I always believed I would do it again.”
Although he didn’t play every week he said he knew that he would strike it lucky twice.
He added: “I always had a feeling it was going to be me. I tend to play when I know there are a lot of prizes on the go.”
Some of their winnings will go towards their honeymoon that they never had and Kath has splashed the cash on a number of exotic holidays “with the girls”, including a trip to Cuba.
However, they never had a honeymoon because they couldn’t agree on a destination and David doesn’t like flying.
David said: “I’ve tried it twice and I don’t like it.
“Kath would love me to book a Mediterranean cruise and I think I have run out of excuses.”
While he agreed that riches did bring happiness he did admit to having struggled since the win.
Kath said: “I think it’s the fact he’s got nothing to get up for in the morning.”
The couple have also dug deep to help out friends and family.
David bought his mum, Joan, a static caravan next to theirs.
For the celebration for their second win, Joan was in the Mallard while his friends were supping cider on David’s tab.
Joan said she had been badgering her son to get her a ticket but he wouldn’t.
She said: “I play every single week and the most I’ve ever won is three numbers – £25.”
It seems David’s luck is not down to him picking the right numbers as both of his wins have come from the random EuroMillions Maker draw – a bonus raffle in which a computer generates a combination of three letters and six numbers.
Even after his two big wins, David said he would continue playing the lottery.
He said: “I’ll keep on with it. And I’ve got a feeling I’m going to win again.”
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