Rain kept a builder off work, and his Lucky Dip won £40.6m, January 2012

Gareth and Catherine Bull from Mansfield, Nottinghamshire won £40,627,241 in the EuroMillions draw on Friday 20 January 2012. Gareth, a self-employed builder, could not work one day because of rain and bought a Lucky Dip on a whim.

At their press conference at Eastwood Hall in Nottinghamshire, the couple talked about small things first. Catherine wanted to replace a landing carpet she disliked. Gareth wanted a box at Old Trafford to watch Manchester United, then a Range Rover Sport, a villa and a Disney trip for their two sons. He said they did not plan to leave Mansfield.

Years later Gareth turned to a bigger build. He bought a two-acre plot in Nottinghamshire and began work on a 6,000 sq ft house in 2019. He did much of the work himself, with help from builder friends, and moved in on Christmas Eve 2020.

The home has a lake stocked with rehomed fish and a lodge beside the main house. He said he was living alone during lockdown and the project kept him from getting lonely.

Sources

• LBC: £40.6m jackpot winner says building dream home saved him from loneliness (lbc.co.uk)
• Lottery.co.uk: EuroMillions results, 20 January 2012 (lottery.co.uk)
• IOL: a new carpet for £41m lotto couple (Jan 2012) (iol.co.za)