Two work colleagues from Hengoed have scooped £1million on the Lottory EuroMillions Draw.
Orangebox Furniture factory workers Chris Edwards, 48, from Pen-y-Bryn in Hengoed, and Idris Tipper, 59, from Trecenydd, only met earlier this year – and it was a chance comment which meant they entered the 100 UK Millionaires draw on July 27.
Chris said: “I noticed that 100 millionaires were being made last Friday and said to Idris we should get a ticket. We both agreed to spend £5 each and get five lines, and I bought the ticket at 6.53pm on Friday night – it was the best £5 I’ve ever spent.”
Chris kept hold of the ticket and discovered they were one of the lucky millionaires on Saturday afternoon.
He said: “I was on my way to our family caravan in Tenby when I realised I hadn’t checked the ticket. I checked on the phone app and it said, ‘Congratulations, you are a millionaire!’ I couldn’t believe it so I spent ages checking the other lines, too.”
After calling in at a local shop to check again, Chris then carried onto the caravan without trying to tell Idris for three whole hours that he was a lucky winner, too. When Chris arrived at the caravan site, the phone reception was so bad that Idris couldn’t understand what his friend was saying, so Chris decided to text Idris the good news – that they were winners of £1million.
But Chris added: “I’d had a few celebratory drinks in the bar and forgot to text Idris as I’d promised – I did call and confirm the next day, though, although he didn’t believe that I was telling the truth.”
Though news of their win is still sinking in, the lucky pair plan to treat their families and then decide what they are going to spend their new-found fortunes on.
Their winning ticket was bought from Bargoed Service Station in Gilfach, Bargoed.
Every week the EuroMillions Millionaire Raffle guarantees to make two lucky UK players millionaires – each Tuesday and Friday – but Friday was a special night with the number of winners boosted to 100.
So far 85 winners have come forward to claim their prize. The National Lottery is still searching for the missing 15 winners.
A National Lottery spokesman said: “We urge all EuroMillions players to check their tickets – they could be poised to help set the biggest world record of the summer.
“This draw set a new mark for the National Lottery. The previous record for the world record number of millionaires created in one draw was set when 25 were created in the EuroMillions UK Millionaire Raffle draw at Christmas 2010.
“Friday’s draw was a special event as it coincided with the opening of the London 2012 Olympics which features many athletes assisted by National Lottery funding.”