Welsh friends shared a cuppa 'in stunned silence' after £1 million National Lottery win

Two friends recalled how they shared a cup of tea "in stunned silence" after realising they had won £1 million on the National Lottery.

Marion Wood, 60, and Michael Williams, 67, both originally from Wales, matched five main numbers and the bonus ball in a draw on March 12.

Ms Wood, formerly of Caerphilly, said her initial reaction was to exclaim: "I don't know what a million in numbers looks like!"

Recounting the story of their win, she said: "I was on annual leave - it was the Tuesday after the Saturday draw, which we won on.

"Michael and I always check our tickets for the last draw just before the next one. He was on his computer in the kitchen; I was in the lounge.

"I started to shout out the numbers on my ticket and he shouted 'Yes', then 'Yes', then another 'Yes', and then his voice changed - in fact, he squeaked!

"There was another 'Yes', and the final 'Yes' was followed by a 'Can you come here please?'"

Ms Wood, who initially thought they had won £1,000, said: "Michael was going through the numbers one by one, and he kept on saying, 'It’s a million; it’s a million'."

'We had a cup of tea and sat in stunned silence'

As it was late on the Tuesday evening, they had to wait until the next day to call The National Lottery to make their claim.

In true British style, the two then decided to put the kettle on while news of their win sunk in.

"I'm a big tea drinker, so we had a cup of tea and sat in stunned silence as we absorbed what had just happened," said Ms Wood.

"I didn't tell a soul at first. I just carried on as normal, holding on to the lucky ticket wherever I went.

"I kept the ticket in my diary, which I keep in my purse, until the lady from Camelot visited to check it and confirmed that Michael and I actually were big winners.

"Even now it still hasn’t completely sunk in, but seeing our names on the big cheque has definitely made it feel more real.

"I’m still unsure about what sort of celebration we’ll have, but I am getting a taste for champagne having sipped a bit since the win!"

'I’m a big rugby fan and have followed Wales all my life'

Ms Wood, an NHS worker now based in Northamptonshire, said she has no plans to quit her job.

"Working through Covid in the NHS has been tough," she said.

"The amount of work has increased, and unfortunately I have lost many family and friends.

"However, work has kept me going. I love my job and I won't be leaving even after this amazing win."

Father-of-three Mr Williams, a former construction worker, said: "I retired last year and haven’t had a car since 1981, so I think it’s time I get myself my own set of wheels.

"I’m also a big rugby fan and have followed Wales all my life, so will get myself some rugby memorabilia.

"Finally, I’ll also treat my family. They’ve been good to me and it will be lovely to do something nice for them.” 

Ms Wood said she may treat herself to some jewellery "to remember how I felt when I won".

"Whatever we do, we'll be wise and make things comfortable," she added.

"It's an amazing amount to enable Michael and I to have security at this time of life."

The pair's winning ticket was made up of numbers comprising friends and relatives' birthdays.

Their winning numbers were 7, 13, 21, 23, 44 and the Bonus Ball was 16.  The other main number in the draw was 39.

• Watch as other Welsh lottery winners share what they spent their prize money on: