WINNING SMILE
I scooped £1million on a scratchcard – everyone told me exactly how I should spend it but I didn’t listen
A MAN who pocketed £1million on a lottery scratchcard ignored everyone’s advice on what the spend the money.
Matt Fairfull and his wife Marilyn won the tidy sum in May 2018 but he’s revealed exactly what he’s not going to splash the cash on.
3
3
The self-employed plasterer may have several front teeth missing but he said he had no intention of spending good money on having dental work done.
Instead he wants to keep his trademark grin, which shows a solitary tooth poking out of his mouth.
Asked at the winners’ unveiling if he would pay to go to a dentist to get his gnashers fixed, he said: “No I won’t because it would not be me.
"I am what I am. I am happy with the way they are. I am the governor, no matter what.”
Read More on Scratchcards
Marilyn, who works in a factory, joked: “He won’t do anything I say. He does what he wants.”
Although when it came to sorting out her own discoloured teeth she admitted she would “probably” pay to get them sorted out.
Instead, the couple from Stowmarket, Suffolk, who have four sons and five grandchildren, said they would spend some of the money on doing up their home – getting it decorated as well as buying a new sofa and giant TV.
Matt said that he and his wife did not intend moving from their three-bedroom semi-detached house. He said: “We are happy where we are living.”
Most read in Money
But added: “Like everybody, we have had good times and bad times, but now it could get a little bit better.”
They were also eyeing up a trip to Jamaica, which would be their first holiday in 10 years.
Matt also vowed not to give up his seven-days-a-week job as he liked being busy and didn’t want to let his customers down.
He joked that he would now be limiting himself to working “just six and a half days a week”.
And despite driving around in a 22-year-old Vauxhall Corsa van which he bought for just £470 he said he had no plans on replacing it.
Matt said: “I have always been around old vehicles for work. I am used to old vans, and that is me.
“At the moment we have commitments for people and we need to settle down and take it from there.
“We are going to carry on and keep being normal people. It’s not going to be normal, but you want to keep yourself pretty straight and narrow.”
He said he had gone into work the week of his win because he’d promised a plastering job for someone who was moving house.
Tennis fan Marilyn said she wanted to get a ticket for the mens’ final at Wimbledon as she’d never been to the tournament.
She also wanted to get a new car to replace her ancient Toyota Celica.
Marilyn also intended to cut back her hours at her part-time job packing greetings cards at the family run factory in Stowmarket.
She didn’t want to give up work completely as she really enjoyed working with her colleagues.
Marilyn had bought two Monopoly Classic scratchcards for £5 each at an Esso petrol station in Combs Ford, near Stowmarket.
She paid for the cards with a £10 win on another card, while she was on her way to pick up her son who was returning home from Ipswich by bus.
While she waited for him in the car at the town’s station, she scratched one card which won her £20 and then did the other one which won the life-changing amount of money.
Marilyn said: “I felt physically sick. I just didn’t believe it. I kept looking at the card until my son arrived, and I said: ‘Look at this.’ He just said, ‘Oh my God’.”
On their way home, she stopped at the same garage to get the win confirmed.
Matt was on his mobile phone when arrived home from work and his son yelled: “Mum’s won a million.”
The plasterer calmly told the caller: “I’m very sorry, I have to go. My wife has just become a millionaire.”
Marilyn added: “We’ve no intention of moving house, but it will so nice to spend some money on renovations I’ve been wanting to do for years.
“My front room will have a total overhaul with new furniture, including a whopping big telly so Matt can watch the World Cup in luxury.
“Initially I was thinking I could watch Wimbledon on that massive TV too, but now I’m thinking I could actually go to Wimbledon. I rather fancy centre court for the men’s finals.
“We want our boys to benefit from the win too, so we'll be giving them each a bit to help make life easier.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
"We’ve all had tough times over the years, so it’s nice to know we have some fun times ahead.
“It really is magic. This time last week I was wondering what we’d be having for dinner. Now I’m wondering what to do with a million quid.”
3
Topics