Lotto luck for Scottish couple with €185m win
Husband and wife Colin and Chris Weir, from Largs in Ayrshire, scooped €185 million in Tuesday’s EuroMillions draw.
The winning numbers were 17, 19, 38, 42 and 45, and the Lucky Stars were 9 and 10.
The couple banked the entire jackpot after several rollovers.
They were unveiled as the winners at the Macdonald Inchyra Hotel & Spa in Polmont, near Falkirk.
The couple have been married for 30 years and have two children.
Mr Weir, 64, who has worked as a TV cameraman and studio manager for 23 years, said: “When we first realised we had won, it felt like a dream. Everything went into slow motion.
“But it feels like a good thing; something we should not to be afraid of but for us to enjoy with the children.
“All our lives we have lived within our means and been comfortable. We appreciate that this money brings about a whole new life for us and our family.
“We now have so many new opportunities to explore but we won’t rush it. For us, it will be a gradual change with choices to be made.”
Mrs Weir, 55, a psychiatric nurse, said the couple were having a normal night in front of the TV on Tuesday evening until she checked the EuroMillions result on Teletext at around midnight.
She said: “We had bought five Lucky Dips, as the jackpot was now so big. I started circling the numbers I had matched but wasn’t doing very well. Then on the fifth line, all the circles seemed to join up.
“I had all of them but couldn’t believe what I was seeing. I checked them three or four times before going back downstairs to find Colin. He knew immediately by my face and tone that something was up.”
“After checking many times together, the news gradually hit us. The Camelot line was closed for the night but we couldn’t sleep. We sat up all night and saw dawn come round the next morning.
“We were tickled pink. I even had a glass of white wine, which is something I normally only do at Christmas. It really is unbelievable.”
The couple are already thinking about new homes and cars for themselves but are most excited about the travel opportunities they can enjoy.
Mrs Weir said: “For Colin, holidays have never really appealed with travelling being such a hassle for him but first-class could definitely persuade him.
“We have both always wanted to see the Great Wall of China and Colin would love to stand at the foot of Ayers Rock in Australia.
“We also love art galleries so this gives us the chance to visit those in Paris and in Russia. These are all things we thought we would never see.”
The win will catapult the Weirs into 430th place in this year’s Sunday Times Rich List.
They now find themselves not far below David and Victoria Beckham, who have an official fortune of £165 million.
The massive jackpot was capped at €185m after a series of rollovers made it the largest ever across Europe.
IRELAND’S latest Euromillions millionaires had that Friday feeling yesterday, as they collected a cheque for €4,576,071.
The family from Dublin matched five numbers plus one Lucky Star in the EuroMillions draw on July 8, to scoop their seven-figure sum.
“We were just one number away from €185m but that’s fine with us. We’re delighted with €4.5m,” said one of the winners.
The group, who wish to keep the win private, bought the lucky Quick Pick ticket in Londis, Drumfin Park, Ballyfermot, Dublin 10.
