Northampton friends thought they'd won £1,000 on Lotto but their lucky ticket was worth a MILLION

Two friends from Northampton who thought they’d won £1,000 on the Lotto are celebrating after sharing ONE MILLION.

NHS worker Marion Wood, 60, and 67-year-old Michael Williams matched five main numbers plus the Bonus Ball in the National Lottery draw earlier this month.

Marion, who worked at Northampton General Hospital through the Covid-19 pandemic, revealed the lucky £1,000,000 ticket was bought at Morrisons in Victoria Promenade.

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?’”

Michael showed her the computer screen but Marion thought the win was £1,000.

She said: “I looked, looked again. Michael kept on saying it’s a million… I said ‘I don’t know what a million in numbers looks like?!’ ”

The pair then sat in silence before making a cuppa as they let the news sink in. They had to wait until the next day to call Lotto HQ.

Marion added: “I’m a big tea drinker, so we had a cup of tea and sat in stunned silence.

"I didn’t tell a soul at first, I just carried on as normal holding onto the lucky ticket wherever I went. I kept it in my diary, which I kept in my purse, until the lady from Camelot came.

“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.

“Working through Covid in the NHS has been tough 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.”

And what about spending the winnings?

Marion added: “I’m from an army family and routine is important to me so I think I’ll just let my head get around it first.

"I might treat myself to some jewellery, it will be nice to have something special to remember how I felt when I won.”

Dad-of-three Michael retired from his job as a construction worker last year.

He said: “I haven’t had a car since 1981, so it’s time to get myself my own set of wheels.

"I’m also a big rugby fan, so I’ll 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.”

The pair’s lucky numbers were a combination of friends and family birthdays — 7, 13, 21, 23, 44 and the Bonus Ball was 16. The other main number in the draw was 39.