Shropshire's £1 million lottery winner was down to her last £20
Shropshire's £1 million Lottery winner Jackie Murphy told today how she had just £11.52 in her bank account and £10 in her pocket when she bought the ticket that changed her life.
Care worker Jackie, 61, and John Potter, 54, who are getting married next month received the best wedding present ever.
But the couple, from Shrewsbury, aren't letting their big win change their special day.
Jackie will still be walking down the aisle in a dress bought in the sales and sandals from Tesco while behind her will be bridesmaids wearing dresses from Matalan.
Since the win, the couple have barely slept.
Jackie, who bought her winning Millionaire 777s scratch card from News Express in Shawbury, said: "You cannot change the habits of a lifetime.
"I earn the minimum wage as a carer. It takes me an hour to earn gross the cost of the scratchcard so it isn't something I buy frequently. I don't know why I decided to last Saturday.
"We won't be splashing out on things but we will be able to be a bit more secure.
"At first I thought, well if I don't win anything at least I will get my fiver back as that is a given on the Millionaire 777s. But when I saw I had won £1 million I just could not believe it. I had to sit down and take a deep breath."
Jackie was on her way home after finishing a 12- hour shift when she bought the ticket.
"I decided to buy a scratchcard on Saturday afternoon from News Express in Shawbury. I got back in to the car, scratched it and just sat there in disbelief before dashing back in to the store to get it checked.
"I gave it to the shop assistant who scanned it for me before asking her if it was really worth £1 million. Her smile got bigger, before she said it was worth a million at which point I started to get a bit weak at the knees.
"The store manager and another chap who was fixing the phone lines at the shop helped me in to the office before the manager phoned the National Lottery for me."
Jackie then had to give the National Lottery people the bar code on the back of the scratchcard – which had been ripped in the excitement.
"We couldn't immediately confirm all the details, but it didn't take too much longer to get the amazing news that I was indeed a millionaire," she said.
Jackie, who was born and brought up in Tettenhall, Wolverhampton, then called her partner John Potter, a 54-year-old scaffolder, who was on a roof at the time.
She added: "I asked him to come home as soon as possible but he said he couldn't as he hadn't patched the hole in the roof.
"I told him I had won £1million but he didn't believe me. I then panicked because I thought about the fact he was on a roof and asked the shop manager to speak to him. Needless to say everything was fine.
"Since winning on Saturday we have both lost about half a stone each in weight as we have just been too excited to eat."
The couple, who have been together for 10 years, had been busily preparing for their wedding next month prior to the win.
Jackie's mum Alma Green, 89, had bought Jackie's wedding dress in the Monsoon sale, her shoes are from Tesco and the bridesmaids will be wearing dresses from Matalan.
The couple will be getting married at a Shropshire registry office with a reception held at a nearby hotel and they are not changing their plans for the wedding – apart from a free bar for all the guests.
"I have really enjoyed organising the wedding," said Jackie. "I know that what we have organised will be wonderful so why change it just because we have won this money?
" I have decided to splash out on wedding flowers and posies and balloons which I wasn't going to have but that and the free bar is all that has changed."
The couple, who were presented with their winning cheque in front of friends and family including John's daughter Katie, 28, and son Joe, 24 ,and Jackie's sons Carl, 41, and Steven, 39, at the Albrighton Hall Hotel, near Shrewsbury, had saved tirelessly over the past few months but haven't booked a honeymoon prior to the win as they could not afford one.
"We may book one afterwards," said Jackie, "but at present there is no rush."
They do not plan to move house, due to the wealth of animals they own which include a Shetland pony, dogs and more than 20 chickens but Jackie has already bought a new car, a Peugeot RCZ and John, who has treated himself to a new strimmer, also has his eye on an Audi A5.
Jackie's mum Alma said: "I am very happy for them. They both need a bit of luck and I am thrilled they have won. They really deserve it and now I can't wait for the wedding."
