Of all the people that hope to win a life-changing jackpot, very few actually get the opportunity to taste such luck. It happened to Barbara and Ray Wragg one Saturday evening.
It began like most stories of unexpected fortunes. Barbara, a nurse, sat down to watch the results of the National Lottery. "Ray, we've got three numbers!" she exclaimed. The seconds ticked on and more and more of the numbers came in. From three to four to five and, amazingly, six. The Wraggs had scooped the £7.6 million jackpot.
Ray, who was 62 at the time, couldn’t believe it. “I said ‘You’re kidding me?!’” he recalls. The couple was completely flabbergasted by the news. What would they do with all that money? Their lives would never be the same again.
A Night of Celebration
Ray pulled out a can of Guinness, while Barbara poured herself a glass of wine. The couple sang "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" as they rang their three children to break the news. Thirty minutes later, they contacted Camelot to confirm that they had indeed won £7.6 million.
Ray's Retirement
The next morning, Ray made a life-changing phone call. Due back on a building site in South Wales, Ray phoned his boss and said, "I don't think I'll be coming back." His boss joked, "Have you won the lottery?" And Ray simply said, "Well, yes I have."
Ray’s retirement, he says, began that very night. “I didn’t know what to say, but I’d never have said ‘stuff your job’ or anything like that,” Ray reflects. After years of working in the tiring construction industry, which involved traveling up to 1,000 miles each week, Ray was ready for a change.
Barbara’s Retirement
Barbara, too, had worked for 22 years doing the night shift at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital. Now, with the chance to retire and enjoy their good fortune, both she and Ray knew it was the right time.
The Simple Things Remain
But though the lottery winnings had dramatically changed their circumstances, some things remained the same. Ray still checks the price of socks in the store-a reminder that no matter how much wealth you acquire, the simple things in life remain important.