Euro Millions: Euro Millions lottery winner is gardener and 'nice chap'
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Onion-growing granddad Brian Caswell will jet to Rio and buy a flash car after claiming a £25 million (US$40.8 million) Euro Millions lottery jackpot.
But the 74-year-old, who won half the Euro Millions jackpot last Friday, said he and wife Joan, 72, would not move far from their modest home in Bolton, Greater Manchester.
CCTV footage captured the happy winner punching the air at his local newsagent on learning he had won on Saturday.
He is Britain's third-biggest Lotto winner ever — and the biggest solo winner to go public.
Today the couple spoke of their win, which will secure the futures of their two daughters and four grandchildren.
"I travelled a lot for work but never got to go to South America and I have always wanted to go to Rio,", Caswell said.
"Joan isn't a keen flyer but it will be much easier to persuade her now we can afford to go in the front of the plane. Also, I would like to stand at the foot of Everest. I once flew over it and would love to see it from the other end."
The retired export manager said he will also splurge on a new Range Rover Vogue.
However Joan revealed she is contemplating spending a fortune on getting her hair and make-up done.
Brian and Joan have two daughters — Helen, 47 and Angela, 45. The grandad learned he had won £24,951,269.40 in Friday's Euro Millions when he popped into his newsagent to check his Lucky Dip ticket on Saturday morning.
The pensioners want to move to a farm with stables and enough property for the whole family, but they insisted they want to stay nearby.
"This is a family win," Caswell said. "Both my daughters are horse fanatics and would love to have a house with a stable. "I will look to get a farm somewhere else with three houses where we can all live."
"It will transform all our lives and it is a lovely feeling to know that we can help out all the people close to our hearts."
Caswell revealed the reaction of his local shopkeeper when he handed in the lucky ticket.
Speaking to international media this week, he said, "I had won £10 the week before so walked in all confident and said to the lad 'I'm on a roll — here's another winner'.
"When he scanned the ticket his mouth dropped open and he went a little ashen. He called for his boss to verify the numbers and told me to contact Camelot [company that operates the U.K. National Lottery].
"I didn't have my glasses on so I couldn't even read the numbers on the ticket he gave me, so I headed home to get it into focus."
The new multi-millionaire was so excited he then struggled to get in touch with Camelot and had to phone his youngest daughter to come over and help him.
After going through security checks, the family were told they had won a staggering £24,951,269.40 (US$40,777,916.04).
After scooping the jumbo jackpot Brian went straight to his prize-winning garden and let the news sink in before telling his astonished family.
Caswell's brother-in-law Ray Flanaghan, 65, said, "He went to the garden to collect his thoughts. He hadn't told the others there he'd won and they were all saying, 'I bet the person who had won last night's jackpot wouldn't be digging holes now — but of course he was. Brian loves his garden."
Brian is chairman of the local Harpers Lane Allotment Society.
The patch he rents from the council for £40 a year has won "best-looking" allotment [garden] five years running. A sign proclaims "Dad's garden".
Joan, 71, has one saying "Mum's Garden" on the next plot — which boasts flowers and a miniature wishing well.
Brian — a retired sales director for a brewery firm — and Joan received their monster check today after Brian refused anonymity.
The friend — who lives near Brian's semi — said: "I'm sure he'll share the money amongst his children. This isn't the sort of bloke who is going to blow it on a fleet of Ferraris.
"It couldn't have happened to a nicer chap.
Just weeks ago — as Brian recovered from pneumonia — he and his wife celebrated their golden wedding. They asked for no gifts — urging charity donations instead. They raised £235 for Guide Dogs For the Blind and £200 for the Alzheimer's Society.
Newsagent Mehboob Bawa, 46, checked the ticket for him. He said, "Brian's a lovely old boy. His wife's lovely as well."
He and a winner thought to live in Ireland split the £50 million jackpot. Both had numbers 6, 14, 16, 34 and 50, with lucky stars 6 and 4.
Dad-of-two Brian was said to be "literally shaking" ahead of today's Euro Millions champagne reception at a hotel.
Another friend said, "The amount was almost too much to take in."
Lottery officials wanted to spirit him into hiding on Saturday. But he went ahead with a Sunday afternoon party for one of his daughters in his garden. Camelot finally got to whisk him away on Monday.
Grandson James said, "I was told he'd won something — but presumed it was a tenner [£10] like the week before."
(Click for full-size; opens in new window)Three CCTV images capture the sequence of events in Brian Caswell's discovery of new-found Euro Millions wealth.
(Click for full-size; opens in new window)Brian and Joan Caswell pick up their Euro Millions jackpot of £24,951,269.40.
(Click for full-size; opens in new window)Brian Caswell collected his thoughts in his treasured garden after learning of his massive new wealth.