A millionaire lottery winner has vowed to shun the high life and remain living at his childhood home – to care for his ailing MUM.
Pub chef Neil Baker, 36, matched all six numbers with a Lucky Dip ticket he bought with a spare £1 coin he found in his pocket.
But despite banking £1.581,582, he insists he will not move out of the £100,000 terraced house where he has lived all his life.
Dedicated Neil, of Bridgwater, Somerset, plans to retire and stay at home to look after his frail mum, who is in failing health.
He is a keen bugler and his only indulgence will be a trip to Belgium to play the Last Post at the grave of his great-grandad, who died during the First World War.
Bachelor Neil said: ”At the moment I haven’t got any plans to buy anything – I have no intention of going out and buying a big sports car.
”I live at home and mum has not been in the best of health. The money will help me look after her and that is what I want to do.
”I’m staying in Bridgwater. My dad has passed away and it has been our home ever since I have been alive.
”I have many memories there and have no intention of moving – our house is more than just bricks and mortar, it’s a home with sentimental value as it has always been our family home.
”I won’t change my car as I’m happy with the one I’ve got, so for the moment this money will give me freedom and security.
”I’ll definitely stay in the area as my friends and family are all here.”
Neil found the spare quid rattling around in his pocket after stopping off at his local Morrisons supermarket to purchase his usual four weekly lottery lines.
He used the coin to take a punt on a Lucky Dip draw and saw all six numbers – 5, 20, 25, 30, 36 and 47 – come up in the draw on Saturday 29 January.
The rugby player only realised his luck had come in after mum checked his numbers on the Sunday.
He said: ”I always buy four regular lines for Saturday’s draw, but on this occasion I had an extra pound coin in my pocket, so I decided to put on a Lucky Dip as well.
”It was only when my mum suggested checking on Saturday that I realised my Lucky Dip had matched all six numbers.
”Neither of us could believe it when we saw the numbers on screen, so we checked and double checked until we were sure.
”It was only when I confirmed the numbers with the official Camelot phone line on Monday that it really began to sink in.”
The stunned chef went into work at The Tudor Hotel and Restaurant in Bridgwater the Monday after the draw and told his boss Michael Mouzoure that he was retiring.
He then cooked the buffet at his own retirement bash – held at the Tudor – for his delighted family friends and work colleagues, a week after his windfall.
Neil said: ”I put down the food at the do and said ‘right, there we are – now I have retired’.
”I work up to 70 hours a week as a chef – it’s not all like you see on television – it’s a lot of hard yakka.
”I have retired now and don’t plan on returning as a chef or opening my own restaurant.
”I have always been a chef, working in various hotels and restaurants in the area and much as I enjoy it in many ways, work is work at the end of the day.
”This money has given me the freedom to enjoy other aspects of my life. Everyone, including my boss, has been really pleased for me and wished me the best of luck.”
Neil, who has a long-term partner, is now planning a pilgrimage to the grave of his great-grandfather, who died in the First World War.
He said: ”My father passed away a few years ago, so I’ll take the bugle he handed down to me and play the last post.
”It’s something my mum has always wanted to do, but I’ve never got around to taking the time off work until now.”
Neil plays second row for his local rugby side Morganians (corr) is planning to turn out for his team as usual this weekend.
He is also trying to get his hands on tickets to see the Six Nations clash between England and Italy at Twickenham.
The musician will also continue to play the bugle in his local band – the Bridgwater Corps of Drum and Bugles.
