Elaine Thompson, a Newcastle mum who won £2.7 million on the lottery over 30 years ago, says the money never changed her, and she continued to work night shifts stacking shelves at Marks & Spencer because she 'loved work'.
Winning the jackpot in 1995
Elaine and her husband Derek, originally from Gosforth but living in Basingstoke at the time, claimed the jackpot in December 1995. Elaine worked in payroll at a garage, while Derek was an accountant at Motorola.
In a recent interview on YouTube with Timothy Schultz, a Powerball winner himself, Elaine explained why she kept working even though she didn't need to. She worked at M&S until her recent retirement.
Why she kept working
After taking some time off to spend with her children and move house, Elaine said: "I love to work. I can't be in the house 10 hours, 12 hours a day. It drives me insane. I mean, I'm nearly 70 now, so I had to retire. There has to be a time when you've got to stop. But I still miss work. And I worked for 50 years. I'd go back if I could."
Elaine hit the jackpot on December 9, 1995, the day Newcastle United played Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. Derek was at the match supporting his beloved Newcastle, his 'first love', and reminded Elaine to buy a lottery ticket before he left. Despite Newcastle losing 1-0, the couple ended up as big winners.
Life after the win
Speaking about whether the lottery changed her, Elaine said: "It hasn't changed me at all. I'll not change for anybody. So no, I wouldn't change for anything." She added that it gave her the most 'incredible life' and that her philosophy has always been to go to bed with a smile and wake up with a smile.
The couple were generous with their money. Instead of extravagant spending, they bought a rundown B&B in Lyme Regis, Dorset. It was initially two-star rated but within six months became five-star, and families affected by cancer were given free holidays there. They ran it for six years but sold it after Elaine's brother, to whom she gave £1 million because he helped raise her, died. She said it reminded her too much of him. They then bought a restaurant and ran it successfully for another six years.
Returning home
Eventually, they returned to the north east, where Elaine began stacking shelves at M&S, often getting up at 2am for work. Away from her job, Elaine and Derek invested in horse racing, and their shared passion saw them visit every racecourse in the country.
As for the biggest blessing the lottery afforded Elaine, she said: "The major thing is my children have gone through university. They're all on the housing, they've all got houses. They're increasing them every time. They are happy, they've got children, I've got grandchildren. It's just, we've had an extraordinary life. The things that I have done are extraordinary. I mean, who would have thought a little girl from Wallsend, it's a very small place, walking through the doors of Number 10? Never in a million years I would have dreamed I'd do that."
