Local heroes celebrate £2m Lotto win with two-for-one mixed grill at pub

The couple discussed what to splash their cash on over two mixed grills at the Lawnswood Arms in Leeds on Monday night – a special treat which cost them just £10.

The thrifty pair, from Leeds, who celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary earlier this year and renewed their vows, did not even fritter away an y cash on desserts.

Mrs Poole, 58, said: “We went out for a two-for-one meal to celebrate because I didn’t want to cook. So we went to the Lawnswood because we’ve been before and it’s always been nice.”

Over their meal, Mr Poole, 64, who has been paragliding for 10 years, decided to buy his own motorised paraglider, while his wife set her sights on a humble vacuum cleaner.

Mrs Poole said: “My first thought was ‘Can I have a new Hoover?’

“My old one is driving me mad. I can’t believe that was the first thing I said, but I am hoping to get a Dyson.”

The ecstatic couple did not know they had won until the day after the draw when their son Tom showed them the ticket.

“Tom came in on Sunday night, told Gwen and I to sit down and then passed us the ticket. We looked at it and then the results he had put on the TV,” Mr Poole said

“The amount was under the numbers. We were all a bit numb to be honest.”

Mr Poole, a driving instructor, and his wife, a dental nurse, are planning to work part-time as they don’t want to leave people in the lurch, although Mr Poole has decided to quit his second job as a recovery vehicle controller, a post he took on when the couple were struggling financially.

They are also going to pay off their mortgage, travel and treat their four sons and three grandchildren with the £1,963,927 win, but they have no plans to move from the house they have shared since 1977.

Two of their sons are on holiday in Tenerife and one lives in Canada, so the couple decided to telephone them yesterday morning before they went public with the happy news.

Mrs Poole said: “This Christmas is going to be better than most.”

The lucky ticket was bought from Morrisons in Yeadon, Leeds, and the winning numbers from last Saturday’s draw were 6, 12, 13, 28, 33 and 38.