John Pinyoun, a long standing and ever reliable member of our Uckfield branch staff, had the best reason in the world for not turning up to work on Monday 31st March. 2.3 million reasons in fact.

John and his wife Jacqui were quoted in the national press as saying that they will be able to fulfil their long-held dreams of travelling the world after scooping a £2.3 million Lotto jackpot win

New Zealand and Australia have so far been earmarked by John and Jacqui Pinyoun as being destinations which they intend to see with their new-found fortune.

The couple, from Langney Point, Eastbourne, were watching the Lotto draw while eating a fish and chip supper when their six numbers were drawn in Saturday's Lotto draw.

Mr Pinyoun, 61, who works at our Uckfield branch, said: "We couldn't believe it. We were so excited we couldn't finish our dinner and didn't leave the house all evening. We just phoned some close family members and told them the good news.

"That evening, I put the ticket in my dressing table draw, right next to my bed, as I didn't want to let it out of my sight."

The money will also help secure the future of their three sons, Gary, 34, Matthew, 31, and Martyn 29, as well as their three grandchildren. John added: "Our main priority is to see that our sons are looked after and our grandchildren, and we would like to do some travelling to New Zealand and Australia.

The couple, who married on Valentine's Day 1970, said the win, totalling a staggering £2,367,330, had come at just the right time in their lives.

“I phoned my boss ...”

"I'm 61 and it would be nice to retire a little bit earlier than I anticipated. I phoned my boss, Stewart Pierce on Sunday evening to say I have got a problem but that it was a nice problem and that I needed two or three days off.

"I was waiting for his reaction as to whether he would say that that's short notice. I would have said, 'Sorry, tough' but his reaction was very, very good and he said I could take as long as I liked."

For the record, John bought three Lucky Dip tickets from the News Rack newsagents in Beatty Road, Eastbourne, and the winning numbers were 11, 17, 28, 31, 40 and 43.