£1MMillion winners make ‘egg-cellent’ start to country living

Graeme, 36, and Katherine, 37, vowed to move their family to the countryside after they won an amazing £1MMillion EuroMillions prize. Now, 12 months after their big win, they’ve been welcoming the first animals to the smallholding they share with their 6-year-old daughter and 4-year-old son.

As well as ‘Euro’ and ‘Million’, the couple have two more hens called ‘Bark Bark Hen’ and ‘Jeff’. They’ve also acquired a Labrador puppy, much to the delight of the kids.

Katherine said, “Welcoming ‘Euro’ and ‘Million’, as well as ‘Bark Bark Hen’ and ‘Jeff’, is the culmination of an incredible first year as National Lottery winners and another step towards us living a more sustainable life.

“Since our win everything has changed for the better. We’ve fast forwarded our 20-year plan at warp speed.”

Graeme and Katherine considered giving the puppy a National Lottery name such as ‘Lottie’ or ‘Millie’, but their children opted for ‘Rusty’ instead.

Katherine said, “Spending time with the kids is so precious. When I was little, we always went camping at Hunstanton. It’s a very special place for me, so to now be close enough to pop there after school for a ‘chippy’ tea and a play on the beach is priceless. Well not quite – it was the price of the EuroMillions winning ticket.”

The couple plan to extend their vegetable garden and acquire a few more chickens in the near future. Katherine said, “Our dream is to be as self-sufficient as possible. I don’t expect our gardening efforts to produce a bounty of vegetables or ‘Euro’ and ‘Million’ to lay enough eggs to save a weekly trip to the supermarket, but we’re at least at the start of that journey.

“In time we will add a few more feathered friends to the henhouse and my ultimate aim is to have a herd of goats.”

Graeme added, “This is our little slice of heaven, somewhere we can raise our family and build wonderful memories.

“The experiences and challenges we’ve had as we get to grips with country life are etched in my memory. I wake up each day excited about our future plans and go to sleep happily exhausted from the hard work and fresh air.

“The other day, as I was planting vegetable seeds in the polytunnel, Katherine arrived with a glass of her amazing homemade elderflower cordial. We looked at each other and laughed, we’ve changed in so many ways since our move from town life!”

11th July 2025