Haverhill: Lotto Winner Back At Work
1 October 2012, 06:00
A lottery winner, who scooped £148m in an August draw - the largest in England, and the second biggest in Britain - has already returned to work in his Haverhill music store.
Adrian Bayford, 41, has been spotted regularly back behind the counter of his high street music shop.
He's often seen shifting boxes about and manning the tills at the Suffolk Music Centre, in Haverhill. But after promising not to abandon the business he grew from a market stall, down-to-earth Adrian was seen pulling his weight at the music instrument store - even though he never needs to work again.
After scooping his huge win Adrian promised he would return to work saying he couldn't abandon his business partner. Shoppers saw the big-hearted family-man - officially the 516th richest man in Britain after his win - moving stock, collapsing boxes, and chatting with his regulars.
He was even up before the rush on Friday morning to open up the store he runs with Richard Hudspith just after 8.30am. He was spotted popping out for a snack and enjoying friendly banter with locals before dutifully heading back behind the counter - just like any other worker on the high street.
Adrian and wife Gillian, 40, scooped the second largest lottery jackpot in British history in August with a ticket Adrian bought at his local newsagents. The first evidence of the start of their spending spree was spotted this week in the shape of a modest Ford family car.
The Bayfords have so far stunned Britain with the warm, laid back approach to super wealth and appeared to have continued the modest trend by opting for a £17,000 4x4 Kuga.
The sensible buy is a far cry from the dream car Gillian admitted to craving when she discovered the win - a £60,000 Audi Q7. Millions of admirers were surprised to hear the Bayfords celebrated their fortune by having takeaway pizzas from Dominos.
Next they shunned exclusive resorts and the tropics by jetting off for a caravaning holiday with Gillian's parents in Scotland.
Gillian has worked in ward D2 at Addenbrooke's for three years but said she intended to leave the job to spend more time with her family.
The couple are still living in the same four bedroom, detached house, they owned before the win with children Cameron, four, and Aimee, six.
According to The Sunday Times Rich List, the Bayfords now have a fortune to rival Jamie and Jools Oliver (£150m), Sir Tom Jones (£140m) and Eric Clapton (£130m). Their win shot them to 516th in the Sunday Times Rich List.