A man from Essex has surprised his former work colleagues a year after winning a huge prize in the lottery.
Gary MacDonald, 61, won £5.2 million on the National Lottery last year.
The former Essex deliveryman quit his job after the win, having formerly delivered parcels to shops across Lakeside Shopping Centre.
Now, to thank his old colleagues, he returned recently with a hamper full of flowers, lucky dip tickets and other treats.
Essex man surprises old Lakeside workers after lottery win
Mr MacDonald said: "It’s been a crazy 12 months, from discovering I’d won a £5.2m Lotto jackpot and starring in the Lotto TV ad, to getting married and moving house.
"It’s a good job I retired early – being a Lotto millionaire is turning out to be a full-time occupation!
"That said, I’m delighted to come out of retirement for the day to fulfil the promise I made myself.
"It’s been great surprising my old colleagues, their faces have been a picture.
"I think we’ve done a brilliant job of surprising them and spreading the joy with today’s deliveries."
A delivery driver for more than 30 years, Mr MacDonald has since married his long-term partner Anita and moved from Barking to a four-bedroom detached house in Essex.
Donna Samuels, manager of the Babyeze shop at Lakeside, said it was an "incredible surprise" to see him again.
Miss Samuels said: "He absolutely didn’t need to do this, but I’m so touched that he has.
"Then again, Gary sharing the joy is typical of him, just goes to show what a diamond he is.
"For as long as I can remember, Gary was here every day, rain or shine, with a joke and a smile, so when he suddenly wasn’t there one day last year, I worried there was something wrong.
"I was over the moon when I discovered the real reason, winning on the National Lottery honestly couldn’t have happened to a nicer chap."
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He said: "I’ve always taken great pride in doing a job well and that’s what I did all those years at Lakeside, but what really made it was the many people I’d see daily.
"With a friendly wave, a few words, or on a rare occasion a cup of tea, we built connections, so when I hit the Lotto jackpot those people who had been such a part of my daily working life were always in my plans."
What would you spend the money on if you won the lottery? Let us know in the comments.
