“I retired that Saturday night in some respects,” Ray says, recalling that weekend in January 2000.
“I didn’t know what to say but I’d never have said ‘stuff your job’ or anything like that. I’m not that kind of person.”
Although the construction industry eventually became “tiring” and involved him travelling up to 1,000 miles each week to all four corners of the UK, Ray says he enjoyed work.
But the chance of retirement for him and for Barbara, who had worked night shifts at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital for 22 years, was too good to miss.
The first thing Ray did with the winnings was buy a £52,000 white Range Rover, while the couple also went on a glamorous cruise.
Barbara’s fear of flying had previously restricted them to domestic holidays.
“I think we went to Torquay for about 20 years on the trot – all five of us,” Ray says.
Like most lottery winners, Ray and Barbara took the opportunity to pass on some of their winnings to their children and other relatives.
But it was their generosity to other people outside their family unit which would make headlines in the years that followed.
They reportedly gave away most of their winnings – earning a rebuke from their financial advisor.