Quorn bartender celebrates £100k scratchcard win with student nurse wife

Jonathan Wright, known as Jonny, has been furloughed from his job as a bartender at the White Hart pub in Quorn for the past year.

Jonny, 40, briefly went back to work last summer and throughout autumn however, due to hospitality restrictions, he’s had to stay at home.

His wife, Heather, also 40, who is in the final year of her nursing studies, and who is destined to graduate and join front line nursing in September. She has found working and studying on the front line, during a pandemic, a huge emotional and physical challenge.

Jonny described his winning moment by explaining, “I started walking home and scratched it. My legs went to jelly. Even though it’s just a 15-minute walk home from the shop, I couldn’t wait to tell Heather, so I phoned her, and she obviously didn’t believe my story.

"My knees aren’t good, having played a lot of football when I was younger, but that didn’t bother me – I just ran home like a schoolboy!”

He added, “we have an eight-year-old daughter and ten-year-old son - and 2020 hasn’t been kind.  However, this is a great gift as we hopefully start to come out of lockdown.

“I’m really looking forward to going back to work and our children will be back with their friends at school very soon - things are definitely looking up. To win now, after what has happened, just feels great, especially for the kids.”

Jonny and Heather’s two children haven’t been abroad yet, so a foreign holiday is in the making once they’re able to. However, for now the children will be treated to a ‘staycation’ when restrictions allow.

Other plans that the pair hope to spend their winnings on include; new carpets and new car, for which Jonny has already bought.

“This year is going to be a better year, it’s already started well,” Jonny said.

Jonny bought his winning ‘Win All National Lottery Scratchcard’ at C E Bradley Stores, Station Road, Quorn.