A Gloucestershire couple who scooped the biggest-ever lottery win last month have reportedly made their first big purchase - but it's not the flashy sports car most would expect. Joe and Jess Thwaite, who live near Gloucester, have apparently spent a fairly modest £38,000 of their £184m EuroMillions win on a used Volvo estate.
Jess, who manages Blow Hair in Tewkesbury, said that the couple were "not materialistic" but were eyeing up a new vehicle with their winnings, reports Gloucestershire Live. She said: “I’ll probably buy a new car I’m sure, or something like that. We’d love to go on a family holiday."
According to the The Sun, Joe, 49, and Jess, 44, were seen arriving at their home in the grey second-hand V60 this week. They had been visiting the £650,000 Grade II-listed home to meet with their builders as they continue with work that had been planned before their win, the paper said.
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Despite the couple's windfall, neighbours have said they are not shocked that the couple have been restrained with their money. One told The Sun: “They’re mega lottery winners but first and foremost they’re down-to-earth people who have worked hard their whole lives.
“The car is smart, respectable and sensible — just like Joe and Jess. You might expect them to go and buy a Ferrari or a Bugatti.
"Instead of living the high life, they’re pressing ahead with their original plan to do the house up and make sure things are sorted as they’d planned originally."
Joe and Jess are "well liked" by their neighbours, the report added. The neighbour who spoke to The Sun said their modest spending - and opting against buying super cars - showed "what great people they are".
With their record-breaking winnings, it's fair to say Joe and Jess could have picked any sports car, beyond the reach of most of our budgets. But Joe, who had worked as a communications sales engineer, did admit when the couple went public with their win last month that he was "not a great car person."
He said his dream motor was a Skoda Superb estate “because of the amount of stuff you can get in the boot”. He had been driving a Hyundai but said: “I’m going to get something that does the job and is a big upgrade to my old little car that’s covered in dents.”
Presumably, then, the Volvo must have impressive boot space. We wonder what ex-Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson would make of their choice.
The couple were rumoured to be eyeing a multi-million pound mansion in the Cotswolds not far from Clarkson's farm. But the reports from neighbours about their ongoing renovation plans at their current home - which they only moved into shortly before their lottery win - suggest that a move into Clarkson's neighbourhood could be unlikely.
