Ever wondered what happened to the couple that won £148 million in the Euromillions lottery way back in 2012. At the time, Adrain Bradford and his wife Gillian were two of the biggest winners in the history of the Euromillions.
And while much has changed, the one thing that remained was Adrian’s love of music.
He has just opened a film and memorabilia store in Cambridge called Black Barn Records. This is hardly surprising as Adrian was running a second-hand record store when he hit the jackpot. It’s real treat for music lovers who long for the old days when you could stroll into a real store and browse through the racks for a new record.
He also carries some one-of-a-kind items such as a rare photo of The Beatles signed by John Lennon. And there are life-size models of iconic film characters such as Wolverine and the Storm Troopers from Star Wars. It’s a quirky concept, but one that sits well with the man who has always had a passion for music.
It’s a story that makes one smile, but there is a lot of heartache behind the scenes. So many big lottery winners struggle with the added stress that a big jackpot can bring, and Adrian and Gillian are no exception. They separated just 15 months after their Lotto win, admitting that the split was a result of the added pressure they felt as a result of their large windfall.
In fact, Gillian was forced to deny that she had an affair with the couple’s gardener, Chris Tovey. Later, Mr Tovey tried to sue Adrian Bradford for running him over with a car on the grounds of the couple’s mansion. Sometime after that, Adrian met and married Samantha Burbidge. She’s a former horse groomer and they now live in a £6 million country mansion which Adrian bought with his winnings.
Meanwhile, his former wife, Gillian is now engaged to former motor dealer, Alan Warnock. She used her share of the winnings to purchase a tea room near Arbroath called Sugar and Spice. But just weeks before Adrian announced the opening of his record store, Gilliam was embroiled in a scandal involving her business.
Headlines proclaimed that staff were outraged when they were informed that the shop was closing in a telephone call. As if that weren’t callous enough, they also received letters informing them that as they were only casual staff, they were not entitled to more than a £100 payoff. It’s hard to imagine that a millionaire like Gillian can’t afford to compensate her staff more. The café employed 21 people and this has dealt many of them a severe blow. They also had to sign a confidentiality clause in their contracts, but this hasn’t stopped them speaking out about their unfair treatment.
What will happen to Sugar and Spice remains to be seen. A new Facebook Page for the café informs customers that it may open again in the near future. But given the scandal this has caused it seems doubtful that anything will come of it. Although it’s not unusual to hear of lottery winners who don’t seem to handle their newfound wealth well, it’s always sad when it doesn’t work out.
But it seems that Adrian has managed to make a success of his Euromillions win. It’s clear that he never lost his passion for music despite everything that has happened. He believes that not everyone wants to buy their music online. And the store has given him the opportunity to share his passion with others and create a really unique experience for local shoppers. But don’t imagine for one minute that this is simply another multi-millionaire indulging his passions.
Adrain has plans to open a few more shops and even buy a vinyl pressing plant in the UK. That’s good news for anyone who laments the loss of vinyl music in a world dominated by digital downloads. Adrian did make headlines earlier this year when he spent £10 000 on some Lady Gaga memorabilia, but he insists that he’s more of a rock ‘n roll fan. He prefers the music of bands such as Aerosmith, ACDC and Iron Maiden, in case you were wondering.
But Adrian’s love for music doesn’t stop there. He also plans to be an executive producer on the upcoming album by a British rock band called Last Great Dreamers. It seems to be a fitting title for this lottery winner and music lover. After all, he must be one of the last great dreamers himself to open up a physical record store in this age of downloads and MP4’s. And perhaps his story will inspire you to pursue your passion- and buy a lottery ticket to fund it.
