A PAIR of lottery winners are celebrating their first ‘proper’ Christmas a year on from winning £1 million.

Last September Annette and Andy Dawson’s had a life-changing moment when they struck it lucky with the EuroMillions winning draw.

Despite scooping the mammoth amount, the Bolton family - which includes Annette’s daughter’s Lizzie and Catrina - believe bagging a fortune does not have to change who you are.

Mrs Dawson, aged 41, said: “We are still very much the same people.

“Nothing has changed really, we have been so lucky to win the money and be able to make sure the girls don’t struggle like we did. We have created the same life but different.

“We have been given a better start in life and it is the most amazing thing that has ever happened to us as a family but the idea has always been to keep our feet firmly on the ground.”

The couple were on a break visiting Mrs Dawson’s mum Lynda Ruddic in Bulgaria when discovered they discovered they had won.

While they were treated to a flight be helicopter by lottery owner’s Camelot for the winning announcement and also won a dream holiday to the island of Song Saa off the Cambodian coast as part of the prize, they have resisted the temptation to splash the cash.

They continued with plans to move from Horwich to live with Mr Dawson’s mother Win in a house they had bought near Egerton.

Mr Dawson, aged 46, has also continued his job as a retail manager at ski shop at Rivington Alpine in Adlington while his wife is finishing her degree at the University of Bolton, but has quite her accountant job to set up on her own to develop a property portfolio.

Some of the money has been invested into a family home for 20-year-old Lizzie, who is six months pregnant, and a place for 18-year-old Catrina.

Even New Year celebrations are being kept down-to-earth, with Mrs Dawson making her own dress rather than buying one.

After winning the cash last year they did not have time to share a ‘proper’ Christmas, so this year December is time of celebrations.

Mrs Dawson added: “This is the first Christmas with our feet back on the ground, where we can say right, okay, life is normal again.

“It has all been very much a whirlwind and I don’t even remember much of last Christmas.

“At that point I don’t think we even fully appreciated what had happened so this year it is just a chance to enjoy being with the family.

“It will be very much the same as before, doing what we would have done to celebrate with or without the money.

“We are very lucky between myself and Andy to have the most supportive family.

“Everyone of them has been kind and helped us to keep our feet on the ground and not get overwhelmed.

“For people like us who have gone from having nothing to having a million, they should us you can have the world and not go doolally.”