A man has told how his dream quite literally came true after he discovered he had won the Thunderball jackpot prize of £500,000.
Recently retired British Gas worker Raymond Young, from Edinburgh, initially checked his ticket while half-asleep.
The next morning, the 63-year-old assumed he had dreamt that his numbers had come up – but realised he had indeed won the top prize after checking the ticket with a fresh pair of eyes.
Mr Young, who has used the same Thunderball numbers since the lottery spin-off launched nearly 25 years ago, has already bought himself a new car and a holiday home since pocketing his winnings from the 23 March draw.
He said: “I had woken up in the middle of the night and randomly decided to check my numbers, which led me to see that I had won the top prize.
“I must have still been half-asleep though as in the morning I genuinely thought it was all a dream.
“So when I decided to have another check in the morning, this time fully awake, I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw that I was still a winner.”
Mr Young has bought a static caravan and has chosen a “beautiful spot on the coast” for it.
He added: “I can’t wait to start going there with my family and friends.”
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Mr Young bought his winning ticket from the Keystore, known locally as Fordel Services, in Dalkeith, Midlothian.
His winning numbers were 12, 14, 17, 25, 29 and the Thunderball was 14.
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He celebrated his luck with a trip to his childhood holiday destination in Blackpool, which he has visited throughout his life.
Mr Young said: “For me, Blackpool has and will always be a home from home. It holds such special memories and I just love visiting a few times a year.
“I’ve been going there my whole life, from playing on the beach as a kid to staying with friends over the last decade, so it just had to be the place I chose to celebrate my win.”
