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 it launched nearly 25 years ago, has already bought himself a new car and a holiday home since pocketing his winnings in the March 23 draw.
“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.
“I’ve treated myself to a new car, as I was already shopping around for one, so this just made it all the easier to buy what I wanted.
“I’ve also bought a static caravan, something that I’ve wanted to do for a long time but have never been able to.
Mr Young bought his winning ticket from the Keystore, known locally as Fordel Services, in Dalkeith, Midlothian.
His winning Thunderball numbers were: 12, 14, 17, 25, 29 and the Thunderball was 14.
He celebrated his luck with a trip to his childhood holiday spot in Blackpool, which he has visited throughout his life.
He 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.”
