Dear LPG,

Did you know that the National Lottery’s first ever UK draw took place 27 years ago today?  I read this fact recently and it got me thinking and reminiscing a bit.

I wonder how many readers remember that day and how many went out and bought a ticket?  How many times have you entered a competition in the hope of winning big?  I sometimes think that it might be a good idea to do them more often because, as they say, ’Someone’s got to win’, ‘you’ve got to be in it to win it’, and one day it could be you or even me. 

The first big competition I was aware of was the football pools and I wonder what ever happened to them only to look and learn that it has all gone online now.   As a child I remember my dad putting the little crosses in the little squares and there was the week that he was convinced that he had won but forgot to send the coupon off.  I also remember all those Saturday afternoons of watching horse racing, snooker, wrestling, darts and football match highlights followed by endless lists of football results being read out on television.   In my working days I must admit to a flutter on the Grand National and being able to hold my own in a conversation with the lads about the best football teams.

Then there was the National Lottery and those competitions that are now attached to so many television programs with their promise of riches without needing the ability to be able to predict which teams were going to win what.  In its beginning, Saturday evening viewing included a lottery spectacular with hosts and guests and the draw, but these days if you are not very careful you will miss the television announcement, which is also available online.   

I am not sure just how popular it all is now, but we pensioners are not the only ones that are caught up in this stuff, and the hope of winning often outweighs the real cost of entering in the first place.   I suppose that most of us enter because we want to win big prizes, but many of us enter them because we believe that at least some of the money goes towards charity.  I was surprised to read that some of the independent television companies now use a lot of the money collected from their competitions to fund some of the programmes. 

I am sure that I am not the only person who has mentally worked out what they would spend a substantial win on. I suppose that the real allure is the thought of winning millions, but we have all seen and know the quote ‘I am going to spend, spend, spend’.

Perhaps that is the secret.  It is better to keep your dreams rather than have to deal with all the hangers on and begging letters that you would have to deal with if you really won millions and the news got out.  Can you imagine how many members of your family would spend a lot of time reminding you of how a gift to them could be used for the greater good?   Trying to keep such a win a secret would also be tormenting too. I suspect that it might leave you feeling like a robber who had got a lot of dosh stashed somewhere but must work at not appearing too rich.  Just imagine having all that money and being too frightened to really spend it.

So, I guess, while the charities that do benefit make it a worthwhile thing to do (as long as we do not overdo it), I will continue to not ‘invest’ too much, say ‘Happy anniversary National Lottery’ and keep dreaming…

BG, Lewisham

BG shares the reasons for his thoughts on the lottery and winning lots of money...

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