Camelot
RICH PICKINGS
Boob jobs, a flock of sheep and a new pair of KNEES are among Lottery winners' most unusual purchases, a new book has revealed.
Newly-made millionaires have also splashed out on a whiskey factory, a Robin Reliant and even a 'Lady' title to secure the best table in restaurants.
A sizeable chunk of land with 300 trees, a hair salon, a racehorse and a bid to get into the pop charts are also among winners' odd purchases.
The bizarre list emerged in a new book 'We Won the Lottery', which features the weird and wonderful items which have featured on successful ticket holders' shopping lists.
The book also explores the experience of five individuals and syndicates who scooped the jackpot.
Stories include Bob Bradley, 83, who won #3,507,063 in 2006, who made his son and grandson millionaires and hired a helicopter to take his great grandson to a school prom.
It also reveals how #10 million winner Peter Lavery from Northern Ireland bought more than 40 cars as well as his own Danny Boy whiskey label.
And that of Sarah Cockings who was just 21 when she scooped a #3.4 million jackpot and treated her two sisters to breast enlargements.
Yesterday a spokesman for the National Lottery said: ''Everyone thinks that winners automatically splash out on designer clothes and fast cars, but it isn't always the case.
''Winning the jackpot allows winners to follow their dreams whether it is setting up a stud farm, getting Diarmuid Gavin to design your garden or collecting Action Men.
''People who win the lottery are everyday people and in most cases they will splash out on something they have dreamed of or aspired to one day own.
''The list just proves that each person has something different they have always dreamed of owning, but everyone has their reasons."
The book also reveals cosmetic surgery is a popular choice for winners with nearly one in four having spent a chunk of their winnings on cosmetic surgery for either themselves or a friend or relative.
Breast enlargements, Liposuction, eye laser treatment and teeth whitening were the most popular treatments.
To coincide with the book launch Camelot also revealed never-before-seen details into how the average winner deals with their windfall.
Most take a month to come to terms with the win - then splash out on a Mercedes and a shopping trip down the high street.
Instead of splurging their newly acquired millions on Ferraris, Porsches or Aston Martins most opt for a more practical luxury car.
And many shun high end stores such as Harrods or Harvey Nichols in favour of a trip down the high street to stores they know inside out.
It also emerged the average winner will shower gifts on their family and friends and then book a holiday to either the USA or the Caribbean.
A Lottery spokesman added: ''While some people do go for flashy sports cars and big sprees, the average winner will adjust their life gradually.''
* 'We Won The Lottery: Real life winner stories' by Danny Buckland is one of ten new Quick Reads books being published tomorrow (Mar 4th 2010) World Book Day.
Quick Reads are short, fast paced books written by best-selling authors and celebrities aimed at encouraging adult reading.
MOST UNUSUAL LOTTERY PURCHASES:
1. Record and released a single (Roger Griffiths)
2. Pair of new knees (Tony and Greta Dodd)
3. Hair salon (Wendy Brown)
4. Racehorse (Dean Hardman)
5. Robin Reliant (Michael Eggleston)
6. Woodland and 300 new trees (Thea Bristow)
7. Breast enlargements for her two sisters (Sarah Coppings)
8. Flock of sheep (David Funnell)
9. Whiskey factory (Peter Lavery)
10. A 'Lady' title (Sarah Creighton)
