Two lucky Lanarkshire men are set to receive an incredible £10,000 each month for a whole year after matching the five main numbers in separate National Lottery draws.
Neither winner, golf enthusiast Malcolm Garden from Lanark, nor family man Robert Brownlie from North Lanarkshire, could believe their luck when they discovered they had won on their 'Set For Life' lucky dip tickets.
Fifty-four-year-old Malcolm, a senior manager in clinical data management, was shocked when he woke up to an email notifying him of not one, not two but three wins – with the third meaning he would receive £10,000 into his bank account every month for the next year.
Malcolm told Lanarkshire Live : “When I opened the app I saw three messages - one with a £20 win, another was £25, which was good news, but I couldn’t find the third one.
"It was then that I realised I had won the £10,000 a month for a year prize with my Lucky Dip.”
As the news started to sink in, Malcolm phoned his close childhood friend who assumed it was a "trick" and didn’t believe him at first.
Eventually, after realising it was genuine, the friends organised a celebratory dinner, ordering the finest Champagne and lobster at a local Italian restaurant to mark the occasion.
For the majority of Malcolm’s career he has lived and worked in California, returning to Lanark in March 2020 after 25 years.
Since returning he has recently bought a new house and is looking to do some renovation work.
He added: “I bought a new house a few weeks before the win, so the money will go towards some practical things like new windows and plumbing costs.
“However, I’m also looking to arrange a trip to Portugal with some friends and turn it into a golfing holiday. Only thing is, I need my golf clubs from America first – they didn’t make it back with me when I moved back to Scotland.”
Husband and father to four boys - Tye, Max, Noa and Ami - and a husky named Echo, storeman Robert decided to buy his ticket while he was at a wedding in England.
It wasn’t until he returned to Scotland that he checked his ticket at a local shop.
He told us: “I was at the shop buying a bottle of wine for my wife Kelly and decided to get some of my tickets checked.
"One said I needed to call up to check the prize. After I found out I had won and, importantly, what I’d won, I rushed home to tell Kelly and the kids.
“From this point my winning ticket didn’t leave my side. It was always in my wallet and even came on a trip to Tenerife and back until it was officially validated. There was no way I was going to let myself misplace it.”
And whilst his ticket didn't leave his side, it looks like his winnings already have with the 43-year-old telling us how his family have already planned how to spend it.
His sons are hoping for some financial help towards their cars, with the family also planning to go on a relaxing holiday to Mexico next summer.
He added: “We need to get some new things for the house, mainly thanks to our husky who’s just over two-years-old.
"She’s still enjoying causing mischief and has chewed away at our sofa and table – so they will be replaced.”
**Don't miss the latest headlines from around Lanarkshire. Sign up to our newsletters here.
And did yo u know Lanarkshire Live is on Facebook? Head over to our page to give us a like and share.
