In times of economic difficulty—OK, make that the screaming dive of
recession—people often think of the lottery as a possible answer to all their
prayers and problems. Your view of such form of gambling might be similar to George Orwell’s in his
classic novel of a dystopian future, 1984.
(Well, it was written in 1949.) Orwell described a state-run lottery which was
designed to keep the minds of the Proles occupied with something other than the
reality of their situation.
But nevertheless, even if you don’t regularly play the lottery, the
topic of what you’d do if you suddenly came into a substantial amount of money
is one that’s often discussed.
So, what would you do with your newly acquired millions? Buy a Bentley?
A big house with a helicopter pad on the back lawn and a billiard table in the
basement? Learn to drive, fly or even play billiards?
The reality of it may surprise you. What follows is a list of the top twenty first items purchased after a
lottery win in the UK:
1. Washing machine
2. Sofa
3. iPad
4. Handbag
5. Sports clothes
6. Footwear (shoes / trainers)
7. Games console (Nintendo Wii, PlayStation 3 and XBox)
8. Vacuum cleaner
9. Make-up
10. High street fashion clothing
11. TV (average size 42in)
12. Jewellery
13. Laptop
14. Fridge / freezer
15. Holiday (Spain, Egypt and Canary Islands)
16. Garden furniture
17. Kitchen utensils
18. Carpet
19. Sound system
20. Luggage
2. Sofa
3. iPad
4. Handbag
5. Sports clothes
6. Footwear (shoes / trainers)
7. Games console (Nintendo Wii, PlayStation 3 and XBox)
8. Vacuum cleaner
9. Make-up
10. High street fashion clothing
11. TV (average size 42in)
12. Jewellery
13. Laptop
14. Fridge / freezer
15. Holiday (Spain, Egypt and Canary Islands)
16. Garden furniture
17. Kitchen utensils
18. Carpet
19. Sound system
20. Luggage
Not exactly earth-shattering, are they? But it shows, I think the
caution with which people approach their financial situation these days.
And perhaps what might be more interesting would be the top twenty SECOND
items purchased …
So, after you’ve looked after your family and friends, and made your
donations to charity, what would YOU do with a lottery win?
And finally, on a slight note of BSP, last week saw the US publication
of DIE
EASY: Charlie Fox book ten. I hope a copy might find its way onto your
wish-list. The nice thing is you don’t even need to have won the lottery to buy
a copy!
“Zoë Sharp is one of the sharpest, coolest, and most intriguing
writers I know. She delivers dramatic, action-packed novels with characters we
really care about. And once again, in DIE EASY, Zoë Sharp is at the top of her
game.”—New York Times best-seller, Harlan
Coben
There are several Words of the Week this week. All alternative meanings
to medical terms:
Artery — the study of paintings
Barium — what doctors do when patients die
Cauterise — made eye-contact with her
Enema — not a friend
Morbid — a higher offer
Tumour — more than one
Varicose — nearby
