TODAY'S WOMAN: My dream day as a millionairess!
Noon. Another half day, another half dollar, give or take inflation.
But it wasn't a curly-crusted sandwich I was leaving the office to seek. It was my fortune.
A sleek silver Mercedes, purring patiently, was my Cinderella-style carriage to another world. The filthy rich one that I and every Lottery player in the land dreams of every time we buy that ticket.
Before my eager palm hit the door handle, my limo driver and bodyguard beat me to it.
A chauffeur-driven limo costs 350 a day – a cool 2,450 a week. It's the cost of a new secondhand car, but the bill barely touches the interest when you're a Lottery winner,
Eckington dad Andy Challoner and his Exclusive Travel Service are not on the payroll of any Lotto millionaires, but they have ferried visiting prime ministers and tons of celebrities around the city.
He's also an expert at blocking what the paparazzi call The Pantie Shot, though on arrival at the Walnut Club Champagne Bar, not a single camera-wielding crotch snapper was lurking kerbside. Can't think why.
Andy whizzed round to my door, huge blue and white Lottery brolly brandished against the rain. And moments later I was in a venue that looked like a Bond film set, sipping Veuve Clicquot and browsing the menu.
Pigeon breast with truffles, or venison and juniper berries? To hell with it, I'm a Very Important Person for the day. I'll have the lot.
But as time and courses slipped by, I started to stress out. Stuffing my face for a couple of hours seemed way too indulgent in these cash-strapped, time-poor, low-fat times.
Realising I needed to try harder to slide into idle rich mode, I forced myself to mull over what I'd spend my metaphorical millions on. It wasn't hard. Or particularly original... Diamonds – the bigger the better. Designer clothes – the more the merrier. And fancy shoes – a pair for each day of the year. Why not?
I've always wanted to walk into Sheffield's most exclusive boutiques and do the Pretty Woman thing – flash the platinum Coutts card, have assistants falling over themselves to parade gorgeous designer pieces for me, buy the lot and walk out with a carrier-laden chauffeur trailing in my wake.
But first things first. I'd need a fabulous new home with plenty of wardrobe space.
Hayley from the National Lottery, my personal assistant for the day, got on to city estate agents Saxton Mee. Did they have a property that might suit the requirements of a millionairess with money to burn?
Didn't they just! Off we sped to view a property that came with 48 acres. Lees Common in Barlow is on the market for 1.6 million.
A snip, considering you get a small country estate complete with house, barn conversion, home cinema, gym, tennis court and indoor swimming pool.
The house has its own country lane and has views to die for.
I cast myself as the land-owning country lady as we toured the maze of lovely rooms. But when we got outside and my stilettos kept sinking into the ground, I started to fret a bit.
What sort of state would I get 365 pairs of new Jimmy Choos in?
"Lots of winners think they want to live in the countryside, but end up buying something luxurious just a few miles from their original home," says Lottery lass Hayley. "They are usually glad they didn't up sticks."
All winners do let the money go to their heads when it comes to a new motor, though. It's the big thrill buy, according to Hayley. So on the way back into Sheffield, we called in at the Hatfields Jaguar dealership on Sharrow Vale Road to choose my new wheels.
General manager Andrew Jeffrey is used to dealing with lucky Lottery types: "Two of our customers are winners. Lottery winners like Jaguars," he explains. "It's the English symbol of affluence so many people have aspired to since childhood."
He handed me some newfangled key thing and I slipped excitedly into the ivory leather interior of one of the most beautiful cars I have ever seen... a Jaguar XK coupe. All 4.2 litres of this sleek beauty would cost 61,000.
By now I was getting so accustomed to my new wealth. I actually thought that was cheap.
After taking it for a nervous test drive, I was won over. OK I never went over 30mph in a car with a top speed of 150mph, but the slower the better if you want to see the glances from passers-by.
"Look at all the car you get for your money," I gabbled to Hayley. "It's cheaper than a Ferrari or an Aston Martin. When I win the Lottery..."
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Weather for Sheffield
Saturday 04 February 2012
Today
Heavy snow
Temperature: -2 C to -0 C
Wind Speed: 18 mph
Wind direction: South
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 1 C to 5 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind direction: West
