Milton Keynes' £8.5m lottery winner enjoys the "good life" during lockdown

Ian Collier, 73, has had to forgo his usual foreign holidays and luxury travel during the coronavirus crisis - but admits he's been "quite happy" sitting in his garden at his Loughton home.

He and his brother Pete were both sheet metal workers at a Wolverton factory and living as bachelors in the council house with their elderly mum when Ian's numbers came up in 2004. Ian was 57 and Pete was 45.

Immediately Ian pledged to split the cash with his brother, and the pair bought a beautiful new home apiece - next door to each other in Loughton.

Pete is now married but he and his brother enjoy regular jaunts together, crossing off countries all over the world from their bucket lists..

"I usually get away a few times a year, but lockdown has stopped all that. It hasn't been so bad though. I've still seen my brother and I've spent a lot of time in my garden, which I enjoy," said Ian.

"We have a static caravan at Burnham and we're just starting to think about going there again. I'm looking forward to it."

Research from the National Lottery revealed most people now have a ‘new normal’ bucket list and their dreams and aspirations are much closer to home after the Covid-19 pandemic,

The research showed that creating a vegetable plot and redesigning the garden is the biggest new dream for people in MK.

"Topping the region’s new bucket list is establishing a kitchen garden to grow vegetables (21%), closely followed by a garden redesign project (17%). Improving our outside space is clearly high on the wish list, with the installation of a hot tub (10%) also taking a top ten spot," said a spokesman for Camelot, who run the National Lottery.

Ian invested some of his lottery winnings into landscaping his garden, creating a flow stream and pools for his extensive Koi carp collection.. He then had an old stable block converted into a games room and fully-stocked bar ,

"We haven't been able to go to the pub during lockdown so we've had our Sunday lunchtime drink in there instead," he said.

Ian also has a hot tub but it's been out of action recently..

"It needs a new part and I haven't been able to get it during lockdown. But hot tubs are more for winter time anyway, so I don't mind too much," he said,

Camelot’s Andy Carter, Senior Winners’ Advisor at The National Lottery said: “The region’s ‘new normal’ bucket list has certainly changed tack following lockdown however while our movements may have been curtailed, our dreams have not and they are now firmly focused around the simple joys of life.

“Over the years we have seen our winners relish the freedom a big win gives them, allowing them to follow their dreams. What we are seeing now is that those dreams are closer to home and based around the people and experiences we value the most. The greatest happiness often comes from having more free time to spend time with family and friends, trying a new hobby or investing in a campervan and hitting the open road."

Below is the 'bucket list' produced by Camelot's research into people's dreams:

1. Grow my own vegetables/ get an allotment

2. Redesign my garden

3. Drive-in cinema experience

4. Learn how to cook/improve cooking/baking skills

5. Move to the seaside

6. Set up my own business

7. Buy a camper van or RV and explore more of the UK

8. Install a hot tub

9. Move to the countryside

10. Retrain for a new career

11. Try fresh water swimming

12. Write a book

13. Learn to speak a new language

14. Learn to sew or knit

15. Volunteer for a charity on a regular basis

16. Be taught Meditation/Mindfulness

17. Learn to play the piano or other musical instrument

18. Create a pub/bar in your garden

19. Build a home office in the garden

20. Emigrate to another country