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Lotto win for Fleetwood couple
A champagne celebration for scratchcard winner Dane Belk-Gregory and his fiancee Ciara Doyle.
A FLEETWOOD couple are feeling just grand after winning £100,000 on a National Lottery scratchcard.
The delighted pair are now planning the wedding they thought could only be a dream after scooping the jackpot on ‘100 Grand’ card.
Lucky student Dane Belk-Gregory, 24, had only called into his local shop in Fleetwood last Wednesday to buy two cans of drink and didn’t originally intend to buy a scratchcard.
He said: “I had literally dashed into the shop to buy some pop and as I had change in my pocket I decided to buy a scratchcard.”
Dane, who has a two year old daughter, Brooke, said: “I actually rubbed it off in the shop and I just could not believe it when I discovered I had won £100,000.
“I thought there must have been a mistake. I was in utter shock.
“I just ran out of the shop and ran all of the way home – I even forgot to take the pop with me which I had just bought.”
Dane, who is engaged to his childhood sweetheart of eight years, Ciara Doyle, also 24, says they are now able to plan a dream wedding.
He added: “I can now give Ciara the wedding which she has always dreamed of. We are planning to get married next year.
“Before this win it would have been years before we could have afforded to get married.”
Dane and Ciara, a health care assistant, are also planning to buy a house, a new car and have a special honeymoon.
Dane said: “Ciara has already seen the house she wants. She actually found the house and fell in love with it months ago but we both knew it could only be a dream and could never become a reality – but now, it can.
“I am also going to buy Ciara a new BMW.”
Dane, who is studying Animal Studies at Myerscough College and doesn’t currently drive, says he will also use some of the money to buy himself a crash-course of driving lessons.
He regularly plays the scratchcards and just two days earlier won £20 after buying a Scratchcard from the same retailer, Thorougoods on Broadway, Fleetwood.
At the shop, proprietor Alan Duggan told the Weekly News: “I’m chuffed to bits for the young chap.
“It was a great thing to happen in our shop and I wish him all the best.”
Alan, who has had the business for 10 years, added: “We get a fair few people buying these scratchcards. We haven’t seen any change in sales since the recession.
“It’s a lot of money to win.”
Dane added: “It still hasn’t sunk in and I still think I’m going to wake up.
“I have been in and out of work and you don’t think you’ll ever get a break, so I went back to college to try and get a career.
“Now this has happened and it’s beyond my wildest dreams.”
The couple hope to get married in Fleetwood in the spring, but in the meantime they are relieved their debt problems are over.
Ciara added: “I’ve been planning my wedding before I had money, but now I’m going to invite a lot more people than I intended to.
“My dad was going to save up for the wedding and we thought it was never going to happen,
“All of my family cried as soon as they found out and it’s such a relief for them because they don’t have to worry anymore.”
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Weather for Fleetwood
Saturday 25 May 2013
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 7 C to 14 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: North west
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: 8 C to 15 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: West
