National Lottery fever swept newsagents and supermarkets in Tayside and Fife before the first draw on November 19 1994.
The Tory government led by John Major set up the National Lottery to provide extra financial support for good causes.
Interest reached fever pitch in the region this week in 1994.
Oh yes it did.
Dundee shoppers queued in their thousands bidding to become millionaires.
Post Office customers at the city’s main branch at Meadowside witnessed the official launch of the lottery in Dundee with a ceremony led by Prince Charming.
Lyn MacFarlane was playing the role in the Downfield Musical Society Christmas pantomime and got things started alongside Councillor Bruce Mackie.
How did National Lottery sales go on the first day?
More than 1,500 tickets were sold at the Post Office.
John Menzies in Murraygate sold 1,400 tickets.
Business was also brisk at Tesco’s superstore at Riverside where managers were forced to double their staff at the lottery checkout.
Staff reported constant queues at Asda in Milton of Craigie while scores of smaller traders in Dundee brought in extra staff to cope with increased trade.
Not everyone bought a £1 ticket on Monday.
The lottery terminals were connected by satellite and sales only started in the Cupar area the following day at 4pm because there were network issues.
How did you pick your numbers?
Helen Sinclair was left disappointed when she went to the newsagent in Methil to get a ticket because the choice of numbers only went up as far as 49.
The 100-year-old couldn’t pick her age as one of her lucky numbers.
What would Jim McLean do with £5.8m?
At least she got to pick six numbers.
Malcolm’s Licensed Grocer in Blairgowrie brought in extra staff but missed the first day because the machine had not been installed.
There was also a false start to Brechin’s lottery ambitions after a dozy driver delivering a lottery terminal got the Angus town mixed up with Brecon in Wales.
The National Lottery gripped the public’s imagination.
The first jackpot was £5,874,778.
The Courier asked some local worthies how they would spend the money.
Dundee United chairman Jim McLean said he would split the cash in three ways.
“I’d give my wife about £20,” he said.
“A lot of the rest would go to my family.
“I’d give the remainder as a loan to Dundee United in order to put the club on a stronger financial footing and enable the manager to strengthen his squad.”
Did you make a date with Cilla or Noel?
The first draw in 1994 comprised an hour-long TV special and was such an event that Noel’s House Party skipped a week to accommodate it.
Noel Edmonds’ left Crinkley Bottom to present the draw from the city of Nottingham and 22 million people watched on the BBC as the numbers were called.
The lottery result was also flashed across the bottom of the screen during Blind Date on ITV for viewers who couldn’t tear themselves away from Cilla Black.
There were a lorra, lorra winners.
Seven jackpot winners got around £800,000 each in the first lottery draw.
In the first month of the lottery, 206 million tickets were sold and 3.5m people shared about £100m in prizes.
Five winners became millionaires.
Over the years, some have gone public about their success.
Others just kept their wins very quiet.
Arbroath couple won £1.2m in 1996
Among the early winners were David and Mary Gerrard.
David was a member of the boat-building family and Arbroath Lifeboat coxswain.
They won £1.2m in September 1996.
Mary always used the same six numbers – 3, 5, 14, 27, 44 and 47.
Three – the number of their old house.
Five – because they were both born in May.
David was born on the 14th in 1944 and Mary on the 27th in 1947.
The frequency of draws was doubled in February 1997.
A Wednesday draw was added.
Errol couple Bill and Margaret Watson won £3.3m in the first midweek draw.
The winning lucky dip ticket was bought at the Spar in Errol.
After a champagne celebration at Gleneagles, Bill and Margaret were whisked off to London as guests of Dale Winton on the Saturday evening lottery show.
The couple were reluctant to break the habits of a lifetime.
Bill and Margaret worked at Grange Poultry farm and said they had no plans to replace their D-registered Peugeot with a luxury car or move from the Errol area.
Margaret said: “We thought at first we’d only won a tenner.
“But we couldn’t have been more wrong.”
Brechin great-gran shared in £10m jackpot
Annette Leonard from Brechin picked all six numbers the following Wednesday.
The win didn’t quite make the great-grandmother a millionaire.
She was one of 18 punters throughout the country who shared the £10m jackpot.
But she did come away with £555,556.
Staff from Angus Council’s housing rent office in Arbroath put six lines on each week.
The six members of the syndicate won £76,000 in January 1998.
They divided the prize after matching five numbers and the bonus ball.
Brechin pub regulars struck big in 1999
Brechin struck lucky for a second time in April 1999.
A pub syndicate won £4m.
The 10 customers who regularly drank in the Dalhousie Bar scooped £407,460 each.
An exotic holiday was top of the list for many of the syndicate.
Derek and Teresa Esposito of Carnoustie won £1.3m the same year with the same numbers they were using since the lottery began in November 1994.
They both worked in Dundee.
Derek gave up work after 28 years at Michelin.
Teresa clocked off from the Levi factory.
They toasted their jackpot win at the Carnoustie Golf Hotel.
Derek said a lucky porcelain bear and two black cats foretold their success.
“Our son bought the bear for Teresa as a gift and ever since we have been keeping our lottery ticket underneath it,” said Derek.
“The first week we did so we won a tenner, followed by another tenner on the Wednesday.”
He also said the couple had seen two black cats on the Saturday evening, as they made their way home from a party, still unaware of their good fortune.
He added: “The second black cat followed us all the way home and I had to show it the dogs before it eventually left us.”
St Andrews University staff won £2.5m
A syndicate of 25 staff from St Andrews University won £2.5m in September 1999.
The group, which included cleaners, porters, receptionists and catering staff, worked at a student hall of residence and received £100,000 each.
In the same year, Tom and Jean Morgan from Perth won £3.2m.
They only found out when they checked the numbers in the Sunday newspaper.
“You just never think its going to happen to you,” said Tom.
It was Jean’s second win in seven days.
She scooped a share of £9 after her work syndicate won £36.
Who was Scotland’s thriftiest winner?
Thornton couple Derek and Sheila Wilson won £11m in June 2001.
After the win Mr Wilson said he did not fancy a flashy lifestyle, did not want a Ferrari and just wanted a modest estate car big enough for his fishing rods.
The first thing they bought was a £250 vacuum cleaner.
Former youth footballer Jake Bowman from Forfar won £10m in 2016.
However, he initially believed he had won £10,000, and only realised the scope of his win long after buying a round for everyone in the Old Mason’s Arms.
Angus was nicknamed the “Golden Triangle” following the success.
The lottery has not only made a lot of people in Tayside and Fife very wealthy, but it has also generated billions for good causes.
It’s the hope of hitting the jackpot that keeps people playing every week.
The hope that it still could be you – 30 years on.
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