As always happens when some British person has a huge win on Euromillions (close on £150 million last week) my idle fantasy thoughts turn to what I would splash out on if money suddenly became, in essence, unlimited.
First things first I would give my parents a decent chunk so my mum could retire and they could have a truly indulgent retirement. Following on from that would be some fairly substantial donations to charities I feel particularly passionately about. What about self-indulgence?
From previous posts I've covered pens and watches in great detail. Some houses would inevitably feature; I'm aware my ideal location would be Chelsea backed up with somewhere remote in the home counties and somewhere even more remote in Perthsire or the highlands. So far so good but being a bloke, I haven't really troubled my consciousness too much with the thought of houses. As you can see, location matters. I'm also rather partial to a study like M's office in the early Bond films (think leather-topped partner's desk, wood panelling, old books and a globe drinks cabinet with a fire and a chesterfield sofa) but interior design has never been my thing. Similarly clothes; I would still be on the smarter side of casual except the shirts would be from Turnbull and Asser and the suits, trousers, sportsjackets, etc would come from Saville Row (Gieves and Hawks probably, or Anthony Sinclair).
So far so decadent but one of the areas of self-indulgence I've given most thought to is, of course, the top ten cars to have in the garage. My list in no particular order is:
Landrover 110 Defender
Range Rover Vogue (the one with the drinks cabinet in the back)
Aston Martin DB9
Aston Martin DB5
Jaguar Mark IV (the Inspector Morse one)
Jaguar E-type
Ferrari F355
Bugatti Veyron
Rolls Royce Phantom (one of the classic models, the new one is a bit square for my taste)
A Bently of some sort
Most of the choices are self-explanatory: the mark IV - one of the best looking cars ever built, the E-type... well it's an E-type, the DB5 is the ultimate Bond car and the Veyron is a piece of engineering history. What about the others? Well the 355 was my boyhood dream car. It might not be the best looking, it's certainly not the fastest but every time I see one my heart rate speeds up a few notches. The DB9 makes the list because it was the original of the new-design Astons. It was the first one to go from looking pretty (DB7) to truly sublime. Again there are newer models, there are faster models and there are probably more reliable models but the DB9 still hits the spot. It also has the magical prefix "DB". The Rolls and the Bently I will lump together: both stunningly good looking and the last word in luxury and comfort. A bit of an anomaly on the list is the 110. A theme with the others is certainly looks backed up with a bit of grunt. The 110 is ugly, slow and uncomfortable. However it will also go pretty much anywhere the nose is pointed and regardless of what's in between you and your destination. That's cool. Perhaps it might stay up in the Highlands though.
So what to use on a daily basis? Bluntly, I would plump for the Rolls or the Bentley with someone else driving. With it's heavy traffic and draconian speed limits (with zealous enforcement) the UK is hardly a fun place to drive. Yes there are some wonderful twisting country roads where you could challenge the performance of the more exotic cars without exceeding the speed limit but for day-to-day stuff having a driver would be great. You could be dropped off at the door of your destination, have a pint or two if it took your fancy then read a book or watch a DVD if the traffic got you. What's not to like? And if I had to drive myself? I would probably go for the Range Rover. Although the off-road performance is stunning I strongly suspect I would be one of those that never took it anywhere dirtier than a field. They are however enormously comfortable and well made, their suspension will iron out the pot holes and speed bumps nicely, it's powerful enough to give performance when needed and I like a raised driving position; it's nice to be able to see what's going on around me. Most importantly of all though; it's big. Really big. Huge in fact. This is a rather critical quality and one of the main reasons (I think) why people in cities by four by fours. It's nothing to do with notional off-road performance etc and everything to do with size. Driving a car like that gives you space (you've seen it on the tube and trains; people arranging themselves to take up as much space as possible). In a crowded environment, personal space is not to be underestimated and this is certainly the car equivalent. A big car gives you your own oasis where the only people close to you are those you want to be there, you can choose what you listen to and what the temperature is. What could be better?
Right, enough of the self-indulgent stuff. What would I do if the magic numbers turned up? Would I still pursue a career in law? Honestly, that would be highly unlikely. Other people need the job and why do something so demanding when you don't have to? I would however probably train as a special constable and as ambulance crew for St. John Ambulance. I see both as ways of giving something back to society and doing something useful but with the added benefit of it being voluntary so I can have much more say over when I am on duty and what I do. I also believe charity is about more than giving money and donation of time is enormously valuable. I would certainly explore my ideas for writing in a bit more detail (well I have to use the magnificent desk mentioned before for something) and use the time to learn new skills and polish old ones; I've always fancied getting my bike and my pilot's licence as well as learning a martial art. I also fancy dusting off the goggles and going skiing again. My girlfriend and I have also agreed that, if the big win comes, we will start a dog rescue centre. We both love dogs and this would be an ideal way to share the good-fortune. Not only would some deserving animals get well looked after but it's also a way of creating jobs for the local community as employing others to help out would be essential. This would also be a good way to start exploring my interest in dog training. Ideally (and I have no idea how practical this is) I think it would be wonderful to train some of the rescue dogs as "therapy dogs" that can go into hospitals, care homes and even the houses of the elderly and infirm and provide the particular brand of happiness that only a dog can give. It's just an idea but, I think, a good one (and on that note, if anyone reading this has the cash to start a similar enterprise then feel free to borrow the idea).
Right, after all that, I'm off to buy a ticket!
JR
First things first I would give my parents a decent chunk so my mum could retire and they could have a truly indulgent retirement. Following on from that would be some fairly substantial donations to charities I feel particularly passionately about. What about self-indulgence?
From previous posts I've covered pens and watches in great detail. Some houses would inevitably feature; I'm aware my ideal location would be Chelsea backed up with somewhere remote in the home counties and somewhere even more remote in Perthsire or the highlands. So far so good but being a bloke, I haven't really troubled my consciousness too much with the thought of houses. As you can see, location matters. I'm also rather partial to a study like M's office in the early Bond films (think leather-topped partner's desk, wood panelling, old books and a globe drinks cabinet with a fire and a chesterfield sofa) but interior design has never been my thing. Similarly clothes; I would still be on the smarter side of casual except the shirts would be from Turnbull and Asser and the suits, trousers, sportsjackets, etc would come from Saville Row (Gieves and Hawks probably, or Anthony Sinclair).
So far so decadent but one of the areas of self-indulgence I've given most thought to is, of course, the top ten cars to have in the garage. My list in no particular order is:
Landrover 110 Defender
Range Rover Vogue (the one with the drinks cabinet in the back)
Aston Martin DB9
Aston Martin DB5
Jaguar Mark IV (the Inspector Morse one)
Jaguar E-type
Ferrari F355
Bugatti Veyron
Rolls Royce Phantom (one of the classic models, the new one is a bit square for my taste)
A Bently of some sort
Most of the choices are self-explanatory: the mark IV - one of the best looking cars ever built, the E-type... well it's an E-type, the DB5 is the ultimate Bond car and the Veyron is a piece of engineering history. What about the others? Well the 355 was my boyhood dream car. It might not be the best looking, it's certainly not the fastest but every time I see one my heart rate speeds up a few notches. The DB9 makes the list because it was the original of the new-design Astons. It was the first one to go from looking pretty (DB7) to truly sublime. Again there are newer models, there are faster models and there are probably more reliable models but the DB9 still hits the spot. It also has the magical prefix "DB". The Rolls and the Bently I will lump together: both stunningly good looking and the last word in luxury and comfort. A bit of an anomaly on the list is the 110. A theme with the others is certainly looks backed up with a bit of grunt. The 110 is ugly, slow and uncomfortable. However it will also go pretty much anywhere the nose is pointed and regardless of what's in between you and your destination. That's cool. Perhaps it might stay up in the Highlands though.
So what to use on a daily basis? Bluntly, I would plump for the Rolls or the Bentley with someone else driving. With it's heavy traffic and draconian speed limits (with zealous enforcement) the UK is hardly a fun place to drive. Yes there are some wonderful twisting country roads where you could challenge the performance of the more exotic cars without exceeding the speed limit but for day-to-day stuff having a driver would be great. You could be dropped off at the door of your destination, have a pint or two if it took your fancy then read a book or watch a DVD if the traffic got you. What's not to like? And if I had to drive myself? I would probably go for the Range Rover. Although the off-road performance is stunning I strongly suspect I would be one of those that never took it anywhere dirtier than a field. They are however enormously comfortable and well made, their suspension will iron out the pot holes and speed bumps nicely, it's powerful enough to give performance when needed and I like a raised driving position; it's nice to be able to see what's going on around me. Most importantly of all though; it's big. Really big. Huge in fact. This is a rather critical quality and one of the main reasons (I think) why people in cities by four by fours. It's nothing to do with notional off-road performance etc and everything to do with size. Driving a car like that gives you space (you've seen it on the tube and trains; people arranging themselves to take up as much space as possible). In a crowded environment, personal space is not to be underestimated and this is certainly the car equivalent. A big car gives you your own oasis where the only people close to you are those you want to be there, you can choose what you listen to and what the temperature is. What could be better?
Right, enough of the self-indulgent stuff. What would I do if the magic numbers turned up? Would I still pursue a career in law? Honestly, that would be highly unlikely. Other people need the job and why do something so demanding when you don't have to? I would however probably train as a special constable and as ambulance crew for St. John Ambulance. I see both as ways of giving something back to society and doing something useful but with the added benefit of it being voluntary so I can have much more say over when I am on duty and what I do. I also believe charity is about more than giving money and donation of time is enormously valuable. I would certainly explore my ideas for writing in a bit more detail (well I have to use the magnificent desk mentioned before for something) and use the time to learn new skills and polish old ones; I've always fancied getting my bike and my pilot's licence as well as learning a martial art. I also fancy dusting off the goggles and going skiing again. My girlfriend and I have also agreed that, if the big win comes, we will start a dog rescue centre. We both love dogs and this would be an ideal way to share the good-fortune. Not only would some deserving animals get well looked after but it's also a way of creating jobs for the local community as employing others to help out would be essential. This would also be a good way to start exploring my interest in dog training. Ideally (and I have no idea how practical this is) I think it would be wonderful to train some of the rescue dogs as "therapy dogs" that can go into hospitals, care homes and even the houses of the elderly and infirm and provide the particular brand of happiness that only a dog can give. It's just an idea but, I think, a good one (and on that note, if anyone reading this has the cash to start a similar enterprise then feel free to borrow the idea).
Right, after all that, I'm off to buy a ticket!
JR
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