The search continues tonight after it was announced that a UK resident had claimed the $59.5M Euro Millions jackpot, but has refused to 'come clean' about his identity.
Meanwhile, the frenzy continues around a chip shop and pub in Portsmouth where supposedly the winning ticket was purchased by an unassuming man, a regular man by all accounts, and a man many think was the lucky winner.
"Listen, Luv,' said Lil, a part time server, "there's a bloke, comes in here all the time. Sits in the corner, rolls his fag, sips his Stella, doesn't say nowt to nobody. Nice Bloke, wears a long leather Italian coat even in the summer....doesn't sweat much neither...strange innit? No never mind. I know he plays the same numbers every week, 8 16 18 37 43 and lucky star numbers 2 & 6. Never varies, so I axe him one day, "Martin," I call him Martin as he looks kinda like a Martin, " why do you play the same numbers all the time...the odds being against you!"
"Well, Lil, " he calls me Lil cause that's me street name, " it's all in the stars innit? As I git older, I think of me life. I was 8 when I first went to sea, 16 when I got rank as a midshipman, 18 when I fell in love with me shipmate, an ill fated romance it was, took me years to come back round again!"
"I was 37 when I got back on track and met the woman of me dreams, 43 when we got hitched....best years of me life!"
"Well, Martin," I said, " I bet you could tell a few tails, no pun intended, but that still leaves the lucky star numbers 2 & 6....how do you explain them, Luv?"
"Since I've gone straight, I limit meslef to 2 Stellas a day.....but I still dream about the other 6 I'm missing out on, so I just have sex instead....bang, bang, bang, bang,bang, bang....just as fast as I can pull the trigger. Keeps me mind right, if you get my drift."
"Well," said Lil, " Martin, you're sure are a pistol! You'd better get that weapon registered, or you'll surely be held on charges for armed assault!"
"Naw," said Martin, " just like a starter's pistol, had it fixed so it just shoots blanks these days...man can't afford to be a Wayne Bridges shaggin' around town handin' out a million just to get a little bit onst in awhile...me, if I ever won the lottery, first thing I'd do is get meslef a boat and go sail the seas....onst you got that salt air in your lungs, you never want to settle down."
"And a Cook...I'd hire me a cook...someone who knows how to do up a good leg of lamb...with all the trimmings. Yeah, that be the ticket....a fooking cook!"
Times on Line is offering a $200k reward for anyone who can identify the winner before he sails with the tide.
