DAVID Neale (34) of Lydney is looking at a brighter future after matching five numbers and one lucky star to win £192,230 in the EuroMillions draw.
The win couldn't have come at a better time for David, his girlfriend Bev Freeman (28) and their 10 month old son, as he was made redundant from his job as a jointer's mate just before Christmas.
The couple now plan to buy a house, upgrade their VW Golf and may even be hearing the sound of wedding bells!
David, now self-employed as a street-lamp cleaner, said: "I had just worked a really long day, from dawn to dusk. When I finally got home I checked the numbers on Teletext and couldn't believe what I was seeing!
"I rang round my family and friends to tell them the great news. They wouldn't believe me at first, they thought I was joking!
"It was difficult being laid off, especially just before Christmas, so I decided to work as a self-employed street lamp cleaner to help make ends meet. This win is a great start to the New Year for us and gives us much needed stability. We celebrated by having a couple of friends round for a glass of champagne."
David has been playing the lottery since it began 14 years ago, buying EuroMillions tickets whenever there is a rollover draw and he always chooses his numbers from a selection of family birthdays.
He bought his winning ticket at Somerfield, Hams Road, Lydney. The winning numbers on Friday, January 9, 2009 were 7, 15, 22, 28, 48 and the Lucky Stars were 1 and 4.