I won our local raffle for a Christmas hamper on Saturday night! Weeks ago I’d bought half a dozen of the numbered spaces on the chart on the wall of the bar of our local hotel, selecting the birthdays of my family. I’d more or less forgotten about it, as Lady Luck rarely comes my way when it comes to raffles and the like.

On Saturday we were at a Zambomba (a party with live flamenco music) in the hotel put on by our Asociación de Vecinos, when well into the proceedings the hotel manager came up to me and said: “Te ha tocado a ti el baúl.” (You’ve won the trunk). “Uhhh?”

My birthday, the 18th, were the last two digits of the winning numbers in Saturday’s main lottery, so I’d won the hamper!

I was still wondering why he’d referred to a baúl until we collected my prize – the contents of the hamper had been packed in a rather large and heavy wicker trunk.

On unpacking it at home we realised we wouldn’t need to shop this Christmas. Inside were a paleta of jamón ibérico, assorted foodstuffs and delicacies, both sweet and savoury, several  bottles of wine, cava, Chivas Regal, Gran Duque de Alba coñac, Ron Barceló, and so on. Wish us luck!

Maybe it's my lucky week and I should buy a ticket for El Gordo, which will be drawn on Thursday, but at 23 euros a go, that’s quite pricey. Nevertheless, the average Spaniard apparently spends 70 euros per head on lottery tickets at Christmas time. When I mentioned this to Pepe, the barman, he said that was nothing – last year he spent over 400 euros on the Christmas lottery!

But he won 1,300 in prize money! Hmmm...

© Paul Whitelock

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