How far will £8.4m stretch? (From Free Press Series)

How far will £8.4m stretch?

Inspired by last week's local lottery winner Pat Griffiths, we gave feature writer Noel Davies an imaginary windfall of his own to spend on what ever he liked. Cadbury's, you have been warned...

WITH my wallet bulging bigger than a sheikh's oil field it's time to start spending some serious dosh. And what better way to inspire the old brain matter than a indulgent swim in chocolate heaven.

Two thousand glistening, warm, seductive chocolate bars enticingly wrapped in the most inviting of shinny, purple foils should just about do it and at a paltry £680 for the lot the only pinch will be on my waist.

Anyway now I've stocked up on the carbohydrates it's time to discover just how much happiness all those millions can buy - even if this is fantasy thinking.

Top of the list has to be a new house as is the case with most lottery winners.

After a couple of phone calls to the local estate agents in the area I soon discover my castle in waiting - Vyne Court in Shirenewton near Chepstow. On the market with Moon and Co estate agents for a cool £695,000 this six-bedroom mansion, with enough en-suite rooms to take a different shower in every day, should easily suit my new-found status as one of Monmouthshire's most richest men!

With my pad sorted it's time to throw a party and bask in the glory of being a multi-millionaire - and when I say party I'm not talking the upstairs room at my local pub.

Millionaires do things in style and that means hiring out one of the county's plushest hotels for the entire weekend thus insuring no unwanted distractions while the Dom Perignon flows.

Cwrt Bleddyn Hotel and Country Club near Usk sounds like it fits the chic bill I'm looking for.

Set in 45 acres of lush parkland and with its own swimming-pool and leisure suite to nurse my hangover in afterwards this seems like the perfect place to autograph my cheque book at.

With 33 stylish en-suite rooms it will be well-worth the £79,000 general manager George Savva reckons a two-night weekend of fun and frolics for my ninety guests would cost. Mr Savva explained the run-down of the bill.

"The 44 rooms we have here on a bed, breakfast and dinner basis would be £36,000. Of course you'd be expecting some guests from further a field so to fly them in by helicopter, which we can accommodate for would be around £20,000.

"You wouldn't want to scrimp on giving them the finest welcome drink so you'd need to set aside £10,000 for the finest Crystal Champagne and £8,000 for an open bar throughout their stay. Finally I think a fair sum of £5,000 would cover our gratuity for making you stay such a pleasurable experience," he said.

Of course nothing says rich and gorgeous better than a car so a young, good-looking(ish) reporter like myself needs a roadster that says power, panache and style.

That leaves only one street-beast - the Bugatti Veyron. With more horses than a formula one car and a top speed of 223mph this petrol-thirsty rhino should raise enough eyebrows to mirror my platinum status and at £814,275 leaves enough pennies over for petrol. I'm not going to want to drive myself everywhere though and with my millions why should I?

A quick phone call to Chepstow-based Racecourse Limousines and I soon discover for £2,000-a-week they'll drive me anywhere I want. Onward Jeeves!

All this spending though is bound to entice the old taste buds so just where would a man with my millions eat? Monmouthshire's most sublime eatery of course - The Walnut Tree.

A four-course meal every night for a year at the plush restaurant would set me back just over £11,000.

Still I am going to need to think about my financial well-being for the future and that means investing wisely.

One million pounds in an account earning around four percent a year in interest is going to wield me a comfortable £40,000 per annum, while investing a another million in property, stocks and shares is likely to reap me even more.

Of course with more than eight million pounds to play with there's no problem adding a little bit of fun to my money-making exploits so how about buying a football club?

Leeds United look ripe for the taking though I could aim a little lower and work my way up through the divisions say with Newport County.

Anyone got Alex Ferguson's number?