More actions
Lydia Belmont was a cook at Henrik's Green Glade Café. She regularly entered the lottery syndicate that Bernie Wilson organised with the same numbers, a combination of her house number and various birthdays, including Chris Rea's. Her hair was dyed blonde.
On 2 March 2005, Lydia's numbers were drawn for the £16.2 million jackpot. That week, however, Wilson, who had regularly kept the lottery money for himself, had used all of it on a down payment for a car instead of purchasing any tickets, even ones with specific numbers as had been his typical practice. Lydia discovered her numbers had been drawn on 4 March when she checked the previous day's newspaper after remembering that day was Chris Rea's birthday. Wilson was subsequently summoned to the café and informed of Lydia's win.
Desperate to conceal his theft, Wilson stalled by claiming the ticket was in a time-locked safe that would open at 8:01am on the fifth, and suggested a ceremony be held at that time to hand over the ticket. Lydia agreed to the plan. While working her shift late that afternoon, Rose Tyler saw Lydia and her co-workers from the café pass through the Female Clothing department, catching only a glimpse as they went by but hearing Lydia's laughter echoing up a stairwell. She thought it typical that all the fun seemed to be passing her by.
Wilson decided to burn down Henrik's in order to conceal his theft, hoping that it would be assumed the ticket had been destroyed in the conflagration. However, while placing kindling in order to fuel the flames, Wilson was killed by the Autons who had infested the building's structure. The Ninth Doctor subsequently blew up Henrik's in order to destroy the Nestene nest. A drunk Lydia approached the scene of the disaster, but was refused entry and held back by police. Rose Tyler, watching the scene, saw Lydia shout in a fury about the planned ceremony, before sinking to her knees in a sob and being led away. (PROSE: Rose)