161 Million...

Pay off the mortgage, buy a massive plot of land to build an ecohouse on and set up a smallholding (paying some people to work on it).

Invest money in setting up some kind of educational facility/social enterprise based around learning or therapy for disadvantaged people (not sure who exactly I'd target at this stage!) through gardening, agriculture, conservation and the outdoors.

Once that was up and running I'd do a couple more university degrees (and if necessary the prerequisite A-levels, foundation courses or similar) in subjects I've always been interested in but never pursued like particle physics, astronomy, fine art or music.

Make sure all my family and friends were sorted.

Do lots and lots of travelling.

Buy a few choice items of clothing I won't normally consider looking at.

And only ever buy really good, ultra high quality, ethically sourced food.

I would buy Primark!.....and then have signs saying - 'No fatties or stinky folk'

Wilkie wrote (see)

The trouble with paying off your friends' mortgages and putting money in trust for their children is then they are beholden to you.

Fair point, Wilkie.  TBH, my husband even feels uncomfortable when my parents offer to pay the bill when we go out for a meal with them.

I guess a lot of people don't really think how friends and family might react.

I think I would find it difficult, though, not to be at least tempted to help those people close to me who are finding it a struggle.

Nick L wrote (see)

I would buy Primark!.....and then have signs saying - 'No fatties or stinky folk'

LP we're pretty much on a par with how we would spend stuff...

I have been thinking though that a lot of things I really like are not hugely expensive.  I often see very expensive things and think "I don't like it, it looks awful"...

For instance stupidly expensive penthouses etc... I don't like the style, could never feel at home there. 

Some really expensive fashion just makes me cringe in terms of design etc.

Places like Monaco and its people (I mean the celeb tax evaders, not the normal local population) are my idea of hell.

I guess it would be nice not to worry whether you can afford to see a hair dresser AND pay the road tax in one month... 

I would love to have a farm house and space to keep horses, like Seren said.  I guess the money would buy plenty of surrounding land too.

I would love to travel, but I actually like to rough it and really experience a place in its natural state.  What is the point of travelling Vietnam and stay in a Hilton?

I do wonder if I'd struggle to spend it? 

That's not to say I wouldn't like to try...

Interesting point about what people said about giving money changing dynamics of friendships etc. 

I'd buy a house with enough land that I would NEVER have to hear the neighbours, even if they held a rock concert.

I like peace and quiet

I'd buy a farm and employ my dad to manage it at a vast salary so he could just potter around and get the employees to do the hard work.  See, that would help the economy because I'd be creating jobs.

Then, I'd set up a horse and donkey (and probably dog) rescue centre and allow all my animals to live out their lives in peace, safety and comfort.  Naturally, I'd also give money to various human charities.

 Then I'd help out all my family and friends in the way they wish to be helped.

Then I'd hire a jet and take all my girlie chums on a shopping trip to New York.

Then, I'd use some of my farm land to host a 3 day equestrian event, utilising my woodland, lake and open farm land.

Then.................the list goes on and on.  I'd have an exceptionally good time trying to spend it.

I would not tell a soul that I won money, but all my friends (even distant ones) and family would wake up and find money in their bank account and wonder WTF?!? That way no one would owe me anything because I will say "Yeah I woke up with money to, how odd?"

Then I'd buy a nice two or three bedroom flat with balcony or roof terrace over looking Kensington Gardens. Keep my job as I love it but use unpaid leave a lot to go work in refugee camps in Africa and Asia. I would run, travel, ride, dive and climb a lot to and eat nice food.

And I would donate mahoosive amounts to charity, several different ones.

Edited to say I would help West Ham and my Swedish team DIF to survive and prosper

Nam wrote (see)

LP we're pretty much on a par with how we would spend stuff...

I have been thinking though that a lot of things I really like are not hugely expensive.  I often see very expensive things and think "I don't like it, it looks awful"...

I guess it would be nice not to worry whether you can afford to see a hair dresser AND pay the road tax in one month... 

Yeah, that's pretty much how I feel.

I don't like ostentatious displays of wealth, and I don't really like being in the sorts of places where people do ostentatiously display their wealth. 

I haven't travelled much at all, but some of the most fun times I've had away have been stuff like camping trips with friends...

I do like the idea of having my own green space.

But then part of me dislikes the whole notion of stuff like woodlands being privately owned and not accessible to the general public.

Green spaces are very important to mental and physical well-being - I think that's why I've always liked the idea of running some kind of "green education" facility....

It wouldn't change me - I'd still be a grumpy ba**ard!

But I'd love to have a place in Yorkshire (where there are fantastic pubs), a place in Dorset (where I know a fantastic pub) and anywhere else where there are great pubs! Maybe I'd open my own brewery and cut the middleman out!

Nam wrote

The prize would earn them an estimated £9,300 a day in interest alone.

I would imagine that by the time the rep came to see them the interest would have already paid off the mortgage.

Actually, I have a feeling that it's such an obscene amount of money that they are about to lose ALL their semi-close friends, and the circles of people who are that rich are less than interested in meeting folks that haven't grafted/risked their business empire several times to get there, or are royalty. As for the couple themselves, the change will be tough. I've seem the effect that a mere 1 million pounds can have: one of our friends with an inheritance got married. He wanted to spend, spend, spend, and take a dossy job.

So what would one do? Fast cars, loose women, fine wines and fritter away the rest? Hmm. That would be difficult. Having to spend more than £9,300 a day is actually quite awkward. Even my wife and both daughters would struggle by the second week.

One would have to seriously consider ones philanthropic aims fairly quickly, before the taxman made it into £80.5million. So, it appears, that the accountants win again.

I'd get Bionic legs so I don't have to keep on struggling with a painful ITBand.

And I'd buy the news of the world.

knight rider wrote (see)

I would build a hospital out of town, with free parking.