Carrick man transforms attic into Las Vegas casino in memory of his late mum
Andy Blair from County Antrim is in the running to become the proud owner of the UK Games Room of the Year, after he restored his loft into a replica 'Sin City.'
The 31-year-old was inspired to convert the space after the trip of a lifetime to Las Vegas with his mum Val, who was dying of cancer.
Now, Andy is one of just ten other contenders in the UK to be in with a chance of winning the title and £3000 prize money.
"There were over 1000 entries and I've made it through to the final ten.
"I'm the last one from Northern Ireland.
"Basically at home I've turned my attic into like a home-bar, games area and I've dedicated it to my mum who passed away of cancer.
"It was her dream to get to Las Vegas just before she died and thankfully we were able to get her there.
"We had a fantastic week and ever since then I've sort of themed the room around Vegas," he said.
Andy, who works in the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum, joked his mum Val would have fancied his odds to win the competition:
"She'd probably be raging at me for not doing this when she was able to see it.
"But I know she would have loved it and been really proud and no doubt she'd have been down having a bet on me to win it," he said.
Andy paid an emotional tribute to his late mother:
"She was a really fun, loving person.
"She would always say the wrong thing accidentally and be the life and soul of the party.
"She was really brave as well, for the last year she was unable to eat anything and never once did she complain and remained her happy self.
"Even a few weeks before she died she forced herself up to the Odyssey to the Neil Diamond concert."
"She was always doing her scratch cards, she would go round each different garage in Carrick and she would know which ones she'd bought.
"She did the thunderball every week and did every number on it so she was guaranteed to win three pounds, even though she ended up losing 12 pounds on that.
"One night in the casino she was playing the fruit machine and she was saying 'wouldn't it be cool to have one of these at home?'
Andy entered the competition after seeing it online and says he did not take it seriously at first but now considers himself a very worthy winner:
"I just saw the competition...and entered it for a laugh.
"I think everybody else in the competition's just, kind of bought their room and clearly has money.
"I've never seen three grand before which is the prize money and everything we have is home made and of sentimental value.
"My dad made the pool table in the seventies, the bar's made out of our old kitchen worktop and there's a collection of memorabilia of over the years from holidays and stuff.
"It would mean the world to me to win," said Andy.
You can vote for Andy here.
