A Middlesbrough couple’s boozy first date at their local pub transformed into an impromptu Spanish getaway after a £5,000 lottery windfall landed in their laps.
Paige Howlett, 31, a bookmaker, and John Thompson, 36, a plasterer, were introduced through mutual friends and arranged the night out with no idea where it would take them.
Both were living with their parents at the time, so they had reserved a hotel room to avoid travelling home after drinks.
During the evening, Mr Thompson mentioned he had entered a bonus ball draw that day, joking they would jet off on holiday if his number came up.
His mother then telephoned with unexpected news that she had spotted his winning number on Facebook. True to his word, Mr Thompson decided to whisk his date away to the sunshine.
Fortune continued to favour the pair when Ms Howlett tried her luck on a fruit machine and walked away with £170.
The couple then hailed a cab to Newcastle airport, which was covered by the bookmaker’s own winnings. While en route, they began searching for holiday deals on their phones.
“We booked a holiday in the taxi going to the airport,” Ms Howlett recalled, revealing: “We were really drunk, we laughed the whole flight, and laughed all the way through the airport.”
A National Lottery winner whisked his date off to Benidorm after winning £5,000 during their first drinks together
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They secured a £500 package deal to Benidorm without even knowing their destination until the booking was confirmed.
“We were too drunk, so we had to get a coffee to sober up and be allowed to fly,” she added.
“We woke up in Alicante airport. It literally is fate how it all happened. We were still really drunk when we got there,” Ms Howlett said.
While the spontaneity of the adventure thrilled the couple, the total lack of preparation became immediately apparent in the Spanish heat.
The couple immediately jetted off from the pub to the Spanish sunshine
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Mr Thompson found himself poolside wearing a tracksuit while Ms Howlett was dressed in a wool two-piece outfit, entirely unsuitable for the Costa Blanca sunshine.
The pair spent their first day relaxing by the pool before venturing out to purchase appropriate clothing. Over the following five days, they explored the local area, playing bingo and visiting nearby bars.
“We were going to stay longer because we enjoyed it that much, but we had to go home because we both had work commitments,” Ms Howlett explained.
The experience of navigating a foreign country with someone they barely knew forced the couple to develop trust rapidly.
‘It was the most interesting date of my life,’ Ms Howlett said
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“It’s a risk going on holiday with someone you don’t know that much and then falling in love while on holiday,” she reflected.
“We found each other on the holiday, the holiday made us. There’s no way of knowing someone like being with each other in that kind of environment and trusting each other.”
Upon returning to the UK, Mr Thompson asked Ms Howlett to be his girlfriend, making their relationship official.
“It was brilliant, it was the best holiday I’ve been on, just laughs from start to finish. That definitely brought us closer,” he said.
“We laughed so much our ribs hurt. It was 100 per cent meant to be. I would never change one little thing,” Ms Howlett added.
The couple have since booked a return trip to the Spanish resort for St Patrick’s weekend in March. Remarkably, both had previously visited Benidorm with friends and vowed never to return, yet their shared experience has completely changed their perspective.
“If someone goes on a first date and can afford a spontaneous last-minute holiday, I recommend it… It was the most interesting date of my life,” Ms Howlett said.
The bookmaker admitted she doubted John could ever surpass their unconventional first outing, though he has promised to try.