Day 1 - 29th December 2001
Day 1 saw 4 separate couples descend on Gatwick airport for a 07.30 take off ....
3 arrived the day before and over nighted in airport hotels whilst the other (Essex girls!) arrived early in the morning.
As usual the "Quigley's" were last to check in.
At this stage two couples new each other and were old friends - Les & Jill Quigley and Geoff & Chris Fitchett. The other two - Sue Jeffs & Brenda Keegan and Dennis Champion & "Madge" (soon to become one and a half couples) did not know any of the other couples. All this was soon to change!
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Being last on a charter plane can be risky - but Les & Jill usually come out on top - this time was no exception - they managed to get upgraded to "Premier Class" and it was here that Jill sat next to and met "the girls" Brenda and Sue - Dennis had already struck up a conversation with them in the queue and all soon got to know each other.... This was the start of a very rewarding friendship! |
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Left - Doreen & Shirley (Shirley is a very brave women - she has MS, is wheelchair bound & has no use of one leg and one arm yet still she risks these tricky holidays!)
Right - turning finals at San Juan International Airport |
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Everyone arrived safely on the boat after the usual chaos with baggage at the airport!
Dawn Princess our floating hotel for the next 2 weeks
Tiredness set in (we were into a 28 hour day) so we didn't see each other that night...
we were to get together the next day!
The
"team" were soon making friends on the plane.....