Sun-starved Brits have arrived in Spain this morning and one family has declared: “We’re not going back.”
The Mirror was on board a packed first flight out of Stansted Airport at 6:35am, which landed 10am Spanish time at Alicante Airport - which serves Benidorm.
Among those landing were Luke Stevens, 29, and partner Elesha Bacon, 27, with their children Freddie, five and Mia, six months.
They are starting a new life in Pinar de Campoverde with Luke’s parents Dave, 55, and Jacqueline, 67, who they have not seen for six months.
The couple are emigrating to Spain where Luke is setting up Stevens and Son’s butchers in the village.
Luke, a butcher since he was 14, and Elesha were due to fly out and meet the rest of the family before Christmas but were stranded in Great Dunmow, Essex, because of the pandemic.
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“We’re here in the sun and we’re not going back,” said a joyous Luke.
“We’re emigrating - I’ve set up a shop out here, it’s all sorted.
“We signed the lease over last year but couldn’t get back out because of the virus.”
Emotional Dave, 55, said: “It’s great to see them all, it’s been six months and it feels even longer.”
Lorraine Swettenham, 59, from Cleveleys, Lancs, booked her flight from Manchester a month ago.
“I was hoping the Spanish restrictions would have lifted by now so I purposely booked it for today,” she told the Mirror.
She runs a market stall in Benidorm along with her husband George, who is joining her on June 4, while a pal is flying out to meet her on Sunday.
“I’ve got lots to do as I haven’t been here for a long time,” she said.
“But I’ll find some time to relax eventually.
“It’s lovely to be back and I hope Spain is taken off the amber list soon. Why should there be a 10-day quarantine in place in the UK if you’ve been vaccinated? It makes no sense to me.”
Holidaymakers from the UK do not have to provide a negative test to enter Spain as of today.
Flying out from Stansted this morning was Elizabeth Chapman, 61, from Cambridge, who was awaiting an emotional reunion with her daughter and two grandchildren in Benidorm.
She has not seen them for over a year.
“It does feel emotional and I’m trying to hold it together - I can’t wait to see them all and give them a hug,” she said.
“I booked on Friday when I realised Spain was opening opening up to the UK.
“I’ve had both vaccinations and I tool a PCR test even though it’s not now required.”
For Carole Hutchison and her partner Christopher Couper, from Fife, their reason for travel is altogether different.
The couple had fertility treatment booked in Alicante and were in a race against time as they had to arrive at the clinic by midday.
They had a taxi waiting for them at the airport for the landing shortly after 10am.
The clinic was not defrosting the embryos until the couple told them they were on the plane and it was ready to take off.
They were due to fly from Edinburgh to Spain via Heathrow on Friday but, because of restrictions in Spain they were told they were not allowed.
That is despite twice last year flying to the same clinic for treatment when the country was under Covid restrictions.
Carole, 42, a public health practitioner for the NHS, said before she boarded the flight: “It’s been incredibly stressful and we have to rush once we land at Alicante and try and get through the airport as quickly as possible.
“I’ve been taking the required medication for months and there’s a window for when it can happen, we couldn’t believe we were not allowed to fly on Friday.
“Ten minutes after we were told that we found out Spain was opening up from today, so we booked on this flight.
“We lost a lot of money on the flight and this is a massive relief we can get on this flight but it’s very stressful of course.
“We fly straight back tomorrow (Tues) to quarantine for 10 days.”
Karen Flaun, 49, lives in Murcia and came back to the UK in November to see family with the intention of staying for Christmas - but had been stuck ever since.
“It’s been great to spend so much time with the family but of course I’m looking forward to getting back to my home in Murcia and seeing what the house is like - and of course to get some sun.”
Deli Watt, 82, and her husband Alexander, 83, from Oundle, Northamptonshire, booked three weeks ago to return to their holiday home in Xatipia.
“It’s a stroke of luck Spain is reopening and we happen to be on this flight. We took a chance when we booked it and it’s paid off.
“We’re really looking forward to getting out there after such a tough year.”
