We're ALL going on a summer holiday: 49 neighbours jet off for joint trip to Ibiza
By CLAIRE BATES
Last updated at 6:00 PM on 6th September 2011
For most of us, one of the undoubted perks of a holiday is getting away from our noisy (and nosey) neighbours.
But one street of residents were so friendly with each other that they organised a joint Mediterranean trip - for all 49 of them.
The close knit families, who all live on the same street in Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, swapped their rain-swept county for the sunny climes of Ibiza on an all-inclusive holiday.
Departures: Residents from Coronation Avenue proved good neighbours can become good friends by holidaying together
Trip organiser Paul John said none of the neighbours fell out while on holiday
Yesterday the happy travellers returned en masse having enjoyed temperatures of up to 28C at the Mar Amantis hotel in San Antonio.
The trip was organised by former pub landlord Paul John - a year after the idea was mooted at a street barbecue.
He said the only problems they encountered were sunburn or the occasional hangover.
Paul, 48, said: 'We live on Coronation Avenue but we are similar to Coronation Street in a way - we've certainly got a few characters coming with us.
'One of the neighbours was having a barbecue and someone suggested that we go away together.
'I thought it was a great idea, we are all great friends here and everyone gets on really well.
'It started off with six or seven of us planning to go and the numbers grew and grew.
'Obviously word spread and then the numbers crept up until there were 49 of us!'
The group - aged from three months to 60-years-old - all live around Coronation Avenue in west Wales where the 75 properties cost from £100,000. The area boasts a running track as well as a golf course.
Close community: The 49 holiday-makers live on Coronation Avenue (pictured) in Pembrokeshire
Paul said: 'I got to know everyone when I was the landlord of a local pub, we're a friendly bunch with similar interests.
'It is a friendly community we are very close and we enjoy having a good craic.
'We all had lots of fun. Their were no fall outs along the way.
'We have had to come back to reality and the winds and rain of Wales.'
Neighbour Vicky Coles, who runs a removal company, said: 'We had a great time and spent most of the week all together.
'We all knew each other before we went as friends and as neighbours so we knew we could get on well.'
The married mother-of-one, 39, said: 'We all had similar interests - most people went off on trips together, to a water park or on boat rides, and a couple even had tattoos done.
'We've come home with lovely tans and are planning on doing it all again next year.'
Residents enjoyed the hot weather on their all-inclusive Thomas Cook trip
Paul used to run a pub called The Bull in the town, but has worked as a HGV driver since the watering hole closed two years ago.
He said: 'My parents used to run the pub before me and I first went on a group holiday with them when I was younger.
'We used to go on coach trips abroad or get the boat over to Jersey, and I always thought it would be a nice thing to do again.'
The holiday makers paid over £500 per head to stay at a three-star all inclusive hotel in San Antonio, Ibiza.
Paul said organising the mammoth trip had been very straight forward - as he handed over the dealings to travel agents Thomas Cook.
He said: 'I thought it was going to be quite a lot of work but after I collected the deposits off of everyone I just handed it over to the shop.
'I think they were a bit shocked when I told them we were all going away together - they thought it was a wind up when they saw we were mostly all from the same street.'
A Thomas Cook spokesman said: 'This is a lovely story of friends getting away together.
'To have 49 going away on the same booking is a bit rare but we were only happy to help. The booking itself is the largest our store in the town has ever taken.'
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