Philip plans two weeks in cold in bid to scoop two weeks in sun

PHILIP McGIFF pitched his tent outside a travel agency on Christmas Day to be first in the queue for a free holiday.

More people joined him yesterday outside Budget Travel’s main office in Dublin.

Queues are also expected outside the travel agency’s offices in Cork and Limerick.

All of those queuing patiently are convinced that two weeks in the cold is worth two free weeks in the sun.

But the sale does not start until 9am on Wednesday, January 5, so Philip from Shankill, Co Dublin, will have to spend 11 nights in his little dome tent if he is to be in with a chance of getting a free holiday.

Everyone in the queue yesterday also faced another freezing night on the pavement when the main problem will be keeping warm.

Cold feet are a particular problem for people having to stand for long periods. Once they get cold, they stay cold. But Philip, who is unemployed, believes he will have no trouble sticking it out.

He slept well in his tent on Christmas night and nobody gave him any bother.

“I just want two weeks in the sun for my partner, Susie, and our four-year-old daughter, Jessica. But it would be really fantastic if Jessica got the chance to meet Mickey Mouse in Disneyland,” he said.

Philip had planned to start his vigil outside the travel agency yesterday but his family convinced him start his vigil after dinner on Christmas Day.

Last year, Budget Travel, gave €65,000 worth of free holidays to around 20 people who queued patiently outside their door in Baggot Street for a bargain.

Not all the time is spent huddled outside the travel shop.

Members of the group know their places in the queue and take it in turns to sit in cars parked nearby and try to sleep.

Budget Travel marketing manager Roisín FitzGerald said they never encouraged people to queue outside their shop, even though the event has become a hardy annual.

While the travel company has been particularly generous to those in the queue in the past, there is no guarantee that they are going to give out free holidays to the longest waiters.

Ms FitzGerald said they did not want people standing around in the cold at a time when the weather was particularly severe.