Dad, 63, with carrier bag flies to Ibiza for 15 hours - and has a brilliant time

02 October 2023 , 09:33

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Andy Armstrong with nothing but an Asda bag for his trip to Ibiza (Image: Andy Armstrong / SWNS)

A party-animal dad spent £25 jetting to Ibiza for 24 hours of raving, with nothing but a change of clothes in an Asda carrier bag.

Andy Armstrong, a 63-year-old father and party enthusiast, just returned from a holiday on the Spanish island but was challenged by his colleagues to return for a night out without booking a hotel. Andy accepted the challenge and bagged a Ryanair flight from Newcastle Airport to Ibiza for just £25, on August 21st at 5pm.

He landed at 9pm and went straight to the famous party area of San Antonio for a pint before going to the famous Pacha nightclub at midnight. He partied until 6am and then decided to enjoy the early morning sun by walking three miles to Ushuaia Hotel in Playa den Bossa.

Fatboy Slim and Andy Armstrong on a previous trip to Ibiza (Andy Armstrong / SWNS)

Following a brief one-hour nap on the beach's sunbeds, Andy treated himself to a lavish £50 breakfast at the hotel, which included salmon, caviar, a chicken kebab, fresh fruit, fresh orange juice, champagne, and "lots of coffee". It was then time for him to return to the airport for his 13:30 Jet2 return flight, costing £130. He arrived back in the UK exactly 24 hours after his departure.

Andy, a steelworker from Yarm-on-Tees, Stockton-on-Tees, North Yorkshire, who works on North Sea oil rigs, said: "I had just returned from a week's holiday to Ibiza and was telling my workmates all about it, and just happened to say that I could go for a night out there without using a hotel. They disputed it, and the challenge was on. I was familiar with Pacha as I had been the previous month to see one of my favourite acts - Fatboy Slim.

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Andy Armstrong during his 24-hour jaunt to Ibiza (Andy Armstrong / SWNS)

"I got changed and threw my travelling clothes in my trusty Asda carrier bag and went into Pacha and had a brilliant night. There was great music and a great atmosphere - with a bit of a show from the different eras. Had a few beers at £13 a bottle and a £23 gin and tonic, ouch. I got chatting with some people from Germany who were younger than me, although there was a cross-section of different ages in the club. One thing about Ibiza, you never feel old or alone. When I got to Ushuaia, I treated myself to The Unexpected Breakfast, as it is called.

"I got a taxi at 11 am to the airport and got the obligatory photo taken at Ibiza's iconic last stop - Burger King. Then I boarded my Jet2 flight back to Newcastle. The whole trip cost me around £300. It started off as a bit of banter with workmates, but I had an absolutely brilliant time, with a story that I will be able to tell for many years to come."

Andy first fell in love with the party island back in 1981 whilst on a lad's holiday when he was 21. He was sadly widowed five years ago and used to love visiting the island with his family. After the loss of his wife, he was uncertain about revisiting the island but his eldest daughter, Tiffany, 32, convinced him to return in July 2018. He said: "I was unsure, as I had the impression that it would be full of youth, but how wrong I was. There were lots of people of a similar age to me, who like me, had a love of music and for the island."

A few months later, Andy visited Ibiza again with his second daughter, Ellie, 24. He said: "I returned a few months later with my other daughter, Ellie, doing the same holiday again - got to treat them equally. And that is how my love affair with Ibiza started, returning many times alone or with friends."

Andy has visited the island four times this year. He added: "So far this year I've seen Calvin Harris, Fatboy Slim, Claptone, Swedish House Mafia, David Guetta, Timmy Trumpet, Steve Aoki, Flower Power, and Children of the Eighties with The Venga Boys. My daughters think it is hilarious and Ellie made a great TikTok video of my adventure, which I believe has done rather well."

Andy's daughter, Ellie, a social media manager, said: "To be honest there is no one like my dad - he's such a character. When he first told us the idea we didn't believe it but we found it hilarious - it was so funny that he went with an Asda carrier bag. He's a legend - he's so funny."

* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story. You can report any errors to [email protected]

Rachel Hagan