Birthday bash escalates into trip of a lifetime for Lancing woman

10:41am Thursday 3rd January 2008

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Plans for a 50th birthday bash for a friend escalated into an action-packed four-day trip to New York for 17 women.

When Anne Stakim, 50, began discussing ideas for her 50th birthday more than a year and a half ago, the mother-of-three was thinking of something more on the lines of a small party.

But when someone suggested the Big Apple, she leaped at the chance, and so did 16 of her friends and family.

Mrs Stakim, who lives at Anweir Avenue, in Lancing, said: "I knew it was somewhere my husband wouldn't want to go.

"The first thing was my sister-in-law said she wanted to come too. Before we knew it there were 17 of us. All women as well.

"I never thought I would get so many people going. I'm the oldest out of all my friends so I suppose they made a bit more of an effort."

The group set about planning the trip of a lifetime and planned a couple of surprises along the way.

When they arrived at the passenger lounge at Heathrow airport the friends removed their coats to reveal their first surprise: personalised T-shirts with the caption "Wanna Be A Part Of It? New York, New York, 50", and a picture of Mrs Stakim's face superimposed onto the statue of liberty.

Mrs Stakim's friend Julie Greenfield said: "She wasn't expecting to see them. She just laughed when she saw the T-shirts. I think she thought they were fantastic."

The T-shirts paid off, attracting lots of attention and bagging the gaggle of girls a few freebies, including complimentary champagne on the flight and later a mini-party at their hotel.

The gaggle of women jetted off to JFK airport and stepped off into a winter wonderland as New York was immersed in snow last month.

Not the kind of women to stint on transport, the group of 17 then boarded a waiting limousine and travelled in style to their hotel near Central Park.

Mrs Stakim, who works at a chemist in Lancing, then took a helicopter ride around the Empire State building and over the Hudson River before skating around an outdoor ice rink at Central Park and sipping cocktails at the New York Marriott Marquis Hotel, in Times Square.

The group took advantage of the strength of the pound against the dollar and did some Christmas shopping, taking in the famous jewellers, Tiffany's.

Mrs Stakim said: "The most magical thing was ice skating on Central Park when it snowed.

"I did everything I wanted and the helicopter ride was one of those once in a lifetime opportunities that I definitely wanted to do. It was absolutely fantastic. It was more than I expected."

Tell us about your most memorable birthday bash below.

jess.bauldry@theargus.co.uk