A widow who was taking her husband's ashes to Florida to bury them there was left heartbroken when her luggage did not arrive. Joyce Jackson had made the journey to their favourite holiday destination with husband Gordan's ashes and their wedding rings.
She was intending to bury them there. However, when she landed, she discovered that her suitcase had been left back in Manchester Airport. Mrs Jackson, from Abergale, Wales, believes that a "flimsy" tag attached to it by her airline, Virgin Atlantic, had come off, reports NorthWalesLive.
Gordan did aged 78 after a tragic accident and Joyce had planned the trip to the US in his memory. It was designed to coincide with what would have been their 80th birthday and his wedding anniversary. Mrs Jackson wanted to bury the ashes and rings at the Caribbean Beach Resort at Walt Disney World in Orlando, somewhere they had holidayed many times.
Mrs Jackson, 78, told North Wales Live: "Gordon absolutely loved it there. He would talk to the characters. It wasn't a pilgrimage but I wanted to bury some of his ashes and our wedding rings there. But it was as if Virgin Atlantic didn't care."
Even though she had no suitcase - with its precious cargo - to collect at the Orlando airport, Mrs Jackson was determined to plough on and enjoy her trip. She said: "Gordon would have said: 'Good on you'. "
Mrs Jackson travelled to Manchester Airport to fly to Orlando on October 4 with some of Gordon's ashes in a single grey suitcase. The main consignment of ashes remains at her Abergele home.
"At Manchester Airport I was told I had to use the self-service bag drop. I did that and got a luggage label. A man put it on. It wasn't a sticky label where you loop it round a handle and stick both ends together. It was more like a paper one. But it must have come off.
"I got to Orlando, and no luggage. I travel light and I only had what I was wearing - not even a toothbrush.
"But the worst thing about it was the ashes and rings were in the suitcase. I know you can't take a person's ashes with you, so I only had a few ashes and our wedding rings. I was going to bury them in a garden at Caribbean Beach Resort. The main ashes are in a rose pot in our garden."
Mrs Jackson has complained to Virgin Atlantic. She had told Virgin there were sentimental items in the case. Once staff at Walt Disney World learned what had happened, they were helpful.
But Mrs Jackson said: "I had to wash my underwear every night with shower gel. But Disney were very good, considering it was not their problem. They gave me a toothbrush and arranged for a taxi to take me to a supermarket so I could buy hairspray and toothpaste.
"I also bought three dresses, a T-shirt and a bag. But I don't need these clothes back here - they're summer dresses."
Mrs Jackson estimates she spent about £700 extra on clothes and toiletries to replace those in her lost suitcase. She says it was only located when a duty manager in Orlando traced it to Manchester Airport - where it had been all along. Mrs Jackson flew home on October 13 and has now been reunited with her luggage.
The widow believes it was the last chance to bury those few ashes and sentimental rings. She said: "I can't go back because I can't afford it and I'm 78."
However, Mrs Jackson said she was determined to make the most of her trip, despite the luggage setback.
"I couldn't stay in a hotel room. I did go out every day. I had to enjoy it. I went on the boats and the cable cars - I went to the places that we loved. It was not a pilgrimage. It was not sad until they lost the suitcase, then it was sad."
Married for 57 years, Joyce and Gordon had tied the knot at St John's Baptist Church in Sussex Street, Rhyl, on September 26, 1964. He was a vocalist and rhythm guitarist in the band Brian Sharpe and the Senators and later a vocalist and bassist in his own band, Mr Blue, in the 80s.
Joyce owned JJ's Bridal Veils shop in Kinmel Bay and Gordon was a council joiner. Later he worked in sales at the shop until they left in 2009. Their daughter Tracey runs it now. But tragedy struck last year when Mr Jackson had an accident and died on June 3, 2021.
Mrs Jackson said: "We had been on a long walk in Pentre Park in Abergele. We got into town and Gordon wasn't feeling well. He held onto a lamppost.
"I turned my head away and he passed out and fell backwards into the road. He got a fractured skull and did not regain consciousness."
North Wales Live contacted Manchester Airport, which referred callers to the Virgin Atlantic airline that deals with checked baggage as part of its service.
A Virgin Atlantic spokesperson said: “We’re sincerely sorry that Mrs Jackson did not receive her luggage in Orlando, particularly in these circumstances. We’re investigating what happened at Manchester Airport and will be in touch with Mrs Jackson directly.”
