After almost two decades of marriage, Mr Terence Ng, 50, and his wife June, 47, will finally be going for their long-awaited honeymoon.
The couple, who will be celebrating their 18th anniversary on May 2, are the lucky winners of a Valentine's Day giveaway for subscribers of The Straits Times.
They will be treated to a six-day romantic getaway to Britain worth about $10,000.
After they got married in 2000, both were busy with work and had no time for a honeymoon, said Mr Ng, a civil engineer. Then came the children and family trips.
They never travelled alone as a couple as the children were too young. However, Ryan is now 13 and Desiree, 10.
The couple will finally get to enjoy exclusive time on the trip, which begins in London and will take them through the rolling hills and farmlands of England, and the city of Edinburgh in Scotland. They will also enjoy round-trip premium class air tickets from Singapore to London, and a two-night stay at the luxury Summer Lodge Country House Hotel, Restaurant and Spa in Dorset.
The contest comes under the "ST+ news with benefits programme" to reward loyal subscribers. The Ngs' trip is sponsored by ST and its travel partners, tour operator Trafalgar, Red Carnation Hotels and Norwegian Air.
Mr Nicholas Lim, president of Trafalgar Asia, said: "Besides showcasing cultural highlights and iconic attractions, Trafalgar will take them deeper into Britain and they will have the opportunity to enjoy authentic experiences and hand-picked insider experiences like our 'Be My Guest' meal, where they will dine with a local family and enjoy British hospitality."
When Mr Ng received the good news over the phone yesterday, he could not believe it. "I wanted to shout for joy, but I had to keep my cool because I was in public," he said, adding that he called his wife immediately to tell her.
Mrs June Ng, who quit her job as an IT specialist two years ago to take care of her children, said she did not believe her husband at first. She was unaware that he had taken part in the contest. She is looking forward to the trip, which is the farthest they have travelled. Their family holidays have been within South-east Asia.
The couple hope to make the trip during the June school holidays and leave their children in the care of Mr Ng's parents. "My priority is to attend West End musicals with my wife as she is a big fan," said Mr Ng.
He added that he is also hoping to visit Old Trafford, a football stadium in Greater Manchester and homeground of Manchester United, of which he is an ardent fan.
"It definitely pays to be a subscriber," said Mr Ng, who has been a subscriber for 18 years and follows the news online and offline.
"I really want to thank ST and the other organisations for making this possible. It is a great Valentine's Day gift for my wife and me," he added.
Mr Warren Fernandez, editor-in-chief of Singapore Press Holdings' English/Malay/Tamil Media group and editor of The Straits Times, said: "We are delighted that Mr and Mrs Ng will get to go on a dream holiday in Britain and happy that this made their Valentine's Day a little special this year. I hope they will have the time of their life visiting all the sites in London and beyond, as arranged by our friends from Trafalgar.
"At ST, we want our subscribers to know that with our ST+ programme, the news comes with benefits."
