A retired couple who missed out on their honeymoon 35 years ago will finally have their dream trip thanks to the Bristol Post.

Gordon and Maureen Pickles are jetting off to New York for a weekend of Christmas shopping and sightseeing after winning our festive competition.

The pair, who live in South Gloucestershire, will first be whisked off to Cabot Circus on Thursday.

There they will be pampered at the new House of Fraser Aveda Spa and lunch in style at Brasserie Blanc before spending £100 each at House of Fraser and enjoying a three-course meal at Carluccio's restaurant.

And on Friday they will fly from Bristol to the Big Apple for a packed weekend in Manhattan, staying at the Six Columbus hotel near Central Park, with $200 (£136) each to spend.

The couple were chosen after they described on their entry form how they had never managed to go on their honeymoon, and that a trip to New York would give them the chance to finally meet their son David's penfriend, after 23 years of correspondence.

As newly-weds in 1973, the pair decided to save money to put towards a home rather than a trip, so never went away.

Mr Pickles, a 61-year-old former production engineer at Rolls-Royce, said: "We didn't have a honeymoon back then as we were short of money. We thought it would be better to save for a house rather than go away, so we never had our honeymoon.

"We have had family holidays since, but as we were married on December 1, this will be our honeymoon – just 35 years late."

And Mrs Pickles, also 61, said: "I didn't think it would ever happen, so it is wonderful and I am just delighted."

Speaking from their home while they were packing their bags, Mrs Pickles described the moment she was told they had won the competition.

The retired secretary said: "The assistant editor Richard Coulter phoned me on Friday and said, 'I think you probably know why I'm calling'.

"I was just in shock. It was a very, very nice surprise, especially as we thought that other people would have much better stories than ours. I have hardly slept since then, I am so excited. I just can't believe it."

Mr Pickles said: "When Maureen picked up the phone and heard the news I just saw a big, beaming smile spread across her face and I knew what had happened. We have always wanted to go to New York, especially at Christmas, but for one reason or another we have never quite managed to make it."

The pair will also finally get to meet the family of their son's longstanding penfriend, Jason Altman, who David first started writing to 23 years ago when he was just eight after getting in touch with him through the Post's pillarbox club.

Now both 31, David and Jason briefly met 10 years ago when David was in America playing the trumpet. Gordon and Maureen are now going to spend their weekend with Jason's parents, Stephen and Rita.

Mrs Pickles said: "It will be lovely to meet them after all these years. They are going to pick us up from our hotel and take us on a whistlestop tour of New York, and on Sunday we'll finally meet Jason and his wife Sharon.

"We're going to the Christmas show at Radio City on Friday, then on Saturday will go to 5th Avenue, the Rockefeller Center, St Patrick's Cathedral, the Empire State Building and Chinatown for lunch, then head downtown for some shopping before going on the Staten Island ferry and on to a jazz club in the evening.

"It will be amazing - a nice little shopping spree before Christmas. Going to New York is one of those places I always wanted to visit around Christmas time but I never thought I would do it.

"We are just delighted and absolutely thrilled at the prospect of going, as well as the trip to Cabot Circus, and we just want to say thank you to the Post for giving us this wonderful opportunity."