"Our first overseas Bond holiday – and what a place"

“Our first overseas Bond holiday – and what a place. If all the foreign locations are as fabulous as this one, we’re in for a treat!” – Judith Lloyd

Judith and husband Trevor, pictured above, invested in the Bond towards the end of 2013. “We were aware of HPB through advertising,” Trevor recalls. “Plus we had – have – friends who are Bondholders. We went to Blore Hall; we were very impressed, but the time wasn’t right.”

Fast-forward a few years, and the Lloyds, now retired from the teaching profession, found themselves having a less-than-perfect break at a Cotswolds hotel. “We were disappointed,” says Judith. “It wasn’t awful; just rough round the edges. Neglected, you might say. We’d done self-catering holidays, we knew HPB offered high standards of quality across the board, we knew it wasn’t timeshare, and we liked the ever-expanding choice of locations. So we signed up.”

The Lloyds, from Beverley, East Yorkshire, have so far mostly confined themselves to UK destinations: Lodge Yard, Henllys, St Brides Castle and Merlewood, twice. They also have a trip to Stigliano to look forward to next year. However, earlier this year Trevor and Judith sampled the delights of Constant, on their first foreign HPB holiday.

“I hesitate to say that the Bond’s Dordogne home is ‘better’ in any way,” says Trevor. “The standards of excellence are uniform, but all the sites are different. But it is a real treat to be here, that’s for sure – and in such glorious weather!”

So glorious, in fact, that the Lloyds needed little persuasion to take to the water. “We may be retired, but we’re pretty active,” says Judith. “We like walking – the walks around Askrigg are particularly enjoyable – but we’re pretty much up for anything. And the chance to canoe on the mighty Dordogne River – well, who could resist?”

The canoe hire company was recommended by the staff at Constant. “Like all the HPB people we’ve met, from the site manager downwards all the staff are so knowledgeable about their own regions, and so helpful.”

Fit and active they may be, but Judith and Trevor are equally fond of the finer things in life – and in the Dordogne, that means food and drink. “Two of our three sons are chefs,” says Trevor, “so naturally we take an interest. And I must say the restaurant at Constant is first-class. I understand Yohann Perie, the chef-manager, is new; he looks to be doing a great job. The menu is short – but a few dishes done perfectly are always going to be better than a massive, but mediocre, choice. We like the fact that, time permitting, Yohann leaves the kitchen to deliver the main courses in person. It shows he cares.”

“We’re going to his barbecue evening tonight – can’t wait,” adds Judith. “All this paddling certainly works up an appetite.”

“The time is definitely right to be doing this,” says Trevor of the Lloyds’ Bondholding. “We’ve hopefully got many years ahead of us, and we want to enjoy our time to the full. HPB is really fantastic, I would recommend it to anyone. It’s a great investment in holidays; we’re going to make the most of it. And hopefully, when our children settle down, so will they.”