A busman’s holiday

Andrew Hird and wife Karen are, to put it mildly, very au fait with the tourism and holiday industry. The couple, from Norfolk, ran their own information circulation business, distributing leaflets on local attractions via a network of well-placed outlets - pubs, shops and so on - aimed at both locals and visitors to the area. 

Having sold the business, the Hirds did two things; Andrew was offered, and accepted, the chance to run a holiday park in North Norfolk; and the Hirds became Bondholders, in 2010. "We had a motorhome before," says Karen. "But we preferred the security of holidaying in bricks and mortar. So by selling the motorhome and using some of the proceeds from the sale of the business we were able to make a significant investment in HPB." 

"We knew we wouldn't be disappointed…" Andrew adds. How? Well, his uncle is a Bondholder of long standing, and Andrew and Karen, together with son Matt, have enjoyed numerous Bond holidays courtesy of Michael and Pauline Groves's largesse. "Mostly in the UK," says Karen. "Tigh Mor Trossachs in Perthshire; Henllys in Anglesey; Sibton Park in Kent… Lovely sites, one and all; but with our own Bond we've tended to favour the overseas locations: La Reserva de Biniorella in Majorca; Santa Rosa in Lanzarote, twice - we're going again in November; El Balcón de Santa Ana in La Gomera - our favourite, we love the climate, the ocean view, and the sheer remoteness of the place; and most recently El Pueblito de Alfaix in southern Spain, with Andrew's cousin, her husband and their little girl." 

"I can relax and unwind with the best of them," says Andrew. "But there are certain things I can't help feeling would benefit my own operation. HPB's welcome cards, for instance - that's an idea we've adopted. Theme nights - that's another one. But then they do say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery!" 

The $64,000 question: how does HPB compare to Andrew's own holiday park? 

"HPB's focus is much more exclusive. By asking people to commit an amount of money to their future holidays you have, to an extent, a captive audience. But you've got to be very sure that what you're offering is worth that commitment. That you have 42,000 Bondholders - and counting - is testament to the fact that so many people consider it a very worthwhile investment, that what you're giving them is what they want."