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Meet Kathryn Henderson, Site Manager to HPB’s latest property – Ballylinny in Co. Antrim, Northern Ireland. Kathryn may be new to HPB, but she’s no stranger to Ballylinny; the 51-year-old mother of four managed the site under previous ownership.

Both Kathryn and husband Michael were born in Belfast, but 25 years or so ago circumstances proved propitious for a move to Co. Antrim. “Michael’s father had a property in nearby Portrush,” Kathryn says, “and we spent so much time in this area… we loved it… and we moved here permanently in 2000.”

Until her switch to hospitality Kathryn worked for a bank; but in 2019 decided that she’d had enough of administering investments and authorising loans, and needed a career change. “I’d heard about Ballylinny, Michael and I knew the owners, and the opportunity came up,” she says. “I ran the place for three years, took a year off… and then HPB came a-calling!”

So: how has the site changed since the Bond took it on? “How long have you got?” she asks, rhetorically. “I’ve always loved Ballylinny, I feel such affinity with it, the location is so beautiful, it’s a great place to base yourself, from which to get out and explore our glorious countryside, and now… well let’s just say the insides, the properties, the facilities, are just as beautiful as the outside.”

When she’s not working Kathryn, Michael and daughters Rebecca, 30, Sarah, 25, Emma, 16 and 13-year-old Lily like to spend as much time as possible outdoors. “There’s so much to do here!” Kathryn says. “As well as walking – we have an abundance of walks – you can surf, you can kayak, you can cycle; in fact I have a local guy on hand, Ricky Martin from Alive Adventures, who’s going to be offering our visitors opportunities to do all three. I do a lot of freshwater swimming, and I’m looking forward to taking Bondholders with me. I’m hoping to offer open-air yoga and Pilates, weather permitting. I’ll be taking people down to the Causeway, obviously. We’ve lots of plans, and I’m just hoping those will grow as we continue to grow.

“But right now [opening was still a few days away] I can’t wait to share it with everybody. I can’t wait to see people enjoying it, as much as I enjoy it.”