He says, "My brother and I received an incentive bonus from Vauxhall. It was a lot of money back then. The only stipulation was that we had to spend it on a holiday, or a related product.

"We could have bought our own holiday cottage. But I didn't want to be limited to just one destination."

Andrew met HPB Operations Director Nick Beamish at that year's Ideal Home Exhibition. He says, "At the time, the Bond had no property. So deciding to get involved was something of a leap of faith. Either that, or a testament to Nick Beamish's selling skills.

"Either way, we haven't regretted it. The Bond gives us variety and choice. The properties are always in great condition, in lovely parts of the world."

By the time Andrew was ready to book a holiday, the Bond had made an offer on its first home - an apartment overlooking the marina, at Los Gigantes in Tenerife.

Consequently, Andrew's was the first HPB holiday to be taken - during Christmas of that same year. Unfortunately, things didn't go completely smoothly.

He explains, "We arrived quite late in the evening, and were ready for a cup of tea. Unfortunately, the kettle didn't appear to be working. So we decided to boil a pan of water on the stove. Alas, the stove wasn't working either. The property was, of course, brand new - and the developers hadn't finished wiring it up!"

Fortunately, the next day, the problem was resolved and the remainder of the holiday went without a hitch. It was the first of many.

The following year, Andrew visited the Bond's first property at Barnham Broom Golf and Country Club in Norfolk, which - back then - had just one nine-hole course. He and Rita have since returned to what has become their favourite site many times - often bringing along golfing friends, a number of whom have gone on to become Bondholders in their own right.

He says, "The team have done a great job refurbishing the cottages at Barnham Broom; they are now back up to 'Bond standard'. By contrast, we've used a number of Tenancy properties in the past, and they've been fine. But the quality is not as consistent as HPB owned homes."

Andrew is certainly well qualified to comment. Over the years, he has participated in golfing Theme Weeks at a raft of destinations, from Cornwall to South Africa. He and Rita have spent Christmas at Buckland (where "the Christmas lights were enchanting") and they were holidaying at Tigh Mor Trossachs when the most recent 'earthquake' struck.

They travelled to the Bond's Florida properties - before the Bond was forced to sell (following a ruling insisting that holidaymakers reside on site for a minimum of four weeks). And a cottage has even been named after Andrew at Braithwaite Court in the Lake District (though he has never stayed in it).

Henllys is a firm favourite. And Gleneagles is a regular destination too. Rita says, "The cottages are quite small, but they are comfortable. And the area is wonderful. During our holidays, we've played at the St Andrews and Britannic courses."

Rita's love of golf predates Andrew's: she introduced him to the game, which has since become something of an obsession, in the late 1980s, whilst the couple were living in Spain. Today, they play wherever they go.

They tend also to favour sites that they can drive to. But that doesn't limit them to UK destinations. Andrew and Rita have driven their open top Mercedes to, amongst others, Stigliano in Tuscany - stopping en route at Le Manoir Du Hilguy and Cannes, making the week-long journey a part of the holiday.

Although the couple now have in excess of 15,000 Holiday Points, they try to take advantage of Points free short notice breaks wherever possible.

Rita says, "We usually have two Bond holidays a year. We're looking forward to taking a first holiday at Sibton Park soon. We would also like to try the Bond's new Tenancy in New England, though the journey puts us off a little."

Unlike many Bondholders, the couple usually prefer not to self-cater - favouring the use of local pubs and restaurants. As Rita says, "I am on holiday after all." Every rule has an exception however, and tonight a dinner of fresh-caught Cromer crabs and other local seafood awaits.