For most of the 19 years I’ve lived in Tenerife (photo, below), I’ve always felt the need to qualify my response to ‘Where do you live?’ with, ‘…but in the hills’.

Perhaps inevitably because of its mass package appeal, the island has been subject to more than a little derogation. Even now there’s still a stigma to say you’re holidaying in Tenerife. In fact I’m sure many Guild members would have quietly groaned at the announcement of this year’s AGM destination.

Now, I’m not going to gush PR-spiel about the glories of Tenerife (I’d like to keep my Guild membership, thank-you very much), but by now I hope you’ll realise there’s a hell of a lot more to the island than the one square mile of beaches and bars that it’s previously been judged on.

Almost 95% of visitors head straight to the southern resorts, which is where the majority remain rooted. But as we know, they’re missing out on the real Tenerife, the Tenerife that has kept me here for so long.

My Tenerife is a hillside village where walking my kids to school every morning involves at least a dozen stops to say ‘hola’ or chat about the weather (invariably sunny). It’s a place where my family and I feel safe and welcome; where community spirit still thrives and the air is as pure as you’ll find anywhere. Most importantly though for those who visit, it’s a place with a real identity, a unique character and great depth.

Hopefully fellow members who attended the AGM will agree, and can finally help put to rest those misconceptions of the island being a one-dimensional resort. Then I can simply say, “I live in Tenerife.” And leave it at that.