The UK's leading overseas property television series, Channel 4's "A Place in the Sun," is about to screen its first new programmes for four years.

The broadcasts start on Monday 6th February, and run daily for 20 days with a further 60 additional episodes going straight into production immediately after the new series ends.

A Place in the Sun Live managing director Andy Bridge has welcomed the impetus the new programmes should bring to the market.

"It's a huge commission from Channel 4, there are three production teams on the road at the moment in the Caribbean, Florida and Spain to get the new programmes made in time," he told OPP this week.

"This is the first post-recession filming that A Place in the Sun has done and presents an opportunity to present bargain stock to viewers and hopefully get them excited in overseas property once again."

Speaking exclusively to OPP, Bridge added: "It won't transform the UK market overnight, but it is a huge boost."

Established hosts Jonnie and Jasmine are presenting their own programmes, and new presenter Laura Hamilton kicks off the series which will be shown on daytime TV for its first run. Repeat showings in the evening are expected to follow very quickly.

OPP link

Buccament Bay Resort hosts Channel 4's A Place in the Sun (photos)

There has been a marked increase in consumers choosing to purchase alternative investments with their SIPPs over the last three years.

With an average SIPP size of £70,000 to £80,000 and over 800,000 SIPPs out there (and the number is growing at 20 per cent to 30 per cent a year), this represents a significant new and enticing market for advisers.

It is not just the growth in SIPPs driving this. The flow of dreadful macro-economic news has shaken consumers' faith in traditional stock market-based investments just at a time when many people are realising that their pension provision may be inadequate. For these reasons investors are increasingly considering putting their wealth into directly held alternative investments, tangible assets that promise uncorrelated and often high returns. In fact in some cases, alternatives are directly responsible for driving the growth in SIPPs as investors become more aware of their benefits.

Some pension conversion specialists are witness to a 69 per cent increase in clients transferring their preserved or under-performing personal pensions into a SIPP. As part of the advised process they must establish why clients wish to go down the Sipp route - the desire to get into alternatives is one of the most often cited reasons, alongside under performance and consolidation.

However, the market in alternative investments is still immature. There are many 'me too' opportunistic products on offer that range from investments that have been rather naively put together to outright scams. In 2007 there were around 50 directly held alternative investments being distributed that could be held within a SIPP - today there are nearly 300 and a good number of them are poor quality.

Many investments offered to specialists are rejected, and some are completely unsuited to the retail SIPP market and should never form part of a robust retirement plan. It would be completely irresponsible of us to assist in bringing them to market. Consequently some advisers still view alternatives with suspicion and view their non-regulated status as a risk for both them and their clients.

Steps have been taken to try and improve this situation, for example the FSA has been very publicly clamping down on advisers who have been promoting Ucis investments to the wrong audience and significantly, SIPP providers have now been asked to take more responsibility for product governance. It is now no longer acceptable to just verify if an asset is SIPP acceptable - SIPP providers now have to undertake their own due diligence over an increasingly exotic range of investments.

Over the last couple of years the demand placed on SIPP operators has grown immensely and some new products aim to provide in depth analysis on alternative investments on behalf of SIPP operators so that there is at least some form of product governance audit trail.

Further security can be built into alternatives through the use of trustee or bond structures. Under these types of structures the product provider submits to having investor monies paid into a trustee client account and only released to the provider upon adherence to strict criteria as laid out in the Investment Prospectus.

Similarly, all of the revenues the asset generates are paid directly to the trustee with investor returns extracted before the balance is forwarded onto the provider. The Trustee will also typically take a first charge over the project and its assets so that, in the event of an unresolved default, the project can be liquidated with the investors reimbursed from the proceeds.

Finally, alternatives can really resonate with consumers. Clients "get" the concept of alternative investments - it is a much more engaging conversation with clients when you can talk about these concepts instead of "balanced managed funds" or the usual bonds and Isas.

The rise of the SIPP is creating liquid investors - or those that can be made liquid when their frozen pensions are consolidated - and with the widely predicted growth in SIPP numbers the demand for 'alternatives' as a hedge against traditional pension investment offerings will no doubt continue. Advisers should take notice and consider if these are something they would like to include in their offering to clients.

Kate Gillespie, Thomas Keyser and Michael McCarthy will soon be coaching and performing for guests at Buccament Bay Resort.

Kate Gillespie                      ThomasKeyser                Michael McCarthy

West End and TV star Kate Gillespie and respected Musical Director Thomas Keyser will be the resident stars from 30th January to 13th April 2012, whilst the Harlequin Performing Arts Academy's Executive Producer, not to mention Broadway and West End star, Michael McCarthy, will be back at Buccament Bay Resort from 16th to 21st April.

Kate Gillespie's theatre credits include Hairspray, Priscilla Queen of the Desert and The Lion King Paris; Thomas Keyser has been Musical Director for a wide range of theatre, including most recently Jekyll and Hyde, Rufus Norris' Olivier award-winning Cabaret, and Blood Brothers.

Michael McCarthy, of course, is best known for his critically acclaimed portrayal of Inspector Javert in Les Misérables, which took him to the West End, Broadway and beyond.

If you're interested in experiencing and learning from the best in musical theatre at the resort offering the best in Caribbean luxury, please click here to learn more.

What will you give your partner this Valentine's Day? A romantic meal in a great restaurant? A stay at a 5 star hotel? A voucher for an activity, like a spa treatment or a special day out? Why not all the above and much, much more?

Save yourself from the drudgery of trawling through the "For Him" or "For Her" sections this Valentine's Day; give your partner something you will both cherish forever: an unforgettable romantic getaway at our luxurious, 5 star, all-inclusive Buccament Bay Resort in St Vincent & The Grenadines.

You can kill two birds with one stone by making your next holiday a gift to the one you love. Every wonderful thing about the resort aside, it'll still be a bargain compared to what you usually get for your money with Valentine's Day gifts! It'll also be great solution for future arguments.

"You've forgotten our anniversary? Again?! Did you at least warm the knife before you plunged it into my heart?!"

"Sorry, what was that? I was just thinking about the amazing week at Buccament Bay Resort I bought you last Valentine's. The wait until April was so worth it! Anyway, you were saying?"

"… nothing, babe, doesn't matter."

OK, maybe not, but the brownie points will definitely be through the roof!

Choose to stay at one of our deluxe villas and you will wake up with the beach outside your door and a private plunge pool. Bedrooms are air conditioned and fitted with a 40" LCD TV offering 65 digital TV channels and 12 music channels, not that we imagine you'll be watching too much of that with everything else you could be doing.

Once you've ripped yourselves away from the supremely comfortable bed (you may think that's a small detail, but just wait until you're in it), the opportunities for the days ahead are endless, whether it's for him, for her, for couples, or all the family.

The Pat Cash Tennis Academy with special guest coaches, the Liverpool FC Soccer School with special guest coaches, the Harlequin Performing Arts Academy with special guest tutors, Diving and water sports, a wide range of excursions by land or sea, The Spa by ESPA, and much more: Buccament Bay Resort is unrivalled in its variety and quality of activities, and the best part is that most are provided free of charge for guests!

By the way, if you do have children and fancy some time just for yourselves, babysitting is available, and Little Harlequins Kids Club and the Club 61 lounge will keep the bigger bundles of joy occupied. Little Harlequins has a petting zoo, climbing apparatus, age-appropriate toys and games, fun activities, and more, whilst Club 61 provides the not-so-little ones with video games, board games, a pool table, karaoke, movie nights, and other fun stuff.

Now, back to you two. Here are some activity ideas ripe for romance:

Sun, sea and pools to infinity

Ease into the day with a stroll along our beautiful white sand beach and maybe a swim in the luscious turquoise sea; that's if you can walk past the infinity pools without stopping for a dip and a spot of sunbathing with lunch and cocktails, brought to you by our attentive and friendly staff.

Relax at The Spa

Indulge yourselves at our haven of tranquillity, The Spa, with products and treatments by ESPA; alternatively, enjoy a massage outdoors in a Thai pavilion, under a gazebo on the beach or beside the main pools.

Take the plunge

The clear, warm waters surrounding the island of St Vincent are home to an incredible underwater world of pristine coral reefs, teeming with a magnificent abundance of colourful marine life that is second to none in the Caribbean. Diving packages range from gentle to exhilarating, offering a selection of pretty wall diving sites, stunning drift dives and mysterious caves, caverns and wreck dives suitable for all levels of experience.

Explore by sea

There is more than one way to enjoy the country's aquatic charms. In fact, many more ways! Here are some of the other water-based activities available: sunset cruise; dolphin watching; "Pirates of the Caribbean" film locations tour; catamaran tours to idyllic palm-fringed beaches and sheltered bays to swim and snorkel; yacht, motor boat, kayak or sailing catamaran hire.

Explore by land

Terra firma offers a number of magnificent experiences, too. Some of the great places you can visit include:

The Botanical Gardens, the oldest in the Western Hemisphere, boasting a wealth of tropical plants, flowers and trees

La Soufrière, a 4,000ft volcano with an immense mile-wide crater that's reached after a challenging climb through rainforest, and bamboo and cloud forests

The Dark View Falls, which cascade from 300ft over step formations of lava rock, set amongst a stunning bamboo forest at the foot of La Soufriére

The Vermont Nature Trails that meander through lush rainforest: home to the rare and colourful St Vincent parrot

A table for two and a tipple or three?

Buccament Bay Resort has a selection of great bars and restaurants that you can enjoy by day and by night.

The Bay Beach Club is the perfect place to linger over a sumptuous lunch or sip an exotic cocktail whilst watching a spectacular sunset. After the sun has gone down, a delicious menu of tantalising dishes awaits.

Dine by candlelight at Safran, which provides excellent Indian cuisine created using only the freshest of ingredients. Bowls of fragrantly spiced curries are cooked with natural herbs and spice blends, and served with a wonderful selection of accompaniments.

Surrounded by palm trees, Bamboo is a barefoot chic restaurant serving a mélange of popular dishes from the Caribbean and Italian stone baked pizzas.

At HQ, there is a tempting selection of teas, coffees, ice creams, sorbets, pastries, wraps, freshly-squeezed juices and smoothies blended to order.

Expert Sushi Chefs create authentic Japanese Sushi and Sashimi to tempt your taste buds at the Ginger & Co Sushi Bar. The dishes combine simplicity, fresh produce, creativity and unique flavours to provide the perfect light lunch or afternoon snack by the pool.

Guests of The Spa can also enjoy delicious and healthy food, juices and smoothies from the wellness menu.

So, what are you waiting for?

For more information and to book your stay at the 5 star, all inclusive, luxury Buccament Bay Resort in St Vincent & The Grenadines, please click here.

Here are some new photos of the first plane in the Harlequin Air fleet, which were taken in its new home of St Lucia! Keep an eye out for her neighbours…

To read more about Harlequin Air, please take a look at our past three blog posts here and here. To read them in chronological order, go through the links from left-to-right.