Welcome to the summer edition of the Bluesky Bulletin.
In this edition, we recap 2026 so far, welcome the newest member of the team, and reflect on other events coming up this year.
An interesting time for markets
2026 has been a strange year so far. Markets fell sharply in February and March at the onset of the Iran war but recovered their losses in April and May.
Over the last year investments have performed well and delivered robust growth. The recent volatility and subsequent recovery endorse our “sitting tight” approach when markets fall.
While markets won’t always recover from falls as quickly as they have this time, we maintain that a buy-and-hold approach is the right one for long-term investors.
A welcome burst of summer
Summer feels like it has arrived early with all the warm sunshine enjoyed in recent weeks after a particularly wet start to 2026 (rainfall in England was 142% of the average). In fact, England enjoyed its fourth sunniest April on record and the highest ever daily temperature in March (19°C). In recent weeks, England has experienced its hottest-ever May Day on record.
It’s nice to be arriving and leaving the office in the light. The lawns, shrubs, and flowers are looking great, and The Barn is proving to be a very pleasant place for us to work and to welcome you all to.
This editor is particularly intrigued by a book written by a new author called Natasha Pulley:
“It is not summer, England doesn’t have summer, it has continuous autumn with a fortnight’s variation here and there.”
This is taken from a book called The Watchmaker of Filigree Street, which is described as: “A bewitching tale of historical fantasy, magic, love, and a clockwork octopus”.
Any book which mentions a clockwork octopus is one which the editor wants to read!
The quote reminds the editor of how things can seem to never change: markets remain stable, the political outlook looks settled, and your personal life seems on track, but suddenly and without warning, an unforeseen change occurs that affects everything.
The thing to remember is not to panic and not to make hasty decisions (especially if it’s around investment markets).
If you are ever concerned or find yourself worried about changes in personal circumstances or the impact of market events on your financial future, please let us know and we can talk through your concerns and fears.
Bluesky Company Days
As previous staff bulletins have mentioned, each quarter, we hold an offsite day where all the staff get together for a day of company updates and training. These days are invaluable to ensure we take time to reflect on what went well over the previous quarter and consider areas where we can improve.
The day is not all work, and this time Liz devised an excellent collage session with colleagues having to use natural items to create a collage of either the office or “space”. The teams worked well together, and here are some of the better results:
Hello to Alex!
We’d all like to offer a hearty welcome to Alex who joined our client services team at the end of March.
As usual, we’ve asked Alex to introduce himself with a photo and some personal background:
“Hi, I’m Alex, a graduate at Bluesky beginning my career in financial planning. Having grown up and studied in Hampshire, I went on to attend the University of the West of England in Bristol, where I studied Business and Management.
I developed an interest in finance through my studies at university, enjoying the practical nature and application found in financial planning as well as the constantly changing policy and landscape within the financial world.
Outside of work, I have a passion for adventure sports, particularly skiing and cycling. I’ve been fortunate enough to live and work in the French Alps, where I was able to ski every day. Alongside skiing, I’ve completed several long-distance cycling challenges across the world.
In 2022, a friend and I cycled from Amsterdam to Rome, covering around 1,200 miles. That experience inspired us to continue exploring new countries and continents by bike, taking us across Europe, Asia, and most recently South America.
Overall, I am excited to continue learning and growing at Bluesky, and to take on new challenges, both on the bike and in the office as I begin my career.
This is a photo of me at the highest point of the Great Divide which forms part of the Andes in Peru. This is an altitude of 16,372 feet (4,990m).”
Alex has fitted in well within the office and we look forward to seeing his career blossom!
Raising the standards at Bluesky
As we are a highly regulated firm, all our staff undergo monthly continuing professional development (CPD) sessions, and many of our staff members are on the exam trail, gaining valuable knowledge and qualifications that will assist in delivering excellent customer service to you all.
A shout out to our latest exam stars:
- Julie – RO2 (Investment Principles and Risk)
- Alex – RO1 (Regulation and Ethics)
- Jack K – RO1 (Regulation and Ethics), RO2 (Investment Principles and Risk), and RO5 (Financial Protection)
Well done to Julie, Alex, and Jack for passing these exams!
We are also pleased to announce that Jack Thompson has been promoted to be a full-time financial planner and will now be 100% focused on delivering high-quality planning advice to his clients.
Well done to Jack for this well-deserved promotion!
Bluesky and Blanchards Law charity bingo evening
Earlier in May, Bluesky and Blanchards Law organised a bingo evening to raise money for our chosen charities. It was a great night and well attended by staff from both companies.
Bluesky raised £250 for Babies in Buscot Support, which is a Royal Berks hospital-based charity and helps to support babies and their parents who may have extra needs.
Here are some photos of the evening.
We work closely with several firms of local solicitors and evenings like this are a great way for teams to get to know each other.
Resolution dinner
In April, Rob and Jeremy attended the Bucks and Berks Resolution black-tie event. Resolution is an organisation made up of solicitors and other professionals who are committed to the constructive resolution of family disputes.
As specialists in the field of pensions on divorce, all Bluesky financial planners are members of Resolution.
Below is a photo of the evening, held at Windsor Guildhall (which is where King Charles and Queen Camilla were married).
Nick’s trip to God’s own country
In April, Nick made it to the top of Snowdon (or Yr Wyddfa as the editor likes to call it). Weirdly, it wasn’t raining, foggy, or cloudy, and the views were spectacular.
We hope you have enjoyed reading this quarter’s Bluesky Bulletin and look out for our next update in the autumn.
Get in touch
Email info@blueskyifas.co.uk or call us on 01189 876655.