A LOCAL couple's purchases from a popular television shopping channel has inadvertently led to them starring in an advertising campaign to promote one of the channel's features. Jim and Veronica Martin, of 38 Penally Heights, who used to run Tenby's Hildebrand Hotel in Victoria Street for a number of years, are avid shoppers with the QVC shopping channel. The couple were invited to attend one of the channel's garden parties back in April, held at Birmingham's Botanical Gardens. While they were there, Veronica was asked to appear in a photo shoot, with the couple also asked if they would like to join QVC's customer panel, whereby they would get to view and try out products before they went on sale and offer their opinion on them. "As I'm very much into my gadgets and electrical products and with Veronica able to test a number of make-up products, we thought why not, but we had no idea that it would lead to the chance to appear in an advert," said Jim, who is also a keen golfer. A 'phone call from one of QVC's customer relations teams led to a day's filming at the Martins' Penally home, to promote the channel's Q-Cut automated 'phone system. The film crew also shot the couple out and about, making an early morning trip to Somerfield in Tenby and taking a stroll on Penally beach. "It was an enjoyable day and I think Veronica did remarkably well in front of the camera, managing to get considerably more screen time than me and the dog," joked Jim. "It was a very hot day, so the heat was quite intense when they filmed the shot outside our house," continued Veronica. "The film crew were definitely impressed by the surroundings and used the views of Caldey Island and St. Margaret's as a backdrop, which came out really well on camera," she added. The advert featuring the Martins is currently running on QVC shopping channel at the top of every hour.