Every year, our department has an away day. This year the venue was described as Windsor. Although we saw nothing of Windsor. We got train to Egham (my first ever visit to Egham...) and then taxi to our hotel, which was De Vere Beaumont Estate. And very nice it was too. The entrance to the old stately home bit is suitably grand.
After being a country seat it became a catholic boarding school, accounting for somewhat over the top war memorial. And now a very extensive hotel with very modern wings. And popular with families as Legoland and Thorpe Park are nearby. There were a lot of kids about.
We duly listened to our lectures on how to grow our work, which generally doesn't actually happen because everyone is too busy working to do all the extra stuff they talk about. We have our inspirational outside speaker who never inspires and in this case delivered the same lectures that some members of our team had heard him role out years ago.
And then we were freed to do a bit of a team bonding exercise, which sounded awful but was actually really good
After doing our various challenges around the grounds, we had drinks reception out front on the huge lawn.
Before dinner in the old chapel. Which was quite lovely. Very good night. Obviously after that there was the hotel bar. Not sure when I called it a night but between 2 and 3 am
So retired to my spacious room at the end of a new wig, which took a long time to reach. They supply maps of the complex. And they are needed. Only downside was that my bedside clock had unaccountably been set for the alarm to go off at 6am. That was not welcome. And I forgot my washbag which housekeeping claimed not to have recovered. Grr.
But overall a very nice Friday night/ Saturday morning!
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