www.theblisspages.com - oxford 2009

oxford 2009

I recently attended a team-building event in Oxford at the Four Pillars Oxford Spires Hotel.

A veil of secrecy shrouded the event, so we did not know what to expect.

Emails on dress code were sent out, including one with these pictures from theblisspages, showing smart casual, casual and very casual.

I thought it would be too exhausting going there in the morning – as the journey would be over four hours, so went straight from work on Tuesday. I had pre-booked a massage at Willows spa, and thoroughly enjoyed it, though a massage without aromatherapy oils is like a steak without a nice glass of wine. I felt as though one of my senses had been taken away.

At least with no oils to wash off, I need not feel guilty about going for a swim and jacussi – I also swam on Wednesday morning and evening, also taking advantage of the sauna and steam room. The water was very warm and I really enjoyed myself – I must go more often.

Afterwards, I went down to the restaurant for a meal, wild mushroom and asparagus in puff pastry with a glass of Viognier, followed by a delicious Chicken Supreme with an Argentinian Malbec.

For dessert I had apricot and frangipan tart.

A long soak in the bath finished off my sybaritic evening.

After a broken night's sleep, I was up early, and after my morning swim, I met some colleagues for breakfast, before going to the meeting room.

The tables held an assortment of objects, including toilet paper and musical pipes (Boomwhackers). The morning broke the ice, with some interesting exercises.

In the afternoon, we were split into teams and given a project. I won't go into details, as I don't want to ruin it for anyone who stumbles across this article, but it culminated in this video (8Mb). Everyone really enjoyed this afternoon.

In the evening, the dinner was themed as a televised game show, with spoofs of Who Wants to be a Millionaire, Deal or no Deal and The Weakest Link (The Evil Wink).

Lowlight of the evening must have been my rendition of Like a Virgin in a wig, but my team won the chocolates and champagne, so it was all worthwhile.

The next morning, we were issued with a rucksack for The Italian Job. This turned out to be a navigational rally. On enquiring who on my team could read maps, we soon realised it was just me – and I was the driver. It was not easy to open a huge Ordinance Survey map in the cramped confines of a mini.

Suffice it to say that by the end of the rally, Pravin and Mark were reading the map well, but we never found the pub that was our third destination. I stupidly resisted the urge to use the sat-nav I always carry, so we came last but one.

In the afternoon, we attended a talk and tree planting to carbon-offset the team-building event.

We planted two ash trees with some surrounding hazels.

I then cycled to the station and took the train back to Paddington. I was surprised that cycling from Paddington to Victoria took only just over fifteen minutes, so I took an earlier train home than I expected. Overall, it was an interesting and enjoyable event.

Team-building? Well, I don't work with many of the people who attended, but I feel I know some of them better, and the nature of my current job (programming websites) means that much of my work is solitary. On many days, the first words I utter are to the canteen staff at lunchtime, and I currently feel very isolated, both in and out of work.

updated Tue 31 Mar '09   give feedback...

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: : © Mike Bliss 2009