Dull/good Xmas work parties and meals

[malumbu]

What makes a good outing with colleagues at Xmas?

To be honnest I've probably enjoyed as many as I haven't. Too old now to get seriously drunk and be embarrassing, but it can't just be down to age. I generally enjoy my colleagues company so it isn't a personal thing.

I'd be interested in others' experiences at this time of year.

[Jah Lush]

Glad I don't have to go through that shit anymore. The last few I went to were excruciating.

[nxjen]

Oh my, such pain. Am also glad I don't have to endure them any more or come up with a believable excuse why I couldn't attend.

[Michael Palaeologus]

I get on with my colleagues. We have learnt the lessons of deeply disappointing meals at otherwise good restaurants that try and turn themselves into fast food roast turkey dinner joints during the Christmas period.

So, late morning in the local 'spoons for Secret Santa and drinks, lunch at Pizza Express and then an area booked at the local Corney and Barrow with money behind the bar. I tend to leave before things get too drunken.

[El Pibe]

I survived last night's mostly thanks to the fact that I had to be up at 5 to drive the family to city airport.

But it was actually pretty good, it was in the atrium at the back of the Natural History Museum underneath the big globe thing, food was nice and (must be the age thing as you say) I didn't get wabsnasmed and had a pleasant evening with some folk I'd not met before.

I still shudder at the (hazy) memories of bygone ones though.

[Ladygooner]

We had a lovely party - mainly because I organised it! We had a tour of the BBC where I had the chance to be a weathergirl, then drinks back at the office followed by lovely meal at Union Cafe Marylebone Lane. Delicious steak and lots of pinot grigio.

[steveo]

My annual junket was yesterday

It had a free bar but I still managed to spend a one-er

Perhaps I gave it a blind person

[Jeremy]

We had a team meal, a department-wide piss up, and a company-wide black tie do. I didn't go to any of them this year. There's other things I'd rather do with my evenings.

[Sue]

I just thank God I've retired.

Small dos with just your immediate team - fine. Usually you get on with them, else you would probably have changed jobs.

Large dos with people you would rather gnaw your own limbs off than have to make small talk to - excruciating, especially if they're hard to get out of and especially if you end up sitting next to one of said people.

[????]

This year...Free bar until 1am, free taxi home....I snuck off at 10pm just a bit p1ssed, haven't been arsed with them for quite a few years now......

Back in the day, they were far more raucous with numerous 'incidents' from fights to er, sexual encounters on the boardroom table type shenanigans as the norm and all 'water under the bridge' the next day, whilst I am sure this happens a bit nowadays I don't think it's on the scale of say the 80s and the climate is, I think, more accountability/temperate/'PC'/hauled infront of HR, etc...

[MrBen]

Nothing worse than enforced fun.

But here's another perspective - if you're the boss and don't organise anything you get accused of being tight/miserable.

So you can't win.

[CPFCfan]

I would love to work with/for some of you guys. We haven?t has a Christmas party for 3 years now. In my younger days we had some very lavish nights all on the company

[Jeremy]

A few years back, someone went back to the office after the party and took a shit in the foyer.

They got sacked.

[The Minkey]

A shit in the foyer? Bad Santa.

[MrBen]

In 2006 a really clever guy with a 1st class honours degree came to the company do after being in the job for 1 month, got totally pi$$ed and for some reason dropped his boxers in the foyer of the hotel. In front of the female COO.

He got fired the next morning.

[KidKruger]

Manchester next week 1st class up and down and 5 star accom. Really sound crowd too, very lucky. Have had some dire ones with other firms, one of few times I haven't organised a 'Plan B' !

[????]

A mate of mine wandered the whole length of an office outing coach brazenly with his prick out, couldn't remember any of it and went into work on the Monday wondering why everyone was looking at him like *that*, until he was taken aside and told, didn't lose his job

[steveo]

???? Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> A mate of mine wandered the whole length of an

> office outing coach brazenly with his prick out,

> couldn't remember any of it and went into work on

> the Monday wondering why everyone was looking at

> him like *that*, until he was taken aside and

> told, didn't lose his job

I do that on the DLR

[Michael Palaeologus]

Good fun yesterday. Free breakfast, free lunch, free drinks all evening in Corney and Barrow. Made it back home with no damage but a red wine soaked shirt.

[KalamityKel]

Was the shirt yours?

[Annette Curtain]

After reading this thread, I decided to give those who work with us the cash instead

It's gone down rather well.

[Otta]

When I was younger and worked in the private sector for a bit, I went to a couple of great bashes, where loads of free booze was laid on, and it was a good laugh (this was up in Liverpool).

Since 2002 I've worked in London in the public sector, and it's always team meals. I hate them and haven't been to one in years.

Last Friday 5 of us that know each other and get on well, but who all work in different teams got together and had a few beers after work. Give me that over a team dinner anytime!

[KidKruger]

4/10 for the beers and food at Tiger Tiger in Manchester, 8/10 for the chats and company from my work.

But then from 1100-1430 at the Churchill gay club down by the canal (probably one of dozens) it's 8/10 for venue and the crack we had there. 2x guys from my work pulled there too. Amazing Pakistani kebab place behind hotel, was perfecto and probably enabled me to be in my work by 0845.

Definitely one of the better years, when it looks iffy I usually just don't bother.