We don't have an external departmental Christmas do any more after nobody wanted to organise it due to the amount of b!tching about the location.

We do however have the free canteen Christmas lunch on Wednesday followed by the departmental Christmas quiz on Thursday, both of which result in extended lunch breaks.
Interestingly, when the financial crisis hadn't kicked in we used to have to pay for the canteen lunch but when the proverbial hit the fan and we had a pay cut we got it for free and they've carried on this year becuase it proved to actually be much more popular. And the food was better as well.

The quiz is actually quite good as everyone brings in food and we have a 2 hour lunch break. Everyone gets on reasonably well so it's usually fairly entertaining.

Only three of us in my office, so doesn't seem much point. Might head to the pub up the road for lunch one day.

The best chrimbo do I had was when I was in a department of two. My boss got some money out of petty cash for the christmas "do".. which actually meant we went down the pub played pool all afternoon (whilst drinking) then on to have a curry. Morale was high for quite a while in his department lol

Unless you get on with the majority of the people you work with, they seem to be (overpriced) rubbish, usually

We haven't had an official Christmas do for the last 4 years, the bosses are too tight to see us enjoying ourselves on their money! The last three years, us "workers" went for a few drinks on the Friday before christmas, but no money came from the bosses - and they say the spirit of Christmas is dead!

This year, December seems to have sneaked up on us, and with one or more people on holiday the last 2 weeks, plus two (quite rightly) disgruntled employees put on 2-day weeks, I doubt they'll be enough people to get even a night down the pub organised.

I used to quite look forward to the Christmas do, but the last few years have been a bit of a damp squid. I don't think I'll miss it this year at all.

As an aside, who thinks they'll be getting a bonus this year? The last few years, we haven't received a Christmas bonus either, and I doubt we'll get one this year. That's despite all the directors getting nice, shiny new company cars this month, and them spending at least £3,000 on champagne for client's Christmas gifts (I saw an invoice lying around for this). Talk about getting your priorities right, eh?

Squib.

Damn smell chequer!

We have a party on Friday - everyone finishes at 12.00 then coaches are laid on to take us to the venue, and coaches to take us back to one of four locations.

We will have a three course meal with equivalent of half a bottle of wine each laid on, with three drinks tokens for the bar, and our departmental directors and managers all have budgets to spend on their credit cards at the bar.

It's fancy dress, and for everyone who gets dressed up the company will donate £10 to a local charity.

Most people go clubbing after the official party (which finishes early-last coach 9.00pm IIRC), which is apparently where the credit card budget usually gets smashed.

Bonus? Give over - I'm a student placement, bottom of the tree, and not there long enough to prove that I'm worth a bonus! I'll just be drinking my way through as much of the company's cash as possible!

I've got my work bash on Friday night. It's the first time I've been in ages and the first time for a hell of a long time when I haven't had to watch my drinking (much) because I am not in work the next day.

The last time I went out deliberately to have a few, all of the attendees were first language Welsh speakers and I didn't get a look in and went home early. The last two times I went out at all, I had work the next day.

So this year, I intend to enjoy myself and get nicely drunk- not completely ratted- and have a good time.

I do recall one time that I did get totally p****d. A colleague was being chatted up by a non-too attractive (even after several drinks) woman and she was on about needing a bit of work done around the house. He palmed her off on me as I used to be in the building trade and I spoke to her for several minutes about installing her shower, hoping that I might get a bit more.

I could see she was fed up and she left me- I was killing myself laughing that I could even scare off a bit of a minger when I was drunk- and my mate only told me about three years later that she actually wanted shelves.

I was rather noisy in there.

Missed the works do, (which was on Saturday, I believe) as Mrs. V wasn't feeling well, (did I mention that we work for the same company?) and am not at all bothered by the fact that I didn't go.

Ours is Thursday evening, as I believe i said. Given the weather forecast it may end up being snowed off. I'm equally blase' about the possibility.