Anyone been on any this year?

Ours was on Friday and was very funny.

Any funny stories that you remember? Care to share?

Ours is this week.
I don't think anyone's going.

We had one last week. I didn't go.
Too much going on in work right now to want to go and be supposedly cheery and merry with people from work.

Mark

I work for myself, so no Christmas do. My secret Santa didn’t work either. I kind of knew what was in the parcel which spoiled the surprise.

I used to get invites to one company’s do, but they don‘t seem to do that any more. I get sent a cake instead (which is preferable to a 400 mile round trip).

Other half’s work does have them, but she really hates going. Last year’s was dreadful, and cost £35 per head for what I understand was poorly served food and crap entertainment to what is supposed to be a post restaurant. The same thing was arranged this year, so she didn’t go. She felt that it was a waste of money which could be better spent elsewhere. I don’t get invited to such things. They sound dreadful.

We’re talking about doing something for ourselves - have our own “works do” to end the year. I think we need to celebrate getting through 2010.

Totally understandable, Paul. Hope you enjoy it.

Mark

Our christmas do was free to attend (£20 for partners) and drinks were placed on the tables. You had to pay at the bar but almost no one went to the bar.

Thanks. I hope you are able to do something for yourself as a reward too.

Ours is on Saturday, but I doubt I will be able to attend.

Delays on our house purchase mean that we will be completing it this week, so we'll have the joy of moving home the week before christmas.

My youngest has already sought assurance from me that Santa will know which house we will be in.

I work with my Mum, Dad and bro, so don't really fancy a do with them.

I miss working for faceless multinationals for this reason only. Office parties used to be fun.

Actually, a lot of things used to be fun.

We have two, effectively. An 'official' wine and nibbles thing on Wednesday afternoon organised by the management. Most people go, eat the nibbles and drink the booze then leave . We have an 'unofficial' one on Thursday evening, which is a meal and then night out to follow. Since I don't drink, I have an hour and a half's drive home and I have to be up early Friday morning to go to the Dentist's, I doubt I'll be staying much longer than the meal TBH.

I somewhat don't get the work christmas do thing though. I see all the people I work with often. Some of them, every single working day. We go out for drinks fairly often anyway. However they're not my family, I'm not buying any of them presents. In the end, you're just being charged over the odds for the meal and all the pubs will be rammed with other groups of work colleagues manifesting enforced jollity. It's really not all that much... fun. In fact it's actually less fun than us going out as a group the rest of the year, when nobody is there because they feel obliged to be. I'll enjoy the socialising and the meal but the whole christmas part doesn't really gel.

(note, this is not a 'bah humbug' thing; I'm perfectly happy to celebrate christmas. Just I do it with my family and personal friends, not the people I work with)

Jon

Self-employed so nothing going on here! I have never been to a work Christmas do and have always felt that I'm missing out.



Same here.

There was a well-done/Christmas do a couple of weeks ago, I was unable to make the meal but took Faye along for drinks after.
My boss had met her before and was introducing her to people, when he came to the CEO he introduced him as "The Big Cheese", the CEO said "No, no, no, I'm much more like a BabyBel, to which Faye then said "What, small, round, and quick?" *puts heads into hands*.

Ours is on Friday, but this is my last day so I'm not going this year. Besides, all these seem to be is an excuse to get p***** (although a lot don't need an excuse), and since I've been there and done that, usually go for the meal, a couple of drinks and that's it (living 30 miles away from work also doesn't help, but it's a good reason not to partake in the p***-up).

Can't say I really miss it - I can split the crowd I work with into two camps - those I like socializing with and those I don't. Unfortunately, when it comes to the Christmas do I don't get the choice.


Cest la vie.

This year, ours is yet to be determined. It will probably be a curry or something, which would be nice.

The last few years it's been a big joint affair with one of our larger dealers. I generally enjoy the meal, but the 80's Disco Hell that goes on after is... hell.


Does that mean it was held at an address where nobody lives..?

I went to the work one last year. TBH it was pretty damned horrific, in particular the food. As it's at the same venue and the people will largely be the same, I'm in no hurry to revisit. To quote a friend of mine when he was told he would be missing out; "I will however also miss a room full of people I hate braying like a slaughterhouse of disabled children while drinking WKD", which pretty much sums it up.