A long lunch break today should be compulsory!

[Kinoulton]

Stuff it. I urge everyone after an iffy weekend of weather to shake off their guilt feelings, shove their pile of work to one side, tell the boss to go suck a zube, and have a proper long lunch break in the rare sunshine today.

I'm off at 12 o'clock to Hornsea beach with the dogs and I ain't rushing back.

It's good for your long-term productivity in any case.

(On the other thread, can we build it into Welfordland's constitution?)

[fleabane]

Excellent idea - but I live too far from the beach! The garden will have to do.

[TigrisLeicesteris]

I was covering PE today, needless to say my t-shirt and short tan has come on a treat.

[fleabane]

What!!!! No factor 50??? No "Slip, slap, slop"??? Honestly!

[TigrisLeicesteris]

I'm usually in a dank, dark science lab, where sun rarely reaches, i did have my sun hat on if that helps, I was suitably hydrated and it was a cracking game of cricket

[Bill W (2)]

What????

You were wearing T shirt and shorts to umpire a game of cricket?

How have standards fallen!!!

[DCat]

Had the day off today - booked weeks ago, so lucky with the weather - went to Birmingham to see the Staffordshire Hoard and lunch in Brindley Place & it was warm enough to sit & eat outside.

Good times!

[TigrisLeicesteris]

Twas a games lesson Bill, unfortunately I wasn't aware we playing cricket until I got in, otherwise I assure you I would of being suitably attired. The boys had their whites on if that goes any way to repairing your faith in PE.

[Purebob]

Working in parts of Europe I have learned to appreciate great lunches.

In Madrid I was working with a very troubled customer yet at lunchtime we went to a nearby tasca for a 2.5 hour lunch with wonderful food, fine wine and bonhomie. Went back to work hard until 6. Amazingly positive effect on a potentially stressful situation.

Similar in Italy and southern Switzerland.

Here we eat boots sandwiches at our desk. Go figure.

[Bill W (2)]

Here we eat boots sandwiches at our desk. Go figure.

I have eaten beef sandwiches that might well have been leather but were advertised as beef. I have never seen a sandwich advertised as containing shoe material.

[Kinoulton]

In France we would all go to the site "restaurant" which genuinely had the ambience of a restaurant rather than a canteen, albeit the food was nice but unfussy. Everyone was there, men in overalls, directors in suits, little chic women in skirt suits... (mmmmmm)

Certainly amongst the management, each individual would buy his/herself one of those small bottles of wine (2 glasses?) to go with their lunch.

The chat would move from topic to topic but if anyone dared to speak about work then they were instantly hauled up by the senior manager present and instructed to go to the counter and buy a full bottle of wine (75cl) which was then shared out between all those at the table.

Productivity in the afternoon was excellent, no one dared mention any dread words like "Health & Safety" or "Alcohol Awareness" and of course, there was a healthy culture of enjoyable, moderate, sociable drinking.

[Purebob]

Kinny that wasn't PSA at Poissy by any chance was it because the circumstance sounds identical !

[Kinoulton]

Kinny that wasn't PSA at Poissy by any chance was it because the circumstance sounds identical !

No it was at Massey Ferguson. Not sure exactly where, but somewhere towards southern Paris near Orly Airport.

Amongst the other stress-busting criteria was that you shook hands with every one of your colleagues when you arrived in the morning and shook hands with them again when you left at night.

It's very hard to get snotty with people knowing that this is sure to happen.

[Bill W (2)]

It's very hard to get snotty with people knowing that this is sure to happen.

I think I could manage it!!!

[Kinoulton]

Vive le diffence!