Teambuilding @ RMGS
Let’s set the scene; I’m sitting on a coach parked outside school at 8:00. I’m not just tired, I’m completely exhausted. After just two hours of sleep, and perhaps one too many drinks the night before, I’m drained both physically and mentally. I’m on this coach with all of the support staff from school (which, to generalise, consists of 25 middle aged/older ladies, two middle aged men, myself and Sam). Outside the weather is foreboding, it’s not raining yet but it looks like it won’t be long.
We set off without our team leader - he can’t make it for personal reasons - and are promptly informed that therefore the “teambuilding” aspect of the day is therefore cancelled. When asked whether anyone has any objections on returning later than originally planned, one voice pipes up “Actually yes, some of us have. This isn’t a booze cruise you know!” All eyes turn to the back. People start to mutter “well what are you here for then?”
At Dover we find our ferry has been delayed due to an emergency in Calais. It’s now throwing it down with rain and warning signs flash “Moderate to strong winds in the channel.” I’d anticipated last night that a lack of sleep combined with alcohol and a ferry ride might not have been the best thing, but sensibilities were swiftly forgotten as we moved from pub to pub.
We were now at sea; the Captain described the crossing conditions as “moderate to rough”. Four of us bee-lined for breakfast. Grease would settle my stomach and revive my body surely? Revive yes. Settle no. It was too much for Sam, who disappeared to the toilets after one mouthful. The rest of us ate it all, but even cast-iron-stomached Terry seemed to regret it later.
The rest of the day in Boulogne passed fairly eventlessly. We visited Nausicaa, the French National Sea Experience Centre but our scheduled “free-time” in the town was cut short due to the delayed ferry crossing. The rain didn’t let off all day, and we weren’t exactly “looking forward” to the ferry crossing home.
Despite the Captain forecasting the return ride as “Rather Rough” it did seem to pass better than the trip over. That might have been because no-one dared eat, and most of us kept to soft drinks. (Although it was noticeable which members of staff, or indeed groups of members of staff had spent their free time in bars, and which had not…)
So overall a pretty good day. I’m not sure the “teambuilding” was fully successful, but that was for a variety of reasons I won’t go into here. It did however bring a few of us closer together, and for me helped me to see a different side to a few people.