The Office has Voted.... Again!

After the popularity of last week's office vote for our favourite celebrity hotties, we decided to repeat the fun again this week. And in celebration of the opening of the Olympic Games in London last Friday, this week's theme is sports related - we've all picked our favourite sports personalities (although I don't think we based our choices on 'personality'.....)

I've also added the team's commentary on why we picked who we did - a little insight into my office colleagues methinks... :)

 (Clockwise, from top left)

US Soccer Player, Alex Morgan picked by Jason, who had the following to say on the matter: 'After careful consideration and sticking only with Olympic athletes I have selected Alex Morgan. Jessica Ennis gets the GB vote and nearly took the overall honours.'

Brazilian synchronised swimmers, Bia and Bianca Feres selected by Christian John – 'They are twins so it would be wrong to separate them.'

Cyclist Peter Sagan, chosen by Lindsay - 'Having spent the last 3 weeks being introduced to the Tour de France I now have a bit of a crush on Peter Sagan and Bradley Wiggins. I’ve chosen Peter even though he’s far too young and I don’t think he speaks any English (or maybe because he doesn’t speak any English, but he’s definitely too young)…'

Cricketer Freddie Flintoff picked by Annie - 'Right, this has been very tricky indeed!!! So I’ve spent long, long minutes staring at lots of beauties, but have eventually decided to go with my very favourite, boy-next-door, sportsman crush… And yes, it’s Freddie Flintoff………… not quite the muscles of Mr Lawton below, but cute none the less!!!! Yum.'

Tennis player Maria Sharapova selected by Nick - He never provided a reason why he picked her - perhaps it was for her brains.

Aussie Rugby League player Kayne Lawton picked by me of course - 'Yes, he’s only about 12 years old, but wow!!!'

So there you have it, another successful week of office frivolities!

Photo of the Day - Tuesday 31st July 2012

Cirencester is a squeaky clean town and it's quite unusual to come across graffiti, but being the industrious individual that I am, I've managed to find some! Some of it is pretty impressive actually but I reckon Banksy is probably safe for now ;)

Photo of the Day - Monday 30th July 2012

Finding original weekday photographs is definitely getting more difficult, as things can all be a little repetitive during the working week. Fortunately I work with a gang of awesome boys that don't mind posing for various random photographs like this one!

Photo of the Day - Sunday 29th July 2012

Had a fantastic lunch with the girls today at the Fleece Hotel. Fabulous company, delicious food, amazing desserts and copious amounts of wine... This is what lazy summer days are all about! :)

It's Hot, Hot, Hot!!

The British summer of 2012 has been spectacularly wet, but it’s not been a complete wash out, partly because I've had these latest perfect little pleasures to keep me warm and happy:

1. Hanging out in London’s Amazing Museums – If you’re stuck for something to do, hit London’s Exhibition Road, where the V&A, Science and Natural History Museums are all in close proximity. They are fabulous and free, so it would be rude not to!

2. The New Blackberry Curve – I recently got this phone for work. It’s taken me a while to get used to as I have a touch type phone, but it’s definitely growing on me.

3. Waitrose Essentials Body Wash Range – This is an awesome range of products from Waitrose – they’re reasonably priced and have some delicious scents including ginger & clementine, cinnamon, olive & jojoba and camomile.

4. Embracing the Italian Lifestyle and sneaking out for a coffee and a catch up during the working day. Cirencester has loads of great independent cafés to choose from.

5. Celebrating with champagne – twice this month! Firstly with my best friend from my school days who was in London for a few days on business and secondly with a university friend for her engagement/ leaving party - who has now jetted off to Jakarta!

6. We are the People – this fabulous song from the Australian electronic duo Empire of the Sun is pretty much on repeat in the office at the moment. It’s the perfect summer tune in my humble opinion!

7. Homemade Soups – Recently I’ve got into making my own soups for lunch. There are some great recipes out there – I particularly like blended soups. Have a look at the BBC's website for some inspiration including this super tasty carrot & coriander soup.

8. Kayaking – This is a great way to wind down at the end of the day. I love spending the evening out on the water, watching the sun set over the lakes. (Image from dreamstime)

9. Dr. Irena Eris Skin Care Range – A good friend bought me a selection of the face creams as a gift and they are brilliant.

10. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez – This is the next book to read on my 100 Must Read Books list. I’m about 40 pages in and loving the book already. It’s pretty magical.

What are your perfect little pleasures right now?

Photo of the Day - Saturday 28th July 2012

Once every six months or so, my ex-boss and I catch up for a spot of shopping and lunch in Cheltenham. It was great to see her today! We also discovered that Huffkins has opened up a branch in the town centre which is very exciting. When I used to work just outside of Oxford, Huffkins was one of the best (and only!) deli's in the area for a tasty lunch or an indulgent sweet treat.

Photo of the Day - Friday 27th July 2012

It's been a stunningly hot week and what better way to end it than with a fabulous Friday afternoon barbeque at work? The company downed tools at about 4.30pm today for some Coronas, food and sunshine. Glorious!

Photo of the Day - Thursday 26th July 2012

This evening at a friend's house, the discussion of summer holidays came up, which led to us comparing the various levels of skin tone we are all sporting, from brown right through to translucent. This is the result!

Word of the Week

Pertinacious

(Adj.)

Holding firmly to an opinion or a course of action

Synonyms: dogged - persistent - stubborn - obstinate - tenacious

 “She would offer them to people with her politely pertinacious manner and upper-middle-class accent and invariably had good sales.”

image from dreamstime

Photo of the Day - Wednesday 25th July 2012

It's a 'box office hit' for today's photo of the day ;)

A ton of boxes turned up at work for a project that's currently underway. Who would have thought how much joy they would bring to my colleagues!? (I couldn't pick just one photograph either as they were all funny!)

*Caveat - we are a very hard working office... work hard, play hard and all that!

Wuthering Heights (Emily Bronte)

The '100 Must Read Books' challenge continues! The latest book I've just finished is the brilliant Wuthering Heights.

What it’s About:

Set in the early 1800s to the backdrop of the desolate Yorkshire moors, it tells the tale of the fanatical love between Catherine Earnshaw and the orphan Heathcliff. Theirs is a love that is destined to fail, destroying not just them but all those around them.

Why Read it:

This is the only published novel by Emily Bronte. Be prepared for a dark read, as Wuthering Heights has more than its share of wicked characters. Add to this some brilliant passages about the stark, wintry countryside and you have the recipe for one finely written, menacing tale.

Favourite Quotes:

“Your cold blood cannot be worked into a fever: your veins are full of ice water; but mine are boiling, and the sight of such chillness makes them dance.”

“Having levelled my palace, don’t erect a hovel and complacently admire your own charity in giving me that for a home.”

“I have not broken your heart – you have broken it; and in breaking it, you have broken mine.”

“I gave him my heart, and he took and pinched it to death; and flung it back to me. People feel with their hearts and since he has destroyed mine, I have not power to feel for him…” 

“… Treachery and violence are spears pointed at both ends: they wound those that resort to them, worse than their enemies.”

Photo of the Day - Tuesday 24th July 2012

Another gloriously hot day in Cirencester - and what better way to celebrate than with Thornton's ice creams courtesy of our kind colleague Winnie? :)

Photo of the Day - Monday 23rd July 2012

Summer has finally arrived in England and on my lunchtime walk, Cecily Hill was looking particularly pretty. This street has serious kerb appeal - I'd love a house here one day. (A girl can dream!)

Photo of the Day - Sunday 22nd July 2012

Introducing my cousin's gorgeous new kitten... She is possibly one of the sweetest cats I have ever met.

Photo of the Day - Saturday 21st July 2012

After a late one in London yesterday, I had a rare lazy day today and it was glorious! I ventured out this evening to visit a friend, and got there just in time to catch the the sun setting over the rooftops.

The Benefit of Hindsight and all that!

It occurred to me the other day whilst looking in the mirror that I really shouldn’t have plucked my eyebrows so thinly when I was younger. If only I’d known then that they’d eventually stop growing back and I’d be left with but a few scraggly tufts of wannabe hair where once there had been beautiful thick, youthful eyebrows. Aah!

This grievous injustice then got me thinking about ALL the other things I wish I’d known at eighteen, which then compelled me to write a post about this!

So here goes; the things I wish I'd known back then:

1. Not everyone you meet in life will have your best interests at heart so be careful whose advice you listen to and whose company you keep.

2. Be tolerant and considerate of other people and their views – you don’t know what they may be going through or what life experiences they have had that have formed their current opinions.

3. Your body is freaking awesome and healthy at eighteen – appreciate it, take care of it and have confidence in yourself. It’s much harder to look as effortlessly good when you hit 30!

4. Whilst love is an awesome thing and should be cherished, never let your love for someone allow you to lose sight of other, equally important things in your life, for example, friends, family, career etc.

5. Set up a pension as soon as you can afford to do so in your twenties.

6. Dance as often as you can, whenever you can and without caring if you look silly. Dancing is good for the soul.

7. Don’t beat yourself up over mistakes. We all make them. Just make sure you learn from them.

8. Everything you read in your twenties about the importance of moisturising your neck is completely true! It’s one of the first areas to show signs of aging when you hit your 30’s. And use sun cream! I wish I had.

9. Think really carefully about what you want study at university and whether career satisfaction or money is the most important motivation for you. Both can be highly relevant!

10. Life is a constant ebb and flow. The bad times pass, as do the good. The secret to happiness is being able to accept both the good with the bad. (*Caveat - I’m still learning how to do this now…)

What do you wish you had known at eighteen?

Image from dreamstime

Photo of the Day - Friday 20th July 2012

With the amount of time I have been spending in London recently, I am starting to think it would be simpler to just move there!

An old university friend invited me to her engagement party in Chiswick this evening. To make the most of the trip, I went up earlier in the day and stopped by at the Museum of Natural History as well as the Science Museum beforehand. Both were fantastic (blog post to follow shortly). It's really impressive that all the major museums and galleries in London are free - they are a wonderful national treasure.

As is becoming a habit - there are two pictures today; the bear is from the Natural History Museum and the techie-looking picture is at the science museum funnily enough ;)

The Office has Voted!

I'm still not entirely sure how it came about that we had an office vote on our top 2 celebrity hotties today. It may have been as a result of our recent Tony Adams celeb spot, or perhaps it was just an attempt to rid ourselves of the dreaded, afternoon 'brain drain' feeling! Needless to say, an email did the rounds within our team (fine, I admit, I started it!!) and we all added photographs of our two favourite sexy celebrities. The comments and hilarity that ensued were quite indescribable. (I think my favourite comment came from my colleague John, who admitted that if he had to pick between meeting his ten favourite celebrities or eating his favourite ten meals, he'd go with the latter!)

As we had such fun, we've decided to make the office vote a weekly occurrence, so keep your eyes peeled for some interesting office polls over the coming weeks!

Anyway, without further ado, here is who we picked:

1 & 2 - picked by me; hence them appearing at the top of the collage! Hugh Jackman and Paul Walker. Planet earth is a little brighter with these two hotties on it! ;)

3 & 4 - picked by Nick (or 'Nikolai' as we refer to him). Elisha Cuthbert & Jessica Alba. Sexy ladies!

5 & 6 - picked by Annie. Ryan Gosling and Freddie Ljungberg - yes indeed!

7 & 8 - picked by Christian John. Keira Knightley & Megan Fox (brunettes rule!)

9 & 10 - picked by Lindsay. Dishy Julian Mcmahon & the lovely Ewan McGregor

11 & 12 - picked by 'Oracle' Jason. The gorgeous Kate Beckinsale & foxy Megan Fox (again - she is popular with the lads!)

So that's it on the frivolous front for this week. Have a good weekend y'all ;)

Who are your 2 favourite sexy celebrities?

Photo of the Day - Thursday 19th July 2012

Lesson of the day - if you're going to turn up for work in a shirt the same colour as a smurf, then don't be surprised if your work colleagues 'find' you some accessories to complete the transformation!

First the UPS uniform, now this...I almost can't wait to see what we come up with next!

Photo of the Day - Wednesday 18th July 2012

What started off as a 'Groundhog Day' lunchtime walk around Cirencester, turned into a very exciting afternoon with a celeb spot of Arsenal football legend Tony Adams!

After 5 minutes stalking the poor fellow while he waited to park his Mini, I then practically leapt out on him as he was paying for his car parking. He was very friendly and even agreed to pose for a photo with my ruffian work colleagues - cue today's rather fabulous photo of the day :)

To read more about Tony Adams, click on this link

London - Tower Bridge & Southwark

London is a vibrant and sprawling city with an endless list of things to see and do. If you're visiting the city but are limited for time, it's probably a good idea to focus your efforts in a specific area and definitely get yourself a plan of action ready beforehand!

Recently I spent a day and a night in London with an old school friend. We stayed at the Hilton Tower Bridge Hotel which was the perfect base from which to visit several nearby attractions (well, mainly bars, but there was loads to do in the area if we had remained sober long enough to visit the attractions!).

We did however manage to do some sightseeing, including to see the mighty Tower Bridge - one of London's most iconic landmarks - which is currently sporting 3 tonnes of Olympic rings (at a whopping cost of £250k) in celebration of the upcoming Olympic Games.

The Royal Navy ship HMS Belfast is permanently moored just opposite Tower Bridge and you can purchase tickets to tour the ship and learn more about what it was like to live and work on board it during WW2 and beyond.

A little further west, towards Southwark, are yet more attractions including Shakespeare's Globe Theatre and the Tate Modern Art Gallery. We visited the Tate and had an amazing lunch in the top floor restaurant, which boasts panoramic views of the Thames, St. Paul's Cathedral and across London.The restaurant was pricey but the food was beautifully presented and delicious.

As this area follows the meandering River Thames, it feels wonderfully open and spacious, unlike other areas of London which can be cramped and hectic. There is also a path along the majority of the riverfront, with several watering holes along the way, making it an ideal spot to escape the hustle and bustle and enjoy a few sundowners or whiskey chasers.

If you have more time in London than we did, then perhaps also consider a visit to the nearby London Dungeons, or have a few cocktails in the swanky bar in the OXO tower.

What's your favourite part of London?

Photo of the Day - Tuesday 17th July 2012

Granted, little cars have their uses when it comes to parking and fuel efficiency, but the hire car that Harriet has been given whilst her Golf is at the garage is beyond small! Seriously, where the heck are all her shopping bags meant to go after her weekly trip to the mall?!

Photo of the Day - Monday 16th July 2012

The Keep Calm brand is very popular in the UK and there are tons of variations of the famous Keep Calm and Carry On slogan. However, I've never stumbled across this one before, which I spotted in a restaurant window today. Brilliant!

I also came across this blackboard outside the local artists' gallery, which brought a wry grin to my ridiculously pale face as England has hardly seen the sun at all this summer! (After 10 years in the UK I am finally becoming a true Brit as all I seem to do these days is complain about the weather!) ;)

Photo of the Day - Sunday 15th July 2012

I visited Portishead today, which is a sweet little town next to the Bristol channel. The sun was shining for the occasion which was borderline miraculous, as England has had a summer of perpetual rain. I stumbled across this awesome car on my travels.

Word of the Week

Salubrious

(Adj.)

Health-giving; healthy: "salubrious weather".

(of a place) Pleasant; not run-down.

Synonyms:

healthy - wholesome - healthful - salutary - sound

 

 

'Salubrious parts of town.'

'Salubrious air, at least compared with most of south london.'

Photo from dreamstime

Photo of the Day - Saturday 14th July 2012

It's such a shame how quickly time flies when you're having fun! After two wonderful days catching up in London with my BFF, it was time to return to Cirencester this evening :(

Had a fab time though - today's pics are at the hotel we stayed at in Tower Bridge.

Photo of the Day - Friday 13th July 2012

After accidently mixing up the month that my friend was coming over to England from Dubai (it's definitely Friday the 13th!), I ended up making a super last minute trip to London this weekend to see her! She is my best friend from my school days in South Africa and it is always such a treat when we catch up. We had an amazing time drinking, eating, sight seeing and laughing like we were 18 again. Great friendships are a fantastic blessing :)

Photo of the Day - Thursday 12th July 2012

I had a brilliant photo for today, of the general manager having a nap in the car when we were on our way to visit clients! However, I would like to keep my job, so instead I've opted for a photograph of Kemble train station in Cirencester. It's like something out of the 1900's, with it's two tiny platforms. Sometimes it's hard to believe that London is only just over an hour away from here!

Photo of the Day - Wednesday 11th July 2012

And in today's news I successfully completed the final part of the kayaking Starter course this evening! I can paddle forwards, backwards, sideways, manoeuvre around corners, climb in and out of the kayak on the water, stop and capsize (... oh, and crash into river banks and other kayaks).

Next step is becoming an official member of the club and going for a weekly paddle!

Not bad for a girl ;)

Photo of the Day - Tuesday 10th July 2012

Lesson of the day - never turn up to work in a shirt that's the same colour as the UPS uniform.... Otherwise you may find that your colleagues fashion the rest of the UPS uniform for you and then make you pose for photos! (Note the picture on the wall of a genuine UPS delivery person - I think we did quite a good job with the outfit!)

The Fleece Hotel, Cirencester

I've decided to dedicate a section of my blog to new discoveries - this can be a tasty food product, a great clothing shop, a new restaurant, music group etc.... basically anything I have stumbled across recently that I have really liked. So, to kick things off, I'm starting with The Fleece Hotel in Cirencester, where I had lunch today for the first time. It is swiftly becoming my new favourite place to hang out.

The Fleece Hotel is situated centrally in the Market Place in Cirencester, but the first time I noticed it was a few months ago when it was undergoing a complete refurbishment, and even featured in my photo of the day post for the 29th February.

I'm pleased to report it's looking significantly better than it did in February. In fact, it's downright fantastic! On a hot day, the whole front of the bar is opened up, with tables splashing out into the market place giving it a very European feel. There is also a fabulous courtyard out the back of the restaurant and loads of comfortable seating inside if it's rainy (this is England after all!).

Added to this, it has a great food menu, with a focus on responsibly sourced, quality produce. Oh, and the staff are friendly and helpful and know how to make great coffees, which is always a plus!

Whether you're after a venue for a morning coffee, a business lunch, a family meal or after work drinks, The Fleece fits the bill. It's definitely the new place in Cirencester to head to, so give it a go!

Click here for the link to The Fleece's website.

Photo of the Day - Monday 9th July 2012

If I have any more time off work, I may start feeling like a lady of leisure ha ha!

A good friend from my school days in South Africa stayed over last night and we went out for a delicious lunch today at the recently refurbished Fleece hotel in central Cirencester. The food was delicious - I think I may have found a new favourite place to hang out!

Photo of the Day - Sunday 8th July 2012

After a relaxing, pampering spa day this morning, I had a fab evening with a friend who was visiting me from Newquay. We had a chilled night at home, eating, drinking wine, watching television and catching up.

I also came home to a letter from London, which contained an invite to a uni friend's engagement party for next weekend. I've booked my train tickets already as I wouldn't miss it for the world - especially as her and her fiance are moving to Jakarta very soon!