Re-connecting to Londoners at the Marie Curie Great Daffodil Appeal

Struggling onto the tube every morning, I witness some of the worst in human behaviour. Survival of the fittest reigns supreme as several million people battle for breathing space on their way to work. Experiencing such a harsh environment on a daily basis, it’s little wonder that I sometimes feel alienated from my neighbours. In a bid to re-connect to a more giving side of my fellow Londoners, I signed up for a stint of volunteering at the Marie Curie Great Daffodil Appeal.

Daffodils in close up in the sunshine

Zaphad1 Close up of daffodils in sunshine

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Random Acts of Kindness Day: 5 tips to help spread the love in your office

On Random Acts of Kindness Day – we ask has your workplace lost the love? If the atmosphere’s been a little fraught of late, here’s an opportunity to reach out and spread the love. Often, it’s the smallest acts of kindness that make the biggest impact.  Our top 5 tips will help soothe cranky colleagues and transform petty squabbles.  And may even create a group hug-in at your next team meeting.

mug with a happy face on a desk

Glen Wright Mug with a happy face on an office worker’s desk

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My top Office Breaks of 2017

As another year in the capital whizzes by at lightning speed, we take a moment to pause and reflect on some of the top Office Break outings of 2017.  From submerging myself in a floatation tank to exploring the foothills of the Himalayas, it’s been an action-packed year full of adventure.

approach to Annapurna base camp on the Annapurna Sanctuary trek

Annapurna sanctuary trek in Nepal

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Annual leave: 5 reasons to swap the beach holiday for adventure this summer

“Wouldn’t you prefer two weeks lying on the beach?” exclaimed my bemused work colleague on hearing that I had signed up to a two week trek to Nepal.  Sipping cocktails while sinking my toes into warm sand versus slogging up mountains for days on end. It would seem he had a point.  But deep down, I know that a beach holiday can never compare to the exhilaration of an adventure holiday.  If you fancy shaking up your annual leave, here’s my top 5 reasons why you should swap the beach holiday for adventure this year.

empty beach loungers in Varadero Cuba

Rob Empty beach sun loungers, Cuba

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The top Office Breaks of 2016 revealed

As 2017 kicks in, we look back on another year of office breaks.  From a day trip to the end of the world to bank holiday weekends in Bavaria and Bohemia; it’s been an action packed year.  We share with you a few of our favourite memories which hopefully may inspire your own breaks out of the office during 2017.

The view from Freiburg Cathedral onto the main square

Views from Freiburg Cathedral

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Office romance: high risk strategy or the path to lasting love?

As Valentine’s Day returns, office romances are thriving with nearly 40% of
office workers finding love between the spreadsheets. This is just one of many
fascinating vital statistics revealed in CareerBuilder’s Office Romance survey.
A high-risk career strategy or the path to everlasting love?  We reveal all………

close up of loveheart sweets on a wall - office romance - the path to everlasting love

Sha Office romance

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Top Office Breaks of 2015

With another working year whizzing by in the blink of an eye, it’s time to reflect on our top Office Breaks of 2015.  From a night in a nunnery to climbing North Africa’s highest mountain, it’s been an exciting year for forays out of the office. If you’re seeking new and memorable experiences to shake up your working weeks, read on for inspiration.

Stanbrook Abbey nun in a helmet

Office Breaks Stanbrook Abbey

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Mini break to the Beltane Fire Festival

As daylight commutes, lunch breaks al-fresco and post-work Pimms make a welcome return, we’ve finally made it through winter. But while we’re dusting off our sandals down south, in the harsher Scottish climes where winters are frequently a feat of endurance, spring is celebrated with far more pomp and ceremony.   Edinburgh’s Beltane Fire Festival is a mystical night of Pagan pageantry crammed with stirring twilight creatures, fire dancers, flame throwers and giant, glowing toadstools.

May Queen at the Beltane Festival, Edinburgh

Daniel Rannoch Beltane Fire Festival 2013

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An office worker’s guide to urban foraging

Best-loved for lunch break picnics, London’s parks provide the ideal summertime escape for sun-starved office workers.   But while we’re lolling around tucking into offerings from Itsu, we remain blissfully unaware of the vast array of sustenance sprouting up all around us. Intrigued by the current vogue for wild ingredients, I jumped on the foraging bandwagon and headed to Clissold Park to see what I could rustle up for my own lacklustre lunches.

foraging guide holding a plant

Office Breaks urban foraging

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Day trip to Bath Christmas market

Offering over one hundred and eighty stalls nestled against the spectacular backdrop of Bath Abbey, Bath Christmas market offers a huge range of locally-crafted items as well as indulgent regional delicacies and West Country tipples to mellow even the most hardened office humbug.

Bath Christmas market stalls at night

Office Breaks Bath Christmas market

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