Christmas Day Challenge

To all the Fine Upstanding Members of the Forum, Good luck on The Challenge that lays before you. The Great Christmas Tuck In.

I finally feel able to report that there is a navigable track through it. It had both its pleasures and its pain; the latter toward the end of the final stage...A peaceful sleep.

A somewhat easy start with nibbles to lubricate the gears and alcohol to lift the octane level the track gradually becoming boisterous on the suspension.

Aired down.

Engaged 4x4 at the main course and needed to shift into diff lock from the dessert section onwards.

Engine began to fade toward the end of the Challenge having run out of gears and revs.

Just over the line had to park up and let everything cool and recover.

Boxing Day.... Made It......Cooled Down, Aired Up and now have to give my Navigator a hand clearing up!


Have a good one everybody and will see you all over the line.

Cheers
Vicar

,

What a plonker, its very easy if you know how.

Got 212 people for Christmas dinner, most being my employees and their families and some of my neighbours from the village with no family, and a couple of my suppliers who would otherwise have been on their own this Christmas.

Opened up the large barn last Monday, wives and girlfriends of employees cleaned it from top to bottom and set up the tables and covered them, and set out the seats.

Tuesday saw 18 barrels of beer (various) arrive from a couple of local micro breweries, and a delivery of wine from various contractors we use, which was more than enough for everyone, must be a popular company then.

Wednesday saw the catering college arrive with their outside catering equipment and set it up, Thursday saw them test it.

Saturday saw the catering college bring their cooks and hospitality staff to run them through everything, and familiarise themselves with the layout, and bring all the ingredients.

Today saw guests arrive from midday, dinner was served at 2 o clock, catering staff excellent and dined with us, and the party is still going on and we are a couple of hours into Boxing Day.

Guess you could say i have took the tyres off my rims, put the vehicle on the rail tracks, and switched cruise control on; easy if you know how.

Why struggle when all you have to do is approach the obstacle with the correct driving style.

And money of course!

Personally, so my little celebration didn't go 'off the rails', I went for the easy option. As I don't like turkey much and couldn't be bothered cooking up a goose, duck or whatever, a few days ago I spotted a large 1kg Beef Goulash "Tesco's Finest" ready meal in the reduced section for £5.00 - great I thought, that'll do nicely.

As it was nearly closing time and me being very Scrooge-like when it comes to the Christmas (I hate the way they hike up prices when they think they can get away with it), I approached a young lad with a ticket gun to ask if it could be reduced again. If you don't ask ...

Well he did - down to £2.00!!! That you very much I told him, that's Christmas dinner sorted. How much did it cost originally? £8.00 - how the hell do they justify that?
Anyway, washed down with a nice bottle of 13% Aussie Shiraz, it was pucker. Even better knowing it was the cheapest Christmas dinner ever!

I ain't no plonker Rodney!!!!!!!!

Actually it cost nothing as the company pays because its offset against tax.

This year has been a very good year for the group, particularly the new geo-division which has just secured two massive foreign contracts in Kuwait and Israel as well as ongoing contracts in India and other European countries.

It all began last year when a friend moved to a local catering and hospitality college, and was fed up of all the big groups using their staff at Christmas, paying them peanuts, and charging the public massive premium prices for the Christmas period; and Christmas is a time they can get a lot of points towards their NVQ's, so we found this solution which benefits us all.

Basically; my employees work hard and contribute to the success of the group as a whole, without such good employees we would not be where we are today, so its a little reward for them, particularly those with families who want to enjoy their day without the long and involved christmas dinner, and in the village where i live we have a number of elderly people without families, or whose families do not extend the spirit of Christmas, so they come as well. I have the space and the families prepare the barn ready for Christmas day, the catering college install their outside catering equipment and provide all the food, all most people have to do is turn up and eat. Its a good way of showing appreciation for their hard work all year, and having a lot of my neighbours round as well, and making a Christmas for those who would normally be forgotten or ignored.

Catering staff join in and have dinner with us, they all get a present from me, and apparently the catering staff who attended last year all wanted to come back this year as they were so well treated. It supports local businesses such as two micro breweries, and the party went on until 3 am this morning. I went down at 7.30 this morning and there were still a number suffering the affects and had fallen asleep in the barn.

My philosophy is "if you can't extend the spirit of goodwill at Christmas, when can you", and make a special day for friends and neighbours otherwise forgotten.

Assassin wrote:

Actually it cost nothing as the company pays because its offset against tax.

Now that's what I call 'inexpensive', even cheaper than my £2 bargain!

Sounds as if you all had a cracking time - excellent!!!

Tom!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I thought you knew my favourite word is FREE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mine too, but I wasn't invited.

I would have invited you Tom, but you would moan about how much fuel you used getting here.

wow, i thought full enjoy!!