This year I decided to celebrate the Christmas season by holding a staff party for Cowboys & Custard.
The idea for my Cowboys & Custard business was born on January 1st 2007 on a long rural walk to blow away the cobwebs and start the New Year with renewed vigour and inspiration. I had spent the previous couple of years in a state of limbo brought about by both my parents passing away during that time..
I was determined to pick myself up and dust myself off and get on with life and try to put some of the trauma behind me..
I am a firm believer in something good to be found in adversity and so felt that this new rush of inspiration was due and I was rearing to get on with life!
Yesterday I celebrated the near anniversary of my Cowboys & Custard enterprise by holding a staff meal at a local country inn.
The guest list comprised of.. Managing Director, Creative Director, Chief Administrator, Accountant, Sales Manager and chauffeur... in short... just me and my beloved!
'Me' being the bulk of the staff as I am very much a one man band.. and my beloved the long suffering but loyal chauffeur.
My darling son.. Company critic.. was staying with a friend for the day so did not join the celebration.
We got to the inn early expecting a rush of customers and local walkers who usually descend on the pub for a hearty Sunday lunch. Having arrived 10 minutes early.. we shuffled our feet outside waiting for the door to open and longingly stared at the fire roaring inside..
Being the first in we headed for our favourite table near the fire ...
..ordered our drinks... my occasional tipple .. Guinness being my chosen drink.
Then we scoured the menu and I decided on a very traditional Christmas Fayre ....Chicken Satay in Naan! My chauffeur choosing his usual Sunday diet of roast beef dinner!
It was scrumptious as the food always is at this particular Inn. 
It was a modest Company party without the usual circus of hopeless inebriation and excrutiating office etiquette and politics.
I am thankful that I have not had to go to one of these obligatory 'does' for some years now having been self- employed for 13 years!
We did however have much fun.
I was even spared the financial ruin of this meal as my beloved paid! Company profits would not stretch that far this year!!! Maybe next year it will be tea at the Ritz for Cowboys & Custard Enterprises! One can but dream!
Monday, 17 December 2007
Cowboys & Custard Company Christmas Party!
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18 comments:
Hi Michele,
Sounds like the perfect company 'do' to me!! Glad you enjoyed a lovely meal out with your company chauffeur!
All the best to you and 'Cowboys and Custard' in 2008 - I hope you get to have tea at the Ritz next year!
Keep warm - so cold this morning,
Niki x
Michele - What a wonderful party! This really tickled me, especially with regards to your chauffeur... my other half always refers to himself as 'Henry, the mild mannered janitor (from Hong Kong Phooey!!?!?!?)... he reckons that if I'm doing my stall and need some help lifting, or printing off work and the printer has a meltdown, or if I have a fizzle and can't do something or other.. then he is there.. with his utility belt and unflappable attitude.
Aren't we lucky to have such faithful employees ;-).... I'd be lost without mine.
Michelle x
Sounds like a lovely lunch and looks like the perfect country pub. I've got my work Christmas 'do' tonight. I never really look forward to it that much. We just go for a meal but the bosses PA always does the seating plan and I always seem to end up next to the most boring person in the office! Hopefully tonight will be better. I'm thinking I should have a 'Nonnie Home' Christmas party too.
It sounds a lot more dignified that the Christmas dos I used to go on when I worked in an office! I feel my employee (Andy, paid in kind!) deserves a bonus this year too - without him I wouldn't have a working printer, have been able to get to my fairs (I can't drive) or been able to stay at home and 'work' on my website! I feel a Pink Green Xmas party is in order - thanks for the idea!
Cathy XX
How wonderful and delicious! Congratulations on a great milestone...and for a dream come true...So very glad and happy for you! ((HUGS))
What an absolutely perfect company dinner. You had a lovely time and that is priceless!
hugs, bj
(Mr. Depp wasn't lurking around anywhere, was he???)
Now that's the kind of "do" that I like - no fuss and spending time with people you want to be with! Plus, you get a lift home!!! Hope you get to go to the Ritz next year, maybe Ragged Roses "do" will be at the next table!
Kimx
Tut tut! The MD fraternizing with the chauffeur...whatever next? :-)
Looks like a super Company Christmas Party to me!
Made me yearn for a Guiness but it's Monday morning here. Not quite the time fro a snip yet! Sounds like the perfect holiday party.
congratulations on almost a year! and the inn looks like a lovely place for a party!
cupcakes christmas party this year will consist of a flask of homemade soup and hunks of stephens home made italian bread - all eaten overlooking the sea with our trusty two hounds running in the sand dunes like looneys!
i am also glad that i do not have an office party to go to x
if you do go somewhere fancy next year maybe the cupcakes gang can come along too!
here's to another crafting year ahead!
tracy x
p.s - thanks for your message - feeling much brighter today xx
p.p.s - thanks for listening x
Hi Michele, I have got the dreaded works do on Friday evening, I wish I could go on one by myself. I would have had the faggots, I was never put off by Brains! I see that pint of Guinness was downed in a thrice, and a nice clean plate, you must have been taught to always finish your meal before you can leave the table? There's some serious meat plates above the fireplace, are they nailed to the wall? I too hope you have loads of luck in 2008 with the Cowboys & Custard enterprise, you deserve to do well. x
Faggots! Faggots! I love faggots! :o)
I feel very hungry now....
Hi Michele, what a great idea, I'll have to suggest that to myself - heehee. Maybe next Christmas we could do an inter-company do for all us one-person outfits who aren't too far away from each other.
Lucy
Sounds like you had a fun Christmas party. Did you do a gift exchange? ;) I really enjoy your pictures and your sense of humor. I think you were right on with your comment about being kindred spirits. I thoroughly enjoy reading your posts, and we do seem to share a lot of the same ideas and tastes.
I posted a comment for you on my post "My Procedure." I really appreciate your very kind words and hope. Hopefully I'll have some good news to post in the next few weeks. :)
I think my comment yesterday got lost somewhere. But what a wonderful party I think I might have one just captain rupert and me, by the fire with crumpets, we might invite K too if his lucky. There are some wonderful pubs in your part of the world we had fun finding them when K and I first got together and shared our weekends between bristol and surrey. Never found the Swan. I cuaght K's stomach bug and have been suffering on the sofa but much better now and very nice to catch up on blogs.
Well, that's why you have been doing the puffing and panting up and down the hill bit!!..to shift that guiness !!!
Well deserved though, may I congratulate you on your succesful business, and hope you go from strength to strength with it, it is a fab craft you do, and do it so well too.
Happy 1st celebrations to you(and your darling staff) by the way is that Nigel Cage on that bench?
love and hugs an stuff, Kath x
What a delightful company party:) Happy Anniversary Cowboys & Custard!! Wishing you lots and lots of continued success in 2008 Michele (and chauffeur!!).
xoxoxox...jenn
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