Kitsch or Treat?

Probably the most twee Halloween window display ever. In a small shop in Leatherhead. Well there are no big shops in Leatherhead even including Sainsbury's, comparatively speaking. It's like a model village in many respects.

This year on Halloween we have a staff leaving do. I hope to persuade everyone to come dressed the part and give our victim  colleague a scarily good send off. We also had a discussion about this year's pot luck event, when we all bring in food to share during the week leading up to Christmas. Last year we did a seventies food party - you know, cheese and pineapple on a stick, brandy snaps etc. This year I fancy a Victorian food theme or something that goes with the austerity of the time - a world war 2 rationed Christmas perhaps...

I have worked in this place for ten years and people have always assured me that there are Kingfishers to be seen on the river Mole, but I have never seen one - until this morning, when I was walking over the bridge and one flashed past, following the course of the river upstream. And there was a diminutive heron, a juvenile, paddling with the ducks like a billy no mates. 

Sat in The Blue Cafe and had scrambled eggs and latte before going into the office - all part of the "take it easy" regime. Caught up with some personal stuff on my laptop. Important to start the day in a good place.

This afternoon we had a couple of hours of team development accompanied by far too much cake and pastries. TSM made some wicked rock cakes. Mary Berry would have been proud of them. The topic of the workshop was how we would lead and support the NHS through its next phase of change. Then a busy hour back in the office before heading home .

Tonight was a momentous occasion: Dylan's buster collar came off. He is like a new cat and happily preening himself. So pleased for him. It's been a long few weeks since the fateful day of his injury...