Tea party

We were all just a bit distracted, knowing it was J's last day and that we had an afternoon tea to prepare in stealth in an open plan office. Amazingly, J didn't have a clue what we were up to! She didn't suspect my copious amounts of bags as I always have a lot of tote bags around me. She thought we were all tied up waiting for the printer as we had been experiencing a lot of printer problems. So, when I suggested we go for a cup of tea, she was completely taken by surprise by the tea party in the meeting room. Success!

The bosses went straight for the scones first – eek! Luckily, they passed muster and someone even asked for the recipe. I won't apply to Bake Off just yet, though.

J was given a trio of leaving speeches and she loved her gifts. We retired to Retro Bar for drinks and Fred came to join us. I discovered a colleague in another department who lives on the next street to me and an editor who has just joined the team also lives in West Norwood. We enjoyed a blether about local things.

I'm sad to see J go, but excited about the adventures that await her back home in Leeds. She's done it and escaped London. All my paws are crossed that all goes well for her.

Thank you to S for taking the photo – I was too busy pouring tea for J.