Our annual Principals summer party to celebrate our teams and all their hard work took place on the first Saturday in September, at South Avenue Primary School in Kent. Held for the first time under the umbrella of our parent company CH&CO, fortunately there was no need for real umbrellas as the sun had decided to put his hat on after being hidden behind clouds all week.
More than 250 Principals team members and their families joined us for live music, children’s entertainment and a delicious BBQ, superbly manned by our Managing Director Derick Martin, chefs Gary McKechnie and Neil Price and Principals Operations Director Julian Rutherford.
Jane McIntyre (known as Principal’s Mary Berry) had devised an interactive cookie stall which attracted children and adults of all ages and there was plenty to do when everyone had had their fill. Face painting, a carousel, a helter-skelter, Zorb balls, a laser tag maze and circus school kept the children entertained while the young-at-heart could relive their youth with the egg & spoon and sack races. We think the temptation of the champagne prizes might have influenced some of the participants to have a go!
Despite the dry weather, a few members of the team including Derick and Julian, ended up getting a drenching in the stocks from well-aimed water-logged sponges. Who knew our Principals colleagues were such experts in throwing sponges as well as baking them!
A great time was had by all and we’re already plotting who will be put in the stocks next year……