Posts Tagged ‘musings’

Crispin’s seasonal musing…

Tuesday, April 6th, 2010

Easter has come and chocolate has been savoured. The weather is more clement, the clocks have been altered and the days are longer. My garden is full of flowers and my allotment is less like a farmer’s field. Is this enough to know that spring is sprung?

At Hunstrete House last week we were delivering a course to a group of extremely talented academics considering the role of being Non-Executive Directors on a Board. I was standing gazing out of the window at a “host of golden daffodils” when suddenly a herd of deer came frisking into view. Was this it? Could I believe that spring had arrived?

At that moment Pete appeared looking flushed and happy. “Hi, Pete, where have you been? We’ve been admiring the deer.”

“I was so hot I went to my room and took my thermal underwear off”

At last I knew spring had sprung.

Crispin’s musings…

Wednesday, November 18th, 2009

goat on a lead … on horses, goats and a wriggling box. All in a day’s work at the Royal Veterinary College.

I was really excited about going to deliver a course at the RVC in Hertfordshire last week. Not only was the building beautiful but as I went into the light and airy training room a horse passed by the window followed by a young man carrying a box which was wriggling! I had visions of local headlines “Training stopped as sheep invade room”.

The weather was idyllic, one of those perfect autumn days. Emma joined me (she was observing some new material that we are developing) and commented on how helpful and enthusuatic everyone was. And what lovely interesting people, it’s not often that you have a conversation about the different diseases in cattle! Then just as the session was in full swing, a menagerie passed by – two perfect cavalier King Charles Spaniels with matching owner, more horses, what I hoped was a sheepdog and joy of joys… a goat on a lead!

The training was pretty good as well!

Crispin’s musings…

Wednesday, September 16th, 2009

apricot-jam…on our successful first session with the team at NHS Kent & Medway IM&T last week.

We had never been to deliver a course at this particular location before.

It was a beautiful day filled with late summer sunshine enhancing the lovely countryside. Pete & I soon realized as we drove up the drive that the surrounding landscape was a Kent apple orchard… and pear orchard… and plum orchard. The road went ever-onwards and the buildings in the distance looked like an American mid-west farm house. Eventually we arrived in the car park and walked under trellises of fruiting, delicious apples. I was so tempted to pluck one as they hung down over my head but I feared we might be greeted by “Ah.. so how did you get on with the poisoned apple test?”.

The building was delightful, full of light and air, and the new training for the NHS team was an idyllic combination of depth and laughter. I was told once by a great trainer that a course was only as good as its biscuits. At this course there was home-made jam!

We look forward to our next visit!