Well, it wasn’t about winning, of course. It was about the taking part.
It was also about having to navigate across country in the dark, on an unfamiliar road with Ben, Clare, a rubbish map and handwritten directions from Maeve. That was the first challenge, or so we thought, but maybe we were just a bit hyped up.
There were 28 of us in the wilds of County Fermanagh, staying in wooden lodges overlooking beautiful, if damp, scenery.
We had a great day and a half and there are numerous highlights that spring to mind.
Who can forget nearly driving off the end of the pier (certainly not Ben and Clare) or John and Chris’ comedy double act at the after party on Friday night? Or Maeve and Janet dancing to The Stone Roses and the Dirty Dancing soundtrack – repeatedly – because they were the only 2 cd’s we brought with us?
Who too can forget Alan and Dawn’s freakishly good none verbal communication skills as demonstrated by their talent for charades? Or four of us lifting sylph like Ben off the seat with only 2 fingers and lots of concentration?
We had a fantastic time and really got to know each other better.
It was great to do the Belbin personality profiling to help us understand each other and what role we all play within team Learning Pool. Great fun, very interesting and spookily accurate. Now we all know why we behave the way we do and how to get the best from each other in the future.
Breda took her first ever driving lesson in a huge jeep through a muddy quarry. A tough call in anyone’s book but especially difficult when you need a booster seat to see out of the window and you’ve never been behind the wheel before. So all credit to her when she had her second lesson an hour later – driving the same jeep, blind folded, through a circuit of cones with tennis balls balanced on top.
That evening, after a lovely Christmas dinner, we all swapped our Secret Santa gifts and oohed and ahhed at the thought our fellow Poolers had put into the gifts given.
And the winning team? It wasn’t us, as it should have been, but the festively titled ‘Seven geeks are laying’ team. Well done to you all, it was a close run thing.
Janet
Tags: Lusty Beg, Belbin, The Stone Roses, charades, Secret Santa, gifts
December 15, 2008 at 4:47 pm |
Of course the best team won!
No mention of Sam’s unique wake up call to his lodge-mates, Andrews archery skills or Clare’s swan dive from a roughly build suspension bridge.
Got to say the Trainers from The Loop were simply brilliant.
December 16, 2008 at 9:11 am |
What can I say the best team won!!!! We had our secret weapon – the all seeing, all magical Alan who excelled at every challenge and helped lead us to victory!! Seriously though, it was a great fun filled time and a fantastic way to get to know everyone better.
December 16, 2008 at 9:58 am |
Our team was great, even though we didn’t win. But I think everyone was a winner at one thing or another anyway (high TW role coming out in me). It was a great event, lots of fun and learning and we certainly got to know each other a lot better!!
I also think Sam’s dancing in the lodge needs a mention as it was fab. It was the funniest thing I have seen in ages. Go Sam, Go Sam…..
Deb and I could hear Mary and Trish laughing downstairs in our lodge during the early hours of the morning, which they later revealed was due to watching a video they had taken of Sam dancing.
Thanks to my secret Santa – great present.
December 16, 2008 at 11:12 am |
I also hear Sam’s wake up call to Paul and Ben was to jump onto their beds singing the the theme tune to Rocky. Glad he wasn’t in our Lodge, Aine might have bopped him with her hair straighteners….
December 16, 2008 at 1:31 pm |
I’ll remember the strange snoring noises my roommate made! Next time I will bring my oscilloscope to analyze them. You know who you are!
December 16, 2008 at 2:59 pm |
Team Busty Leg took pity on everyone and thought we would come last to make everyone feel bette….in the spirit of team building of course! It obviously had nothing to do with Alan destroying us at Charades or my inability to use a bow and arrow….
Great weekend overall though, really enjoyed it!
December 16, 2008 at 4:52 pm |
It was obvious that we were going to win from the start with the impressive geese drawing.
I don’t know about anybody else, but I am still exhausted….. who said staying up until 4am and getting up for a run at 7am was a good idea.
January 4, 2009 at 11:15 pm |
After a very long days work for learning pool, i arrived at rusty beg to find a brilliant crew, some i already new and most i met via ben’s speedy intro. (thanks ben).
thankyou for the invite. i loved the quiz even though the only answers i knew were about my family, good job ive got a relative in learning pool. any videos taken on the nite will soon be posted on u tube,(joke) sam dancing to tiffany is tempting though.
just remember im also available for weddings, barmitsbars, trips to london, new york or just answering phones when you’re off driving blindfolded somewhere in fermanagh. nice one, i wish you all a very prosperous new year.