Well you wouldn’t have thought that the newly opened Center Parcs near Woburn would afford 200 actuaries and pension geeks a good time. But you’d be reckoning without the child within that drives First Actuarial at work and play.

The Pension Plowman and asssorted luminaries of the Pension Play Pen, not to mention youngsters from the Actuarial Sandpit, assembled by coach car and rail for a day of putting the world to rights and a night of getting it all wrong (well the trousers!).

To describe 140 people dancing the 9 pin, splitting the willow and galloping the gay gordons as a Ceilidh , might be going a little far.

To describe my hernia inducing efforts to launch Hilary Space into a ‘flying cradle’ could better be described as foolish than heroic.

But to denigrate the collective endeavour of 200 brave souls to whoop it up on the 10th anniversary of our fine company would be totally churlish!

This really has been a party to end all parties. As we cycled back in the rain to our lodges in the woods sometime earlier this morning, thoughts turned to the impending Treasure Hunts, Archery Contests, Aerial Escapades and Ten Pin Bowling to follow.

And I’m bloody glad I’m taking the train and not driving back this afternoon!

I cannot