Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to Everyone

Today, last year, the ApconiX team were in a pub in Wilmslow enjoying a Christmas dinner.  Sadly, this year we couldn’t but we still had a whale of a time on Teams.

Phumzile Sikakana organised a cracker of a get together and even though we had to share the fun in separate locations we all had a good laugh and shared presents.

Phum had organised a secret Santa.  All the gifts were of £5 value or less.  Being very environmentally aware, everything had to be pre-loved, handmade or in the store cupboard already.  The presents were brilliant, from homemade masks (very appropriate for the time) to homemade cards.  Laughs were had over a tube of haemorrhoid cream and some seriously smelly Lynx.  Chocolates and wine went down a treat as well.

There were some impressive hats being worn – Jane Stewart had the biggest fur hat and Karen Jones the best turkey hat ever. Two party goers were wearing humbug hats – umm wonder what that says about the team???

(Not altogether sure how Kim ended up sat on Julie’s knee – since they were both in different towns at the time.)

The games were fun too.  Everyone (well almost everyone) had sent in baby photos so we could guess who they were.  Kim Rockley and Mike Morton haven’t changed a bit so were really easily to spot.

Tanya Coleman won the baby naming hands down – someone with a self-confessed facial recognition brain.

The final round was the quiz.  Now you know you’re dealing with a serious group of people when the questions asked include “Put these five Spice Girls songs in the correct chronological order” (Mike Morton got that one totally right by the way!) and “Who played Scrooge and Bob Cratchit in the Muppet Christmas Carol?”.

There were also a couple of science-based questions like (seriously) “Give the title of the Ray Bradbury book named after the flash or ignition point of paper originally given in Fahrenheit, in Centigrade” and “What mammal is the closest relative to the rock hyrax” (pictured – but which will not be helpful at all!).

Laurence Bishop won the quiz and as a man who has travelled the world many times in his role as Head of Business Development, has actually met many a rock hyrax.

An excellent end to a difficult year.  Everyone at ApconiX would like to wish everyone out there a very merry Christmas and the happiest of New Years.  We all wish the absolute best for everyone in 2021.