As we dive deeper into 2023, here is your next instalment of our ‘5 to 9’ team update!
With a name inspired by the things we have been doing outside of working hours, here you will find plenty of social activities, team achievements and personal touches. This ‘5 to 9’ post is shared by guest blogger Tom!
The sun came out, which as we know at boosst HQ means we get to enjoy the amazing surroundings we are lucky enough to have. This year, like those before, saw the return of many of our feathered friends, who choose our lake to raise their young, under our ever watchful eyes.
Always keen to practice what we preach, the boosst team can definitely be accused of attacking their bucket list’s with the same vigour we ask clients to. Perfectly demonstrating this – Riah and Harry flew off to Japan, where they visited Tokyo, Kyoto, Hiroshima and Osaka and even managed to squeeze in a day trip to Mount Fuji, where they were blessed with a clear day to see the snowy peak!
They were as amazed by the stark contrast between old tradition and new culture as they were by the sheer volume of people. Their best memories of the trip were of course Mount Fuji, visiting Universal Studios and sampling many of the culinary delights Japan has to offer.
Suspiciously, holidays all appeared to fall in line with the Milton Keynes Marathon relay, leaving the boosst relay team a tad thin on the ground! Fortunately, Josh’s multitasking prowess proved invaluable as always, seeing him take part in the relay and the half marathon simultaneously, and with the help of Simon too, the race was completed in 4 hours 19 minutes (and 20 seconds!) And medals were claimed once more. Safe to say Josh and Jennie will be monitoring the holiday requests very closely next year.
At the same time, many a mile away and across several oceans, Alice and I were enjoying a morning cycle around Mount Batur, one of Bali’s active volcanoes as part of our adventure holiday exploring several of Indonesia’s beautiful islands.
After much training and fund raising, Nick and I set off attacking our charity challenge of conquering 24 different 3,000ft peaks in the Lake District within 24 hours! Leaving straight from the office and driving for 5 hours, sense evaded us so we set off into the dark wilderness at 1am, summiting the first peak by 3am!
All did not go as planned unfortunately and we were forced to abandon the attempt 15 miles in, due to injury. Whilst we were both gutted not to have beaten the physical challenge, we were both hugely pleased to have smashed our fundraising target of £500, raising a total of £922, which was donated to Battersea Dogs and Cats home.
As you all no doubt know, no wedding is complete without a worthwhile final send off in the shape of Hen and Stag Do’s and the Butten/Houseman wedding was certainly no different!
First to be whisked away to ‘destination unknown’ was Gabby, who’s bridal team successfully kept her in the dark, issuing minimal packing guidance, until arriving at the airport, where she was informed that a spell in sunny Ibiza awaited her! Safe to say she was thrilled and played the part of Bride-to-be successfully the entire trip.
Next up was Josh’s turn, and with a team of groomsmen and best man (and dare I suggest some input from the father of the Groom, Mr Keith Butten!) he found himself (after some logistical challenges) arriving in Croatia, where a fun packed time in the sun was had by all!
Jennie and Nick finally got the opportunity to enjoy their honeymoon, which was originally cancelled due to Covid! They knew they’d found the perfect location originally, so stuck with that choice – and boy were they pleased they did!
10 glorious days on the island of Rhodes, soaking up the sun and paddling in their private infinite pool (except for the one day climbing up to the Acropolis in Lindos, which was a warm one for sure, but worth it for the view!).
Our Nick was clearly envious of Jennie’s fun in the sun and set off on his own holiday to Rhodes with his wife Martina, shortly after Jennie had returned. A key difference however was that Nick elected to spend time amidst the energy of 5 nieces and nephews over the relaxation of a private pool!
Whilst Nick was basking in the Greek sun, Josh, Gabby, Riah, Mel and I found our own sweltering heat in Manchester for the annual NextGen Planners conference. This is a gathering of likeminded professionals from across the UK, that share and support each other and strive to develop the profession we all love so much.
We took the opportunity to sample the evening delights that Manchester has to offer, enjoying a great meal out and a few rounds of ‘Junkyard Golf’, which many of us discovered is harder than we first anticipated!
Being such a close team, we felt it wouldn’t be right to see Gabby and Josh off into wedded harmony, without a second set of Stag and Hen dos. This time Josh found himself on a train to London to partake in many a sports based activity, before returning to Milton Keynes in time to see none other than Muse play live at the Milton Keynes bowl.
Gabby was treated to the joys of an evening candle making with the girls of the boosst team, who all now face the challenge of whether to sacrifice the gorgeous hand poured candles they made, to enjoy the amazing aroma’s!
With the biggest social event of the boosst calendar, the big Butten/Houseman wedding rapidly approaching, it has been all hands on deck to ready the grounds. By ‘all hands on deck’, I actually mean ‘in the lake’ after a mixture of willingness, sweet talking and flat out food-based bribery. Many of the team have found themselves knee, neck and nose deep in pond weed recently. The things we do for love!
Never one to miss out on a good pond weeding, blushing bride-to-be Gabby happily donned her waders, braved all manner of slimy things and weather challenges, to prune the lake into a scenery worthy ‘Hello’ magazine wedding shoot!
It’s safe to say as ever that the boosst bunch have been busy making their ‘5 to 9’ count!
As always, we look forward to hearing how you are all spending your ‘5 to 9’ and we may even pinch an idea or two for ourselves!
Take care, stay well and see you soon!
Tom