Thursday was my last day at the RUH. After over 6 years working in the hospital, nearly 4 years in IT, I am leaving for pastures new.

My kind colleagues presented me with an array of leaving gifts including this excellent desk lamp in the design of football stadium floodlights.

Apparently there is also a Leeds United shirt making its way down from Yorkshire to Bath, but a combination of incompetence on LUFC and Royal Mail’s part, has seen it delayed. I was also given the card below, which I think is truly supurb.

After work, we went into town so my colleagues could celebrate the fact I was leaving their lives. We started in the Hop Pole and drank Bath Gem* (aka ‘rabbit beer’). This was followed up by a trip to Nandos and the cinema where we watched Avatar in 3D.

Avatar is 3 hours long and I have a short attention span, so things could have gone wrong. However, despite being the leader of the Conservative Party, director James Cameron found the time to do an excellent job and I was able to enjoy the film, without the need to go for a walk or even get my iPhone out.

The movie must have impressed the majority of the audience, as a large amount of those in the cinema thought it necessary to break into applause come the end credits. Something I found rather bizarre and unnecessary. I even emailed Radio 1’s Scott Mills to see if he shared my views on the peculiar behaviour. Sounds like he did.

After escaping from the cinema and the clapping weirdos, we went to another pub for further drinks. After some Fosters, a game of pool and a dance to the Spice Girls, we were asked to leave. I don’t think we offended the landlord, more so that it was late and he wanted his bed.

We made it to another pub and a kebab shop before Karl called his devoted wife to leave the warmth of her bed and come into a subzero Bath to collect us all at 1.30am. Gina – you’re a legend.

I am now off work until the start of January although will probably make a brief return to my old office on Tuesday for ‘Secret Santa’ and a lunchtime takeaway.

* the original link has now been removed, although the page is available on Archive.org