Men in uniform

I've organised our staff party for several years now. We used to go somewhere, but the cost of that has risen so far, we decided to stay in this year. Meaning using our garage/cleaning area/canteen. And the thing that would be easiest would be a barbecue. We had done it before, both in our former workplace (across the road) and our current workplace, so we knew it was feasible.

I got the food and drink sorted, some colleagues helped me get the space ready and a bit more homely, after all, it is a huge garage: it could hold two buses, one atop the other. From five o'clock the people started arriving and we had a fantastic time. The soup tasted great and then we started the barbecue.

And then, at six o'clock, the fire alarm started blaring away. The racket it made, just incredible! I phoned the fire brigade to tell them it was false alarm, we were just having a barbecue and then I managed to turn off the noise. I couldn't reset the thing until the smoke had cleared and that wouldn't be until after we had finished. The suggestion by the lady of the fire brigade to move the barbecues outside was a suggestion we obviously ignored: it was around freezing!

A few hours later I got a phonecall from the company's support team. They knew we were having a barbecue and couldn't really care less, but if I could reset the alarm? Of course, I was about to do that anyway, since we were on our desserts by then. I had just rejoined the party, when someone wanted to see the person in charge. Which would be me (for one night only).

It was a fireman! Not in uniform (he wore the same coat as we do, just with a different emblem on his sleeve) and unfortunately a bit advanced in years (I can dream...).

He told me that we hadn't been allowed to have a barbecue, since the space we held it in was designated a garage(!), but then again, the alarm had gone off at 6 and it was now nearing 8.30pm, I don't think he cared that much, he just had to come by to enforce the rules. Ah well, the party was winding down anyway, so we weren't that bothered. I also doubt we will not go ahead with a future barbecue because of this, I think we will just be a bit more cautious!

By 9pm most people were leaving, so the remainder of the people starting clearing and cleaning and by 9.30pm everything was in order again.

The evening had been a succes!!!