After we wore our Christmas knits for National Christmas Jumper Day, the festivities continued well into the night, as we headed out for the Gaunt Francis Cardiff office Christmas Party and Secret Santa exchange. This year, we were treated to Festive Tapas at Bar 44 in Cardiff city centre. The food and drink was delicious and wonderfully authentic.

 

The more adventurous of us then carried on to Zero Degrees for a night cap. Our Secret Santa exchange is a bit of an office legend. We don’t play by the normal rules, and this makes the event all the more exciting. Gifts aren’t given by pulling names out of a hat. Rather, we each bring a gift we have ‘made, grown, found or stolen’ and put them all under our GFAC Christmas tree. The exchange is a party game in itself. Each person opens and gift, one by one in a circle and then the next person can choose to open another gift or steal from the person before! Of course, this leads to a very loud, uncivilised, mutinous gift exchange, with the best gifts (e.g. cheese board) hopping from owner to owner and the dud gifts (e.g. pocket casino) being desperately marketed in the hopes that someone will steal it and they’ll get another chance at opening a gift. The theme brings out all sorts of creative offerings. Among the gifts this year, we had handmade jewellery, a jar of home-pickled onions, flavourful infused oils and extracts, marrow chutney, home-brewed strawberry vodka, homemade Christmas brownies, biscuits, cookies and shortbread, and mars bar infused rum. After all of the gifts have been given, hidden, stolen and thrust upon others, everyone must then try to reconcile! Luckily we managed over a few drinks! Below are a few photographs of the party- enjoy!

From all of us at Gaunt Francis Architects, at both the London and Cardiff branches, we wish you the most wonderful Christmas celebrations and winter festivities, and a very happy New Year. See you in 2016!