So, I’m team leader of my group and our line manager has suggested that I organise a team building exercise as an offsite conference. This all sounds pretty straight forward right? Wrong! If any of you have ever tried to organise a small event with limited funds in a short time, you will have some sympathy for me. The Bracknell area within Berkshire is renowned for its business industry, lets face it, its not high on the sightseeing towns of Britain, you win some you lose some hey Bracknell! Saying that it does have a large array of delightful Conferencing Venues in and around the town centre, and despite Bracknell not being the most beautiful of towns it is fortunate enough to be surrounded by beautiful rolling Berkshire countryside.
Anyway back to my dilemma, so I need a venue, in close proximity to the town centre for travel purposes yet far enough away so it felt like a day out, not another day stuck in an air-conditioned box with pristine white walls, artificial lighting which gives one a headache after a few hours all accompanied by run of the mill tea and coffee and mass produced pastries. As pleasant as that all sounds, I was looking for something a little different, a little out there! After half a morning on the phone, talking to some of the most highly recommended Conference Venues in Bracknell I was starting to get the impression that there was no Global Financial Crisis, and that businesses out there genuinely did not want my custom. Was it me? Was I not letting my needs be known in the correct manor? Was I now one of the uncool kids in the grown up world of conference organising where no one wanted to share their lunch with me? Simply, and thankfully, NO! I took a break, had some (decent) coffee and thought perseverance is the key! What i was looking for had to be out there, right? And it was! Hooray! Tucked under what seemed to be a magic mushroom in a fantasy world was a surprisingly wondrous venue called Stirrups Country House Hotel. With its delightful charm and quaint settings, what more could you ask for. Later on, after being so impressed that i had found this, for want of a better word, wonderland, i did some research to find out that it is family owned and loved, and it really does show!
