On the Fourth Day of Christmas....

....Four Calling Birds

On the 4^th day we had ‘Four Calling Birds’ giving us fabulous Christmas songs, we can’t wait to hear the songs again at the Christmas Party!

No one quite knew how this was going to unfold but we were not disappointed! 

At Southport....

By Kasha Nieciecka
HR

On the 4^th day of Christmas Access Point were treated to a rare Christmas gift!

 People expected their ears to bleed or to go completely deaf, this couldn’t have been further from the truth. 

The girls participating really went over and above and did themselves proud with fantastic Christmas renditions of “Merry Christmas Everyone” and “Silent Night”.

First on the invisible mic we had Sharrona “In a Band” Bryans and Lisa “Liza” Gornelli with the Shaking Stevens classic. I have to say I much preferred the girls version especially the slut drop impersonation of Jeanette and Dale now buying a round for everyone....yes Dale it is now official!

Second on the invisible mic we had Gemma “Pro Singer” Bishop and Sally “Colleen” Rooney with the brilliant version of Silent Night. Who knew this song could get any better????? .

Well it just did people, the opening line was a classic “Silent Night Their song is S**te”. Again Dale has been prompted to get his wallet out so he has no chance of getting out of this one! Keeno and Dom will have to show us their big fish, little fish and a cardboard box so we all know how to rave at the Christmas party.

In the end the voting could not be split so the contest was declared a draw. Both teams put so much effort in to the game that they both deserved to be winners. Due to overwhelming demand the girls have promised to perform at the Christmas party when things could get even more interesting after a few wines....roll on the 20^th!!

At Liverpool....

By Kate Crummey
Support Team

Santa’s little helpers for the day were Frank as Santa (and you could really believe he was real!) and Joanne the Christmas tree much taller than Santa even!

The games for today was Caroloke, Mary and Frank led with their beautiful rendition of a short but ever so sweet Jingle Bells. 

Next up was Kate and Rob with a 'Proper Bo Christmas'. The whole team were so excited they might wee here in Liverpool! A very merry time!!!

Till Roll hamper winner was Simon in Southport well done! And todays Scrap Around the Sack winner was Mary!!! 

Congratulations everyone and here’s 'Five Gold Rings' tomorrow!

On the third day of Christmas my true love gave to me...Three French Hens

Three French Hens

On the 3^rd day of Christmas, Access Point was introduced to some of the strangest turkeys we had ever seen!!

No one quite knew how this was going to unfold but we were not disappointed! 

At Southport....

By Kasha Nieciecka
HR

Richard “Turkey” Hayden kicked off proceedings with a very lifelike impression, we know what Rich was in a previous life!!

Next up we had Jennifer “Turkey” Wainwright who ran around the office like she had been possessed by the Blair witch, I think some people actually felt scared when she sniffed them. 

Jennie “Turkey” Keen was next up and true to form she actually decided to do what turkeys do best and poo all over the shop, the cleaner was disgusted when she came to work last night!

Lesley “Turkey” Sherrington rounded up the craziness with a mad hatter performance that ultimately won her the crown of craziest turkey, I title I know she has longed for since childhood.

Well done to all the participants but I think we all may decided to choose beef or lamb for Christmas this year!!

At Liverpool....


By Kate Crummey 
Support Team

The third day of Christmas brought much joy and laughter to all the good boys and girls in Liverpool! 

Santa’s helpers for the day were Steven Hilton & Kirsty Duncan. Steven showed us he was carrying a full sack (splitting the pants!) while Kirsty was the picture of angelic!
 

The office delighted while the teams went head to head with their Funky Turkey impressions. 

Getting their gobble on  for Team A – we all know he moans like a bird Rob Stewart and ruffling his new downy feathers Mark Baker! 

For Team B, he’s big he’s a red and his feet hang out the bed, Steven ‘Santa’ Hilton & you’ve heard of Tony the Tiger but wait for Tony ‘the turkey’ Graham! 

Rob & Mark went first setting the bar high for Steve & Tony’s version of a turkey being slaughtered?! Close call but by 1 vote Team A stole the show! Well done to Rob & Mark.

Chris was the lucky winner of our “Scrap around the Sack” when his name was announced on the Advent Calendar. No winner for the hamper prize today but the team are working hard to get in there for tomorrow!

We are back tomorrow for Four Calling birds…..

 

On the second day of Christmas my true love gave to me... TWO TURTLE DOVES

Jennie Keen
Shopping Centre Team

... TWO TURTLE DOVES


The Southport office version of events:

The time has arrived and everyone is waiting in anticipation for Santa's little helpers to come down the stairs. As every shouts 'Fatherrrr Chrrrristmas' and bells are ringing, three lovely looking ladies make their way down the stairs - two more chesty that others. Sweets are thrown to the crowd - some thrown at people's heads....

Yesterday was a test of four intelligent, yet competitive minded people.

The teams: Surinder and Steve Vs Tash and Mike. The game: Two Turtle Dove jigsaw puzzle. Easy you think...

3,2,1... Go 

And they're off.... that is everybody else I mean. An uproar of singing starts in the office, 'On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me....' Good ole Rich decides he would like to share his own version of the song, much to everyone's delight. Everyone is excited for Christmas today I see.

As the game goes on, the singing dies down as each team have managed to put 2-3 pieces of the jigsaw together, we're all starting to think we might be here for a while. 

As the game is drawing to an end, and people are desperate to help, Tash and Mike are so close to finishing, but not one to be out done Steve starts shouting 'We've finished, we've finished'. Hilarious. 

The winners: TASH AND MIKE!!

Just like Man U every week - Steve and Surinder lost the points to the other team!!!

Kate Crummey
Support Team

The Liverpool office version of events:

Today’s Santa’s little helpers were Ashley & Tony. Ashley, after having tested the Santa dress following Steve’s stretching it, chose to dress up as a darling Angel while Tony made a jolly old Father Christmas

Ashley & Ali went head to head with Mary and Tony to complete a jigsaw puzzle of what revealed itself to be two turtle doves! It was a very close call with both teams doing extremely well however the Christmas crown was awarded by a Santa’s beard hair to team A – Ashley & Ali

Today’s winner of our “Scrap around the Sack” was Ashley who generously shared her sweets with the team, I did notice however that she didn’t share the wine!  Rob, this time was the lucky winner of the Till Roll Sales Calendar and takes home a bottle of Red, Red wine (or in Rob’s case whine!)

We are back tomorrow for 3 French Hens……

On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me….A Partridge In A Pear Tree

Jenny Wainwright
Till Roll Support

.....A Partridge In A Pear Tree

Today, saw the first of many seasonal activities to be enjoyed for the run up to Christmas here at Access Point.

Our lovely ladies Jacquie and Lesley dressed up as a snowman and a Christmas Tree giving out sweeties to the delight of the staff.  

 

Then it was time for a memory game, Carole, Caron, Cheryl and Victoria tested their brain power, not to mention their tuneful vocal cords, in a memory game, they had to think of a Christmas item during a stroll in the park and sing about a partridge in a pear tree, each team member had to remember the other persons Christmas item and add there own.  

It was down to Carole and Cheryl to win for their teams as everyone else had forgotten or couldn’t stop laughing.  Carole won when Cheryl added to many snowmen to the list.

Next it was time to open the advent Calender where Richard, Frank, Adam S and Jennie K where called to have a 'fumble in the fun box', Jennie was delighted when she got her hands on something huge.....she hasn’t shared any of her lovely chocolates though ;-)

 

We are back tomorrow for 'Two Turtle Doves'

12 Days Of Christmas 2013

Julie Pitson 

Support Manager 

Access Point are always looking for fun ways to bring it’s departments together to form one big team, so in 2010 we started our first ’12 days of Christmas’ festivities.

Our tradition started with an advent calendar with staff members names behind the doors, Father Christmas and his helper would open the calendar door and invite the named members of staff to ‘fumble in his fun box’ for a small gift.  We have also held a competition to win hampers, last year Caron, Chris & Surinder won them.  

Surinder says...

“It came just at the right time, it was a fabulous prize with great 

quality items and I was really chuffed”.

Our very own Dom started the dress-up tradition by dressing up as an elf along with Father Christmas –Photographs would be taken and I would create a Christmas scene image,each year this would get more elaborate with people posing in some strange positions – to look like they are riding in a sleigh or kissing a snowman! 

The outfits also got more risqué with most of the men opting to dress up in the ‘Sexy Miss Santa’ outfit – this year we have lots of new dressing up outfits, we were even thinking of adding a reindeer mankini outfit.....so you will have to wait and see what we bought lol!

For this year’s plans, we have opted to follow tradition and I will be producing an advent calendar, organising dress up, fumble in the fun box/rummage in the sack, the ’12 days of Christmas’ games, and we will also be holding the competition to win a hamper again – your Managers will fill you in on the criteria for winning one.

I'll not go into detail about what the 12 days of Christmas games will be but they are all fun with links to the lyrics of the song.... 

1	Partridge in a peartree
2	Turtle doves
3	Calling birds
4	French hens
5	Gold rings
6	Geese-a-laying
7	Swans-a-swimming
8	Maids-a-milking
9	Ladies dancing
10	Lords-a-leaping
11	Pipers pipers
12	Drummers drumming

There will be lots of laughs and plenty of opportunities for incentive stamps to be earned.

The Liverpool team will be taking it in turns to come to Southport for a day and the whole company will gather in the Southport office on Christmas Eve, to swap Secret Santa gifts and no doubt have a drink or two! .....and don’t forget the chip butties!

New for 2013 – Dress up your desk day!

I’m looking forward to seeing all of your desks decorated on Monday 9^th December ready for the photos to be taken.  

Please check out the intranet page early next week to view the images and vote for your favourite desk – the winner will win 5 Access Point stamps!