On Thursday 19th September the SG Team embarked on our annual CPD trip around a couple of our recently concluded award-winning sites, Belsay Hall, Castle and Gardens and Blackfriars. We totally lucked out with the weather, it was an absolutely glorious day to be out and about and away from our desks - in contrast to the dreary weather since!
Our first stop was Belsay - Erick was in his element vlogging our way around the site which was later converted in to a short reel. Annie, also a keen photographer, took some amazing atmospheric photos too!
We were greeted at Belsay by two of the gardeners who look after the gardens, and they gave us a very informative introduction to the development of the site, and also ongoing works and future plans. Later, we had a tour around the site facilitated by Ed who has been heavily involved in Belsay Awakes, and also Simon who has fantastic knowledge of Belsay Hall, the formal gardens, the quarry garden (which had its own microclimate with a noticeably cooler temperature!), the Castle, and the highlight – the Wild Man Play Area. We are all definitely big kids at heart and we had a blast on the play equipment! A quick tea and biscuit stop to finish off our visit at Belsay, fuelled us up ready for site two!
Blackfriars Cloister Garden was our second site visit. Since the development of the Blackfriars Cloister Garden, many visitors had been using the public space to its full potential whether to dine or hold events, and the Friday night BBQ’s have proved very popular. The team finished the evening with a fantastic alfresco meal.
CPD events are not only beneficial for developing professional practice, but they are also a fantastic way to boost morale and team building – there’s nothing quite like getting out into the fresh air and hearing the team chatting, building on friendships and sharing knowledge.
Please click the links below to find out about the projects in further detail:
Belsay Awakes – Adventurous Play
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