You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
Thinking about the threads/news about the Royal Family being numpties, and the Tory government screwing the NHS workers over pay. How do people manage visits from these people? I work with Sex Offenders so am probably at the bottom of the list to be gladhanding Boris or Charlie for a photo op but if you're a medic or nurse pocketing a 1% pay rise and a round of applause is it difficult to not kick off when faced with these awful workplace visits? Do you get a day off if you're a trouble maker?
I imagine your just expected to be professional, smile and be polite.
I have quite a few but as a Civil Servant in Whitehall, generally what Robz said 😉
I imagine in any big workplace they hand pick the employees to make sure there are no trouble makers.
we've had a few visits like that.
standard line is if you don't agree, keep out the way. no one is forced to smile and wave.
I used to work at The Royal Marsden Hospital in Chelsea
The Queen came to open a new ward
The route they planned for her got redecorated, but the bits she wasn't visiting were just screened off
So after she'd left, some corridors were nicely painted & finished and round a corner it would revert to peeling paint & damaged electrical conduits
It must be weird for the Royals, they probably assume that everywhere is pristine & clean, because it all gets tidied up for them before they arrive....
We also had Prince Charles come to the institute next door, was funny watching him nod sagely as science he obviously didn't understand was explained to him!
My boss actually made me wear a shirt under my lab coat that day 🙄
I imagine your just expected to be professional, smile and be polite.
This. And remember that we live in a democracy where people are entitled to different views and opinions. Your political/eco/social outlook is no more correct than the next persons'.
Or there's always this approach:
When we had some tory knobber show up a work those who were meeting and greeting were hand picked. He rest of us were told to get to **** away out of stn
Many years ago Thatcher visited the university I was at. Lots of demonstrations planned, but then her son got lost in the desert, so we just stood around, not saying a thing, which I think was pretty effective.
I work with Sex Offenders so am probably at the
bottomtop of the list to be gladhanding Boris orCharlieAndy
Apparently the queen thinks the world smells of fresh paint.
Lorraine Kelly came to my workplace once (contracting at a fashion house) and I just sat and worked whilst she inspected the troops.
.
It would be bad for my mental well being to share the same space as some of these people,so I would take a sick day. 😜
We had Sajid Javid visit our workplace when he was Home Secretary.
His bodyguards did a full on check of the building, opening doors, checking escape routes, talking into their sleeves.
He was there for just long enough to set up and take a few photos then he was rushed straight out again. We were kept well out of the way.
Put on a stony-faced shield of glacial British reserve, and use the opportunity to raise any issues which you think they have a chance of influencing.
One of my clubmates is directly working in (on?) COVID vaccine production, and it was after a visit from some bigwig or other, where someone pointed out that *having these people off sick or isolating would, you know, ADVERSELY AFFECT THE VACCINATION PROGRAM*, that there was a screeching policy U-turn and they all got a jab.
Or hide behind other people and be prepared to fake intestinal issues 😎
I work with Sex Offenders
What a coincidence, the only royal visit to my workplace while I've worked there was Prince Andrew. As above, there was lots of fresh paint splashed around, and his dedicated toilet got some nice loo roll.
Thatcher visited the shipyard where my dad worked, years ago. One of his colleagues took a massive shit in her special reserved toilet just before she arrived.
We had Geoff Hoon vist, while he was defence secretary in the middle of the Iraq war. Obvs not royal or Tory, but not Captain Popularity either.
Weirdly, it was totally unannounced, body guards came in 2 mins before, had a look round then milled about as Geoff bought a bike. From Halfords, for £110.
We had a Government Minister from the SG come to our school and attend a Senior Staff meeting. He listened to everything we said, but didn't write a single thing down. He was accompanied by furious note-takers though. The most startling thing was he swung on the back legs of his chair throughout the whole meeting, school kid style, and no-one saw fit to challenge him. As soon as he left we all exploded with "What was that about!", all about the chair, and nothing else. Was it a deliberate tactic? If so, success!
I was on duty when Wills was given a tour of the newsroom at the Press Association, around 2000.
No warning so far as I remember, just glanced up to see a familiar-looking bloke being shown something at the row of desks in front of mine.
I just thought "oh, he's taller than I expected" - and carried on working. Didn't have time to think about throwing my sandwich at him or singing The Internationale.
Interviewed a senior Tory minister or two in my reporting days too, managed to get a controversial quote about the local Labour council out of one - which led to a couple of front-page splashes.
I've been I'll that day in the past.
Did wander into the staff room at school to find the local Tory MP trying to shake my hand. I just ignored him and carried on walking.
I got our local MP in back in my first school to chat to my politics students. They prepped for ages and when she came in, they gave her a real grilling! She looked quite uncomfortable with it all. But afterwards said she loved the experience as they were clearly passionate.
After that she contacted me and asked me to tutor her son in A level politics.
We had a visit from the PM (think it was Major) back in the late 90's at Faslane when a boat had finished its service and was paying off. Everything was painted green, tarmac coloured, or shiny whatever. Never seen such a waste painting ridiculous things to celebrate a battered, barely holding it together 30 year old Submarine that was dead on its planes.
The standard brand new fluro jackets and shiny white hard hats came out for the press snaps.
We had Barack Obama and David Cameron visit my kids' school together a few years ago...
I wasn't sure whether to cheer or throw rotten eggs*, so I went for a ride up Cwmcarn instead! 🙂
*Which was to be directed at whom is left as an exercise for the reader.
I may have to work from home that day. Though I'd love to be part of a crowd that booed the hypocritical Tory bastards if they came to support my corner of the public sector that has covered their arse all year.
Even though I’m supposed to be there my boss deliberately keeps me away when some Royal opens something or other in one or other of our hospitals (usually after it’s actually been open for months). To be fair I wouldn’t be rude but have been clear I’d neither bow or call anyone ‘Your Highness’ - suppose that could be construed as rude if you’re in to that medieval nonsense which is why I’m not there. I do have to show MPs around though and I’m deliberately polite and factual which most of them aren’t. Some do have real integrity and are caring, they aren’t all rotten.
Didn’t have time to think about throwing my sandwich at him or singing The Internationale.
😀
If you can’t maintain professionalism, send your kid in?
*It’s a forum members kid, I forget who though...
My work spent £20k on a fancy bathroom for Princess Anne visiting (1980's)
She never so much as farted in it. It's still there.
It’s a forum members kid, I forget who though…
He said on here that she's prone to do stuff like this and he's sure the teacher chose her specially.
I saw our previous local MP around a lot before the last election. She grew up in the town, still lived there, and her kids went to local state schools. Her house and office were on opposite sides of my workplace, so she was often walking past.
Since the constituency changed hands last election, I've not bumped into the new guy.
I’ve had to stand guard for odd questionable international leader in the past. You grit your teeth & try not to think about all the shite they’ve done in their own country.
Oh & do forget about the sharpened bayonet you’ve got on the end of your gat. That bits really important! 🤣
That aside - I’d call in sick. I’m not glad handing the paw of some over privileged royal or thieving politician.
My first job was a subsidiary of a big tobacco company, CEO came to visit for a day to see what we were up to. Day before visit removal van came to take out half the desks, half the staff given day off.
Saying that I once had to deliver something to the corporate hq in Woking, place was super luxurious with just 1 person per massive office. CEO must have thought whole organisation was like that.
Re. evil Tories, I was too young to really pay any attention, but I remember Enoch Powell coming to speak at my school.
You could always hide in the fridge. Unless Boris is already in there.
Had the useless piece of **** Gavin Williamson turn up at a place I worked at when he was defence secretary. We weren't told he was coming. We were cutting grass and he and his bodyguards parked their 3 cars right by our van, they didn't look impressed when we just carried on mowing, strimming and using the leaf blower right by them. The bodyguards got quite tetchy when I walked through them all to dump a load of grass on the van. Muppets shouldn't have parked right by us
*It’s a forum members kid, I forget who though…
Harry the Spider.
I once refused to go and see the Princess Royal (Ann? Dunno, can't remember) unveil a newly refurbished statue of one of her distant dead relatives because she tipped up and lunch time and I wasn't going to interrupt eating my butties for no one.
The local comedian electrician had all the secretarial staff, (long time ago) stood outside their office for 30 minutes while he 'swept for bombs'. With his old analogue multimeter. 🤣
That's a pre children, fresh faced me looking awkward as with the Welsh health minister.
I remember dying inside whilst being forced to pose. Also thinking "I've got a ton of work to be doing"
But he was ok. Seemed fairly nice. Not a Tory so I was ok with it in that sense.
I worked at Dyson for 6 years. Various Tories including Davin Cameron were paraded through the office.
Priti Patel was the visitor after me at a company we were looking to buy equipment for. The security guys were already there doing a sweep but I was tempted.
Not at work but I almost knocked Anne Widicombe down the steps coming up from the old taxi rank at Paddington.
When I was working on moorland restoration project we used to have an endless stream of ministers and senior civil servants, only one royal. Didn't realise how unusual this level of VIP visits were until I went to different organisations. Visits were nearly always they turn up, you show them stuff, they listen a bit and impart a few pearls of wisdom and go away. Most of this was under the labour era. Two that really impressed me were Chris Smith and Hilary Benn. I felt they had received a good briefing on what the project was and asked interesting questions. Probably helped they turned up with kit for being on a hill.
No royals other than Princess Anne wandering about at sailing events. Been in line ups to meet Brezhnev, Mubarak and Barak.
Brezhnev was just a case of being grabbed from my desk at short notice and told to say nothing, quite appropriate really.
The other two I met during a work session in the Sinai when a lot of political posturing was going on and they happened to be trying to gain political coverage over the bit I was in.
I was wearing boardshorts and slaps that day. We didn't bother trying to sweep the sand up or chase the camels away.
Pretend to be a Tory fanboy, ask to shake hands then squeeze as hard as you ****ing can! All those years of motocross have left me with a grip like a gators bite.
Two that really impressed me were Chris Smith and Hilary Benn. I felt they had received a good briefing on what the project was and asked interesting questions. Probably helped they turned up with kit for being on a hill.
Hilary was probably picking up info to help with prioritisation of flood defences
Met a fair few MPs from both main parties and almost all were charming and good company, even when one had been embroiled in a sex scandal.
Of course that doesn't mean they're not bastards, but some of them are clearly quite charming bastards.
Not a visit but I once had a go at the security guards for holding the lift I wanted to get in as the incumbent Secretary of my Whitehall dept was going to be needing it but they weren't sure when.
I've not been visited by any of those people mentioned at work, but I have visited some for work and been treated far better than posh corporates who make you go in the hidden door like some sort of scum just because you're tradesman.
Back in the dreadful Thatcher era I got lumbered with Kenneth Baker who was at that time Home Secretary, nowadays he is Baron Dorking 🙄. We were a big computer sales & service organisation (forerunner of Computacenter) and I had to explain all of our cutting edge business systems and processes. He didn't even pretend to be interested, he just focused on the large number of under 30 female staff and then said in a serious tone " I don't know how you can concentrate surrounded by all this beautiful totty"
I didn't bother replying,I simply moved him on to the next person he was scheduled to be with. To be fair to him, what I was highlighting was to some degree, boring and you could tell he was bright enough to be bored by it. I was left with the impression of meeting someone who had that easy calm charm that comes from knowing they were always destined to have a privileged life. Some time later I got a very brief official letter saying how much Mr Baker had enjoyed his visit.
I worked at a place once where an old guy representing the Queen came to visit. We built semi-conductor doping implanters so everywhere was white, well lit and clean and this guy arrived in full parade uniform, including a funny tall hat with feathers and a sword, that looked like he'd come straight from the Napoleonic war!
Can't remember his title - he was the something-or-other of the Queen. Might have had "Sussex" in the title. I remember it because he was a nice enough guy who couldn't have looked more out of place if he'd tried.
some of them are clearly quite charming bastards.
Whilst others are just...
I have yet to find anyone who has met him thinks my MP is charming, and since he used to live quite close that’s quite a few people.
Oh, and I met Kenneth Baker once, about 1988 iirc when he was education secretary at the launch of some initiative or other. It was a Friday evening and he was quite clearly pissed
Anne turned up at one of my previous workplaces, cutting a ribbon on some ward or other. Was a PITA to organise. I get that the royals want to seem hard-working, and Anne in particular has a packed schedule because Andy is a bit noncey and can't be bothered unless there's something in it for him, but I'm not sure what these visits add to the organisations that receive them.
I’d be tempted to stand around with pen and note pad North Korean style.