How to look 10 years older in just 10 years!

IR's Claire Beecroft (that's me) is this week celebrating her first decade at ScHARR Towers! For those of you old enough to remember 2003, it was a world with no Facebook, no Twitter, no smartphones, no nuthin'! What it did have was the lovely IR team who immediately made me feel like I'd come home- if you'd told me then I'd still be here 10 years later, I'd have been really happy- so I had to mark the occasion in the customary IR way- baked goods:

I must have made my chocolate chip muffins at least 20 times over the last 10 years, but the exciting addition of a blob of chocolate Philadelphia in the middles elevates these to a suitably celebratory level.

I've seen a lot of comings and goings in 10 years, and IR, perhaps more than any other group within the School, has widened it's range of activities and embraced every technological and methodological trend and challenge that has come our way. I came here chiefly to do training of NHS researchers, and its that work that lead me to my 'University Teacher' role, via the Certificate in Learning and Teaching and my CILIP Chartership, and an awful lot of learning on the job.

I work harder now than I ever did, but I do love much of what I do, and I love our students and I Love with a big 'L' my best buddies in the IR team, so now that I'm in full Oscar-speech mode, it's time for a few thankyous (tissues at the ready!):

Andrew Booth: For having huge ambitions for us all, and for setting me on the course that got me to my job as it is now.

Andy Tattersall: For being the best office buddy, and for all the milky coffees.

Sonia, Anthea, Anna, Louise, Angie, Helen, Ruth, Pippa, Kath, and Tony: For being such great friends first and foremost, and being able to do basically anything (collectively at least!) I LOVE working with you all.

To Suzy for getting me through the promotions process in one piece, successfully! and for always being a friend first, and a manager second.

To Chris B, Chris C and Luke n' Dan- great 'comrades' and friends too. In another 10 years our plans for world domination will surely pay off at last?

There Andy- you asked me to blog it, and I blogged it good, no?