Next week I am going on annual leave.  This is something I have never experienced.  Throughout school and university you get allocated holiday time, when everybody is off during the same 3/4 weeks.  When you work, it is not like this.  You can take time off whenever you want depending on who else is in the office and whether there are enough people to cover you.  You are also limited by the number of days you can take off in a year. 

This means I am going off on holiday when lots of my friends are revising for their final year or are working and don't have the same time off as me.  It's very strange knowing that the world just continues, with the office still working with phone calls still being made.

But it also makes it quite exciting. I have come to value any days off I have because they are rare compared to the days off I would get while studying. It is also great because I physically cannot do any of my work when I am away from the office.  I cannot access my e-mails and do not have any of the resources I need in order to keep on working.

This is very different to university ... read more

The Retail Office attended the Durham University Supplier Exhibition in our very own Earth Sciences building at the Science Site.

This was a chance for lots of suppliers to set up stalls and promote their products and services to any staff members that came along. Suppliers ranged from the Marriott and Radisson Hotels to Arco Safety Experts, Sarstedt lab equipment and Enterprise Car Hire.

Our stall was there mainly to show we do more than just sell stuff online.   A huge part of our role is to provide a service to all departments and colleges in the university, both academic and administrative.  We supply products at their cost price to internal departments. So if a guest lecturer is visiting and you need a thank you gift, the retail office has many Durham University branded gift items available for just that purpose.

Beyond this, we also make bespoke products for departments and colleges.  Examples range from Josephine Butler Moles and University College Bears to branded T-shirts and branded weepuls.  We have a range of suppliers that can pretty much do anything! USBs, Pens, Foam Hands.  You name it, we can source it!

Aside from being a very informative exhibition fair there was also a free lunch ... read more