Sometimes, I'm just blown away by my workplace

I don't normally go on about where I work. Mainly because I suspect if my employers ever sort out a protocol on blogging, they might go for restrictive, and then I'd have to delete things.

But this Wednesday we had an Event... and I attended it!

I was on the Reserve List, so we had a slightly anxious 90 minutes sitting in a room off the Hall wondering if we'd get in or just have to watch it on the telly while feeling guilty about not doing work at the same time (I knew 15 people would have to drop out before I was admitted), but then we were ushered downstairs. In the end I was seated a long way back but only 4 places away from the aisle.

I had to do some swaying backwards and forwards to keep President Obama in sight while he was delivering his speech, but that was fine; and although the speech has had mixed reviews, it had the hair standing up on the back of my neck a few times.

The highlight for me (as well as the fanfare, which was astonishing) was his coming down the aisle, diving into the crowd (to the obvious exasperation of the clean-cut suits with earpieces) and greeting people with wit and humour. As a child of the 70s/80s, seeing him greet Floella (now Baroness) Benjamin was wonderful; and I also saw him meet Glenda Jackson MP with an instant recognition of who she was... Yes, I'm a fangirl; but I think he had many converts, too... and I've been within about 6 feet of the first US President ever to speak in Westminster Hall.