. . . In With The New

To complete the story - as of Monday I am now a full-time Civil Servant. Was promptly shipped down to Cardiff for induction sessions on Tuesday and Wednesday. Found out a lot I didn't know about the Welsh Assembly Government (and how it is different from the National Assembly of Wales), and really enjoyed seeing inside the Senedd, a great eco-building, and a fantastic piece of architecture, particularly the way the Debating Chamber or Siambr is embedded in the mushroom stalk like feature.

Enjoyed Cardiff too - was booked in to the Big Sleep hotel (really good value, B&B for £50 a night), and got a free upgrade to the Executive Suite - I've never stayed in an Executive Suite before!

Not that the Big Sleep is that posh - but in addition to the bedroom, there was a lounge (pictured - great wallpaper eh?!), kitchenette, and the en-suite bathroom had a jacuzzi bath. The views (from the 10th floor) out over Cardiff were also fantastic, especially at night:

Anyway, I'm looking forward to my new role as Archives Development Adviser - and the opportunity to work more closely with the archival profession in Wales. The journey home also brought one final delight - a sudden cold snap brought snow over the Brecon Beacons - not enough to delay the journey, but it did look beautiful: