The end of an era

Friday was my last day at the BBC, after nearly nine years working there. I went out with the team to a local veggie restaurant for lunch to celebrate, then later in the afternoon there were leaving drinks. The last time someone left I looked at what was on offer—a few nibbles, plus non-kosher wine, which I won't drink, and beer, which I've never drunk enough of to acquire the taste for (but in any case, wouldn't touch because I was cycling home), and thought: do I really want this for my own leaving do?

So I decided to throw a kiddush, minus the kiddush [sanctification] instead. I was going to post here (but didn't in the end get time—it's been hectic this week) about how I'd just bought £60 of kichels, cuchan, rogelach, kickles, etc. I'd thought: what if a work colleague spots this, won't it spoil the surprise? Then I had a look at the above list and realised they'd still be completely in the dark. :o)

In the end, the food all went down very well. They presented me with a big card which everyone in the team had signed; to my astonishment, one of the signatures read:

I have no idea who this is, as I can't read the signature: it's not the one other Jew in the department I know about, nor is it the one person in the department I know has worked in Israel. Anyone like to hazard a guess what the name says?

They also got me ( gifts. )

I certainly left that day feeling appreciated. I just hope I now enjoy my new job as much. They've told me at the BBC I can come back if I don't, but it'd be gauche for me to have accepted all those gifts, and then go back to my old job!