JDDK Millmount News Winter Edition 2023 DIGITAL S8 (SINGLE PAGES) - Flipbook - Page 25
Culture
On the road with JDDK
Embracing ways to improve our wellbeing is a key
focus for our team. Every year we take some time
away from the of昀椀ce together, to get outdoors, exercise
and be creative, whilst celebrating our personal and
professional achievements.
For this year’s annual wellbeing day, our in-house
Wellbeing and Mental Health Champion and Mental
Health First-Aider, Alison Thornton-Sykes, organised
a visit to Whalton Manor’s stunning gardens in
Northumberland. The Manor’s historical signi昀椀cance
dates to the 17th century, in later years being re-designed
by Sir Edwin Lutyens. The magni昀椀cent garden surrounds
the house and includes listed summerhouses, pergolas
and walls festooned with rambling roses and clematis as
well as magni昀椀cent herbaceous borders.
We met with the Manor’s head gardener whilst also taking time to
independently explore the gardens. Following a team lunch, we took
on an afternoon of outdoor watercolour painting hosted by North East
artist, Mark Bletcher. The gardens offered plenty of inspiration and our
newfound con昀椀dence following Mark’s top tips made for some amazing
results, despite many of us being 昀椀rst-timers.
Every now and then we also like to get together for a work trip that
incorporates architecture, activity and culture. In previous years we
have visited Madrid, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Belfast. This year, we
took a 昀氀eeting tour of The Lake District in August, stopping by Carlisle,
Ambleside and Coniston.
Carlisle Cathedral was our 昀椀rst stop, where we visited the RIBA NorthWest award-winning building “The Fratry”, designed by Feilden Fowles.
We then ventured to Ambleside where we explored Lake Coniston by
canoe, before enjoying an evening meal together at The Tap Yard.
On Saturday we visited the Windemere Jetty Museum – another RIBA
North-West award-winner designed by Carmody Groarke, before setting
off on an adventure around Rydal Water and up Loughrigg Fell, which
despite typical British weather, offered magni昀椀cent views of the Lake
District landscape and provided the opportunity for us to 昀椀ne tune our
map reading skills!
Summer
Winter 2023.
2023. Millmount. 25