Odd Retirement Gift

An engraved sundial, minus a plinth. Not very safe with young grandchildren running around

As it is an abstract painting, would it look more interesting if you hung it upside down or sideways? May look like something else completely!
Or get something painted on the back, and turn it round when ex colleagues visit ?

When I retired from Nursing after many years I received a porcelain chicken filled with quite a lot of money ( I love chickens and we used to keep them) , brass plaque for the chicken house, a huge gluten free cake made , tea party , flowers and we went on a trip to the local zoo as several staff had young children so I thought it would mean taking them too instead of an expensive trip to the theatre in London . My chicken still sits in pride of place on my mantle piece and I still see some of the girls ( a lot younger than me by far) and many are face book friends so I feel blessed . ??

Well I work for a very small outfit and will be happy to get card maybe small piece of jewellery and flowers. They’ve got three years to save up!

When I retired from a very small Oxford college I was presented with theatre tokens from the staff and the students clubbed together and bought me a set of table mats with drawings of Oxford. The day before I left I attended the weekly formal dinner. The Principal made a speech and so did one of the students. On my final day the Principal took my photo and put it on Facebook with a bit of blurb. I was invited back to a special dinner the next term and given a beautiful bouquet of flowers.

When I retired a number of years ago, my daughters commissioned a painting of the building I had worked in for many years. I love it! But then it is the beautiful Parliament Buildings, Stormont, Belfast.

If it's any consolation I took retirement on 5th April 2020 (and actually "left" almost three weeks earlier due to having accrued holiday to use) and my retirement "do" is now booked (for the 6th or 7th time) on 30th May 2022 - half the people I worked with have left themselves so the turnout should be interesting - no corporate gift despite working there for almost 30 years! I'm ordering the most expensive things on the menu - I'm worth it!!

I would have thought that was a very fitting gift to receive, and would have been delighted with it.

I think gifts should never be personal unless they are from someone you know. I think a retirement gift should be vouchers and then you can buy something that you want or need. It’s a shame to waste money, given by colleagues, on something you don’t want or like x

When I took a voluntary redundancy deal a few years ago, my colleagues, there were over 100 in the department over two sites, clubbed together and bought me a bouquet and £50 in cash. Disappointed, you bet I was. I been there for well over 30 years as had some of those colleagues.
I would have pleased with a picture of one of the old C19-20 buildings I'd worked in, but the not the last one. A seven storey glass and concrete monstrosity. Brutalist doesn't even cover it.

Not a retirement gift, but a leaving gift. I was presented with a print of various historic buildings which were to be found within the area supported by the company. I was moving to a similar business less than a mile away.

The following week I was contacted and asked if I could return the print as they had a suprise VIP visitor and had no suitable gift available to present to them. They would replace my print as soon as they could. I was happy to help - but after more than 15 years have passed I don't think I'll be seeing it anytime soon!

When I retired from the place where I’d worked for 19 years, 7 months and 10 daysI got lots of cards and gifts. If I had received a picture of the building ( or hell hole as I called it) I would probably have thrown it at them !

Oh well at least they won't know that you haven't proudly displayed it!

I wanted to just slip out of the door when I took early retirement, but my immediate colleagues had organised some lovely thoughtful gifts - flowers, chocolates and a gift card, and a speech with some nice bits of humour in it.
However, the only acknowledgement from management was in a monthly newsletter, just stating "GrowingoldDisgracefully is leaving". No thanks, or acknowledgement of over 40 years of service or mention of any achievements. No doubt because the person writing the inclusion was the reason for my leaving earlier than I had planned.....

The final 'icing on the cake' was a letter from her, long after I had left, stating she had taken out a grievance against me and I was required to attend for a meeting. A control freak if ever there was one. The gist of my response I should think you can guess!

And the last building I worked in was a Norman (Lord )Foster design. Sadly not one of his better efforts and I would not have been impressed with a painting of it!

I got a fancy silver plate plaque engraved with name, dates etc. Not my taste at all, also more suited to a bloke, I think.

You might not have appreciated it but no doubt someone was pleased with their idea of a gift for you.

Definitely a man thing !
I have been in several offices that are inhabited by male members of staff and many of those have had either a portrait of themselves and/ or a large photo or painting of the company building that ,like you said, are not usually the nicest looking building to look at!
I can understand it if the building is old or there is a historical connection with the place but so many should be stuck in the darkest corner of the house before finding their way to either a charity shop or a skip!

All a matter of taste.

I would treat that as the gift of a nicely stretched canvas, suitable for my own artistic efforts :D

Thanks Icanhandthback

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My last leaving gift was a fleece, woolly hat and scarf - I was moving to north Scotland.