View From Today’s Office: The Old Orchard, Harefield

View from Today’s Office is a blog series detailing all of the fun and interesting places where I am able to work. As full-time remote worker AND a full-time live aboard on the canals of London, I am always cruising to new areas and finding cool places to spend a few hours on my computer. Follow along for all the fun!

Today’s office is the lovely Old Orchard Freehouse (pub) located in Harefield, England. The Old Orchard is a wonderful place to work when the weather is nice, as it offers panoramic views of the surrounding countryside.

View From Today's Office: The Old Orchard
View From Today’s Office: The Old Orchard

Aside from the odd house and the motorway in the distance, the view from the Old Orchard is dominated by the Colne Valley Regional Park, which includes the River Colne, the Grand Union Canal, and a couple of the park’s over 60 lakes. The landscape between these features alternates between woods and farmland, all situation on lovely rolling hills. You can understand why, when we first visited the Old Orchard a few months ago, my wife and I labelled it “English Italy.”

View From Today's Office: The Old Orchard
View From Today’s Office: The Old Orchard

The pub itself has a pretty short and unremarkable history, compared to many other pubs in the UK. According to the history page on its website, the Old Orchard is “relatively sprightly” at around 80 years old. According to local historians, the property was a private residence until the 1960s, when the owners decided to convert it into a bed and breakfast. Over the subsequent decades, the Old Orchard transformed into the pub and kitchen of today. I have to say, despite its diminutive history, this Yank from the US still looks at this pre-WWII property and sees plenty of character.

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The Old Orchard occupies a special place in my heart, and the reason requires a bit of a backstory. In the late spring of 2018, with my wife’s school schedule beginning to lighten, we decided to occupy much of the subsequent months by cruising our narrowboat out of the city and explore some of the countryside outside of London. Having resided in the city nearly continuously for one year, my wife and I were both anxious to see how far we’d have to go to feel like we were “out of the city.” Looking at the attached pictures, it should be pretty easy to understand why we consider the Old Orchard to be that point; it was the first time we looked out and said “we’re not in London anymore.” As such, it will always serve a beacon of beauty and relaxation for us.

Where are your favorite places to work outside of the office? Any tips, tricks, or suggestions for staying productive while enjoying your workday? Leave a comment below or reach out via the Contact section on The Telework Guru. Thanks!

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View From Today’s Office: Smith’s Coffee Company

View from Today’s Office is a blog series detailing all of the fun and interesting places where I am able to work. As full-time remote worker AND a full-time live aboard on the canals of London, I am always cruising to new areas and finding cool places to spend a few hours on my computer. Follow along for all the fun!

Today’s office is Smith’s Coffee Company, located in Hemel Hempstead, England. My wife and I stumbled upon this location while jogging along the canal a few days ago. We were both struck by the delicious smell of roasting coffee, so we diverted our workout to investigate. When we located the front of the building, the window had a sign that read “Cafe Open,” so we went right in. Despite being rather unattractive in our appearance, the folks at Smith’s couldn’t have been nicer, so we agreed to come back later and spend some time at their facility.

View From Today's Office: Smith's Coffee Company

And return we did. Lee, the office boss man, told us all about the company, their facility, and some of their cool side projects. He was even kind enough to give us some pointers on coffee preparation using our new french press. Of course, we also talked coffee brews and his team helped us decide between a couple of fresh bags to take with us. They ground the beans to our specification right there while we waited.

View From Today's Office: Smith's Coffee Company

My wife and I spent a few hours chatting and working from their on-site cafe. Before we left, however, we had to check out the museum adjacent to the cafe. This small room is packed with hundreds of historical coffee pieces, from beautiful authentic Turkish coffee sets to antithetical stove-top peculators from the 70s. And they had plenty of funny coffee signage as well.

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Overall, Smith’s Coffee Company was a great place to work for a few hours. The hosts were amazing, the coffee was delicious, and the setting was relaxing. I definitely recommend stopping in for a cuppa if you’re in the Hemel Hempstead area. Check out their website at: https://www.smithscoffee.co.uk/.

Where are your favorite places to work outside of the office? Any tips, tricks, or suggestions for staying productive while enjoying your workday? Leave a comment below or reach out via the Contact section on The Telework Guru. Thanks!

View From Today’s Office: Cassiobury Park

View from Today’s Office is a blog series detailing all of the fun and interesting places where I am able to work. As full-time remote worker AND a full-time live aboard on the canals of London, I am always cruising to new areas and finding cool places to spend a few hours on my computer. Follow along for all the fun!

Today’s office is Cassiobury Park, a 200-acre park located in Watford, England. The Grand Union Canal cuts along the western edge of the park, so I moored my boat here for several days. Add in a couple of folding chairs, a WiFi hotspot, and a fully-charged laptop, and I was productive for several hours while staying nice and relaxed.

View From Today's Office: Cassiobury Park
View From Today’s Office: Cassiobury Park’s lavender plants.

During my breaks, I took a couple of walks through the park and the nearby golf course. The UK is great for hikers/walkers in that much of the land, including most golf courses, is open for people to explore. A farmer’s field near the park had a lovely trail running through.

View From Today's Office: Cassiobury Park
View From Today’s Office: A field near Cassiobury Park

Within the park, there’s plenty to explore as well. There are loads of walking trails, picnic areas, and open space for the dog to run. The main pavilion, which is surrounded by a small water park for the kids, includes a quaint cafe called Daisy’s. The snacks aren’t anything mind-blowing, but it serves coffee, has plenty of outlets, and isn’t overcrowded; a winner in my book!

View From Today's Office: Cassiobury Park
View From Today’s Office: Cassiobury Park pavilion.

Although it can be crowded, especially on the weekends, there’s enough space in Cassiobury Park to be plenty peaceful for a day’s work on the laptop. Check out the park’s website here. If you’re going to make it out, I recommend also walking through some of the surrounding land. That means packing your comfortable shoes and setting aside a few hours.

Where are your favorite places to work outside of the office? Any tips, tricks, or suggestions for staying productive while enjoying your workday? Leave a comment below or reach out via the Contact section on The Telework Guru. Thanks!

View from Today’s Office: Camden Market, London

View from Today’s Office is a new blog series detailing all of the fun and interesting places where I am able to work. As full-time remote worker AND a full-time live aboard on the canals of London, I am always cruising to new areas and finding cool places to spend a few hours on my computer. Follow along for all the fun!

The view from today’s office is Camden Market, one of London’s most popular areas for visitors. The area has over 1,000 separate shops, stalls, and eateries and is a hub for the city’s eclectic and hipster crowds.

I spent most of the day dog-sitting in my friend’s flat located directly above Regent’s Canal, which runs through the area. Yet another benefit of working remote: I get to help out a friend and see some new sites while still fulfilling all of my professional obligations!

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On my breaks, I took the dogs for a walk through nearby Primrose Hill and grabbed lunch from one of the market’s many food stalls; it was a burrito and it was delicious.

Overall, I enjoy Camden Market in regular but measured doses. It wouldn’t be my first choice to live permanently, but it’s a great place to explore and pick up a bite, a beer, and a souvenir. For more information or to plan a trip to the area, check out the official Camden Market website.

Where are your favorite places to work outside of the office? Any tips, tricks, or suggestions for staying productive while enjoying your workday? Leave a comment below or reach out via the Contact section on The Telework Guru. Thanks!