27/01/2026
Late last year, Claire Payne, Director of Customer Quality & Assurance from Saint-Gobain Weber UK & Ireland and her husband, Gary, took on a cycling challenge in India. After loving their adventure from Vietnam to Cambodia in 2022, they were eager to get back in the saddle.
The pair landed in Goa on a Sunday and met the group they were about to adventure with. Then before sunrise on Monday, they were off covering just over 400 km and climbing 4,000m over five days.
Starting on the coast in Goa and finishing at the UNESCO World Heritage site of Hampi, the route was as demanding as it was breathtaking. Claire says: "The first two days were brutal, and each day began before 6am to make the most of cooler temperatures.
"During the downtimes, we all asked each other the usual question: 'So, what do you do?' To my surprise, among my new friends was Bob Chamberlain, Managing Director of CDL Partitions Ltd in North Wales - and an existing British Gypsum customer with some great insights to tell me!
Bob asked me about developments in our spray plaster and had great things to say about the trials on British Gypsum cut-toorder board, which his company had received in one of the pilots. It was a reminder that even halfway across the world, you're never far from your work, and those connections can spark great conversations.
"This trip reminded me that stepping outside your routine opens doors - to new cultures, new friendships, and even unexpected work connections."
Bob says: "Claire has described the trip beautifully, and I can add little more, other than it was hard, hot, tiring and above all humbling.
"One of the highlights was meeting Claire. I really enjoyed our chats on life generally and, of course, British Gypsum specifications. I'm pleased to have made friends with Claire and look forward to working with her and the British Gypsum team on many future projects."
Many thanks to Claire & Saint-Gobain for letting us share this article from their INSIDEOUT newsletter 16.01.2026.
