Elbow Beach.

Nearly 40 employees from the UK subsidiary of US firm TNT joined 300 of their co-workers from Boston and Minnesota for a grand event to celebrate the company's 25th anniversary.

They lapped up the sun and sea, cooling off from record temperatures in humid Boston, where the thermometers tipped 97 degrees yesterday.

The $400,000 party was a thank you from TNT founder Steve Belkin, who brought his staff here for the sixth time.

And the generous company chairman revealed Bermuda is the favourite destination for TNT personnel, who cannot be tempted away to other exotic spots in the US or Caribbean.

"When we talk about going to other places, people just don't want to know,'' said Mr. Belkin.

After flying in yesterday morning on a charter aircraft, the 339 day trippers were taken to the Elbow Beach resort, where a rum swizzle reception awaited them.

Later there were beach games, food, the cutting of a huge birthday cake and a chance to relax before jetting off again.

For the workers from London, it was a non-stop celebration. After flying to the US on Saturday, they partied in Boston, carried on the fiesta in Bermuda and are finally heading back to Britain today.

"Nobody could believe it,'' said Peggy Hider, human resources manager at TNT's London credit card company, TNFS. "Two people just started with us last Friday and were told they were going to Bermuda next week.

"We received a call saying Steve Belkin wanted to celebrate the anniversary and how did we feel about bringing everybody to Bermuda? We had a party to celebrate! "It has been a fantastic day, he is so generous. People have birthday parties but how many chairman take their staff to Bermuda?''