office full of contractors?

[Bluebird]

most of the folks around me are permies, and civil service ones at that - I don't think they'd know what hit them if they had to deal with the real world....

[Joe Black]

Currently surrounded by 'consultants', which from my experience so far seems more the Belgian way of doing things.

Loads of permies employed by software houses (though more virtual companies than anything else) farmed out for many a year to large companies with the odd contractor mixed in when they don't have someone in house the right skills.