h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

It's Newnham graduation day. My great-niece was graduating, so there was a bit of a family gathering: my half-sister (graduand's grandma) & husband, my niece (graduand's mother) & current partner (? I think - he was introduced as "a friend", but I gathered in the course of the conversation that they were sharing a hotel room), my niece's ex (graduand's dad).

Yesterday evening it was the graduation dinner, so great-niece was partying with her friends, and the rest of us went for dinner at Loch Fyne (the restaurant, not the actual place!). Loch Fyne had obviously decided to cash in on all these celebrating families, so no a la carte menu available, only three courses (with 'free' glass of champagne) for £37.50 a head. The food was nice, but even so this seemed a bit steep - and the service was incredibly slow.

This morning we were (as usual) the first college graduating, so we left College at 8.45 to process to the Senate House. When the students had gone in for the ceremony, I went round to the back door, together with a number of the Fellows, to meet the new graduates when they came out and offer congratulations. The most popular response seemed to be "This is so weird!".

After a bit of milling around on Senate House lawn, we returned to College for an early lunch - lovely weather, so everybody was able to sit in the gardens. It was perfect - a little breeze, so not too hot.

This afternoon I've been to a local street party, and enjoyed some delicious cider (Pickled Pig Porker's Snout).

No Sunday lunch with the gang tomorrow, as I'm off to Nottingham for work (Higher Education day at my old school on Monday).

[Too many brackets in this. Ed]

Sounds like a good show. Our's - i.e. the Law School - is on Monday morning, and Caius has booked a place in the parade so as to give his robes another airing. I can actually imagine him standing in front of a sink of a morning brushing his teeth with them on...

I hope we get as good a day.

Graduations, and - indeed - proms, are the in thing in schools up here, and I had a taxi driver complaining to me about it on Tuesday evening; price, cairry-on &c &c. 'Easy', I said, 'just put on the DVD of Carrie, and tell your daughter that's what proms are really like..."


Douglas

PS: news via text this morning that my nephew's wife had their first baby last night - so a great day all round!