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

My eldest threw a party at the weekend to celebrate his PhD and finishing university - my, that first day at school seems a long time ago now.

He and a friend who had the same reason to celebrate had hired a small restaurant. We were able to go by tram so didn't have to watch what we ate and drank.

Our whole family were there, amongst the other guests, which comprised some professors and other people who had accompanied them through their university career.

The menu was written in HTML mark-up and included things that my son had obviously chosen, although they both wanted the gin and tonic . Gin and tonic is something you will not normally get in a German restaurant, bar, or any kind of establishment.

There was also a Palatinate wine, which was my son's idea - a symbol of his roots. Very daring, as the shindig was in Karlsruhe, which is in Baden, just over the Rhine and is traditionally a rival camp.

As it was, I went for the which was Spanish.

Nice on the palate, none the less.

Congratulations! When will you have your own results?

Our results will probably not all be available until the end of the school year, but that is not until the end of October. We are having a couple of exams along the way, for subjects that are only taught for part of the year. I failed practical organ playing last year, but have been given the chance to repeat the year and so I will finish that a year later. Shame. I had hoped I'd qualify completely just before my 60th birthday, but I'm glad the pressure's off a bit, because some of the other stuff is really challenging.