Click on the small pictures (gifs) to see larger images (jpegs)

The day dawned, cold, wet and pissistently raining. It piddled down all morning. My brother, Victor, was driving my Mum over from Worcester and my friend Ellen was flying down from Edinburgh. I was terrified that they'd all be late, but everyone arrived on time. We got taxis down to the Senate House. The rain did an impersonation of a monsoon as we got into the cabs, but mercifully stopped when we got out. There was hardly any traffic (on a Saturday before Christmas?!) and we arrived early. I got my gown and Stuart took the next three photos outside the Senate House before we went in.

The first two show me and Mum in the front with Ellen and Victor.

During the ceremony no photography is allowed, but the following is the official photograph, reproduced with the permission of the Photography and Illustration service, Cambridge University

Dr Howard Chase, my Head of Department (standing behind me), presented me for the degree and John Emmines, in his role as Esquire Bedell (on the right of the photo), read out the names. The ceremony is entirely in Latin. The degree was conferred by kneeling before the Vice Chancellor's deputy, Dr. Gordon Johnson, Master of Wolfson College. He clasped my hands and admitted me to the degree of Master of Arts. It was all in Latin and he had to repeat it for each and every person, yet managed to make it sound sincere and meaningful for each one. Then I had to stand up, take one step back and bow. I managed to do that without falling over, but one poor chap after me went flying when he caught his heel in his gown.

Afterwards, Howard had arranged a reception in my honour at Magdalene College. This is me in one of the courtyards at Magdalene

and the following are the reception. Graham Davies received his PhD at the same ceremony but unfortunately isn't in any of these photographs, which were taken by Linda Craft.

Pete Campbell, Ellen Crabtree, Stuart Clough, me, Jim Thompson

Me (looking sozzled) and Howard

Howard and my Mum

Howard and my Mum

Jim, Liz and Rex

My thanks to Howard for presenting me and for organising a lovely reception, to Stuart and Linda for taking the photos, and to all my friends and family for supporting me.

Vanessa S Blake