Adam's MA graduation

We left home in good time to get to Cambridge by 9.30am, it was an easy journey with no traffic. Xena was collected by Fiona after we left and she spent a wonderful day with her.

It was beautifully sunny all day, good weather for the graduation ceremonies but not great for photos as the bright sunlight meant contrasty photos. At the college I took photos of Adam and his friends, posing on the ''Hepworth'' - Barbara Hepworth was a friend of a fellow at the college and has loaned/donated a few sculptures to the college - see first extra. It was lovely to catch up with Adam's friends who we have known since his under graduate days. Many are doctors now and desperate to leave the NHS, it is a bit of a mess now and not a nice place to work. We then processed into the centre of the town to Senate House where all the graduation ceremonies take place.

The ceremony is as it was centuries ago - conducted in Latin by the staff, with some peculiar customs like kneeling before the master, Prof Dame Athene Donald and clasping her hands - however this year because of Covid she wished to be distanced from the students so they held the hand of the Praelector instead, and merely bowed before her! The Latin tripped off their tongues like a natural first language, it was impressive. 

After the ceremony I took some photos outside, and then later Pip put on Adam's academic gown and I took some photos of her on the steps of Senate House, as poor Pip missed her own PhD graduation ceremony due to Covid so she never experienced this. You only ever get to go into Senate House when you graduate so it was a chance to get some photos there.

We briefly met up with Tommy, who had declined to come to the celebratory lunch with us as he is in the middle of his exams and could not afford to take the time off. We had a delicious lunch in town, the restaurant was full of graduates as was the town, all walking about with their gowns flapping behind them.

After lunch we went to Tommy's college and he and Inca took a break from their work and we sat chatting in their beautiful rose garden. It was lovely to see them again. Then it was back to their books and time for us to go home.

It was a very special day, and it won't be the last graduation ceremony we attend as Adam has another one coming up when he completes his PhD.