Graduation...

Well I'm all grown up now...

On 5th November I graduated from my Early Childhood Studies Degree BA (Hons) with a 2:1! It was a fantastic day, it took place in Chester Cathedral... what a venue! It was a very early start with having to get up at 5am (typical girl) having to sort hair and make up out and get my outfit on and sort out a change of clothes to take with me (which turned out to be very useful!).

I received lots of presents the day before, including a charm for my bracelet, a teddy, cake, graduation snow globe and photo frame! Andy, Fiona and Abigail bought me a lovely pair of white gold earrings and I immediately put them in.

We headed for a sports hall in Chester to pick up my cap and gown and get he official photos done and then made our way to Chester Cathedral for the service.

The ceremony was very special... and very official, it was great to sit where I was sitting and see the sea of mortorboards in front of me! I had met up with my friends in the cathedral and left my Mum, Dad and Andy to find their own way in as they had to use a different entrance, so I had no idea where they were sitting!

There were a few speeches and official bits and bobs, then a hymm (I can't remember the name) and then the best bit, everyones names were read out, we all queued up and our outfits were fixed before we were called and had to go up on stage shake the deans hand and walk across the stage (I had had nightmares about falling over, thankfully I didn't) I walked down the steps to be smiled at by all my tutors and then had to collect my certificate and sit back in my place, it only lasted a couple of minutes but it was a great feeling! The whole service lasted around an hour and a half.

We left the cathedral and it took about 10 minutes before we all found our families, we then proceeded to some steps to get some photos and throw our hats! Me and my friends have all joked that this is the only reason that we did a degree just so we could do the american thing and throw our hats in the air! It was so much fun and we got some great shots!

Fiona and Abigail made their way into Chester to meet us for lunch which we had at The Living Room, it was delcious, I wasn't too impressed that Andy picked Ostrich to eat! Ewwww, It was only the other day that we had been looking at them at Knowlesly Safari Park and there he was tucking into it for lunch!

Plans after that were a bit up in the air as everyone wanted to meet up for drinks, but we were all split up spending time with our families, My friend Sal was having her lunch at the same place as me so I decided on the spur of the moment that I would stay over night (totally unlike me) as Sally's sister (Leah) had a spare bed in her hotel room! So I sent Mum, Dad, Andy, Fiona and Abigail off home and I stayed with Sally and Leah to make plans for the evening! Bearing in mind I only had the clothes I was standing up in, a change of clothes for the night and luckliy my tablets it was a bit of mad decision!

It worked out in the end and we had a fantastic night, with many drinks, laughs and photos! I was a typical student and slept in my graduation shirt managed to nab a toothbrush from the hotel and went down to breakfast in the dress that I had worn the night before, complete with drink stains! (I am sure people thought that I had just strolled in at 9am lol)!

I would never have done that before, it was so spur of the moment but fantastic!

You can see some pictures from the day here and here but I will leave you with a few of my favourite photos from the day and night...

The back of my gown with the cathedral in the background

Andy's version of the official Photograph

One of my fav pictures from the day because I wasn't looking at the camera!

The throwing of the MotorBoards!

Outside the Cathedral you could pick a cross with a poppy on it in remembrance of someone, it was very fitting that it was there just as I had graduated and so I wrote a little message in remembrance of my donor.

Me, Abigail and Andy in the restaurant!

Me, Leah and Carrie... The celebrations begin!

Me looking even smaller than I am on the Massive 8ft chair!

Me on the Champers...

It was a fantastic day and without the gift from my donor I may not have been there to celebrate with my friends and family.... it is a day I will remember and treasure for the rest of my life.