Graduation Day

"Looks like we made it..." to quote Barry Manilow.

Yesterday was our Graduation Day at the Old Royal Naval College Chapel in Greenwich, time to don the finery and take our place centre stage.  It was great to see everyone again although it was all to brief.  Those three years of hard work, new friendships and new relationships that will endure for many years to come, I hope, all boiled down to a couple of hours at the Naval College, following in the footsteps of Johnny Depp a year before (filming Pirates of the Caribbean, not getting a degree, although maybe he did...).  

All of the Garden Designers were there and it was great that the seven of us, Adele, Alick, Claudia, Jim, Sue , Susan and myself, who first met around a table in the Design Studio at Hadlow College thinking "what have I signed up for", all passed and all turned up yesterday, along with the others who have joined us along the way, Amelie, Daniela, Aija and Karen (and Grant of course, even if he did jump ship to the Landscape Architects halfway through, congratulations on your special merit award Grant, not bad for an old brickie!).  Most of the Landscape Architects were there also and I hope you all go on to do great things.

 Two old people who just happened to be wandering by.  Someone had to keep the youngsters feet on the ground, didn't they Sue?

 You can see as Garden Designer graduates we are already thinking about form and spatial awareness.

 Then a few more turned up.

 After the ceremony with proof at last.  Thanks to Robert Holden for your congratulations, although I couldn't scamper across the stage quickly enough!

 Trying to do the hat thing, sorry Jim for propelling mine straight into your face.

 That's more like it.

 And afterwards to the Painted Hall for a celebratory drink.

 Some of the Garden Designers with Caroline Jackson one of our favourite tutors from Hadlow who finally got round to finishing her Landscape Management degree, congratulations Caroline, Plant Science with you is still my favourite subject of the three years.

 A Charlie with his Angels.  Thankyou Miss Ford and Miss Willmott for your friendship and support over the last three years, I couldn't have done it without you.

The Chapel on the left and the Painted Hall on the right, rather a grand location for a degree ceremony don't you think, not bad for a south London University.  

Thankyou to everyone at Hadlow College and the University of Greenwich for their support and guidance for dragging me through my degree, if anyone is thinking of a degree in Garden Design or Landscape Architecture, you know where to come.

Now, what's next?  No really, WHAT'S next...?