What an amazing day it was yesterday.  Meeting so many friends face-to-face for the very first time after three years of working together online.  So many highlights, where do I start? Well, firstly, being able to share the occasion with the people who mean the most to me - my lovely family.  It was amazing to see the pride on their faces when they saw me in my cap and gown (even though I kept putting the cap on back to front!) and after I'd been presented with my degree, Chris was at the back of the cathedral snapping my picture and giving me a hug.  Then there was the chance to meet up again with some of my closest friends from management - Shirley, Babs, Clare, Maureen - and yesterday for the first time, Annie, Colette, Catherine and Sheelagh (forgive me if I've missed anyone out!).  As well as meeting their lovely families too.  Then, to put faces to names of people who I only partly recognised through online photos or their individual fonts! It was great to meet you all.  But I wouldn't have got here at all if it hadn't been for Gina, Ken, Ali and so many of the lovely team at Ultralab - Tim, Hal, Jane, Jonathan, Richard, Maureen, Rex, Lyndsey, Mark (again, I'm sorry if I've omitted names).  The reception at the Saracen's was a great way to start off the graduation day - thanks to the team for arranging this. The ceremony in the cathedral seemed to go in a whirl and once we were seated after collecting our awards, I remember saying to Julie that I wish we could re-wind it and do it all over again!  And then the Vice-Chancellor's reception - perfect finale to a perfect day. 

But knowing me, the day couldn't go without a hitch!  After a lovely Thai meal in Great Dunmow and a drink back at the travelodge, we toddled off to bed shattered.  The fire alarm went off in the early hours and we all had to evacuate to the car park. Back to reality folks!