Graduation Day At Worcester

Carol and I went to my daughter's Graduation at Worchester Cathedral yesterday. We had to get up really early and left for our drive there at around 6.15. It was a bit close, but we managed to make it on time. We were supposed to meet Chloe and her boyfriend, Steve, at their house at just before 9.00 and then go to the University campus in Steve's car and then be taken to the cathedral by coach, but we weren't going to make it in time so parked the car in the centre of Worcester and walked to the cathedral. We were both hungry as we hadn't had time for anything to eat before we left, so we went into a Gregg's bakery shop (this was a little bit after 9.) and bought coffee and sausage rolls to eat as we walked through the centre of the town. I had spoken to Steve via mobile phone to be told that they were about to board the coach, and just as we turned up outside the cathedral a coach turned up. Carol said 'do you think they will be on it?' and sure enough, as people got off the coach, they got off! It seemed a really good bit of timing. Chloe's mum, Helen, and Chloe's half-sister, Elizabeth also came,and we went into the cathedral. It was slowly filling up with graduates, dressed in their robes and mortarboards, and we sat on one side of the nave whilst the graduates sat on the opposite side. We had a good forty-five minutes wait before the ceremony started. Some people were obviously not going to be able to see much of the ceremony from where they were sitting, so events were being videoed and relayed to them onto large television monitors.

Then the ceremony started, with a procession into the cathedral of all the local dignatories and people from the University. Some wore amazing headgear, and one man more a hat with a large display of feathers on the top. After an introduction by the Dean of the Cathedral, and then the Registrar and Secretary of the University, the degrees were presented. Midway, an Honorary Degree was presentd to Henry Sandon, who is better known from his appearances on B.B.C. Television on such programmes as "Antiques Roadshow," a show we watch regularly on a Sunday night.

At the end of the ceremony, there was another procession out of the cathedral, but this time the new graduates followed the rest of the dignatories and university people, and it was to really rousing organ music.

Everyone else then left the cathedral, all the parents, friends, relations and so on who had come to watch the presentations. This took quite some time as the place was really packed. I don't think there was a single seat empty. I would have liked to have had time to look around the cathedral, but we didn't have time to do it justice. We will have to visit it on another occasion when we come to Worcester to see Chloe.

We went to the rear of the cathedral to take photographs, and then we had to queue up to catch the coach to the university campus where drinks and eats were laid on. We then went in Steve's car to a Toby Carvery outside Worchester to enjoy a meal, before Carol and I left for home. A great day was enjoyed by all, and Chloe was congratulated for completing her course and getting her degree.