Two years ago James was just about to be locked down in his 3rd year Sheffield University digs, mere yards from the Crow.
That summer he completed his Computer Science degree on-line, but missed out on the vital ceremony of dressing up in Ede & Ravenscroft robes in the summer of 2021, due to the pandemic rumbling on.
He never seemed fussed about missing the dressing-up, but is bright enough to know that Mrs RM and his grandparents DO get fussed about the photos, so on Wednesday he duly obliged when Sheffield Uni finally got round to acknowledging the Class of 2020.
Personally I think he wears a suit rather better than ceremonial robes, though since he works from home that hardly matters either.
After a long but well-intentioned and uplifting ceremony he was quickest to get the robes off, ensuring we got a table in the University Arms, GBG stalwart and reliable supplier of stodge and local NBSS 3+ pints to a generation of undergraduates and their anxious parents.
“You’re going to make a blog post out of this, aren’t you ?”.
Yep.
retiredmartin 
Great story. Congratulations to James! James and Matt must feel a bit like the Khardasians.
LikeLike
Hopefully not with a similar father figure fate.
LikeLike
Simon in a yellow dress and now this. I may need to cancel my subscription. I can’t sleep at night.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Simply phone the Cancellation Hotline ($3.99/minute) to attempt to cancel.
LikeLike
I’m beginning to understand the obsession with mumsnet.
LikeLiked by 1 person
The inability of women to say no to unreasonable requests from other women (“organise my hen night abroad”, “look after my toddler”, “respond to my message immediately”) is compelling.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Mumsnet is the female equivalent of CAMRA Discourse, where people notionally on the same side compete to see how nasty they can be to each other.
LikeLike
Ede and Ravenscroft have a warehouse in Waterbeach. You might have been given a good discount if you hired direct from there
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, I was good friends with Billy, an elderly Northern Irish driver for Ede & Ravenscroft, till his recent death.
LikeLike
Ede & Ravenscroft seem to have the monopoly on gowns and funny hats, as they were the go-to supplier of such items when I graduated – degrees were written on parchment back then (only kidding!)
As you rightly point out, such occasions are for the mums, and the grandparents (assuming they are still around). My mother was fully taken in with the whole thing, including the sherry reception with the department head – a James Robertson-Justice lookalike, who should have been put out to grass years before!
Dad, who always had his feet planted firmly on the ground, was less impressed. As for the sherry – do people still drink the stuff these days?
None of this, of course, takes anything away from a fine achievement for young James. He looks every bit the part in his gown and mortar board, so congratulations to him. You and Christine must be very proud.
LikeLike
My only hope for James is that he grows up able to organise a pub crawl with a proper lunch stop included 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m sure he will, if you nudge him gently, in the right direction. 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
Congratulations to James.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Congratulations to James
LikeLike
Thanks, Charlie.
LikeLike