My Graduation - Saturday 17 October 2015

Birmingham Symphony Hall

On Friday night I travelled down to my mums with my son, partner and mother in law so that all five of us could squeeze into our Ford Fiesta and travel to Birmingham on Saturday morning. We left at 10 and the roads were clear all the way through, Alan misread the sat nav although me and John heard her right but too late to change lanes. It was just four miles up the road and back down again so no big deal, but roadworks did make navigation to the car park a little more challenging. I'd paid for VIP parking so a place was reserved for us and made life so much easier.

When we arrived in the International Conference Centre (ICC) where the Symphony Hall is located John and I went off to get our tickets leaving the other three waiting by the robing area.  When we got back I went to get my robe not realising it was a one-way system through to the photographer, it wasn't really an issue as it was only me booked in for the photo, I just couldn't let them know where I was as I had no service on my phone.

Photo taken, photographer happy, I have no idea what my hair looks like though, LOL. Alan took photos of us all together and then we went off to find the refreshments. That didn't go too well, we ended up in an area we shouldn't have been but a kind ICC member of staff put us back in the lift and told us where we should be heading. When we got off the lift he suddenly appeared (John said it was like a scene from The Shining LOL) and he pointed us in the right direction.

Tea, muffins and danish pastries consumed I sent my friend Emma a message to see where she was to get a reply saying she had just arrived. Rich was walking the dogs so she was heading in on her todd, so I left my party and went to meet her so that we could get her robed and photographed. She met up with Rich and her dad and we didn't see each other again until after we found our way into the hall, I was in row R and she was in P, just in front of me a few seats to the right but too far away to chat to.

I had no idea where my family was until the Vice Chancellor asked all the children to let their family know where they where. Well a 6'+ person standing on the balcony to the left of the stage caught my eye, that was my child, funnily enough I'd looked at them seats and thought it's a good job Alan's not up there as he hates heights.  We'd gone in the same doors but on different floors so I thought they were somewhere above but behind me, but they'd gone in the wrong door and had to go around.

Our turn to approach the stage soon came around, a kind lady tweaked our robes and hoods, she looked very tired so I said thank you. I handed over my name card with a pronunciation written on it, I had reservations about the lovely exhuberant lady reading it as I wanted it read but she was spot on.  The VC, Peter Horrocks was lovely too, I waved to my lot as I crossed the stage and he said "Your lot have a good view from there" as he turned to have his photo taken.  I wondered all the way through the ceremony why some people merited a longer chat from him, it turned out it was those that were showing their nerves and he wanted to put them at their ease.  It is quite overwhelming, before I went up I felt sick and if there had not been marshalls pointing us back to our seats I may have gone in the wrong direction.

We stopped for food on the way back home, not sure how both mums and Alan survived all day on breakfast then tea and muffins, John and I had had bacon butties just before we got seated (didn't fancy fainting in front of everyone). The whole weekend was rounded off with Sunday lunch before we headed back home, it was an experience none of us ever expected to take part in and is a memory to cherish.

VC Peter Horrocks





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