They made the grade.

Graduation day at the University of Birmingham School of Physics and Astronomy.

That's Philip, second row about 6 from the right, slightly obscured by his right arm throwing away an expensive mortar board. Well he's taken 23 years to get there, but we always knew he'd get there. I can remember letting a Senior Engineer hold him when he was about a month old - all he could see was a blank database. Well he's a properly populated database now with a good few maths apps thrown in for good measure.

There was amazing organisation to ensure that everybody had their portraits taken - I think they had set up 10 studios in one building to cope. Thousands of gowns and hats were laid out by degree colour and size, ready to be picked up by their intended. Pay here for a ceremony dvd, pay there for a group photo. Collect your certificate there, oh, and second floor conference room for complementary food and drink.

The Degree Congregation itself was organised with wonderful precision. When it came to graduands names being read out and said student shaking hands with the Vice-Chancellor, it was wonderful to see they were all there on cue, all in the correct order about one every 7 seconds. The Brass Ensemble introduced the ceremony with some Elgar and Wagner, but it was the ending procession accompanied by Eric Coates' Dambusters March that people left the Great Hall humming under their breath.

What a wonderful day for the students and their families. I can't wait to relive it on dvd!