The end of an era...

Another very busy day.The day started with a drive to March, where i was supposed to be giving a morning's training to some volunteer fenland botanical recorders. The weather was grey and cool, and the vegetation was very damp after yesterday's heavy rain. I'm not sure whether this put everyone off, but not one of the four people booked on the course actually showed up. Rather than just turn round and go home, I wandered around the farm for an hour and a half, making some interesting plant records which I can send to the farmer.

Once I arrived home, it was time to take Rosie out for a walk along the river. There were quite a few damselflies, including reasonable numbers of red-eyed and common blues, which I'd not seen previously this year.The afternoon was spent at the computer, and was enlivened by Chris casually announcing that he'd got a First in his M.Ecol. I think I probably should have been more excited, but it was more or less to be expected.

At half-past five Pete, Alex and I set off for Shuttleworth College, to attend Alex's graduation ceremony. All his hard work had paid off, and he just scraped the highest grade of D*D*D*. However, all grades are subject to confirmation by Edexcel, so at the ceremony they were just handed a Certificate of Attendance. I have to say the formal part of the evening was a bit tedious - not-so-inspirational speeches and an awful lot of clapping were involved. And the chairs were rather small, meaning that the more generously proportioned tended to spill over- it all got a bit hot and sweaty!

Once that ordeal was over, there was a buffet with free wine which Alex and Pete took advantage of - as the driver I was restricted to orange juice :( We then had a very jolly time with some of Alex's closest friends on the course - a really lovely bunch of young men, hopefully poised on the brink of a new and exciting future. But I don't think they usually look this smart! (Alex is the one with the purple tie.)