Thursday saw me at University for the final time. Having planned to go out after college I took the train in, but madly decided to walk the about 3 miles to the station (I am still aching today from that one). Key features of that part of the day were that we all passed, that apparently (though we don’t remember) at some time during the course we agreed that the course would become a pass or fail one rather than being graded pass, merit and distinction, and that we gave our feedback on the good and not so good aspects of our experience. The lack of help from the tutors particularly at the end were firstly our own fault, after all we should have done more to ask and secondly helped us to form into a cohesive group that worked well and achieved together. Well maybe, but you do wonder what we and our employers were paying for. If it was a DIY course we could have passed and gone off on holiday today on the proceeds!

This in no way detracts from my pleasure and excitement at for the first time in my life (and I mean ever) finishing a course top of my class. I know this sounds immodest but I am nearly 45 and I am going to enjoy that bit for a few days.

So it was on to London’s South Bank and a bit of a bar crawl with food thrown in. I have now experienced wine on a terrace overlooking the Thames, champagne in the Oxo tower, a mango dacari and then been served greek food (which was very nice) but the most miserable and surly waiters I have ever had the misfortune to encounter. This meant that the time spent eating was relatively short and cheap in comparison to the time spent drinking. I am no advocate of binge drinking, but there is no doubt I engaged in it on Thursday.

At Kings Cross, I some how got myself of the slowest train to 3 stops short of my destination (no it has nothing to do with the 3 Bacardi and cokes I had after dinner), then spent 45 minutes on my own on a station platform where I made use of the mens toilet because the ladies was on the other platform. I am glad to report that it was clean and tidy and that no men turned up to embarrass me! Finally I took a taxi from the station home and got to bed not far short of 2am. It is not everyday after all that you find that you are now a Master of Science!