fishydreams

This blog of mine is the nearest thing I have to a diary and, as such, it´s great to be able to report on Leo´s big day on Saturday when he graduated from the University of York with a B.Sc in Accounting, Business Finance and Management. Catriona, Pippa, Grandad and I made it up to York for the occasion and we had lunch afterwards with the families of two of Leo´s closest friends from university.

It seems like no time at all since Pippa and I waved him off at Málaga train station in September 2014. He travelled by train with Catriona up to London via Madrid and Paris and then, after a couple of days, on to York. He had only ever attended one school in the south of Spain and his departure signified the end of one era and the beginning of another. Now, with graduation, this has all happened again.

I remember his departure from Málaga vividly. Pippa and I were pretty cut up to be honest. Leo appeared to take it all in his stride. For him it seemed like a beginning, which of course it was, but for us it felt like an ending. That was a four years ago and a lot of water has flowed under the bridge since then.

Leo attended the school where I teach and was a student of mine before he was handed over to York for further processing. Back in the day I could help him with his studies of Science but I don´t know much about business and, as I a frequently reminded by my better half, I know very little about finance. The faculty at York was more than up to the task of making up for my shortcomings and so now it seems the lad knows a thing or two about management and accounting and stuff like that. But his academic journey is not quite finished. He has a few professional exams to complete when he joins PWC in London as part of their graduate intake so he can´t take his foot off the pedal.

Before the awarding of degrees on Saturday the vice chancellor had a few words to say. He spoke well. As you might expect the graduating students were congratulated on their achievements and their efforts were acknowledged and commended, but what resonated with me was an appreciation that, quite beyond the immediate necessity to get cracking in the world of work, the graduates were asked to consider what kind of world it was that they might want to live in and what they might do to help to shape it.

On Saturday Catriona and I had a good chat with the other mums and dads of the graduating students and particularly the parents of Leo´s closest buddies, Ollie Kinsella and Ollie Toseland. We were commenting on how time had flown since these kids left school. A hell of a lot can happen in the blink of an eye!

So hats off to Leo and good luck to the graduating class of 2018.

You have made us very proud.

Leo´s closest buddies are both called Ollie (Ollie Kinsella is on the left of the photo and Ollie Toseland is on the right)

Here we are between gusts of wind. There were mortar boards flying off heads everywhere! From left to right we have moi, Catriona, Leo, Pippa and Grandad.

Leo avec poisson

and with the the old man