Lovely husband

"He's so lovely, your husband! He bought you a cup of tea."

My Indian friend praised him at 7.30 this morning as we met for a long day at work. I had to get up at 6.30 in order to be at MK in time. He offered last
night to bring me a cup of tea. He did. At ten past five.

Kathleen Ollerenshaw

Yesterday I thanked Kathleen Ollerenshaw again for the lift she gave me in 1973. I haven't seen her since. Then I didn't know she was a mathematician but yesterday in the reception before Robin Wilson's inaugural maths lecture, I noticed this old lady sitting alone and asked if she was a mathematician. She said "Oh yes. Very much so!" It was only after the lecture that someone told me her name. She is very old and has a stick, but just as pleasant as she was then.

I knew of her when I was at school, as having something to do with the education committee in Manchester. The education authorities said that they wouldn't pay for someone like me in the sixth form of a direct grant school and my parents mentioned her name when explaining why I might choose to leave and go to an FE college

She's got an Erdős number of five, which means that she coauthored a paper with someone who co authored a paper ... an Erdős number of one is someone who coauthored a paper directly with Erdős. My mathematically inclined daughter is well impressed.

Son home

Brought son home from uni. Got my car in the way of a photographer, which is normal in Oxford cos of all the tourists, but this guy came with a sound man and a boss too.

Some woman in red was cycling up and down outside the college. Every now n' then she'd stop by a photographer and someone would dab something on her nose. Turned out it was Fiona Bruce and she'd studied languages at Hertford. Son told me. He'd even asked her if she'd like to go out last night with some of the student helpers for supper so you might see a photo of him and her if you are on Facebook and can find him. Sadly, she was already booked to go out with people from the Antiques Road Show.

Taekwon Do demo

Arty friend and I demo'd tae kwon do today at local school fete. The subum was there with his wife and gorgeous new baby. It looks gorgeous, a plump sleepy boy but asleep in his pram, soft as down he doesn't look as dangerous as subum.

We warmed up in front of a crowd. AF reasonably complained that when we had to stand in a circle and bend down to put our elbows on the ground, she didn't appreciate having to have her bum up in the air towards the crowd!

Then we did some line work, demonstrated patterns and three-step sparring. The black belts demonstrated one step sparring. Finally the littlest student demonstrated flying kicks by leaping over two, then three then four then five other students.

Mum-in-law

Daughter and I took Granny over to meet son at uni. Granny and son had a lovely time chatting and he demonstrated his new skill on his electric guitar. Then we had a tour of the college - she managed all the steps and stairs, down to the library and up over the bridge of sighs. In the other quad we met a couple who are his closest friends and we talked with them for ages.

She is about to go off for several weeks investigating monkeys because all monkeys in captivity pull their hair out and she is going to observe and record them in an effort to find out why.

Then son took us to Edamame, a Japanese restaurant that gave us lovely food, including edamame beans, and lots of really nice green tea. I ate sushi - I don't think I've done that before - and loved it. We think Granny liked it too. And we'd all like to go there again. How nice to have a son who knows these places.

Degree ceremony

Husband and I took today off to attend the OU degree ceremony at Milton Keynes for my MRes. We were going to nip out of the office at lunch time for a few hours, but thought step daughter #3 was going to come with us, so we would leave home later, get an official group photo and have a nice lunch before the ceremony. However, SD#3 must have missed out a syllable (she's been practising her glottal stops) when she told us that she wasn't coming so we didn't realise until 11 o'clock this morning.

Nevertheless, we got an official photo and had a nice lunch beforehand. We found our seats, watched the great and the goods process on to the stage, listened to eulogies on those who were receiving honorary doctorates and applauded the graduates. The graduates were presented to Will Swann, director of students, the doctorates came first then the masters then those who'd received degrees. There were two differences from when I received my first degree:

1. Then there were postgraduate degrees, and BAs, but now there are doctorates, masters, and all sorts of types of named degrees: BAs, BSc, diplomas, certificates and even foundation degrees. That reflects a change and huge expansion in what the OU offers, from around 40 courses in the seventies to over 400 now.
   
2. Then I knew only the people I'd come with - my neighbour and all his family - and we'd all come in his green single decker bus. Now I recognised some of the people on the stage because now I've been an associate lecturer for nearly twenty years, and because as a full time student I get to know faces on the campus. And it was nice after to raise champagne together with someone who works in our building.
   

I think I was prouder of my first degree because it took so much effort and a change in self-belief to get it. Here are some photos of husband who believed in me and supported me through it, and my proud parents when I went to get my BA.

Secret gardens opening

On Sunday we opened our garden, as did dozen others in the old town. Around 300 people traipsed round, admiring layout, size, hidden greenery behind houses that are right on the street, and our delphiniums (blue) and geraniums (red). Photographers could be seen focusing in close on the phygelius.

We have several empty and light filled spots where we cut down trees like the elder and a pine. We left notices asking for advice from our visitors.

"What should we do with this border now the branches have gone? Your suggestions are welcome."

Some suggestions have been:

• a gravel garden or a Japanese garden or a water garden
• currant bushes
• apple trees

"What should we do with this space now the trees have gone? Your suggestions are welcome."

This elicited:

• Don't cover the old wall and narled trunks, they compliment the age of the garden. Fruit bushes fine, introduce lost of different shades of greenery. Build potting shed, fence west
• Nude sunbathing!
• Chickens!
• A BOMB

We're still wondering whether and where to have a Wendy house. I miss the one my children had until 2000 and want one like it for the grandchildren. And we might get a fig tree - some visitors agreed - or an olive tree, tile the bare wall, or put a mosaic on it, or perhaps graffiti! But then the outside of the walls already get that! We've also been advised to consider a Japanese garden, oriental features and a willow sculpture. I like that idea.

Our grandson sold ice creams, making a tidy £60 towards our chosen charities: Norcap and Space. Rumour has it that between us all we made around £900.

I'll load my photos up to my flickr site.