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.

One of his colleagues 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.

Fascinating Ascot

I loved this outing. Fascinating hats, like black and red on blond hair, or a pink rose on black, or lime green net. My favourite hat was two pink carnations, with a white and a yellow rose and white feathers. The most fascinating fascinator was a nest of pink down, with pink plumes and surrounded by flying feathers. Wow! Everyone dressed up. You couldn't be overdressed. If you went feeling silly because you have a silly hat on and you don't usually wear hats, when you get there you wonder if your hat is silly enough for the event.

The party atmosphere began on the train from Waterloo with champagne corks popping, laughter as the train swayed, and mobile calls to friends who couldn't get on at Richmond but had to wait for the next train.

Strict instructions had been given on what to wear. Most women wore skirts or dresses, and some were really really smart, brilliant colours and coordinated with hats, shoes (high heeled) and bags. In the general enclosure there were a lot of shoulders and backs on display though in the royal enclosure that was not allowed. The men dressed up too, at least in suits, some in morning suits, some in kilts and sporans. One cheeky chap, old enough to be someone's gran'pa sported a badge that announced he was the "Ascot official panty inspector"!

Husband and I won on two of the six races. We bet each way on Free Agent, the Queen's horse. When it won, you could see her thumbs up "Done it!".

Would I go again? Yes, but racing has to be either a social event or a betting event. I'm not too bothered about the betting so I'd like to go with friends too. Any friends near London who fancy coming to Ascot next year with us?

Ascot races

Husband and I are going to the races. I've never been to the races despite having worked in a bookies years ago. Here's the programme for Saturday.

Busy

I'm too busy to blog this week. I have

• a 5000 word report to re-jig for my supervisors
• garden to tidy
• furniture to move before plumber comes
• 20 assignments to mark
• a long dental appointment
• a visit (last ever) to my daughter's school

Oh, and a visit to Ascot on Saturday.

Graffiti

More graffiti appeared in our street - just a small tag on the paint work at the front of a house. One neighbour saw a possible culprit and rushed out to photograph his back. Glad our CCTV is now recording.

Broken pane

Yesterday evening some yob chucked something at our window and cracked the pane. Pest!

This is the penalty for living near the town centre. But being a conservation area, we can't have shutters - bit daft really when you realise that this sort of problem has happened on and off for centuries because this was the main road into Aylesbury, and out of Aylesbury after going to the pubs! If you remove the outer rendering of a lot of the houses you find the fixings for the old shutters. But you have to argue the case with the conservation officers. House down the road had lots of panes broken last summer for several Fridays in a run. Broken on Fridays, fixed on Mondays then broken again. And kids think they're just being a nuisance and having a bit of fun, but don't realise that the old sort of glass in these houses is irreplaceable. They don't make glass like that any more.

Spider found

Further to my query about the orange-legged spider, step daughter #2 tells me we've seen a wood-louse spider and refers us to Woodlouse spider - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

This makes sense since it was running around with hundreds of wood lice that were hiding under the sand tray. Thank you SD#2!

Son understands me!

If you know something about my research, you might know that in July I have an interview to get the funding for the next two years study. I was explaining to son that the philosophical approach behind my research and my examiner's approach are opposites, so that the viva is going to be a bit harder. I was delighted to discover that son knows the relevant bits of philosophy. I said,

"My research is based on a constructionist approach. My examiner is a realist."

Son immediately responded:

"Oh dear!"

How nice to be understood.