B.A. Hons

I've graduated!!! Can you believe it?! I certainly can't! All that work and I finally get to put some letters after my name, which I will be doing on EVERYTHING.

It was such a good day yesterday, I felt so proud of myself which is such a lovely feeling. I also felt that my friends and family were proud of me too.

The ceremony was held at the Barbican Centre and I turned up quite early to get registered and robed. We unfortunately were not allowed hats, which was rubbish but I did get the full robes which were ridiculously heavy!

I really would say to anyone who is looking to do Open University, do it! Yes it takes a long time and yes it requires hard work and some dedication but the feeling of satisfaction that I got yesterday was worth all of that.

I was so nervous though. I don't think I have ever felt that nervous! My pulse was pounding and all I heard was my name being called before I walked across the stage. I didn't hear my family cheering, I didn't hear any clapping, I just needed to concentrate on putting one foot in front of the other! Everyone said it would all be over so quickly but it seemed like time stopped almost.

We went for lunch at Finch's, near the Barbican Centre with my family, Leigh's family and one of my best friends. I had the Duck breast which was very tasty but a little on the small side. The interiors were very instagramable and they had reserved my table with scrabble letters which was a nice touch.

It was such a brilliant day, and I got to keep my scroll too! I love that I can now say officially that I have a 2.1 English Literature degree and I have accomplished what I always hoped I would. Maybe now I will go on to do a Masters!

C x

When the lights go out

I arrived back at my house tonight to find that we had no power. Nothing at all. Obviously being the adult that I am the first thing I did was check the fuse box! No joy.

Then started the, 'well what shall I do with my time.' I decided to have a shower, only apparently (and who knew?!) hot water requires electricity to make it hot. Apparently I'm not as adult as I'd like to think or surely I would have known this!

So I did what every British person does in a crisis. I made a cup of tea. I boiled the water on the hob and everything. It was pretty good actually despite my lack of enjoyment of tea in general.

It was then that I started to think: what would we do without power? A little while ago Leigh and I watched a programme called Revolution. The premise of the show was actually pretty good. It was a post apocalyptic storyline where electricity has gone. It just goes one day and doesn't come back. Unfortunately the show didn't make it past a second series but I found the whole idea fascinating. One of the things that struck me the most was that a mother who had lost her children could no longer see pictures of them as they were all on her phone which was now unable to be charged. Even now as I type this by candlelight, I kid you not - I feel like a modern Janet Austen, it is nice to actually sit down and write this because I have nothing else to distract me. Although I am worrying about my phone battery...

I know its been said before but it is so easy to be distracted nowadays. TV, Internet etc etc. It all takes away from doing things that actually engage us socially and gives us time to use our brains.

It's actually quite romantic to sit here with only the light from the night sky and a candle. I might start enforcing a power out hour in the house where we have to do things we would normally put to one side.

I'm going to bed now to get a (relatively) early night because I might as well. I've learnt two things about this blackout. 1. My phone torch kicks out more light than any candle and 2. I quite like feeling like a nineteenth century author.

C x