Features / University of Bristol
The pomp, circumstance and fun of a University of Bristol graduation ceremony
The sounds of an organ playing God Save the Queen echo around the Wills Memorial Building as another graduation ceremony draws to a close.
The doors to the great hall are opened and suddenly dozens of new University of Bristol graduates stream down the grand staircase. They are ushered outside to greet their friends and families, where photos will be taken that will undoubtedly sit on mantelpieces for decades to come.
And then the process starts again, with eight ceremonies taking place this week across Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
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Somebody who has seen more graduation ceremonies than most is University of Bristol head of events, Alison Dawson. Retiring from the role in a few months, the mother-of-two from Stoke Bishop estimates that over 18 years she has seen more than 64,000 students graduate.
Standing in one corner of the great hall as graduands arrive for the next ceremony, Alison says that she “never fails to get excited on behalf of the people who are here”.
It is Alison’s job to ensure that everything run like clockwork. A University of Bristol graduation is a ceremony steeped in tradition, but is also something that she wants to be fun. (“Whooping and cheering is permitted if the mood should take you,” she later explains from the front of the stage to the next cohort of students.)
University of Bristol events manager Alison Dawson is responsible for ensuring graduation ceremonies run smoothly
“This is their one shot,” says Alison. “This is the culmination of their time in Bristol, a springboard for them to get launched into the world. It has to be perfect for them.”
Alison – who was once featured in the Daily Telegraph giving fashion advice to graduates for the big day – laughs as she remembers one of the most memorable moments of her two-decade career; a young woman who graduated in a bikini underneath her ceremonial robes.
“She was very careful to keep her gown closed,” Alison says. “Nobody knew, until as she went down the stairs she nonchalantly allowed her gown to flap open.”
Another of Alison’s highlights is meeting the honorary graduates, with favourites in recent years including Matt Lucas, Daniel Day-Lewis and James Blunt.
On Tuesday at 1.30pm it was the turn of Anne-Marie Imafidon, recently named by Forbes as one of the world’s top-50 women in tech. She is no stranger to honours, having been awarded an MBE in 2017 for services to young women and STEM sectors.
Honorary graduate Anne-Marie Imafidon (sitting, with cap) prepare for the official photos after the ceremony
After her graduation ceremony, she posed for photos with members of her family and her partner, as well as taking a few selfies of her colourful robes.
“It’s lovely to celebrate,” Anne-Marie says. “Not only with the people who have graduated, but to mark the University of Bristol’s commitment to increasing the participation of women and girls in STEM.”
The next honorary graduate in line, Ella’s Kitchen founder Paul Lindley, graduated from this very building exactly 30 years ago. He is back today with his wife, parents and two children (including Ella, after which his organic baby food brand is named).
“I never imagined that I would be back here,” says Paul, who during his time in Bristol will be giving a talk to undergraduates on the university’s new innovation degree.
“Bristol is a very special place to me,” he adds. “The city is very entrepreneurial. It built its reputation on trading, and is a vibrant city with lots of energy.
Brian Halford helping honorary graduate Paul Lindley into his gown
Helping Paul put on his gown and cap is Brian Halford, gowning manager at Ede & Ravenscroft, a tailoring company that was founded in London in 1689 and provides ceremonial robes for not just graduates across the world but also the judiciary, House of Lords and royal occasions.
“Days like this are lovely,” says Brian. “They are very very nice indeed. All honorary graduates are always very interesting people, and all without exception extraordinarily nice people too. In this job I meet a whole range of characters.”
Back in the great hall, hundreds of programmes are being put on seats for the next graduates and their guests, any errant spot of dust is being removed from the stage and soon the next graduation ceremony of the day will begin.
Graduation ceremonies take place in the opulent surroundings of the Wills Memorial Building great hall
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