2017 seems so long ago, now they're fledgling graduates.

[latedecember1963]

4 years since A Levels and the wait for August and confirmation of where our chicks were about to fly the nest to.
It's been 4 years that has sprung a few surprises along the way, not least this lovely series of threads.

Congratulations to your DD, ErrolTheDragon. It's always a relief to get the contract signed. Will she start work as soon as she finishes her course? 🎉🥂
Hope this week goes smoothly on the countdown to the wedding, Xenia. The main thing is that your DD and your future SiL have a day to remember. These are the things that go down in family folklore.

Congratulations @ErrolTheDragon dd !

DS1 has just been rejected from a competitive role he'd rather got his heart set on after doing their psychometric tests. Tough consoling someone who thinks he's been branded a social incompetent. (He's not!)

Sorry to hear that Haffdonga. It's so hard, isn't it? My DH always finds the psychometric assessments very hit and miss both as a candidate for roles and as someone who has been part of recruitment.
He always tries to look beyond the result but he says they are often used as a quick whittling down measure if there are lots of applicants.
He'll find his niche with people who will appreciate him.

Will she start work as soon as she finishes her course?

No! She's got a start date in September, so she can have a holiday and chilling time, and also do some driving practice (we're giving her my car). And sort out accommodation of course. She reckons at least half of her friends, including her boyfriend, will be staying in the Cambridge area which is good.

DH had one slight misgiving about her getting this job offer early - that she's not put herself through any psychometric tests or 'assessment centres'. He reckons that to some extent there's an element of learned skill to it.* Can your DS get any feedback, Haffdonga*, so that at least he can ponder and learn from the experience?

Haffdonga - hope your DS is successful with his next application. We use psychometric tests and day long assessment centres for recruitment but feedback is always available. As an assessor (and we all do our turn) it is drummed into us during the training that your notes on each candidate can be requested by the candidate so must be of a good quality to help the candidate going forward.

Thank you kind friends

DS has done loads of psychometric tests and says that practice does help, he said the quality of his assessment tests went up the more he did and he did get a graduate scheme offer after more than 30 applications and three full assessment tests ( and many screening ones))

It is certainly a lot of work for these kinds of job applications particularly when the chances of getting the job are so low, but then it's a free market. If people cannot be bothered they certainly won't be in the running for the jobs.

Meanwhile the twins had their last law exam yesterday which was much better than the one on Monday and have final course work due in my Monday so the end of this year is in sight and I no longer feel I am running an exam centre.

The wedding progresses. Dress 1 from the Uk supposedly was i fact from Cihna and is delayed. Dress 2 from the UK seemed to get lost. Dress 3 duplicate of 2 apparently arrived today for the weekend so that is just in time and they saw the priest today who says for any family or anyone on the planet I think it will be live streamed. It seems to be no sound and no recording function obviously either. My daughter and I clicked on it tonight and we could see another couple having their wedding meeting being shown where to go etc so at least some relatives if they want can see it visually from afar (only 13 of us can attend and we may not sing the hymns). They are wedding 1 of the day and another couple are at 2pm and another at 4pm. I suppose there is a massive back log as the total wedding ban was only lifted on 29 March in England.

Son with rapunzel hair down his back was here today and has had it cut off earlier this week. He kept the hair rather than selling it and says it feels a lot easier without it all and his sister had hoped he would have it cut before the wedding anyway - he had to queue 30 mins for it but that is not too bad as the hair cut ban was only lifted on 12 April . (mine never grew as long or thick or blond!)

Why no sound Xenia? I have watched a few funerals on webcam sadly this year and the sound is really good and most churches have a few fixed cameras .
It would o be lovey to watch the wedding live

I’ve unfortunately “attended” a couple of Covid funerals and the service was relayed online for those who couldn’t attend. The sound was good. We could hear the readings by the family.

That sounds perfect for your DD, Errol. Fingers crossed for good weather and a bit more freedom this summer.
Goodness, that was cutting it fine for your DD's wedding dress, Xenia. Does it fit ok?
We've also "attended" several funerals via Zoom. Possibly the difference is that Funeral Directors have seen a gap in the market and have developed this as a service that they arrange.
The church I attend wouldn't have thought about streaming a wedding, although maybe this will become more common with families more scattered these days.

Had a long chat with DD yesterday, she seems in good spirits. Her doggy walking companion is courtesy of 'Borrow my Doggy' - the owner can exercise him using her mobility scooter or chair (not sure which sort of wheels) but apparently he adores people and more walkies so it's a win win. DD says its good because it makes her and her friend get out for a walk even if they've nowhere to go, as it were. Maybe something for dog-loving students and newly employed grads to consider!

Actually last night a mass was with sound from the church so perhaps it was just for couples being shown round the altar they put the sound off for privacy reasons.

A few relatives are going to watch it live. My son might try to record it if he records form his PC just before we leave tomorrow and leaves it going as apparently he used to be able to do that for online gaming. We shall see. Had she really wanted a recording she should have hired a videographer.

The dress from China arrived today - her best one in size 8 and 10 and she thinks the 10 fits best. The Asos one is not as nice. I think it will all be fine tomorrow. As she said today as we have been forced by law to close down so many things including shops she hasn't even been able to go into shops in the last few months to try on wedding dresses etc - London has been locked down since 19 December. and the wedding ban was only lifted on 19 March.

She got a veil yesterday but was not planning to wear one and having tried it on thinks it is not for her so won't use one which is fine. there are only 13 guests anyway and I think we are all just relieved she is getting married. How she or the groom look is not that relevant. Anyway I was relieved yesterday to get back from different dry cleaners my sons' new suit trousers (taken up) not that they have bothered to try them on since but on the other hand they are in the final furlong of this year's law course with course work due on Monday so even just spending a few hours tomorrow at the wedding is not easy for them.

I won't disclose the Catholic church but if I say her sister's wedding was that Oratory and it is instead at another London one which is not Westminster Cathedral and is really nice (in my view) people might choose to guess if they are bored and want to hunt around tomorrow at noon online.

Borrow my doggy sounds a fabulous idea, Errol. In my head I'd love a dachshund but I know it's not practical. DH also points out that we are seeing light at the end of the tunnel of parenting and that we should relish our future freedom.
Hope all goes well tomorrow, Xenia, and that your daughter and her fiance have a wonderful day. 💏🎂🍾🥂

@xenia wishing you all the best for a lovely day tomorrow with your daughter and your family.

Congratulations on the special wedding tomorrow! I hope you all have a lovely day @Xenia

Have a wonderful day, Xenia!

Many congrats to the happy couple! ❤️ It's a beautiful day here, so hoping for the same for you.

Lovely sunny day and the wedding was really lovely. It was the first at that church since the 19 Dec London wedding ban. We could do photos in the garden after with the official photographer and then champagne and the groom was able to give a speech out there too and my daughter's friend and boyfriend and 3 of the spouses of the chosen 13 allowed at the service could be there after outside so I think that got us up to 20 people including the couple, just a nice number to talk to everyone.

We were good and did not sing and relatives could watch it all on the live stream.

It was my first time meeting the groom's family and they were really really nice people and both of the couple have a sister with the same first name and both sisters read the reading they each did very well. It could not have gone better (other than the state not having any rules and regulations breaching our rights and freedoms in place).

The twins can get back to work shortly - final course work due on Tuesday.

My daughter's friend from law school was outside after the wedding - we called this friend and the 3 banned spouses the "illegals" - although they certainly did not join the wedding party in the church rows (every other one of which was sealed off with tape - it was a bit mean the groom's family were not allowed the front row on their side as it was miles away from our side's front row across a massive aisle). She practises the same area of law which is the twins' last exam/course work. Very small world.

Let us not forget the Duke of Edinburgh - our tube train stopped longer at a station at 3pm and announced the silence on our way home.

Glad the wedding went well @Xenia - the weather was lovely. We’d booked a table at a local pub and it was lovely to be eating and drinking in the sunshine.
We’ve invitations to several rescheduled weddings - now booked for next year. I’d already bought my outfits and they’re still hanging in the wardrobe, ready and waiting. We heard this wedding from my cousin in Annecy that her eldest had got engaged so another wedding to look forward to.

The man at a newspaper I spoke to today about the announcement said today he had had the most social booking etc for a long while. Perhaps things are on the up. The happy couple had a nice meal out at a very warm heated outdoor bit of a restaurant in London last night although I won't take bets over whether the 17 May honeymoon will go ahead. We shall see.

Meanwhile the twins are working all the time so the deadline for course work is tomorrow when this year's law course ends. It would be good if they could send it in today not tomorrow to be done with it.

It sounds like from Parker that weddings may be starting to get booked again. I spoke to my daughter today who says she is very pleased it is over (she never wanted a huge wedding anyway and it was more than enough fuss having what she had, lovely though it was). I sent her the first post today in her new name - she is taking his. It can be a lot simpler. I did and her sister did so the whole new family have the same name etc. All the other options of work and private name or double barrelled or whatever never seem as easy although even in the 1980s it was quite a concession of mine to take his name.

Congratulations to the happy couple - it sounds like a lovely wedding.

I saw some wedding industry chap on the news the other day who said he expected there to be close to 1 million weddings this year compared to the usual 250,000 or so - made me wonder how they'll all be fitted in !

DD has submitted dissertation and completed assignments and now has 3 exams to sit before finishing. Sadly no graduation but I'm hopeful she will agree to booking gown and hood for some photos for me and we will celebrate anyway. We've said she can choose a nice restaurant and dh will not complain as he is not as adventurous an eater as dd - but she's promised not to choose anywhere too exotic.

reads that is a nice idea about the gown and hood. My sons finish this year's law conversion course today (or may be one submitted his materials last night - I know one was up at 6.30am very rare for him and is upstairs in the room he works in so must be completing his references etc now).

I hope when he goes back to Bristol for end of term on Monday he realises none of his friends will be free in the sense he is - they will all be working very hard indeed for finals of 4 year degrees, masters etc. I am sure he will be quiet etc as needed. he has a very early end to the course - the first year this particular law conversion ends in April not the summer.

My newly married daughter has been following lots of wedding blogs etc on line and feels very sorry for those people, often women, working in the wedding industry particularly given how complex the rules are. Even the Government announcement that included a picture showing weddings back on on 6th March was wrong so hers had to be postponed to April. Then the meal was cancelled by the venue as the rules - I cannot even remember now - I think if you marry in the venue you can eat in the venue but not otherwise., You can eat outside now but everything with outside space is booked up. Anyway it's fine - weddings are far far too long, even mine with lunch was long but now they have 2pm wedding, hanging around, photos, talking, meal - earlyish dinner and then dancing at 10pm it is a very long day so may be we were spared all that (not that I didn't enjoy it for her sister).

Anyway enough of weddings. There were 3 at the church of my daughter - hers was first at noon, then one at 2 and one at 4pm and the church is right by a C of E one and a registry office all in Mayfair so loads of people were coming out into the gardens - I think we saw 2 or 3 other brides just in the time we were doing photos.

Now I want the twins to enjoy from today a very very long summer of freedom until they start their next course on about 6 Sept. On the other hand if they want to help me with any domestic jobs, cleaning, gardening (although I like that one), DIY or even legal admin they are welcome.

DD is home, and the office is set up for her exams which start on Tuesday. DH has totally cleared his desk, fortunately I'll just need to bung the papers on my desk into a box and turn off my kit while she's doing them.
The IT requirements have meant changing all sorts of stuff on the router, and DH has also invested in several UPS units and a new flatbed scanner as the old one didn't work or he couldn't find drivers for it or something. Good job he checked, though I suppose it's possible to take photos to upload if they don't have a scanner.. And he got a telephone mount that will fit on our birdwatching telescope tripod as they have to have laptop and another camera trained on them throughout and streaming. Presumably many students won't have this level of detailed support and kit, and be relying on propping their phones up on bookshelves and sharing bandwidth with others. The latter was her main reason for coming home, 2 or 3 of the others with exams at the same time.

I managed to find the badminton rackets and shuttlecocks so she had a break doing swatting rather than swotting just now.