This is Derbyshire --Bright sunshine welcomed the latest University of Derby graduates on the second of three days of presentation ceremonies at the city's Assembly Rooms. Zena Hawley reports.
IT was a bitter-sweet moment for Charlotte Blackman's mum Rachel – but one that would have left her feeling incredibly proud.
A year after picking up her daughter's degree posthumously, Mrs Blackman, along with other members of her family, were present at the Assembly Rooms yesterday to see Lee Youens, 29, receive the Charlotte Blackman Award for the highest achieving student, as well as a first-class honours degree in education studies, at the University of Derby.
Charlotte, from Heanor, who studied on the same course and was 22, had just completed a first class honours degree in 2012 when she was tragically killed by a landslide on holiday with her family in Dorset.
Seeing Lee collect the award proved to be a much easier experience than last year's ceremony for Mrs Blackman.
She said: "It's a bitter-sweet moment for us really.
"It's upsetting that Charlotte is not here but good that giving an annual prize in her name will create a lasting memory.
"It's easier this year to be here to see Lee get the prize than to be here last year to pick up Charlotte's degree on her behalf."
Money for the £100 prize has come from a memorial fund set up in Charlotte's name, which has already raised more than £11,000.
Mrs Blackman, accompanied by husband Kevin, son Mitchell and daughter Sinead, said: "We are linking up with a charity to raise £15,000 to provide a support dog for an autistic person. It's what Charlotte would have wanted.
"Some days it is hard to get up and get on with things but we all know that Charlotte would have been the first to tell us to get on with things."
Lee, who is now working at the university, said he was "very honoured" to be the first recipient of the Charlotte Blackman Award.
He said: "Although we were on the same course, she was a couple of years ahead of me and I did not know her. But I recall how shocked everyone at the university was when she died. This award has a lot of sentiment attached to it."
Lynn Senior, head of the university's school of education, said that Charlotte had been "excellent" in all aspects of her work and course.
She said: "Lee has shown qualities as an all-round good achiever and was an obvious choice for the award."
Lee's prize was part of the third of eight ceremonies over three days, ending later today. By that time, more than 4,000 people will have graduated, watched by up to 10,000 family members and friends.
People attending the fourth ceremony yesterday witnessed award-winning author Hilary Mantel receiving an honorary doctor of letters degree from the university.
Ms Mantel should have collected the degree two years ago but was too unwell to attend. A build-up of engagements meant she had to defer collection until this year. She said she was very pleased to have finally made it and was "thrilled to be honoured on her own patch".
Ms Mantel, who was born in Glossop but now lives in Devon, has won the Man Booker Prize twice for Wolf Hall and its sequel, Bring Up the Bodies, based on the character of Thomas Cromwell, adviser to Henry VIII.
She is currently working on the final part of the trilogy, which "will be ready when it is ready" and was always a 10-year project.
She said: "I owe it to my readers to do the best possible job I can of the final book. It could be 2015 before it is published."
Ms Mantel spoke of her love for Derbyshire and how she had set some of her works of the past 30 years in the county including Fludd, which featured a fictional mill village, "not unlike Glossop where I grew up".
She added: "I have a very soft spot for the county and love to visit."
All of the ceremonies yesterday were for graduates of the faculty of education, health and sciences and the faculty of business, computing and law.
Spotted in the crowd was Paul Elliott, better known as Paul Chuckle, who was in the city, from Doncaster, to see his son Jack, 21, graduate with a degree in accounting and finance.
Paul, and brother Barry, have been in show business together for 51 years and are renowned for their Chucklevision television series.
Also travelling to get her degree, and meet up with friend Olivia Nutt, 21, from Leicester, was Chelsea Thurston, also 21, from Lowestoft. The pair studied together for degrees in education studies with emphasis on special needs.
Olivia said: "We still keep in touch and see each other though we are quite a long way apart."
Welcoming the graduates during the ceremony in the Great Hall, which was relayed in the foyer, university vice-chancellor Professor John Coyne said: "Some 110 nationalities are represented on our student body, showing our global impact." Reported by This is 17 hours ago.