playing the doctor's assistant

Now here's something that doesn't happen every day: your friend, whom everyone says should be the next Doctor, becomes an ACTUAL DOCTOR without even studying for a degree. (Unless you are Mrs Pullman, and it's happened to your husband about thirteen times.) This week I got to be the Doctor's assistant and support him (Doctor Who? Oh yes, Doctor Reeve) at the Anglia Ruskin graduation ceremony in Cambridge, where he and Philip Pullman accepted their honourary doctorates.



I made a drawing while I was supposed to be clapping.



Here I am, just about to leave for Cambridge, practicing hard at being a STRONG FEMALE PROTAGONIST.




Here's one of the Philips giving his speech, it was pretty awesome. He talked about his time at Anglia Ruskin (known then as Cambridgeshire College of Arts and Technology) when he was taught how to use metal moveable type, right before computer typesetting came into use. Things change fast and the Doctor regenerates regularly. (No, he didn't say 'regenerate', ha ha.)



I was wearing my special skunk-themed fascinator for the evening, but I swapped it to try on a Hat of Greatness. It feels... pretty great. The other faculty member next to me tried it on, too, but said it made him look like a mushroom.



You can tell we spent the whole evening in a very solemn fashion. Here's another of Philip's guests, Dave Shelton (author of A Boy, a Bear and a Boat looking on in wonder. I stayed overnight with Dave and his partner, Pam Smy, who teaches illustration at Anglia Ruskin. I'm hugely excited about her upcoming book with David Fickling and the late Siobhan Dowd, The Ransom of Dond. Gorgeous illustrations, you can see some of the drawings here on Pam's blog.



Here's Mr Pullman again, at the dinner, looking pleased as punch about his new college-pattern tie.



The next morning, we popped into Heffers Bookshop (where Philip used to work!) to sign and doodle in some copies of Oliver and the Seawigs. (Get 'em while they're hot!)



And since we were in Cambridge, we very much wanted to catch up with Emma Vieceli, who showed us the most amazing rooftop cafe bar, above the Varsity Hotel & Spa. That view! WOW. Here they are, attempting to look posh. Emma's currently working one on the Alex Rider graphic novels, it'll be ace.



I'm such a tourist in Cambridge, I love snapping photos of all the amazing buildings.



Like this one, hanging on the wall of Dave and Pam's house, made by their daughter for her school project. It's even got little people inside if you open the windows; I totally wanted to go away and make one of those.



Congrats to the Philips, a big thanks to Dave and Pam for putting me up, to Anglia Ruskin for the excellent dinner, flowers and chocolates, and to Emma, Von Pud, and Bridge Hannigan for taking time from their busy schedules to meet up! xxx

Edit: Here's Philip's blog post about the Cambridge trip!