FOUR members of a family – including a woman aged 103 – have been presented with their degrees at the same time.

At a special ceremony at the Royal Festival Hall in London, the University of Roehampton conferred honorary degrees on people who had trained as teachers at one of the four former colleges of education which now form the University and who had received Certificates of Education.

Former students from the 1930s to the 1980s filled the Hall – among them Jennifer Matthews (pictured), originally from Pinner in Middlesex and now living with her husband Duncan Paul at St Cleer.

Jennifer’s sister Shirley and Duncan Paul’s cousin Mrs Hilary Keam (nee Hutchins), both live in Liskeard, also received their degrees.

And the honour was delivered in person to Shirley’s and Jennifer’s Aunt Mrs Marjorie Hodnett, 103, at her home in Sidmouth, Devon.

Jennifer taught in Buckinghamshire, Australia, Norfolk and Cambridgeshire before retiring to Cornwall.

Also honoured was her friend Ursula Franklin, who said the ceremony was ‘wonderful’.

For Ursula and Jennifer, their honorary degrees came exactly 50 years after they completed their college courses and began their teaching careers.