Dawn French

Who is the most famous or infamous person you have ever met?

I met the lovely Dawn French once, for about five seconds, she was giving out chocolate coins with her face embellished on them to graduates at the University she is the Chancellor of, and I was one of the hundreds of students that met her that day.

She is a comedian, actor, writer, appears on TV as a the Vicar of Dibley and is one half of French and Saunders the comedy double act.

My fleeting meeting was just a smile and a handshake and me trying to say thank you very much and I love you without garbling it up too much.

I’d travelled a few hundred miles to be at the graduation ceremony, but after being given a very hot nylon gown and mortar board to wear on a blistering hot summers day it was all I could do to stay upright. I’d got family and friends with me in the audience, and it was a very proud moment, but my main thought as I got off the stage was “ice-cream” or “cold drink”!

Chocolate coin

Dawn French, comedian, author, actor, amid many other talents, is Chancellor of Falmouth University. She gave the graduation speech for the students who have completed their courses over the last two years or more.

She was handing out chocolate coins to all the graduating students. We have to wait for our certificates to be posted out over the next few weeks. The coins symbolise her status as Chancellor and ‘Queen’ of the University of Falmouth. I was honoured to be handed the coin by her. As I walked towards her all I could say in panic was ‘thank you very much Dawn French in a very loud voice. 😍