There was a graduation ceremony with a difference for Manx students, cousins Tom Burrows and Lizzie Beard.

Although Tom and Lizzie’s graduation ceremonies were officially postponed or cancelled, they were treated to a joint celebration by their family and friends.

A full garden service, complete with gowns and mortar boards, speeches, photographs and graduation cakes were enjoyed in glorious sunshine.

A master of ceremonies and interim mock degrees were presented to them.

Lizzie, ex head girl from Ballakermeen High School, graduated from Liverpool with a first class honours degree in law, and is now set to complete her LPC (legal practice course) year via distance learning, on the island, from this month. Lizzie was the winner of the Appleby Academy and is a recipient of Appleby’s bursary programme.

Tom, also an ex-Ballakermeen student, graduated in engineering from Anglia Ruskin University Cambridge.

His higher second class degree was made quite remarkable considering Tom spent four months of his second year in Walton Hospital.

Tom and Lizzie are both planning to stay in the island to begin their professional careers.

The event was held in Honor and Simon Beard’s back garden in Marathon Road, Douglas.

Mrs Beard, practice manager at law firm M&P Legal said: ‘We were supposed to go to Lizzie’s graduation so when it came up in my calendar it made me think about just doing our own.’

Mrs Beard and her teacher husband said it was a ‘lovely day’ and gave the youngsters some closure on their university days.

She added: ‘There are so many displaced students who just aren’t where they planned to be – Lizzie was meant to do her LPC (legal practice course) in Liverpool but has opted to do it by distance learning instead as she felt things are still going to be very disrupted in the next study year.’