Beaming smiles and proud families filled Yarmouth's St Nicholas Church as more than 100 students from the town's college graduated.The degree, HND, NVQ and teaching students from Yarmouth College's visual and performing arts, care and human science, technologies and teaching and standards courses broke into wide grins as they received their graduation certificates.

Beaming smiles and proud families filled Yarmouth's St Nicholas Church as more than 100 students from the town's college graduated.

The degree, HND, NVQ and teaching students from Yarmouth College's visual and performing arts, care and human science, technologies and teaching and standards courses broke into wide grins as they received their graduation certificates.

Yesterday's event was also ground-breaking as it was the first ceremony since the college became a partner with the University Campus Suffolk(UCS).

Professor Bob Anderson, vice- chancellor of the UCS, opening the ceremony said the graduates should always remember their achievements and the role they played in developing education in the region.

He said: “You deserve your share of success.”

During the hour-long event, Tim How, former chief executive of Majestic Wine, was awarded an honorary degree of doctor of the university.

Chef Richard Hughes, of the Lavender House restaurant in Brundall, and Hugh Sturzaker, a retired consultant from the James Paget University Hospital, were made honorary fellows of the college.

Electrical engineering graduate Luke Kendall, 31, was also presented with the UCS higher education student of the year award for his efforts in studying for his course while he moved to Holland to start a new career

and get married at the same

time.

For the graduation ceremony a special organ march was composed by former college student John Stephens and the church was decked with flowers by floristry students.