Man's graduation gets delayed by 41 years due to parrot gone wild
Jonny Clothier from England finally graduated alongside his son 41 years after he was originally due to graduate, thanks to an unexpected parrot-related twist.
In the 1980s, while Jonny Clothier was studying at the University of Bristol, he had no idea that a seemingly ordinary parrot owned by his housemate would set off a chain of events that might just keep him from graduating - for a whole 40 years!
In 1983, just before his graduation, Jonny Clothier returned to his university accommodation to find his housemate's parrot had been left unsupervised and the place was left in an uninhabitable condition.
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The resulting mess led Jonny and his friends to quickly find a new place to live.
But then came a surprise: the University of Bristol demanded ?64.80 (about Rs 6,979 today) in unpaid rent before Jonny could graduate¡ªa rule that has since been scrapped.
Outraged, Jonny refused to pay and ended up missing his graduation ceremony, though he managed to get his degree.
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Fast forward to recent years, and Jonny, now 62, has led a remarkable life.
He married Helen Hill, whom he met at university, and together they raised three children: Quito, Tiger and Carter, the youngest.
All three followed in their parents' footsteps and attended the University of Bristol.
This past Thursday, as Carter was set to graduate, Jonny received an unexpected offer: after more than four decades, the university decided to void his old accommodation bill.
Professor Evelyn Welch, Bristol University's vice-chancellor, commented, "After 41 years, we thought it was finally time to waive the bill and it was great to see Jonny officially graduate."
Finally, Jonny had the chance to graduate alongside his son.
Credit: University of Bristol/PA Wire
Carter described the experience as unique: "It's definitely a unique experience graduating with your dad, but it was an amazing day and a beautiful ceremony."
And so, after all these years, Jonny finally took flight to graduation¡ªproving that sometimes, even old grievances can be squawked away!
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