A Telegraph & Argus cartoonist and a merchant navy captain are among the district's Open University graduates.

Tony Hannan, 35, who graduated with a BA (Hons) in combined arts, edits the newspaper Total Rugby League and provides the T&A's Walt cartoons, left Buttershaw Comprehensive School, Bradford, to become a painter and decorator.

"I always felt I could have done better and I wanted to prove something to myself. A friend started an OU course and so I decided I'd have a go. He packed in after a year and I carried on," said Tony, of Silsden.

Secretary Rosalba Walisko, 31, of Ventnor Close, Gomersal, made the most of her half-hour bus journeys to and from work over six years.

She spent the time reading books for her BSc (Hons) degree course in social sciences.

And all the hard work has paid off as she has been awarded an upper second class in her degree. Rosalba, who works for chartered surveyors in Leeds and is now devoting her time to looking after her son Oliver who was born four weeks ago, said: "It's been quite difficult at times trying to juggle work, studying and running a house."

Merchant navy Captain Gareth Davies valued his studies in combined arts so much, he was willing to pay as much as £50 to make sure his assignments were in on time. Mr Davies, 57, of Embsay, near Skipton, occasionally faxed his work home while laying cables on the bed of the Pacific.

"Whenever an assignment was due and I had to send it from the ship I used the satellite link which is £4 an hour - quite expensive. One assignment cost £50 to send,'' said the father-of-three who gained a BSc (Hons).

Mother-of-four Janet Dixon, 44, of Wilsden, juggled children, a husband and a job teaching Ilkley children to swim, as well as studying from 10pm to midnight most nights to get her BSc science degree.

She said: "It was horrendous! I had to study sitting up, I dare not use the couch in case I fell asleep."

Nurse Karen Woodhead managed to squeeze a six year degree course in between looking after three children and her job.

The 40-year-old from Adwalton Green, Drighlington, obtained a BSc (Hons) in social sciences.

Mandy Kay 31, a duty free supervisor at Leeds-Bradford Airport, of Mount Pleasant, Denholme, was so nervous about her results after completing a six year social sciences BSc degree that she put the envelope away for more than a week.

Dentist Judith Wright, 35, has gained a BA (Hons) in psychology.

Retired warehouse worker Brian Haigh, 57, of Baildon, has gained a BSc 12 years after beginning his studies.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.