Billy Connolly, former shipyard welder, UK comedy legend, stand-up genius and
world traveller, has received an honorary degree from the Royal Scottish Academy
of Music and Drama in Glasgow.
Alongside singer Annie Lennox and actress Tilda Swinton, he was given an
honorary doctorate for services to performing arts.
Connolly said "It's brilliant to be honoured this way because if you don't do
education the first time around you go through life thinking you're not that
bright.
"I think to be given an award like this encourages people in all walks of
life to try hard. I think it is wonderful."
This is Connolly's second honorary award, following on from his doctorate of
letters from the University of Glasgow in 2001.
His wife, Pamela Stephenson, has a degree that it not honorary and joked in
his autobiography that she occasionally has to remember not to feel annoyed that
he got his as a gift. We can imagine that this second degree might prompt her
back into education, just to keep up.
