THIS Lancaster housewife, mother and worker has somehow found time to break all records for academic excellence at Lancaster University.

Anne Sweeney of Bowerham Road in Lancaster gained firsts in all nine modules of her English Literature degree. That means she is one of very the best student the lecturers at the English Literature department at the university have ever had - if not the best.

And - just to put her young student counterparts to shame - she was only ever doing the course for the love of it!

"I had more cards for that than when I turned 40," joked Anne. "I'm still in a daze about it really. It's really awful when you get the results - it's just pinned up on a scruffy piece of paper on the wall but, of course, I wasn't bothered because I was at the top! I had to go straight to a research meeting for my MA afterwards so it was business as usual immediately afterwards.

"I have not stopped celebrating since!"

Husband Mike, who works for British Aerospace, was bursting with pride when he paid tribute to his wife: "She only started doing her English Literature 'A' Levels five years ago at the White Lund education centre. We are all very, very proud of her in our family."

Anne, a freelance graphic designer and full time mum of 14 and 18-year-old sons John and Anthony, now plans to study for an MA. One of her subjects for study will concern a martyred Jesuit priest called Robert Southwell who probably lived in the Lancaster area at some stage and probably knew William Shakespeare.

Anne lived in Lancaster as a child and moved back to the area with her family 15 years ago. She picked up her degree scroll at the university graduation ceremony yesterday (Wednesday).

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.