David Sproxton with well-known characters from Aardman Animations

A FOUNDER of the animation company behind Wallace and Gromit returned to his academic roots to be honoured last week.

It was not a day to be wearing the wrong trousers for Durham University graduate David Sproxton, who was suitably robed for the occasion as he re-visited his alma mater to receive an honorary degree.

But he was accompanied at the Durham Cathedral ceremony by some of the famous clay figures, that shot Aardman Animations to fame since he left the university with a 2:1 geography degree, in 1976.

Along with teenage school pal Peter Lord, with whom he shared a love of animation and film production, he set up Aardman Animations, the company responsible for wellknown characters Morph, Wallace and Gromit and Shaun the Sheep.

Joined by Wallace and Gromit creator Nick Park in the 1990s, they went on to triple Oscar success with unlikely world-wide film hits, The Wrong Trousers, A Close Shave, Chicken Run and Curse of the Wererabbit.

11:26am Friday 4th July 2008

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