A BRAINY family are celebrating becoming the Three Degrees after son, mum and gran all graduated together.

Ricky Turner, 22, mum Joy Turner, 42, and grandma Joy Whiteman, 69, have all been studying hard for the past three years.

Joy Turner's home in Cochrane Park, Newcastle, has been a hotbed of swotting as she and her son worked towards their qualifications. And just up the road, grandmother Joy Whiteman studied for her own degree.

Mrs Turner graduated last July with a BSc Honours in human organisations.

She has since completed a post-graduate qualification in applied sociology with equal opportunities and is to graduate with an MA in December.

Her son, Ricky, graduated on Wednesday with a 2:2 BSc Honours in information and communication management. And Mrs Whiteman graduated yesterday with a 2:2 BA Honours in history.

Between them, the three have overcome more than their share of adversity.

Ricky has gained his degree despite having dyslexia, while the family was shattered in 2002 when, during Joy's first year of study, her youngest son, Mark, caught meningitis.

Then, in 2003, Joy's second son, Simon, now 19, was in a serious motorbike accident.

Simon plans to embark on a course at Northumbria University in September this year.

* Leo Finn, the 66-year-old former chief executive of Northern Rock and director of house builder Bellway, yesterday received an honorary doctorate of civil law from Northumbria University.