It was a night to remember for the 1,200 guests at last week's Times Higher Awards ceremony, especially for the winners of the 19 coveted honours. With entries from 122 universities, up from 82 last year, competition was tough; representatives of the judges stressed the difficulty of their jobs. The evening was opened by Gerard Kelly, editor of The Times Higher , and Bill Rammell, the Higher Education Minister. Laurie Taylor, Times Higher columnist, entertained the guests before the dancing and gambling - for charity.