What's Gok Wan got to do with my Degree?

At graduation I was surveying Pascoe’s friends and realised that although I knew they’d obviously obtained their degrees, otherwise they wouldn’t be there, I didn’t know how they’d done, so I asked Pascoe.  He replied,

“Kadija and Rebecca?  They both got Damians.”

“Damians?”

“Damian Hirst – first.”

“What about Josh?”  I ask.

“Oh, he got a Gok.”

I see – Gok Wan, two: one.

How extraordinary – cockney rhyming slang for the different types of degree.  I ask Pascoe if there are any others. 

“Yeah – there’s a Desmond - two: two….and then there’s a Douglas: that means a third, but I don’t know why.”

“Probably Douglas Hurd.  Is there one for a fail?”

“How about a Christian Bale?  Making it up as I go along now.”

I turn to the twins.

“So, is there rhyming slang for the different A2 grades?”

“No,” they chorus.

Then they frown and walk moodily away.