Hugh Robert Mill - his autobiography #1

New in my library of books relating to the history of the Geographical Association is this book: the autobiography of Hugh Robert Mill, who was GA President in 1932 but also had a very long association with the RGS as well, holding various posts at the RGS.

He was a contemporary of many of the other greats of the post-war period including Herbertson, Dudley Stamp, Keltie, Geddes, MacKinder et al.

I look forward to finding out a little more about his time as GA President, although he doesn't mention it very much at all. There are several of his items in the GA Archives.

One of the stories connected with his GA Presidential address is that by this stage - having been affected by ill health throughout his life, he was almost completely blind and gave his 1933 address from memory.

In the same year, he was offered the Presidency of the RGS, but declined.

GA President 2028-2029 - nominations now open

Fancy being the next GA President after Sophie Wilson's term of office?

Nominations are now open.

Details are here.

An exciting job opportunity at the GA

News via LinkedIn earlier of a great job opportunity for someone to work at the GA.

The GA are recruiting for a Head of Programmes, who will join the GA’s Senior Leadership Team. 

Do you have the skills and experience to lead the GA’s CPD, events and consultancy programmes and further develop the GA’s successful support for trainees and primary and secondary teachers?

This vacancy has arisen because Becky Kitchen will sadly be leaving the GA at the end of this year to take up the post of Departmental Lecturer in Geography Education at Oxford University. 

The role of Head of Programmes will span work on the GA’s Annual Conference, Geography Quality Marks, our CPD and consultancy programmes and initiating new programmes and courses. It involves working closely with the GA’s strategic partners, key stakeholders and teachers to promote and support geographical education.

A big job.... and having worked at the GA before it will also be a fulfilling and exciting one - and comes at a busy time for all in education. Fond memories of working in the same office as John Lyon when he was Programme Director.... a lot of helicoidal flow has gone round the meander since then....

For full details of the role and information on how to apply please click here.

Applications must be received by 5pm on 17 November 2026.

Interviews will be held in person, in Sheffield, during week commencing 30 November.

Professor Simon Catling - RIP

I'm afraid this is another post this October, sharing very sad news.

I was very sorry to hear of Simon's passing on the 28th of October 2026, peacefully at home with his family.

His legacy and impact on Primary Geography education in particular is unparalleled, with 300 publications or articles across his career.

There are plans to celebrate Simon's life at Charney Manor, a place he loved and where he created and led the wonderfully inspiring Charney Manor Primary Geography Conference for so many years, which I was privileged to attend and speak at a number of times over the years.

Condolences to Simon's wife Lesley, and his son Mark and daughter Emma - and his wider family, and to Simon's former colleagues and friends, particularly those on the GA's EYPPC who worked with him for decades.

Please hold Simon in your thoughts.

You can read his full entry on the blog and find out more about his remarkable career and impact here.

Simon was GA President in 1992.

Simon's daughter Emma and his grandson have been running 5k's throughout October

You can donate on the link here.

Image: Provided by Simon himself when I wrote his original biography.

750 000 page views

Another small milestone passed... and a busy four months on the site...

Updating the blog

I started this blog back in April 2019 when people first heard that I would be moving through the GA Presidential journey to becoming GA President in 2021-22 at the GA Conference. 

At the time this journey was a four year term, where the would-be President got to grips with the role, served on Governing Body and learned what was possible to achieve within their year as President to preserve what had been achieved by your predecessors, but make iterative improvements. I ended up being the last Junior Vice President of the GA before that was removed and it became a three year 'term'.

I'd like to think I helped further the work to improve the diversity within the Association, and representation of groups at Conference and elsewhere who previously may have been less inclined to get involved. COVID19 got in the way to a degree, and I wish my Presidential Lecture would have had more people attending irl.

I managed to contact all the Presidents who were still alive at the time. The surnames of all the former and present Presidents are here on this word cloud... Mine accidentally seems to be the biggest...

With the recent losses of Michael Storm, Norman Graves and Andrew Goudie, it's more important than ever that we capture memories of the people who have held the post before.

Please get in touch if you have any details that could help flesh out one of the entries on the blog.

Photos particularly welcome....

GA Lincoln Branch. - Geography Conference - 4th November

Hosted by the University of Lincoln

4th November - FREE to attend.

Wednesday 4th November 2026
Programme
10:30 Welcome
Prof. Edward Hanna
10:40-11:05
The Greenland Ice Sheet and why it is important in global climate change
Prof. Edward Hanna
11:05-11:30
Gender, Media and Geography
Dr. Jess Marah-Jones
11:30-11:55
Revealing the past and predicting the future for plants, people and climate change
Dr. Oliver Wilson
11:55-13:00
Lunch break (please bring or buy your own lunch)
Demo with river flume experiment, by Dr. Luca Mao, for in-person participants
13:00-13:25
What's in a Name? Language, Power, and Nature
Dr. Anna Bedenk-Smith
13:25-13:50
Ecosystem Engineers: Animals as Architects for Restoring Physical Landscapes
Dr. Catherine Sanders
13:50-14:15
Your Geography questions answered (QR code to be circulated to registered participants)
14:15-14:25
Short presentation on the range of geography degree courses available at the University of
Lincoln
Dr. Catherine Sanders
14:25-14:30
Closing remarks
Prof. Edward Hanna

Booking form is here.

Professor Andrew Goudie - RIP

Sad news was passed to me earlier today by the Chair of the GA's Trustees of the passing of former GA President Professor Andrew Goudie at the age of 81.

Andrew was a world expert in desert geomorphology and still active until his passing, publishing academic work and still learning.

His wife Heather Viles, herself an expert in Biogeomorphology, posted an update on LinkedIn earlier today:

I met Andrew several times, and he was also very supportive of my efforts to put together his entry on the GA Presidents blog, but also 

At one meeting at the University of Oxford, quite a long time ago, he was explaining how Google Earth was changing how he could visit deserts virtually, and was confident that if I moved to a random location he would be able to tell me roughly where it was from the landforms that could be viewed there.

Andrew was the GA President in 1993. This was the Centenary year for the Association, where they had patronage from Princess Anne. He hosted a Centenary gathering at the University of Oxford, which I've posted about separately.

Here he is with the Centenary cake.

An in memoriam piece has already been posted by his former workplace for many decades: the University of Oxford.

Professor David S.G. Thomas, former Head of School, said: 

"Perhaps above all, Andrew was interested in the development of others, and of the discipline, from its roots in schools to the highest levels. He gave so much to the development and careers of many individuals who have gone on to success in geography and geomorphology internationally, as well as in other fields and arenas. Andrew was the trunk of a very large geographical tree, and his influence will remain through others for many decades."

Updated 4th November

A lengthy RGS Obituary was also published which referenced his time as President of the GA.

It mentions his time at the GA

Perhaps most telling of all was the esteem he held the grass roots Geographical Association in. While Andrew was President in 1993, the GA’s centenary year, what he really valued and championed was giving talks to next generation geographers in schools around the country. Using his expert and engaging communication skills to excite and inspire others was a career hallmark. Andrew never forgot where his love of the discipline began. He always had time for geographers at every level and from every place, which was reciprocated in the esteem he was held in around the world.

Thought for the Day

 

Professor Norman Graves - RIP

A cross posting from my Living Geography blog. 

I received sad news today from Frances Slater, via GA President Fiona Sheriff about the sad passing of Norman Graves at the end of September. Frances' book 'Learning through Geography' sits in the bookshelf by my desk alongside Norman's classic 'Curriculum Planning in Geography'.

Norman was GA President in 1978. His entry on my GA Presidents is on the link here.

Image: Norman speaking at an IGU event in Leningrad in 1976 - image supplied by Norman.

The entry on the blog outlines his tremendous work in curriculum thinking. In a GeReCo piece by John Morgan, he says that at the time of his work at the Institute of Education Norman, David Hall and Bill Marsden:

"were attempting to make sense for teachers of the convergence of curriculum theory and geographical theory. Geography was going undergoing its conceptual revolution and education was being reshaped by new findings from educational psychology and the introduction of rational curriculum planning. Graves summarised the challenges for geography teachers, who must make sense of the philosophical basis of their teaching and consider psychological questions of how young people learn. He noted that there were sociological questions of why some children learned faster and more effectively, but this was not his prime concern (even though it was of growing interest to others and spawned the birth of the ‘new sociology of education’ (Young 1971) also at the Institute of Education (IoE)."

Norman was very much involved with the work of the IGU as well as supporting the work of the GA.

A full appreciation of his work will appear in a future GA journal (and no doubt elsewhere) and I will collate these onto Norman's blog entry.

To finish, here's Norman with family and friends celebrating his 100th birthday in January of this year.

Image provided by Helene Scott with thanks, and with whom copyright resides.

Updates 10th October 2026

The IGU-CGE (Commission on Geographical Education) used the image that Norman had given to me from Leningrad in their Facebook post.

The IGU Commission on Geographical Education is deeply saddened by the passing of Professor Norman Graves recently. 

Chair of the Commission from 1972 to 1980, he was a leading figure in geographical education who helped strengthen the Commission’s international reach and influence.
During his chairmanship, Professor Norman Graves continued and developed the Commission’s collaboration with UNESCO. He initiated and edited the New UNESCO Source Book for Geography Teaching, published in 1982, bringing together contributions from geography educators across the world.
His interest in geography began as a primary school pupil in France and grew into a lifelong dedication to geographical education. His career took him from teaching in English secondary schools to the University of Liverpool and the Institute of Education, University of London, where he served as Professor of Geography Education and later Pro-Director (Professional Studies).

In his 2008 article, “Reflections on a Life in Geographical Education,” published in International Research in Geographical and Environmental Education, Professor Norman Graves championed “the free flow of ideas across national boundaries” and urged geographical education to confront environmental harm, impoverishment and intolerance. His words remain a powerful reminder of our shared responsibility: to sustain dialogue across borders and help young people engage thoughtfully with the world and with one another.

We remember Professor Norman Graves with deep gratitude for his scholarship, leadership, and enduring contribution to our international community. We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, former students, and colleagues.

May he rest in peace.

Former GA Chief Exeecutive Professor David Lambert said of Norman that he was:

"a remarkable, gentle, perceptive and generous man".

National Geography Olympiad

The GA has been developing a National Geography Olympiad, as outlined in the Autumn 2026 issue of the GA Newsletter. It will take place in November.

You can suggest a question here.

More details will appear here too...

GA Membership types

Check out the different ways that you can join the GA.

Michael Storm, RIP

As I posted back in September, the GA was made aware of the passing of Michael Storm. 

Michael was GA President in 1988 - the year I started teaching. I referred to his work in my GA Presidential lecture. It's worth reading this entry to find out more about him - he did a great deal for the discipline and also the association.

I drew on his idea of "professional zest" several times.

Other memories of Michael are welcome, as indeed they are for any other past President.

This appreciation of Michael was published in the Autumn issue of the GA News.

Copyright: Geographical Association.

Join the GA to receive this magazine three times a year, and you can also add subscriptions to the other three journals that the GA publishes.

Margaret Mackintosh RIP

Updated post.

Sad news at the end of last week from colleagues who have organised the Charney Conference over the years of the passing of Margaret Mackintosh who was still active and interested in geography in her 80s. Just a few weeks ago she attended the latest online GeogLive! session run by the GA's Primary and Early Years Committee.

Image from Margaret's Facebook page.

Margaret was a retired primary teacher and BEd Geography-in-education tutor, and also a former long-standing Editor of Primary Geography journal and continued working as a geography consultant and writer. She lived in Exmouth.

Sharon Witt told me:

Margaret was a long time contributor to Charney conference. Lots of amazing stories of her travels, mentoring and welcoming colleagues at Charney Conferences and being a student of Margaret's at Plymouth University are coming in.

Coincidentally, a few days ago my Facebook memory was of a message from Margaret letting me know about another cliff fall in Sidmouth on a stretch that I'd used as a textbook case study, and visit each year to check on its progress.

Margaret was awarded the GA's Outstanding Service Diploma back in 2016. Here she is receiving her certificate from the President Steve Rawlinson.

Steve says of this event:

"It was a wonderful honour to be able to hand it over her as she had been so supportive during the year offering advice and encouragement as only Margaret could."

Image: Bryan Ledgard.

Margaret created the logo for the annual Charney Manor Conferences. She was a very accomplished artist, particularly landscapes and pets. Here she is with a painting she had created for Paula Owens along with Steve Rawlinson and Tina Horler

Image: Bryan Ledgard

Steve told me:

"She was a wonderful artist of both landscapes and pets – I have two lovely pictures of Lady Summer and Fluffy Flora! This particular one shows how much she enjoyed being in the company of fellow geographers. She leaves such a legacy of memories, advice and scholarship to us all. She will be greatly missed."

In this piece for Primary Geography she talks about our identity and how it is shaped by our family.

Condolences to Margaret's family, friends and former colleagues.

Image: Margaret's logo for the Charney Primary Conferences.

Update

Thanks to Trevelyan May for getting in touch to pass on his condolences and deep appreciation for Margaret's work.

If anyone would like to send messages to Margaret's family please get in touch by e-mail.

GA International Geography Network (GA IGN) - get involved

The GA IGN has been launched.

The GA International Geography Network is currently developing a network of regional hub coordinators, with colleagues already involved across South America, North America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Our aim is to create locally relevant professional networks while remaining connected as part of a wider international geography community.

The GA IGN seeks to:

• provide an online space for sharing ideas, resources and best practice
• organise at least one online TeachMeet-style event each year
• facilitate at least one regional, face-to-face meetup each year
• encourage collaboration and professional dialogue between geography educators working in international settings
• support teachers and departments in developing high-quality geography education within their schools
• Improve representation of international geography teachers at the GA Annual Conference.

Here are the existing regional hub co-ordinators, but if you want to get involved, contact Matt Podbury.

Follow the link at the top of the post.

Update - 18th September 2026

Matt posted today that the response has been excellent...

Still time for you to get involved in this rapidly growing international network.