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.

RIP Professor Andrew Goudie

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."

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.

TES piece on GCSE Natural History

This TES piece includes some elements of the responses to the  consultation on the proposed subject content of the new GCSE Natural History from the RGS and the GA.

Steve Brace of the GA is quoted in the piece on some of the elements of the GA's response to the consultation.

These include concerns over the shortage of teachers who might teach the new specification, and the fieldwork elements of the course. The fieldwork may be difficult for some schools due to their location, but may also adversely affect the habitats that students are being asked to investigate.

GA North Staffs Branch Programme

Thanks to Kate Russell for sharing the programme of the GA North Staffs Branch - another one that I have visited and spoken at.

There's a definite physical slant to the talks, and good to see Ilan Kelman on the schedule too.

Coming soon from the GA Manchester Branch

 

The Curriculum Review - the direction of travel.

Steve Brace of the Geographical Association has been the lead drafter of the new draft geography curriculum. Quite a responsibility.

He has written this piece for Teachwire which gives little away that wasn't already known.

GeogPod #100

 Congratulations to John Lyon and the team for reaching 100 episodes of the GeogPod podcast.

Here's the contents. I'm pleased to say that I make an appearance towards the end of the episode.