Isle of Thanet GA Branch

While doing some research for something else, I came across a remarkable booklet produced to mark 60 years of the Isle of Thanet GA Branch.

It can be downloaded as a PDF from this link.

It runs to over 100 pages, with numerous excellent images which helped me greatly.

It was apparently produced by: Derek Wilson, FTSC, BSc, LRSC Hon Secretary, Isle of Thanet Geographical Association May 2016.

He describes the reason for the founding of the branch, which involved Alice Coleman

In late 1955, Alice Coleman, of King’s College London came to the now defunct Medway Towns branch of the Geographical Association to speak about the then unexplored aspects of the Moon. Marjorie Woodward at the time was the Secretary of the branch. Both had been educated at Clarendon House Grammar School (Photo 2 in Appendix A) for Girls and both Marjorie and Alice had their roots in the Isle of Thanet. After a geographical discussion, each promised one another that if ever either of them should return to live there, they would form a branch of the Geographical Association. After the meeting of these 2 ladies, the birth of the Isle of Thanet Geographical Association was quite sudden. A pilot committee was set up in November 1955 where it was decided that the new GA Branch would be open to all who were interested in the post-war developing world. Students would be particularly welcome and take part in the increasingly popular fieldwork with excursions to a wider area and that a magazine would be published.

An early activity was to be part of Alice Coleman's Land Use Survey of 1960, which has been blogged separately.

There was also an annual magazine called Panorama, a front cover of which is pictured here.

Copyright of all images is with the GA Thanet Branch and members.

Would be lovely to see images from other GA Branches of meetings they have had over the years, particularly when they welcomed GA Presidents to speak to them.