1990: Mr. Bryan E Coates

Last updated June 2021

Bryan Coates was a geographer at Sheffield University. 

He is another familiar name in Geographical Association history. He was connected with the GA for many decades, and this continued until fairly recently - here he is, pictured at a GA Conference in Derby by Bryan Ledgard.

Bryan held several important posts within the GA, and these included some particularly significant ones, which he held for many years, and which are particularly important for the ongoing work of the Association through the 1980s:

• Honorary Secretary
• Publications Editor
• Honorary Treasurer

These were the posts which were crucial to the continued effective running of the Association for many years, before it went onto a more professional footing.

Bryan worked in the Geography Department at Sheffield University.

He wrote about the Geography of Inequality and this was the theme of his Presidential Address in 1991, called 'Our Unequal World'.


Inequality has grown in importance as an area of geographical study over the last few years.

Nearly 30 years on from that time, we now have even greater inequalities, and plenty of geographers studying them, including some of the GA's own current trustees, and Danny Dorling, whose job title invokes an earlier GA President of course.

Bryan was associated with the Association from the 1960s, when he co-authored a piece on employment and affluence with E M Rawstron, who he was to write several pieces in association with.

He also created a Census Atlas of South Yorkshire, which can still be purchased.

He was fondly remembered by Sheila Jones, who also remembered him as "one of the great modernisers" who did a great deal to change the Association.

She sent me more details about his work around the Centenary in 1993.

Here's Bryan in 1993, with Pat Cleverley and a gentleman that we haven't been able to identify as yet at the Centenary event.

Here's Bryan doing a speech at another centenary event in 1993.

Former GA President Jeremy Krause also told me that Bryan:

"...was the ‘ah but man’ - challenging questions - "have you thought about doing this better or differently". Often right about good sense.
Lovely man! 

Great sense of fun!"

While researching Bryan and trying to track down some more information, I discovered from Richard Daugherty that Bryan had sadly died quite recently in December 2019.

From the Sheffield University website, a little more information where his death was announced:

Bryan was based in the Department of Geography from 1 October 1958 to 30 September 1989 and was a Senior Lecturer at the time of his retirement. He also served as the Dean of Social Sciences from 1 September 1988 to 30 September 1989.

Bryan sadly passed away on Wednesday 4 December 2019. 

His family was described in the details of his funeral service:

Beloved husband of Shirley, much loved dad of Andrew, David and Anna and a very dear grandad.

There was also a memory from a former student posted:

To finish, a memory from Eleanor Rawling, who succeeded Bryan as GA President, and is coming up next on the blog:

"Bryan Coates was President the year before me. He could be quite frightening with his bluff Northern manner, his rather direct sense of humour and his strong views but I learned to work with him and to like him a great deal. He was an amazing power and energy for good in the GA, particularly his unseen work at Headquarters, then in Fulwood Road. He helped to modernise and streamline the GA structure. I am not sure people know how much the GA owes him."

It's stories like this which the blog has unearthed so well.

She also shared an anecdote: 

Bryan was a great stickler for timekeeping so as Past President when he chaired my Presidential Address, he whispered in my ear just as I stood up to speak - "you'd better not over-run or I'll cut you short!!"

References

Coates, Bryan E., et al. “Annual Report of The Geographical Association.” Geography, vol. 76, no. 2, 1991, pp. 177–188. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/40572070 - written in association with Richard Daugherty.

Rolfe, Diane. “Twenty-Five Years of ‘Geography’ Production.” Geography, vol. 100, no. 3, 2015, pp. 159–163., www.jstor.org/stable/43825591

Presidential Address:
Coates, Bryan E. “Our Unequal World.” Geography, vol. 77, no. 1, 1992, pp. 1–9. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/40572138

COATES, B. E., and E. M. RAWSTRON. “Regional Incomes and Planning 1964-1965.” Geography, vol. 52, no. 4, 1967, pp. 393–402. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/40566682

RAWSTRON, E. M., and B. E. COATES. “Opportunity and Affluence.” Geography, vol. 51, no. 1, 1966, pp. 1–15. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/40566036. Accessed 12 Apr. 2020.

If anyone has further information on Bryan Coates that would be gratefully received. This is a relatively brief post.

Images: thanks to Sheila Jones

Updated December 2020

I can endorse everything that has already been written about Bryan Coates. He did indeed give many years of service to the Association in several roles and was both a great moderniser and a lovely man. From my time working closely, and very happily, with Bryan when we were the GA’s joint honorary secretaries for three years (1978-81) I can add a little more about his role as a ‘moderniser’. 

Once the Association moved to a model of joint honorary secretaries, one based in Sheffield and the other elsewhere, it would inevitably follow that the locally based secretary was more directly involved at the HQ offices in Sheffield (then at Fulwood Road). Bryan soon realised that all was not well with the staff at HQ and, being the no nonsense man that he was, he took to dropping in there unannounced. He kept me fully informed about the problems he found but it was very much Bryan’s initiative to embark upon a major restructuring at HQ that included early retirement for the man then in charge, the 'administrative secretary'. 

There would also be new appointments of staff members such as Julia Legg who would be crucial for the improved efficiency of the HQ office in subsequent years. All organisations need individuals who will not only see the need for change but also work hard, without looking to take credit, at making it happen. 

As to the ‘lovely man’, I will always be grateful for Bryan’s kindness to me at a personal level.

Many thanks Richard....

Update: December 2020

In 2003, Chris Kington asked a number of former Presidents what had sparked their passion for geography. He lent me the letters and Bryan replied.

It turns out that he went to Maltby Grammar School, just 3 miles away from where I went to school in Wickersley, at the Comprehensive School there. He talks about a very fierce geography master called Mr. Salmon, who was great in the field and took the students to Whitby, Malham and Eastbourne. He says:

"I dared to say we were not where he said we were. Stunned silence. Fellow students shaking with fear. Me too, in case I was wrong. After a tense discussion, he agreed with me, said SORRY and added "from now on you wll lead the way. I'll tell you where I want to go and you get us there..."

Many thanks to Chris Kington for the loan of the letters.

Update June 2021

Free book giveaway in my department and found this old book on British socioeconomic geography. Those good-old ‘70s #cartography and #dataviz style. pic.twitter.com/XlMutATofw

— Kenneth Wong (@Kenneth_KHW) June 1, 2021