He has written extensively on fieldwork, and helped tens of thousands of students experience learning outside the classroom.
Nick was educated at Kingsbridge School and Community College before doing a BSc degree in Topographic Science and Geography at the University of Wales, Swansea.
He has worked at a number of FSC Centres since 1996, including Amersham, Juniper Hall and Nettlecome Court (which was the first FSC centre I visited, with Tim Burt, as an undergraduate geographer)
Nick can be followed on Twitter: https://twitter.com/nicklapthorn
Nick was an active member of the Geographical Association's 'Fieldwork' group since 2000. During this time he has acted as member, Secretary and Chair of the group since 2010.
He attended Kingsbridge School and Community College (now Kingsbridge Academy). and the University of Wales, Swansea (now Swansea University)
He told me of his carreer path:
He has worked at a number of FSC Centres since 1996, including Amersham, Juniper Hall and Nettlecome Court (which was the first FSC centre I visited, with Tim Burt, as an undergraduate geographer)
Nick can be followed on Twitter: https://twitter.com/nicklapthorn
Nick was an active member of the Geographical Association's 'Fieldwork' group since 2000. During this time he has acted as member, Secretary and Chair of the group since 2010.
He has contributed regularly to GA publications, articles for journals and consultations, and is a regular presenter at GA Conference and more widely promoting fieldwork.
To help communicate with as many people as possible he established the @geogfieldwork Twitter account which now has over 3,500 followers in the UK and overseas.
As with some of the more recent Presidents, he was kind enough to pass on some information via my Google Form.
Nick was born in 1973 South Devon (Torbay)He attended Kingsbridge School and Community College (now Kingsbridge Academy). and the University of Wales, Swansea (now Swansea University)
He told me of his carreer path:
"After university I moved from washing dishes in a pub in South Devon to washing dishes as a general assistant at FSC Juniper Hall. Coming from a family of teachers I have vowed not to become involved in education and thought that an address at a field centre, whilst looking for gainful employment was better than a pub. During my time off shift I used to support the geography tutor with fieldwork on Box Hill and quite enjoyed and found out that I was also not too bad at it.
When the tutor left to take up a PGCE, I was encouraged to apply for the post and got it. I was already considering by this time doing a PGCE, but hadn't decided if I wanted to do primary or secondary (my father was a primary teacher). I progressed from Tutor to Senior Tutor at Juniper Hall to being Head of Centre at FSC Amersham and then back to Juniper Hall as Head of Centre.
In 2010 I moved back to the west country to become Head of Centre at FSC Nettlecombe Court."
Nick was working as Head of Centre at Nettlecombe Court when he was GA President.
Nick's conference theme was 'Real World Geography'.
Nick was working as Head of Centre at Nettlecombe Court when he was GA President.
Nick's conference theme was 'Real World Geography'.
He told me:
"In spite of having a love for geography as a subject it wasn't really until I started to assist with fieldwork that my passion really came alive. So many elements of the subject seemed to make much more sense when it became a hands-on subject - things just started to make more sense. I knew that if this was the case for me, then that must be the case for many others too. My theme was to highlight the role of geography in the many aspects of daily life. In the last couple of years of being Chair of FOLSIG we pushed forward the 'Year of Fieldwork' that worked across the subject community involving GA, RGS-IBG, Esri, Ordnance Survey, FSC and 21 further partner organisations. As a result I was shortlisted for a LOtC Advocate Award by the Council for Learning Outside the Classroom."
Of his links with the GA:
"I became involved with the GA in the late 1990s when the Field Studies Council's Chief Executive Tony Thomas suggested that I became involved with the Field Studies Working Group. I was a member for many years followed by being Secretary and then Chair (2010-2016) as it became the Fieldwork and Outdoor Learning Special Interest Group (FOLSIG). I stepped down as Chair as I took up the role of Junior Vice President."
Of his links with the GA:
"I became involved with the GA in the late 1990s when the Field Studies Council's Chief Executive Tony Thomas suggested that I became involved with the Field Studies Working Group. I was a member for many years followed by being Secretary and then Chair (2010-2016) as it became the Fieldwork and Outdoor Learning Special Interest Group (FOLSIG). I stepped down as Chair as I took up the role of Junior Vice President."
This is a reminder that if you have some ambition to be GA President, a first step is to involve yourself more closely with the GA. SIGs and PCs offer the chance to be a corresponding member to get involved in their work.
Nick told me that it was a good year to be President when he was...
Nick told me that it was a good year to be President when he was...
"It was amazing to be GA President during it's 125th year - something that was brought to my attention about half way through my year as Junior Vice-President when it was agreed that it needed to be marked and celebrated. I spent the next few years suffering regularly from imposter syndrome as you realise the many illustrious footsteps in which you walk and the intellectual shadows you sit beneath.
However the GA was, is and will remain a welcoming and supportive community.
Two main memories - the 125 year celebration event in Christ Church College, Oxford. Wonderful to be part of the celebration at the location where the GA was established 125 years earlier. "
I have previously posted about this event, and shared images.
He shared his memory of conference:
I can share that feeling.... I have presented a few times with Margaret in the audience and it certainly sharpens the mind :)
You can see Tony Thomas and Rob Lucas on the right of the photo above, supporting Nick.
Of his memories of his GA year he also says:
"Working with the Worldwise Challenge weekends with Mark Higginbottom, Sue Lomas and John Lyon - I can't think of many weekends in my life that I have enjoyed more. Working with young people, engaged in the subject that they enjoy and that we love in beautiful locations and often laughing until the tears rolled down my cheeks."
Of his memories of his GA year he also says:
"Working with the Worldwise Challenge weekends with Mark Higginbottom, Sue Lomas and John Lyon - I can't think of many weekends in my life that I have enjoyed more. Working with young people, engaged in the subject that they enjoy and that we love in beautiful locations and often laughing until the tears rolled down my cheeks."
Image: Bryan Ledgard / Geographical Association
In his Presidential lecture Nick talked about how everyone is a geographer, and why Geographers should always be able to claim the window seat on planes.
In his Presidential lecture Nick talked about how everyone is a geographer, and why Geographers should always be able to claim the window seat on planes.
Here's Kit Rackley's review of the lecture with a few images.
In 2015, Nick was one of the key people behind the Year of Fieldwork project.
Image: Kit Rackley
In 2015, Nick was one of the key people behind the Year of Fieldwork project.
Image: Kit Rackley
& a presentation from an INSET course:
A few of Nick's Slideshares are here too...
References
FSC news press release: https://www.field-studies-council.org/news/ga-presidency-role-for-fsc-head-of-centre.aspx
Images copyright: Bryan Ledgard / Geographical Association unless otherwise stated.
References
FSC news press release: https://www.field-studies-council.org/news/ga-presidency-role-for-fsc-head-of-centre.aspx
Images copyright: Bryan Ledgard / Geographical Association unless otherwise stated.
As always, memories of Nick and his time as President welcome.
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