More memories of Fulwood Road

My thanks to Hilary Bradley (nee Todd) for sending me some memories of her time as a GA Staff member.

My apologies also for not having posted them at the time as well. I rediscovered them when looking for something else recently.

I was a member of the GA staff, starting in September 1969 and leaving in spring of 1974 (cutting my ties with Sheffield). 

I ran the library and information service, with support from the Hon Librarian Mr (Jim) Jay (we were so formal back then, I had to look up his first name!). 

He was a lovely man and very supportive. I shared my office on the ground floor with the delightful Mrs (Mary) Ellis who was the editor of Geography. 

 My role also included editing assorted publications, including British landscapes through maps (series editor Professor KC Edwards of Nottingham University). 

We would travel to the Peak District to discuss issues in some convivial pub or other! 

I launched a new publication – Resources for geography - which would seem to still going strong in a new guise. And I shall not forget compiling the Dudley Stamp Memorial Index to Geography. 

All the entries were hand-written on index cards which were then alphabetised by computer at the University. So revolutionary was this technology that we wrote an appendix to the index explaining how it was done! (I was taken to see the computer, my second encounter with one – it filled an entire room.)

343 Fulwood Road was a substantial Victorian or Edwardian mansion set in a large garden in a very upmarket suburb of Sheffield. 

The Fleure Library took up most of the ground floor and the admin team worked upstairs. 

My office had a wonderful outlook over the garden – it was an idyllic place to work in, if a little unreal. It was a real treat then to travel to London for regular meetings of the executive committee, usually held in a room at LSE or King's, and the annual conference. These were happy times – a sense of shared purpose, a passion for geography, many wonderful and inspiring people. I looked up to them all as demi-gods.

I need a bit more time to put together a cast list of who was involved at that time. Sheila Jones is the person I best remember. As President she was unique as she was a hands-on secondary school teacher ‘working at the chalk face’ as she put it in her presidential address (I still remember that much!). 

All of her predecessors were in higher education I think. As most of our members were in secondary education, she must have been a real role model.

If this post has prompted some memories I'd love to hear from you.