2003: Peter Fox

Peter Fox is one of the contemporary stalwarts of the GA, and has been involved in a wide range of committees, and other activity, including publications for many decades, and continues to work tirelessly to support the association in many ways, serving on Education Group, which is one of the key committees leading thinking and supporting the Chief Executive and trustees.

Peter was born in Derby in 1950, and went to Long Eaton Grammar School (a school I went to for an interview at back in 1988, and was actually offered a job there, but the day previously I'd accepted an offer at a school in King's Lynn, and the rest is... geography). Peter has also written about the history of Derby, and contributed to a number of other books over the years.

From Long Eaton he went on to study at Nottingham Trent University.

When he became President of the Association, he was still involved in teaching, and this makes him a rare thing: a teacher President. He was proud to be one of the first Presidents to be teaching in a state school. I need to just double check but I think all the other teacher Presidents before him were teaching at Independent schools, so he may have been the first, and indeed the only state school teacher President... 

I think I'm only the fifth person to be a teacher President, and have managed to speak to almost all of the others in the process of writing this blog, apart from E C Marchant.

Peter has a strong background in teaching, and has held different roles including Teacher of Geography, Head of Faculty and Assistant Head.

His particular interest has been in educational technology, and he has served on the ICT SIG of the Association for many years. The SIG has been going since the 1970s.

The ICT Special Interest Group is one of many I visited while working for the GA as Secondary Curriculum Leader, and has created a great deal of content for the GA's website in this respect, as well as providing guidance to others.

Peter co-edited the first (more recent) edition of the Secondary Geography Handbook with another former GA President: Patrick Bailey - the cover is shown above.

Review here: https://www.tes.com/news/keep-changes

Peter told me that Patrick Bailey was very much his mentor, and his involvement with this publication led on to other things within the GA.

I am also grateful to Peter for allowing me to interview him on the early days of the use of computing, for a chapter that I wrote in the 'Debates in Geography Education' book. I looked back at my notes on this chat as well and found lots of helpful thoughts - the book is now in a 2nd edition, and people have referenced the chapter recently in other books, which is always good to see.

Along with Andrea Tapsfield, Peter wrote a number of books and guides relating to the early use of ICT, when its true potential was as yet unrealised, and the idea of CAL or Computer Aided Learning was key.

I have a copy of the book, which is pictured below:

Peter told me that his first published work for the GA was a list of computer software which was available at the time. 

He told me: 

"Interesting looking back on this list to see more software available then than now and many gaming and simulation items - missing from more recent apps - but this was before Internet times!"

His Presidential theme was on the Development of the Media and ICT in Geography.

His Presidential Address was on the same topic, and connected to the use of images in particular. It was called 'Images in Geography: Great Expectations'.

It can be read here.

Image: Bryan Ledgard / GA - Derby GA Conference - Association at Work day - Derby was my favourite conference venue.

He was also involved in the creation of the Digital Learning at KS4 project for the GA which went up onto the website some years ago and which I helped with a little. I remember this happening while I was working for the GA and I worked out a way to do a drag and drop style activity in Google Earth.

Here he is being introduced by Chris Kington.

As with other recent Presidents, since Sheila Jones, Peter was also kind enough to answer some questions to me on a Google form.

Why does the GA matter?

Peter told me:
"Geography matters and therefore the teaching and learning of geography matters."

Peter has served on the ICT Working Group, been Honorary Secretary of the GA, and was even the stand-in CEO [part time for a term following the departure of the previous person, as described earlier in the blog], He has also been, for many years, the Honorary Treasurer of the GA (a post now held by Bob Digby), and is currently Chair of the ICT SIG.

Thanks to Peter for replying to my request for help, and completing my questionnaire to help with the creation of this entry.

I have a particular extra link with Peter.

In 2008, I went to Sheffield to have an interview for a job at Solly Street as Secondary Curriculum Leader, and Peter was one of the four people on the interview panel who gave me and the other candidates a real grilling. Other people on that panel have been identified in other blog posts, or will be in due course.

Peter continues to serve on a number of committees, although he is scaling back his involvement a little. I also interviewed him for a chapter for a book I wrote for Routledge, asking him for his memories of the early days of ICT in the school classroom as mentioned earlier in the post. Looking back, Peter said:

"I would hope that the GA has always had a role in the development of technology and learning - Sound, Vision, Media, ICT..." - as I recently completed several consultancy jobs in this very area, this certainly seems to be the case at the moment.

Peter has attended a number of the GA Study Tours and was involved in one tour which was also mentioned by Chris Kington. This was to Poland, and I blogged about it here.

His involvement with the GA continues to this day and he and I are involved in a current project which will be publicised later in the year.

If anyone else has memories of Peter Fox and his work with the GA please get in touch.

References

Fox and Tapsfield (Andrea) - an early book on the use of technology in schools, and published by the GA. I have a copy of this book in my collection.

Presidential adress: FOX, PETER S. “Images in Geography — Great Expectations.” Geography, vol. 90, no. 1, 2005, pp. 3–17. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/40574025. Accessed 12 Mar. 2021.

https://www.geography.org.uk/Project-Team - Digital Learning Project

Peter led a team creating resources for GCSE students, funded by BECTa (a sadly missed organisation, which I completed several projects for, before it disappeared)

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 - one of many similar reports that Peter will have given his name to over the years.

Chronology of the GA: https://www.geography.org.uk/download/ga%20chronology.pdf

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

G Malcolm Lewis

G Malcolm Lewis was mentioned by Richard Daugherty, as sharing the role of Honorary Secretary with him during the 1970s.

He also co-wrote some of the books in the British Landscapes through Maps series, along with others, including one on the Doncaster area that he co-wrote with another former GA President Bryan Coates.

He co-wrote "Geography Beyond A-level: A Student's Guide" for the GA in 1985.

I believe he was an expert in cartography, including that of the Plains Indians and other indigenous peoples. He wrote on Maps of the Americas for the Annals of the Association of American Geographers, and through this article, I discovered he was associated with the University of Sheffield.

From a volume on cartography that he co-edited with Professor David Woodward, it seems he was a Reader in Geography at the University of Sheffield until his retirement.

From this source: https://geography.wisc.edu/histcart/editors/

Mr. Lewis has received numerous awards and fellowships for research interests that include the historical perception of landscape, Native American mapping, and cartographic communication. 

He currently resides in Sheffield, England.

References

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1467-8306.1987.tb00180.x - AAG article

https://press.uchicago.edu/books/HOC/HOC_V2_B3/HOC_VOLUME2_Book3_frontmatter.pdf

https://www.jstor.org/stable/23531157?seq=1 - Plains Indians mapping

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/03098268208708851?journalCode=cjgh20

Richard Daugherty on Sheila Jones

Richard Daugherty was the GA President in 1989, and his own post on the blog will be published sometime in November if I stay on the current schedule. He has offered to write a whole host of new updates for the blog around his own work at the time, which included some time as Honorary Secretary (Education)

A recent e-mail included a lovely additional update on Sheila Jones, who was the GA President in 1975, at a time when she was a Deputy Head in a comprehensive school.

The following is from Richard:

Sheila was at the heart of so much the Association achieved during the 1970s and 1980s. The characteristically warm comments from others about her contribution capture much of the several ways in which she was involved. I would like to add a little more about what Sheila did for the GA both before and after her Presidency in the mid 1970s. 

She and I first met when I joined the ‘ginger group’ GA committee, ‘Models and Quantitative Techniques (M&QT)’ in the 1960s. Key contributors, such as Rex Walford and Brian Fitzgerald, to the ideas that were changing the teaching of geography have rightly been acknowledged. But every committee about teaching also needs members whose daily work is in classrooms and who are willing to put in the work needed to keep those ideas flowing. In her roles, first as secretary and then as chair, Sheila did just that. 

 Others have referred to Sheila’s part throughout her teaching career in making the Bristol GA branch so successful, supported by the University’s Geography Department. After she had been President Sheila became more than just the GA’s Branch Officer in the formal sense. She was the voice of the branches, always to be listened to, in any discussion at national level. 

 Lastly, but not to be underestimated in the era of Barnaby Bear, Sheila was the pioneer, with the help of Pat Cleverley, in developing a range of GA branded gifts to be sold as both emblems of commitment and a source of income for the Association. Irked by the availability of a male only garment, GA ties, Sheila started by insisting that scarves for female members should also be sold. 

What originated as a ‘cottage industry’ managed by Sheila from home developed over the years into a significant aspect of the Association’s work.

Thanks for the update. Perhaps the ties and scarves need to return to the GA shop.

Ellen Jenifer Rickard

Ellen Rickard seems to have been something of a pioneer for female geographers and teachers.


Her story was told in this book by the RGS-IBG. It describes her involvement with the GA, which included a place on the GA's council - one of the first female officers. She was particularly important during the war, taking over from J F Unstead (who also had his own post on the blog a few days ago). She was also connected with A J Herbertson, as were many during that period, when they became involved with the GA. She had a great many roles within the GA.

It would be lovely to be able to source an image of Ellen Rickard.

Source:
https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=p_xfuY8CJ48C&lpg=PT115&ots=xln_U09sEO&dq=%22marguerita%20oughton%22%20sheffield&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q=%22marguerita%20oughton%22%20sheffield&f=false

An Obituary was published in 1963

Oughton, M. “WILLIAM WALLACE.” Geography, vol. 48, no. 4, 1963, pp. 418–19. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/40565722. Accessed 16 Sept. 2023.

Can download the book:

https://epdf.tips/complex-locations-rgs-ibg-book-series.html

The book describes how Ellen Rickard was involved in the GA

pp.142-3 describes the work she did during the war years, which were difficult times for the GA.

Officers - up to 1953 and the Diamond Jubilee

Source
“[OFFICERS OF THE GEOGRAPHICAL ASSOCIATION].” Geography, vol. 38, no. 4, 1953, pp. 265–266. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/40564703.

1918: The introduction of Standing Committees

Standing Committees were introduced to the Geographical Association in 1918.

The first 4 committee established were:

• Exhibitions
• Regional Surveys
• Syllabuses and Examinations
• Books, Maps and Atlases

Update: 

In 1922, the Tours committee was added, as part of the growth of the Tours the GA was running at the time to parts of the UK and also into Europe.

One reason for their introduction may have been to reduce the burden of work on some of the early presidents and secretaries who must have worked non-stop to keep the various elements of the Association going, and also to bring in opportunities for volunteers / activists with particular skills to help out. There were changes in the responsibilities of the Honorary officers at the same time.
Over the years, the names of quite a few committees have come and gone, and been changed of course.

At the AGM in January, 2018, Balchin's book describes the formation of 4 Standing Committees, which were not organised in the same way as the present GA Committees.
Currently, the activity of the GA is overseen by Education Group (EG)

The Geographical Association's Education Group (EG) oversees the educational work of GA volunteers, covering all phases from foundation through to post-16 and Initial Teacher Training, as well as its international work and activities in areas such as Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) and Learning Outside the Classroom (LOtC).

The Education Group's functions include:
formulating the educational policy of the GA and ensuring that provision is made for all aspects of geographical education
guiding the GA Governing Body on priorities for the educational work of the GA
overseeing, setting priorities for, and co-ordinating the actions of its sub-groups (Phase Committees, Special Interest Groups, Communication Boards, Working Parties)
taking action on education and professional matters identified by EG itself or its sub-groups, the GA Governing Body or other GA Officers.

EG meets formally three times a year, usually in January, May and September.

Education Group members are all elected or appointed from the GA membership and comprise a Chair, a Vice Chair, GA President, GA Senior Vice President, GA Junior Vice President, and the chairs of EG's sub-groups (Phase Committees, Special Interest Groups and Communication Boards). Current EG sub-groups are:

There are three Phase Committees

Early Years and Primary Phase Committee

Secondary Phase Committee - I have served on the SPC for 15 years, and until I stepped down this week, was the Secretary of the committee. We meet 3 times a year in London, and always offer workshops and lectures at the GA Conference, and have previously been involved in consultations on curriculum change, publications, reviews and other consultations.

Post-16 and HE Phase Committee

There is also a Presidents Group of Trustees.

Some of the committee functions have been devolved / changed to become Special Interest Groups (SIGs)

Currently the GA has the following SIGs.

Assessment and Examinations Special Interest Group

Fieldwork and Outdoor Learning Special Interest Group

Information and Communications Technology Special Interest Group

Independent Schools Special Interest Group

International Special Interest Group

Physical Geography Special Interest Group

Sustainability and Citizenship Special Interest Group

Teacher Education Special Interest Group

Welsh Special Interest Group

If you would like to get involved with any of these committees, follow the link to their pages and contact the Chair to express an interest. We have recently recruited two new members on SPC for example.

The minutes I have been reading in 'Geography' and 'The Geographical Teacher' note quite a few Standing Committees that have come and gone over the years. I'd quite like to have served on some of these. One can imagine the tweed jackets, and ashtrays with smoke filling the rooms as the discussions continued....
I shall collate a list of these committees over the coming months, and post again several times to update you on some of the committees which have been and gone over the years. Some were short lived.

The Regional Survey Committee eventually led to the Land Utilisation Survey instigated by L. Dudley Stamp, for example.

Image on GA Committees taken from the GA website.

Image: SPC members, January 2019 - created by Ryan Bate
Please note that as of June 2019, I have stepped down from the SPC, to focus on my Presidency stint... starting in September 2019 as Junior Vice President.