From the archive - letter to a Princess

I hope to perhaps get up to Sheffield for a root around in the GA archives at some point during the summer as I did last summer. I took some pictures, and not sure I've shared them all yet, so there follows some posts with images of some findings.

This one features the letter from Simon Catling inviting the Princess Royal to be the patron of the GA during its Centenary year - an invitation she accepted, and she came along to the conference that year. See other posts for pictures from that event.

From the archive: Centenary Celebrations 1993

I visited the GA Archive in Solly Street two weeks ago.

I came across some pictures from the GA's Centenary celebrations.

There were some of the Centenary dinner held at Keble College, Oxford and others of the visit by Princess Anne. 

Here's a few of the GA Council meeting in November 1993 when the centenary was celebrated, along with a special cake.

There are some familiar faces here, including the President at the time: Andrew Goudie with the cake.

If anyone spots someone in particular, please get in touch.

Centenary Royal patronage in 1993 - the Centenary year

In 1993, Princess Anne visited the GA's Centenary conference as a result of an invitation, which I came across when looking in the GA Archives earlier in the week. 

She was asked to be Patron of the GA's Centenary celebrations. I came across a number of original letters relating to this visit.

Here's the invitation to her, written by Simon Catling from the GA Archive - copyright with the GA as with all archive images, newspaper and journal extracts etc.

I also found the original version of the image below, which has been reproduced elsewhere.... I recognised Simon Catling on the right but not the other two gentlemen. 

It turns out that the person on the left in this image is Paul May, who was teaching at Wickersley Comprehensive School at the time. This was the school I went to (and left in 1982 to start my degree).

Here's the caption that I came across:

She is seen holding a copy of the GA's 'Teaching Geography' journal, and also a copy of W G V Balchin's Centenary volume, which has been a major source of information for many of the entries on this blog.

There was a report on the visit in the GA News. I came across a complete bound copy of all early issues of GA News.

Princess Anne spoke for 25 minutes, and pointed out the value of Geography in several different ways. 

Source:

Boardman, David, and Michael McPartland. “A Hundred Years of Geography Teaching Towards Centralisation: 1983—1993.” Teaching Geography, vol. 18, no. 4, 1993, pp. 159–63. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/23754550. Accessed 19 Aug. 2022.

Royal Patronage 1993

While in the GA archives at Solly Street at the start of the week, I came across some images of HRH Princess Anne meeting GA staff.

This was on the occasion of the 1993 Centenary Conference which was held in Sheffield. Simon Catling was President in that year.

In the second photo is former President Mike Morrish.

May also be Andrew Goudie in the picture as well.

Frances Soar filled in the details.

"These are press photos of HRH The Princess Royal, Frances Soar and Julia Legg at the GA Centenary Annual Conference, Sheffield 1993.  When the GA approached the Princess to be Patron of the GA, she (or her representative) wrote that because she only takes on this very significant role when she can devote sufficient time to do the job properly, she would have to decline. However, she offered to become Patron just for the Centenary year - and she was great in the role.  

I remember sending her lots of briefing notes about the GA, its history and its current activities.  She used the lot as part of her speech at the opening ceremony - but without consulting notes as she spoke! - and in chatting with us (as in the photo) knew exactly what she was talking about and to whom she was talking.  I was hugely impressed.  She is a real professional.  

There was a biography of HRH published shortly afterwards, which I bought because the GA got a mention in the list of patronages. 

Any other memories of the Royal visit welcome.