KCL / LSE GEOGRAPHY ALUMNI SOCIETY
Newsletter No 38 (2016)
EDITORIAL
Welcome to the KCL / LSE Geography Alumni Society (incorporating the Joint School Society)
Annual Newsletter 2016.
As was mentioned in the Winter Bulletin, it was agreed at the AGM last June to change the name
of the Society to make it more relevant to those who have graduated from the two departments
since the Joint School finished in 1997. However, the aims of the Society remain the same and it is
hoped that more recent graduates will become involved in its activities from now on. Pleasingly,
several recent alumni have joined the Society in the past year or so.
The Joint School Society itself was established in the early 1960s as an association of former
members of the geography departments of King's College London and LSE, known as the Joint
School of Geography, which ran from 1922 until the arrangement was terminated in 1997.
The editor is very happy to accept articles for future editions of the newsletter from alumni of both
departments on their current activities, memories of their time on either side of the Strand or any
aspect of geography that they would like to share with readers. Contact details are provided below.
Anyone who currently receives the newsletter as a hard copy and would like to receive it by email
instead, please let us know your email address and we will add it to the database.
We would very much like to link in with alumni who have graduated from either of the two
departments since the Joint School finished in 1997, so if this applies to you, please get in touch –
we would love to hear from you.
The Newsletters and Winter Bulletins are also posted on the Society’s web-pages, which are
hosted on the Alumni pages of both Colleges:
LSE: http://alumni.lse.ac.uk/s/1623/interior-hybrid.aspx?sid=1623&gid=1&pgid=781
King’s: https://alumni.kcl.ac.uk/alumni-community/geography-group
Happy reading.
Dr Paul Collinson (King’s 1990)
Tel: 07879 460767
Newsletter Editor
E: [email protected]
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
The date for this year’s AGM is Sunday 12th June 2016 (during the KCLA Alumni Weekend).
Time: 11.00-12.30
Venue: Council Room, King’s Strand Campus
Please use the Strand entrance.
At 14:00 the annual Geographers' Walk will start at Bermondsey underground station (for further
details, please see below).
HISTORY OF THE SOCIETY
The Joint School Society was started around 1960. When the Joint School was dissolved in the
1990s, the JSS continued. The Society has now entered a new era with a change of name this
year, to become the King’s / LSE Geography Alumni Society (incorporating the Joint School
Society).
The Society caters primarily for Alumni of the BA / BSc Honours Schools of Geography of the two
colleges but there are a sprinkle of BSc(Econ)s from LSE who are members, and even members
of other faculties. We also welcome membership from those who have graduated from the two
departments since the Joint School finished in 1997.
Over the years, our functions have varied – from providing careers advice and assistance to
students in the 1970s to organising excursions. We run two of three walking excursions during the
year. A member acting as ‘leader’ who provides some geographical colour and background to the
terrain leads each walk. Anyone who would like to lead a walk, please do get in touch.
If you would like to join the Society, please contact Dr Paul Collinson either by email, phone or post
at the address below, who will then ensure that your name is added to the membership database.
There is a small cost of £1.50 per year or £5 for six years to defray the cost of printing the
newsletters and organising excursions. Please make cheques payable to the Joint School Society.
E: [email protected]
T: 07879 460767
35 Sterling Road
Enfield
Middx
EN2 0LN
EXCURSIONS 2016
SUNDAY 12th JUNE
GEOGRAPHERS’ WALK IN KING'S ALUMNI WEEKEND
DISCOVER BERMONDSEY
Bermondsey area in the south of the river has been overlooked in every way by the City to the
north. However, in Roman times it was a vital route way and the Saxons soon recognised its
importance for settlement, manufacturing and especially trading. Traces of these activities and
events in the growth of London over two millennia can been seen at every step.
From 14.00 -16.00. (Note that there will be an opportunity to join a shorter route with one of the
leaders). Meet at Bermondsey Underground Station (Jubilee Line) at 13.45 for a 14:00 start.
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King’s Alumni will have received booking details in the Alumni Weekend programme.
LSE Alumni may book online at alumni.kcl.ac.uk/planyourweekend or by telephoning King's Alumni
Office on 020 7848 3053.
------SATURDAY 17th SEPTEMBER
WEY NAVIGATION, GUILDFORD
Meet at Guildford Train Station (front entrance) at 11:00.
This walk of 4-5 miles will be exploring the Wey navigation. The walk will be mainly flat and will
follow a route from the Guildford Wharf, down to some of the oldest canal navigations in the UK;
this includes Stoke Lock:
"The first to be built as part of the initial 1618 – 1619 scheme, Stoke Lock (GR: TQ003516) - rise of
6ft 9in (2.06m) – is certainly the earliest pound lock in Surrey, and the debate is perhaps best left
to the waterway historians as to whether it was the first in England".
Join us to explore Britain’s earliest industrial heritage in the heart of Surrey.
If you would like to join the walk please contact James Heaphy: [email protected]
Telephone: 07765 400044.
------Disclaimer Statement
Please note that anyone joining a walk is required to accept the statement below:
The attention of members, friends and acquaintances who join excursions or walks arranged under
the auspices of the King’s / LSE Geography Alumni Society (incorporating the Joint School
Society) is drawn to the following:
“Participation in a walk or excursion is at the personal risk and responsibility of the individual
concerned. Neither the Society, nor the Leader of the walk, excursion or event accepts any
responsibility for any accident or injury, or loss whatsoever, or howsoever sustained or suffered by
the participant.”
REPORTS FROM PAST EVENTS
Geographers’ Walk 2015 - More Hidden Surprises in the City of London
Sunday 14th June 2015.
The Annual Geographers’ Walk was as popular as ever, with around 80 alumni setting off in a
number of groups to explore some of the hidden green spaces in the City. The first stop on the
walk was the HQ of the Honourable Artillery Company, the oldest military regiment in the UK, the
grounds of which incorporate a cricket pitch – a somewhat unexpected sight in the heart of the
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City. We then moved on to Bunhill (Bone-hill) Fields, a four-acre
nonconformist burial ground which has been in existence for over
1000 years. Opposite is John Wesley’s chapel, an attractive building
built in 1778. Passing through Finsbury Square, another city green
space and the focus of the Occupy protests in 2011, we moved on to
Finsbury Circus, the largest City Garden and the oldest public park in
London, enclosed in 1812. London Wall and Bishopsgate contain two
fine churches, All Hallows in the Wall and St Botolph without
Bishopsgate, where John Keats is buried. This took us to Devonshire
Square, a recent (2002) development sited among the former
warehouses of the East India Company. Beyond this, the juxtaposition
of the old and the new was striking, with two other churches, St
Botolph Aldgate and St Andrew Undershaft, nestling under the
shadows of 30 St Mary’s Axe (aka the Gherkin) and 122
Leadenhall Street (aka the Cheesegrater). St Olave’s, the burial The Gherkin & St Andrew Undershaft
place of Samuel Pepys', has a tranquil churchyard as well as a
rather sinister set of skulls on the gates. The walk ended in Tower Hill Gardens, opposite the
Tower of London, from where everyone dispersed for well-deserved cups of tea.
-------Stour Valley Walk
Saturday 10th October 2015
This was a fascinating walk around Constable
Country. Blessed with unseasonably fine
weather, around 12 of us met at Manningtree
station in Essex to explore the Stour Valley in
the company of King’s alumnus Brian Gordon.
The first part of the walk examined the
extensive flooding control scheme managed by
the Environment Agency, which controls the
water courses along the Stour Navigation and
also keeps the mitten crab and signal crayfish
populations at bay. We then moved on to
Flatford Mill, scene of Constable’s famous The
Hay Wain. Constable’s family owned much of
the land in the area, but Constable himself had
no head for business and took up painting,
Flatford Mill
apparently much to his father’s consternation. Flatford Mill itself is the original
building – somewhat remarkably, as virtually all of the other mills in the area burned down, due
largely to airborne dust being ignited by sparks from the machinery. We then moved on to the
pretty village of Dedham, whose mill burned down four times, the last time in 1906. A stride along
the flood plain took us to Sudbury, home of Griff Rhys Jones, a leading light in the Stour
Conservation Trust. We spent some time exploring the village, before heading back to
Manningtree and our trains home. All agreed that this was a fascinating insight into this beautiful
area of eastern England.
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Walton-on-the Naze,
Saturday 16th April 2016
This walk focused on the physical geography of the Essex
coastline, led by Brian and Kay Gordon in the environs of the
famous Walton-on-the-Naze Tower in Essex. The Tower was built
in 1720 as a navigational aid for shipping and survives today as a
café and exhibition centre. In rather overcast and atmospheric
conditions, we set off along the beach (actually a spectacular
wave-cut platform) below the Tower to have a closer look at the
extent of the erosion along this coast. The soft clays mean that the
coast is being carved away at a rapid rate, although extensive
revetments in the area below the Tower means that this area
should be preserved for many more years (although the Tower
may be located on a peninsula in the future!) The dynamism of the
coast was brought into sharp focus when part of the cliff collapsed
as we were passing, with our leader having to leap athletically out
of the way of the falling boulders! We also found some rusting iron
rails embedded in the cliff, which we worked out were part of the
equipment used for guided missile tests that were carried out in the Coastal erosion below the Tower
area during WWII. After a packed lunch on the dunes, we walked
back along the top of the cliff towards the tower, and from there along the seafront. This was
dominated by dozens of brightly-painted (and apparently extremely expensive) beach huts. Luckily
the rain held off as we headed inland to the station, in time for our trains back to London and
further afield. Many thanks to Brian and Kay for organising another great day out for the Society.
Reports complied by Paul Collinson
NEWS FROM THE DEPARTMENTS
KCL Department of Geography
[See also KCL Geography website: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/sspp/departments/geography/]
Latest News
In the latest QS rankings of universities and subject departments, King’s Department of Geography
has been placed 18th in the world. In the latest UK Research Excellence Framework, almost 80%
of research in the department was rated as internationally excellent or world leading in quality. The
department has also recently achieved a top ten place in the Complete University Guide.
The Department has over 50 academic and research staff, together with over 350 undergraduates,
around 175 master's students and over 100 PhD students. There are four main research groups:
Cities Group; Earth and Environmental Dynamics Group; Environment, Politics & Development
Group and Hazards and Risk Group. Each group has its own seminar series and reading groups.
A total of 14 Masters courses are currently offered by the department, in areas ranging from
Aquatic Resource Management to Sustainable Cities.
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A Newton Fund Grant has been awarded to Martin Wooster and team for a study on 'Integrating
advanced earth observation and environmental information for sustainable management of crop
pests and diseases.'
Professor Irasema Alcántara-Ayala recently received the European Geosciences Union prestigious
Sergey Soloviev Medal 2016 for her outstanding contribution to the basic knowledge of natural
hazards, vulnerability and prevention of disasters in developing countries.
--------LSE Department of Geography and Environment
[See also LSE Geography and Environment website:
http://www.lse.ac.uk/geographyAndEnvironment/Home.aspx]
Latest News
In the 2014 Research Excellence Framework, the department was ranked 1st overall in the UK for
quality of published research (output), and 4th overall when including research impact and
research environment.
The LSE Department of Geography and Environment has been ranked 4th in the UK in the latest
Guardian subject tables. This follows success in the QS World University rankings, which put the
Department 4th internationally. The Department was also ranked 4th in the Complete University
Guide 2017 subject tables. A range of measures contribute to the rankings, including student
satisfaction, academic reputation and career prospects.
The Department has major specialities within the economic, development, urban, regional planning
and environmental social science aspects of Geography, all with a strong emphasis on application
and policy issues. With 38 academic staff, the department is large enough to offer a breadth of
expertise but small enough to allow for good relationships between students and staff.
Several Geography & Environment staff have won prizes at the LSE Teaching Awards 2016. Well
done to: Austin Zeiderman, Neil Lee, Sefi Roth, Riccardo Crescenzi, Christian Hilber, Joel Gill,
John Wilkie, Julius Andersson, Emanuele Campiglio and Alex Jaax.
Sylvia Chant, Professor of Development Geography at LSE, has been made a Fellow of the
Academy of Social Sciences following a process of peer review for the excellence and impact of
her work. The Academy, which exists to promote social science in the United Kingdom for the
public benefit, described Professor Chant as ‘a world-leading figure in international social science,
helping to stake out the field of gender and development’.
Forthcoming event
Monday 27 June, 6.30-8pm
Hong Kong Theatre, Clement House
LSE public lecture
Globalisation, Migration and the Future of the Middle Classes
SPEAKER: Branko Milanovic, Senior Scholar at the Luxembourg Income Study Centre and Visiting
Presidential Professor at the Graduate Centre, City University of New York.
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KING’S MENTORING SCHEME
King’s Connect is an online community that brings together King's alumni and current students in
mentoring relationships. Alumni can choose to be a mentor and/or a mentee.
The scheme provides the opportunity to mentor a less experienced alumnus and/or be mentored
by a more experienced alumnus.
Once mentors have joined King’s Connect their profile will be visible and mentees will then have
the opportunity to get in touch. The scheme envisages the mentor spending at least two hours a
month helping a mentee further their career prospects, offering support, advice and guidance to
help mentees set objectives and take action.
Up to 10 mentees can be mentored based on a mentor’s personal capacity.
Further details are available on the King’s website at the following link:
http://alumni.kcl.ac.uk/page.aspx?pid=5909
ROYAL GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY (with IBG) NEWS
Discovering Britain self-guided walks
Discovering Britain is a series of geographically themed walks that bring the stories of Britain alive,
inspiring everyone to explore and learn more about the country. The walks engage the brain as
well as the feet as they explore how our amazing towns, cities, countryside and coast have been
shaped by people, historic events, the economy, and the forces of nature.
The walks are completely free, self-guided and suitable for all ages and abilities. Visit
http://www.discoveringbritain.org for over 100 walks, each with downloadable audio guides, full
directions and further information.
-------Britain from the Air exhibition
Britain from the Air is a major national, outdoor touring
exhibition of over 100 stunning aerial photographs. These
images offer an exhilarating perspective of some of the UK’s
most breathtaking and thought provoking landscapes and
landmarks whilst telling the fascinating story of Britain’s
geography and history. The RGS (with IBG) is hosting the
exhibition “Britain from the Air” until 12 July at the Society’s
premises at Kensington Gore. From 15 July–mid September,
the exhibition will be on display in Birmingham City Centre.
--------
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Details of two RGS (with IBG) schemes which may be of interest to members:
Geography Ambassador Scheme
The Geography Ambassador scheme recruits, trains and supports undergraduate, postgraduate
and graduate geographers from universities and business to act as ambassadors for geography in
the classroom and beyond. This is a great way to introduce students to the benefits of studying
geography and encouraging them to pursue the subject not only beyond the compulsory stages,
but also into higher education and employment.
The Geography Ambassadors act as positive role models for pupils and illustrate, via a range of
fun, interactive and informative sessions, the specific and transferable skills they have developed
as a geographer. The scheme works closely with schools, universities and businesses and offers
opportunity for all to strengthen their links with each other on a local scale.
Ambassadors need to undertake a five-hour training course, which is held at various universities
around the country, and to commit to taking part in at least five ambassadorial sessions in their first
year.
More details on the scheme and how to apply are available on the RGS website at the following
link:
http://www.rgs.org/OurWork/Schools/Careers+and+Further+Study/Promoting+and+supporting+ge
ography+in+your+school+or+college/Geography+Ambassador+scheme.htm
Chartered Geographer Scheme
The Chartered Geographer Scheme is administered by the RGS (with IBG) for those applying
geography in their everyday work. It is designed to provide a recognition of professional status and
demonstrate to employers and colleagues that the holder has competence, experience and
professionalism in geographical knowledge, understanding and skills. Chartered Geographer
(CGeog) is the only internationally recognised professional accreditation for those with
competence, experience and professionalism in the use of geographical knowledge, understanding
and skills in the workplace.
There are currently over 400 Chartered Geographers, ranging from academics, teachers, GI
Scientists, conservationists, planners, surveyors, environmental and economic consultants, to civil
servants, military personnel and others.
More details are available at the following link:
http://www.rgs.org/OurWork/CharteredGeographer
JOINT SCHOOL OF GEOGRAPHY TIES
Dr Chris Board still has a small stock of Joint School ties. Chris writes:
The ties are elegant, smart and semi-formal. They show LSE and KCL colours on a black
background. Bands of twinned colours: for KCL red and blue each 3mm and LSE purple and
gold. Alternating bands leaving 3cm of black in between the colours emphasise the colours
which are quite distinct. The ties cost £7 post free from me at 36, Wakefield Gardens,
London SE19 2NR. E-mail address is [email protected]
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REUNION NEWS
Class of 1956:
Jo Crocker writes…
60 Year Reunion 2016
Members of the class of 1956 are planning to get together during the June Alumni Weekend.
Jo Crocker nee Frearson, Peter Humphrey, Bryan Roberts, Dingle Smith, and Jill Baker nee
Stanley, would like to welcome you to the 60 Year Reunion for the Geographers who graduated in
1956. We have booked the date of Saturday 11 June 2016 for this event; it will be part of the KCL
Alumni Weekend on 10 – 12 June 2016. Our day will include coffee, our Reunion table at the
Principal’s Lunch and afternoon tea on King’s Campus, and a welcome and visit to the Geography
Department, still in the Strand.
Jo Crocker FKC. Tel: 020 8863 2038; email address: [email protected]
-------Class of 1963:
Brian Gordon writes…
The 1963 graduates have met for reunions since 1988, at first every four years and latterly
biannually. They take the form of a two or three night stay at a hotel with a celebratory dinner and
field excursions. We meet in a variety of towns, including Scarborough, Coventry and Exeter as
well as London. Over the years partners have been included and become part of the group. Each
reunion has had over 30 participants. In June 2015, 31 of us met in Norwich. We had two beautiful
days looking at the development of the city, although there was perhaps more reminiscence than
geography.
-------Class of 1966:
Wendy O'Conghaile writes…
There were about 35 undergraduates in that 3 year cohort in the
Geography Department at that time, about half and half Kings and LSE
and we have managed to put together a current contact list of about half
of them. There was a 25th anniversary held in Lyme Regis and some
smaller get-togethers in London, however in 2013 a small group decided
to organise a reunion to celebrate 50 years since our first meeting in
autumn 1963. We arranged a two day reunion in London in September
with lunch in LSE also attended by one of our former lecturers, Sir Peter
Hall and the head of the LSE Geography Department, Professor Eric
Neumayer. Tours of both colleges took place after lunch. On the second
day we took a boat tour to Greenwich. In 2015 we have had two other gettogethers – in March a day in London meeting for lunch in Bloomsbury
and in October a two day visit to Bath, where 2 of our number now live. This included a tour of the
"Stones of Bath", led by one of us, Elizabeth Devon (nee Horton), a former teacher of geography
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and geology
(http://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/007821418). We are now planning to celebrate the 50th
anniversary of our graduation with a trip to Scarborough in June. This is where we were based for
our first Easter vacation field trip in 1964. If any of our cohort colleagues read this and want more
information please do get in touch. Wendy O’Conghaile (Chislett): email: [email protected]
CLASS NOTES
[see also KCL Alumni Magazine In Touch]
Norman Graves (LSE 1949)
Having reached 91 on 28 January 2015 perhaps I can be forgiven for not being too active
academically. However, having once been chair of the IGU’s Commission on Geographical
Education, I have with Joseph Stoltman, my American colleague, written a history of the
Commission from 1950 to 2012 and its collaboration with UNESCO.
This has been commented upon by various members of the Commission and edited. The problem
seems to be finding a possible publisher. Any suggestions?
Juanita Shepherd (LSE 1991)
I was honoured to receive the Geographical Association's Outstanding All Rounder Award 2015
from Prof. David Collins at Conference in April. Rather surprising given the other even more
outstanding teachers and GA Branch officers I was attending Conference with!
David Farrow (King’s 2008)
I am a social photographer, currently accumulating a body of work called The Absent Coast. This
documents the disparate existence of UK coastal towns; regional crafts and trade that have been
threatened by the emergence of globalisation over the past 50 years.
OBITUARIES
Professor Michael J. Wise, CBE, MC. 1918-2015
When I arrived in the Joint School as a student, Michael was still sometimes referred to as Major
Wise, despite his doctorate on the industries of Birmingham. He died on 13 October 2015, aged
97, leaving a major impact on British geography and geographers. He strongly influenced the
discipline’s continued growth and status at the London School of Economics, the work of all UK
geography’s major learned societies, British geography’s status nationally and internationally, and
a range of public policies. He was a statesman, a dedicated teacher, a sage advisor and mentor.
He joined the Joint School as Stanley Beaver left LSE to establish geography at the new university
at Keele, near Stoke. Known for his work on industrial economic geography and the West Midlands
in particular, he joined Professor Buchanan in teaching that specialism. In the 1950s and again in
the 1970s he was involved in introductory Geography for the BSc(Econ) part I. For the BA and BSc
students he took over a compulsory course on the British Isles which he continued with a few
breaks, until he retired from teaching in 1983. He son took part in annual field courses for these
degrees, joining Wooldridge on the latter’s home ground of The Weald. Those who were at Juniper
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Hall will remember the final evening’s entertainment of Wise on the piano and Wooldridge
rendering songs by Gilbert and Sullivan. Although he was instrumental in setting up seminars and
courses for graduate students, his teaching was to undergraduates both in the Joint School and
2inter-collegiately for some special options. He continued Stamp’s interest in Applied Geography his involvement in regional planning shifted from the West Midlands where it was honed, to London
and the South East.
Those who still remember the closure of LSE in 1969 and the highly charged political atmosphere
will recall LSE’s finding room to continue teaching in Kings and temporary LSE Geography HQ in
The Surrey, a pub then in Surrey Street. His military service during World War II, when he gained
the Military Cross in Italy, was adapted to the organisation of field courses and handling student
humour. Cooperation with colleagues applied across the range of courses, as I discovered when I
returned as Lecturer. His door was “open” in the sense that he made time for us and students. We
remember a long list of faithful secretaries whom he cared about, as well as other technical staff at
LSE. Even when he was Pro-Director after his “retirement” in 1983 he eagerly agreed to promote
students’ suggestion for a new electric locomotive on the West Coast line to be named London
School of Economics. This was duly performed by Sir Huw Wheldon, LSE’s chairman of
governors. in 1985. One of his last visits to LSE was to witness the unveiling of the conserved
name plate in the George IV pub, now a part of LSE in February 2008.
Michael Wise’s involvement in many of the School’s committees and those of the University was
always in favour of student welfare, mostly academic. He was adept at garnering allies to achieve
his aims. He supported staff and student when needed. Michael also remembered old students,
retired staff not only academic or geographical, knowing their individual circumstances often to our
surprise. Largely by his efforts he organised and ran for a long time the Dudley Stamp Memorial
Trust in memory of his former colleague. This benefitted from his contacts and powers of
persuasion, such that funds are still available, through our links with the Royal Geographical
Society, for scholars registered at UK universities. He saw his career as one to serve others,
following his mentor R.H.Kinvig at Birmingham.
Michael Wise was only the second geographer to preside over all three main learned geographical
societies. His work on the Departmental Committee n Smallholdings and the Ministry of
Transport’s Advisory Committee on Landscape Treatment was recognised in the appointment of
CBE in 1979. Internationally his work for the 1964 International Geographical Congress in London
led to the IGU presidency and many international honours.
At the centre of his life were his family – his wife Barbara, who died in 2007, daughter and son, five
grand-children and four great-grand-children to whom he was devoted. An obituary was published
in The Independent on 13 January 2016. Ron Johnston and I would welcome any recollections any
members may like to share. We are trying to establish which field classes he attended. Please
send them by e-mail to [email protected].
Chris Board, 10 May 2016
(LSE 1952-55, staff 1963=95)
---------
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Professor Derek Diamond (Emeritus Professor of Geography, LSE)
[From the LSE website]:
Dr Nancy Holman of the Department of Geography & Environment remembers Professor Derek
Diamond, who died on 6th May 2015.
In the course of one’s career it is common to come across excellent educators, incisive
researchers, strong administrators and tireless champions of students and alumni – however, it is
rare that all of these qualities are encompassed in one individual. It is therefore with great sadness
that the Department of Geography and Environment and the Regional and Urban Planning
programme mark the passing of Emeritus Professor Derek Diamond.
Derek joined the School in 1968 taking over the Urban and Regional Planning programme, which
had been founded two years earlier under Professor Sir Peter Hall. He directed the MSc and PhD
in Planning until 1979, during which time he touched the lives of countless students from across
the world. Many of these alumni who either were taught by Derek during his time as director or
later generations who were led through the streets of London on his famous walks have written to
us to express their deep sadness at his death but also their desire to celebrate his life as an
educator, mentor and friend.
In his later career Derek also served in increasingly important administrative roles within the
School. He directed the Greater London Group from 1980-1995 and was the Convenor of the
Department of Geography from 1983-87 and 1990-92, an Academic Governor from 1983-87 and
Vice-Chairman of the Academic Board from 1988-1993. He was also instrumental in the foundation
of the Gender Institute serving as its Interim Director from 1993-94.
Derek was also a well-respected academic crossing the fields from planning to geography,
considering himself to be an applied urban geographer. His standing in the field was reflected in
his chairmanship of the Regional Studies Association (1974-76), his presidency of the Institute of
British Geographers (1994) and the numerous journals upon which he served as editor.
The Department would like to extend our deepest sympathies to his wife Esmé and his two
children, and to the countless generations of planners that he trained with such enthusiasm,
wisdom and kindness. He will be missed by us all.
-------Sir Derek Andrews (class of 1956) passed away on 18th March 2016 peacefully at home after a
brief illness, aged 83. Sir Derek was a former Permanent Secretary at the Department of
Agriculture.
--------Betty Dass (class of 1947) passed away on Wednesday 9th September 2015, very peacefully in
her sleep. Betty was a University Lecturer with degrees in Chemistry & Geology 1945, Geology
1946, Geography 1947, Inst. of Ed. Dip. 1948, Full Colours Rowing and Non Theological A.K.C.
Diploma. Betty was an active supporter of the Society for many decades.
---------
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Other notices we’ve received [with thanks to Arthur Spencer and Chris Broad]:
2014
Professor William Mead BSc Geography 1939, PhD 1946
Roy C Nesbit BSc Geography 1950
Ian Mumford BSc (Econ) Geography 1951
Constance M Clarke BA Geography 1952
Edwin West BSc Geography 1952
Michael G D Williams BSc Geography 1952
Alexander Rondeli MPhil Geography 1977
2015
Professor Frank Anton BSc Geography 1950
Laurence Turner BSc (Econ) Geography 1955
Ian Carr BSc Geography 1959
Colin M Brown BSc Geography 1962
Reverend Dr C M Brown BSc Geography 1962, MSCEC Geography 1965
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We have been sent this cutting from The Guardian in September 1990, an obituary of Bill March,
King’s 1963, who became a celebrated climber in North America. [With thanks to the King’s Alumni
Office and Brian Gordon.]
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MEMBERSHIP NEWS
The Society has over 230 members. Every year when the Newsletter is distributed, some are
returned due to our not being informed of an address change. Please ensure that we have your up
to date contact details, including e-mail address. The latter will be used solely to communicate
news to you, and all correspondence is sent BCC (Blind Carbon Copy). Please send to
[email protected].
COMMITTEE
We are currently looking for someone to fulfil the role of LSE rep. If you are interested, please
contact us. The Society’s Committee officers and members 2015-16:
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Chairman: Craig Clarke
Vice Chairman / Secretary / Newsletter Editor: Paul Collinson
LSE Representative: Vacant
King’s Representative: James Heaphy
KCLA Representative: Paul Collinson
Committee members [in addition to the officers]: Laurie Baker, Jo Crocker, Brian & Kay Gordon,
Arthur Spencer.
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