LivingGeography Newsletter #19
May 8th-14th
Welcome to the nineteenth weekly newsletter providing a summary of key posts on the LivingGeography blog.
Each newsletter will usually include a number of sections:
a digest of posts from the LivingGeography blog (and other blogs)
any important geographical news
an update on any personal projects
details of books that I am reading, or cultural experiences
a couple of nice images taken this week
events that you might be interested in
I’ve just come back from a Buckingham Palace Garden Party - more on that in the next issue.
Also pleased to have reached a small milestone of 250 Substack followers. It’s taken this far into the year but grateful to everyone who’s signed up.
Some posts this week included:
Recognition of the 99th birthday of Sir David Attenborough (see later). He also had his regular outing as part of the display for a school Open Morning
During the 125th anniversary year of the GA, I tried to collate a list of 125 inspirational places using a Google Form. I didn’t quite get enough places, so never did anything with the responses I got in the end. Perhaps it’s now time to try to get a good set of responses so that I can share them and use them next time I teach the Landscapes topic.
Here’s a couple of examples.
The Lantern Tower, Ely Cathedral
The Cobb, Lyme Regis, Dorset
Images: Alan Parkinson, shared under CC license on Flickr
If you think you can add one, please do. Add a little text on why it is so special to you as well please.
Something on the changing nature of football shirt sponsorship
Geography at the Venice Biennale
A look at climate change in Antarctica
Congratulations to Mitch Hutchraft on completing his Global Triathlon by summiting Mount Everest on the 11th of May. The sign behind him is from the 8K Expeditions’ rope fixing team who finished their work last weekend to and enabled the first teams to reach the summit. Mitch was supported by Gelje Sherpa who carried out a famous rescue of a climber on Everest in 2023. He has been appearing on the local news programmes as he is from Cambridgeshire. Perhaps he’ll want to come and talk to some school students when he returns.
Countryside Classroom has released a new set of ‘A’ level resources in association with LEAF.
Congratulations to those who were announced this week as receiving RGS Medals and Awards at a celebration on the 2nd of June. I shall be there and hope to see some of you too.
News
On the 8th of May, VE Day, Sir David Attenborough turned 99. Happy Birthday Sir!
The Guardian posted a feature where various people offered their thoughts on Sir David’s life’s work and influence.
Projects
I completed more work on the writing project I’ve started to take me up to summer.
I have also been doing a lot of the groundwork for a 365 blog project which I won’t even start until the 1st of January 2026. I need to start well in advance as otherwise I won’t keep up with the post a day pace. I’ve got some monthly themes sorted, and also produced a Google Form which will be sent to a whole range of people later in the year to help to produce some content and ideas in advance. Now up to 300 posts in draft, so I think I’ll be ready to launch in January. Looking forward to fleshing them out.
Books
I’ve started dipping into ‘Is a river alive?’ by Robert MacFarlane.
Check out Craig Bennett’s review.
Macfarlane has yet again demonstrated his genius as an author in creating a book that is alive, that has personality, that talked to me. I was sad when it ended. It has flowed into my daily thoughts ever since, much like a river continues to flow into the sea.
Robert also liked the idea that a group of geographers should be called a confluence, as I set out in my Teachmeet GeogIcons keynote back in 2018.
I also read Paul Berry’s latest blogposts.
I look forward to seeing David Farrier’s new book when it emerges:
My main read at the moment is ‘The North Road’ by Rob Cowen, which I mentioned in the last issue. Rob is currently making his way north from London and is now entering more familiar territory.
I also popped up to Topping Books to see if the David Farrier was in (it wasn’t yet), and saw this book which looks completely up my wadi. A glance at the contents, excellent opening map, and some sections show this will introduce me to a whole new area of knowledge taking me beyond my existing idea of what the ‘Sahara’ means, partly informed by Michael Palin, Lawrence of Arabia, John Mills drinking a Carlsberg, William Atkins’ wanderings, Andrew Goudie’s scholarship and Nick Middleton’s VSI. It also connects with some writing I’m doing - I sense a slight change of direction. I read the first 30 pages last night and it is awesome!!
Images
An image I took this week. I’ll add a few images of Buckingham Palace next week.
Walking back from a Cathedral service past Priory House - dating back to the 14th Century - by Alan Parkinson, shared on Flickr under CC license
Events
It’s just under a month now to the Festival of Geography down at the RGS. It’s going to be a really good day. I’m looking forward to hearing all the speakers. I’ll be talking about careers in Geography.
Don’t forget to vote in the RGS Elections if you are an RGS Fellow. There is a position available to serve on the RGS Education Committee that I currently chair, for the next four years. We have some important work to do, and these are interesting times for the Society. Being on Council also opens up all sorts of fresh opportunities for you as well, and you get a chance to work with some excellent people. There are three excellent candidates to choose between and I look forward to working with whoever is elected. Use your vote wisely.
GA / GlosGeog
Emma Espley has another great event organised for the GA Gloucester Branch
GlosGeog is very fortunate to be able to have Dr Rebecca Kitchen, Head of Professional Development at the Geographical Association (GA), come to pay us a visit.
Open to both GlosGeog/GA and non-GlosGeog/GA members, plus it is FREE!
One not to be missed if you are in or close to Gloucestershire
Here’s a forthcoming webinar particularly aimed at Primary school teachers.
Aimed at primary school teachers, this FREE CPD session will introduce the Climate Action Toolkit Project—a set of free resources created by researchers and academics from the University of Cambridge.
KS3 teachers are also welcome to attend!
The toolkit is a FREE cross-disciplinary scheme of work, ideal for running as a topic day or spread out over a longer period. Topics covered include:
🌍 Net Zero – The numbers and science of climate change
🌍 Stay or Go? – How climate change affects communities, including migration, global politics and how communities themselves make decisions
🌍 Hopeful Climate Futures – What does a future sustainable life look like? How can communities adapt to climate change?
🌍 Making the future – Thinking like an inventor, design and innovate to solve climate change challenges
🌍 Advocacy – The importance of communicating to bring about change
Also this People and Place fieldwork workshop.
Details here. Free and online.
As always, happy to share events, job vacancies, resources etc. Just get in touch.