LivingGeography newsletter #4
Jan 23rd-29th 2025
Welcome to the fourth 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
Blog posts this week included
I posted about the World Economic Forum’s Global Risk Report for 2025 - which can be downloaded here. It includes reference to super-ageing societies as a risk.
A reminder of the free ESRI Visualiser. This has a range of useful layers and is useful for younger students particular as the user isn’t presented with too much information, and doesn’t require a login.
The Met Office shared an activity for young people to explore how to mitigate against extreme climate events.
Simon Schama’s latest series came to a conclusion this week. In the third episode he explored Landscape. He included a poem from Philip Larkin, who was the librarian at Hull University until just before I arrived in 1986 to train as a teacher. It was a nice place to be, with a high study carrel giving a view across the city to the towers of the Humber Bridge and along the East Yorkshire coast.
The poem was commissioned by the Government for the report, How Do You Want To Live? (HMSO, 1972).
This was one of the UK's papers submitted to the landmark 1972 UN Stockholm Conference on the Environment
Going Going
I thought it would last my time –
The sense that, beyond the town,
There would always be fields and farms,
Where the village louts could climb
Such trees as were not cut down;
I knew there’d be false alarms
In the papers about old streets
And split level shopping, but some
Have always been left so far;
And when the old part retreats
As the bleak high-risers come
We can always escape in the car.
Things are tougher than we are, just
As earth will always respond
However we mess it about;
Chuck filth in the sea, if you must:
The tides will be clean beyond.
– But what do I feel now? Doubt?
Or age, simply? The crowd
Is young in the M1 cafe;
Their kids are screaming for more –
More houses, more parking allowed,
More caravan sites, more pay.
On the Business Page, a score
Of spectacled grins approve
Some takeover bid that entails
Five per cent profit (and ten
Per cent more in the estuaries): move
Your works to the unspoilt dales
(Grey area grants)!
And when
You try to get near the sea
In summer ...
It seems, just now,
To be happening so very fast;
Despite all the land left free
For the first time I feel somehow
That it isn’t going to last,
That before I snuff it, the whole
Boiling will be bricked in
Except for the tourist parts –
First slum of Europe: a role
It won’t be hard to win,
With a cast of crooks and tarts.
And that will be England gone,
The shadows, the meadows, the lanes,
The guildhalls, the carved choirs.
There’ll be books; it will linger on
In galleries; but all that remains
For us will be concrete and tyres.
Most things are never meant.
This won’t be, most likely; but greeds
And garbage are too thick-strewn
To be swept up now, or invent
Excuses that make them all needs.
I just think it will happen, soon.
I was reminded of the work that Richard Allaway and Matt Podbury did during COVID lockdowns to get the IB DP Community together. I was asked to do a session on Place for one of their gatherings, and this and other resources are still available on this link.
Also Happy 100th birthday to Norman Graves, GA President in 1978.
I also passed 600 posts on my Fieldnotes from Iceland blog.
I’ve started a post about street art in Reykjavik as well. I’d like to put together a map which starts at Hallgrimskirkja, which weaves through the busiest parts of the city, and takes in key locations such as Harpa, Sun Voyager and others. More on this in next week’s newsletter, but let me know if you’ve been to the city and have some favourite street art.
Street Art at the lower end of Laugavegur, Reykjavik - shared on Flickr
News
The main event of the last week has been the Geography Teacher Educators’ conference. This took place at St. Mary’s University, Twickenham over the weekend of the 24th-26th. I have attended this event periodically since 2009. I like to make a small input to any conference I attend if possible.
Some of the useful websites that were shared at the conference
EU Green Competencies Framework:
https://joint-research-centre.ec.europa.eu/greencomp-european-sustainability-competence-framework_en
StoryLine Education:
En-roads Climate Simulation
https://www.climateinteractive.org/en-roads/
VGlobal - virtual fieldtrips
Geo4Tea - what sort of Geography Teacher are you?
A questionnaire will ‘spin the Geo Wheel’ and let you know…
This final project was produced by Petr Knecht and colleagues, and Petr was kind enough to speak to me about how useful he had found my ‘Why Study Geography?’ book as one of the few books that covered the areas that the project was focussing on, and had been referenced in some academic papers in Czechia.
See the blog for more posts on the conference…
RGS-IBG Ron Cooke Award
Sir Ron Cooke, an eminent physical geographer and former President of the Society, supports an award for A Level students. The award recognises students’ work towards the independent investigation, also known as the NEA. The first Ron Cooke Award was presented to a student who completed an NEA for the 2018 examinations, at our medals and awards ceremony in 2019.
Ron Cooke Award 2025
Student’s outstanding NEAs must be submitted by their teacher and we want to celebrate students’ work which has engaged them with new ideas, provided opportunities for innovation and/or demonstrates their personal interest in geography.
Entries must be a fully marked NEA; please submit a copy of the NEA (this does not need to show annotations) plus the supporting form.
We are delighted that the examination boards are supportive of this award and will also be encouraging their centres to submit outstanding scripts for consideration.
Entries for the 2025 Ron Cooke Award are now open.
Entries for the 2025 Award shut at 5pm on Friday 14 March 2025.
Reading
I finished ‘Extreme North’, which continued to be excellent to the end. Along with this, I also purchased a book at the weekend which piqued my interest. It explores the impact of technology on our everyday lives and is called ‘The Extinction of Experience’.
There are many stories in this book of the way that technology has diminished many people’s quality of life to an extent. I shall be working up something around the book.
Images
A couple of pictures that I took during the last week.
Eel Pie Island, Twickenham - early morning
The National Windrush Monument, Waterloo Station, London
Paula Owens reminded me that the February full moon has now been added to the Environmental Year of Lunacy project, where a new alternative name for each full moon is suggested. I’ll be renaming a moon later in the year. See the project here.
Events
A new Somerset House exhibition opened last week.
Soil: the world at our feet
It runs until the 13th of April.
Soil – it’s not something you really think about, unless you’re doing the gardening. But this new exhibition at Somerset House will change all that, shining a light on its important role in our world, including the part it plays in our planet’s future. Top artists, writers and scientists from across the globe are all involved in the thought-provoking exploration, which aims to stop you thinking of soil as mere dirt and start considering it as something far more powerful instead.
There was a very good review of the exhibition, which means I shall probably be heading there before it ends.
Paula Owens and Peter Vujakovic and are leading a free CPD day for the Historic Towns Trust – for KS2 teachers. It will take place at the University of Bath in March. Details and a poster with a QR code below
Please continue to share the existence of this newsletter through your networks to help grow the subscribers, which will drive more contributions and help the subject community.
There is still time for RGS School Members to book for a special lecture by James Cheshire. This will take place in person at the RGS HQ on Wednesday the 26th of February. School members can book tickets for as many 6th form students as are coming along. They are free of charge for School Members, who will have been sent a code for booking.
James Cheshire is Professor of Geographic Information and Cartography at University College London. He is co-author of London: The Information Capital, Where the Animals Go and Atlas of the Invisible.
James has received a number of prizes for his work, most notably the Cuthbert Peek Award from the Royal Geographical Society and the Corlis Benefideo Award from the North American Cartographic Information Society. He was also kind enough to give the Public Lecture at the GA Conference in 2022 - my Presidential year.
Happy 60th birthday to Rayburn Tours. I’ve worked with them since 2019 and will be heading out to Iceland again in April to accompany a Rayburn group.
Find out more about them here.
Robert MacFarlane talk in Ely Cathedral
Particularly of interest to those who are within a reasonable distance of Ely, Robert is doing an event for Topping Books. This will take place in Ely Cathedral. I’ve previously been to see quite a few of these talks in different locations in Ely, ranging from Ray Mears to Oliver Jeffers.
I am very much looking forward to getting my hands on a copy of the book.
National Humanities Lecture 2025
The National Humanities Lecture is a major new annual event that celebrates the vital role of the humanities in public life. It will take place on the 4th of February at 6pm.
Details below from the Institute of Historical Research.
We are honoured to welcome historian, author, and award-winning filmmaker David Olusoga as our inaugural speaker.
In his lecture, Professor Olusoga will make the case for the humanities and explore how new ideas about humanities, heritage and institutions are emerging – from virtual museums, to hyper-local history projects and alternative city tours. What is the public role of the historian in an age of populism and digital disruption? How might museums adapt to our more interconnected world and to the phenomenon of 'contested heritage'? How can the humanities adapt to an era of Podcasts and Substack? And what are the broader intersections between the humanities and public life?
Drawing together thinking from history, political culture and public humanities, he will ask what new forms our cultural institutions might take, and how they might support a more equitable, connected society.
Tickets must be booked, but are free of charge.
And finally, leaving ‘the best ‘til last’ perhaps…
Do you like festivals? Course you do...
Like geography? Of course - love it!
How about a Festival of Geography! Yes please!
The Festival of Geography brings together colleagues from the Royal Geographical Society and Geographical Association (GA) for a joint celebration of geographical knowledge and understanding.
This special event is an opportunity for teachers at all stages to come together and share their passion for geography. Over a full day, attend sessions on creative and practical ideas for the classroom and get subject updates from experts in the field.
The day isbookended with sessions from the GA and RGS-IBGon the future of geography teaching and its value as a subject for students of all ages.
The festival consists of a full day of talks and workshops held live at the RGS-IBG in London on 16 June 2025.
Programme
10.00 - Welcome
10.15 - Geography: the Big Picture (Steve Brace, GA Chief Executive)
10.45 - Keynote lecture: Mark Maslin (University College London)
11.30 - Tea and coffee
11.45 - Creative curriculum ideas (Fiona Sheriff)
12.45 - Lunch
13.30 - Practical fieldwork ideas (Chloë Searl)
14.30 - Tea and coffee
14.45 - Subject knowledge sessions (Anjana Khatwa and guest)
15.45 - Choose Geography: embedding careers education into your teaching (Alan Parkinson, VP Education Royal Geographical Society)
16.15 - Close
Full details and a booking link can be found on this link.
I hope to see many of you down at the 'Home of Geography' for this special event...