Remember you can pause the
video if you want to look at a
photo or read the text for
longer, and turn the backing
music up, down, or off….
You are in control! You can turn the music up, down, or
off… and you can pause the video if you want to look at
a photo or read the text for longer.
(2004) Illustrations of Landforms and Time
Alistair wrote a further instalment of Landforms and Time (Oxford: Wiley-
Blackwell 1987) in 9 chapters with numerous hand-drawn diagrams. I do not
have the knowledge to decide its future, and so I would appreciate hearing
from any of his colleagues who are willing to peruse a scanned copy of the
first chapter, in the first instance. Email Alice
(2009) Evaluation of natural gamma radiation as an index of sediment and soil properties
in the field
Field work on gamma radiation while a natural gas pipeline was being
constructed through North Norfolk (see Research Biography, p4, Retirement
Explorations). Happy to email a copy to interested colleagues, although its future
as a publication is unlikely. For a related research article, see Publications &
Reports (2014) “The Use of Terrestrial Gamma Radiation counts to discriminate
between head & parent materials at Corton Suffolk” Quaternary Research
Association.
Alistair had a long-standing interest in the social reformer, Robert Owen (1771 -
1858). He wrote a novel about Owen’s formative years from childhood to early
adult. Alistair’s research was as diligent and extensive as much of his scientific
work. Copious files and notes about the places, people and social history of
Owen’s time filled his office shelves alongside geomorphology articles.
Listen to an excerpt from Chapter One, chosen by Pete Kelley and
narrated by Alice (apologies for the lack of a Welsh accent)
Read a brief summary of his intentions, chapter titles and sub-titles.
Portrait of Robert Owen by John Cranch, 1845
Unpublished manuscripts
Alistair had a long-standing interest in Robert Owen. He
wrote a social history novel about the formative period of
Owen’s life from childhood to early adulthood. His
research was as diligent and extensive as much of his
scientific work. Copious files and notes on the places,
people and social history of Owen’s time filled his office
shelves alongside geomorphology.
Portrait by John Cranch, 1845
(2004) Illustrations of Landforms and Time
Alistair wrote a further instalment of Landforms and
Time (Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell 1987) in 9 chapters with
numerous hand-drawn diagrams. I do not have the
knowledge to decide its future, and so I would
appreciate hearing from colleagues who are willing to
peruse a scanned copy of the first chapter, in the first
instance. Email Alice
(2009) Evaluation of natural gamma radiation as an
index of sediment and soil properties in the field
Field work on gamma radiation while a natural gas
pipeline was being constructed through North
Norfolk (see Research Biography, p4, Retirement
Explorations). Email Alice if you’d like a copy
For a related article that was published, see Publications & Reports (2014) “The Use
of Terrestrial Gamma Radiation counts to discriminate between head & parent
materials at Corton Suffolk” Quaternary Research Association.
Unpublished manuscripts
Below are stories gathered for the memorial service, as well as some of Alistair’s own
reminiscences. Click on each photo to read more. Email Alice for any edits, omissions or additions.
Below are stories gathered for the memorial service, and some of Alistair’s
own reminiscences. Click on each photo to read more.
Email Alice for edits, omissions or additions.
We were again together in the 6
th
form, I was in the Lower 6
th
and he in the 3
rd
year, when we both went on a Research
Scientists Christian Fellowship geology week on Raasay. Neither of us were particularly taken with the evening religious
discussions, but…Raasay offered some varied geology ranging from Pre-Cambrian gneiss through Jurassic Ironstones to
Tertiary intrusions. No doubt that was why it was a chosen for the meeting…We hiked to Dun Caan, the highest point of the
island, to examine its capping of Tertiary dolerite. …This strenuous exercise was enlivened by a rendition of “At the hop”
recently recorded by Danny and the Juniors.
Well, you can rock it you can roll it
You can stop and you can stroll it at the hop (hop hop hop)
But much altered by Alistair as follows:-
You can run it, you can walk it,
You can get on your knees and crawl it
Up Dun Caan, Caan, Caan, Caan,
Now imagine a truckload of geologists singing this.
You did not know he was a lyricist.
Dun Caan, image source: Wikipedia
School Days
We were again together in the 6th form, I was in the Lower 6th and he in the
3rd year, when we both went on a Research Scientists Christian Fellowship
geology week on Raasay. Neither of us were particularly taken with the
evening religious discussions, but…Raasay offered some varied geology
ranging from Pre-Cambrian gneiss through Jurassic Ironstones to Tertiary
intrusions. No doubt that was why it was a chosen for the meeting…We hiked
to Dun Caan, the highest point of the island, to examine its capping of Tertiary
dolerite. …This strenuous exercise was enlivened by a rendition of “At the
hop” recently recorded by Danny and the Juniors.
Well, you can rock it you can roll it
You can stop and you can stroll it at
the hop (hop hop hop)
But much altered by Alistair as
follows:-
You can run it, you can walk it,
You can get on your knees and crawl it.
Up Dun Caan, Caan, Caan. Caan,
Now imagine a truckload of
geologists singing this.
You did not know he was a
lyricist.
Dun Caan, image source: Wikipedia
School Days
A Camel in Kuwait
I found these adorable camel photos in the deep recesses
of my father’s not-very-organised slide collection. Taken
in Kuwait, I guess the landrover got stuck in sand or had
a punctured tyre, and a curious camel decided to check
out what was happening.
Click on each photo to enlarge
What’s going on over there?
Can I be of assistance?
I’ll check the other side
A shady spot on a sunny day
Can I be of assistance?
I’ll check the other side
A shady spot on a sunny day
These quirky camel photos from
Kuwait were found in the deep recesses
of my father’s not-very-organised slide
collection. I guess the landrover got
stuck in sand, or had a punctured tyre,
and a curious camel decided to check
out what was happening.
Hey, what’s going on over there?
A camel in Kuwait
The ‘Four Musketeers’ went ‘up’ to Oxford in 1958 from
William Hulme's Grammar School (WHGS) Manchester:
Alistair, Barry Woolham, Ian Stewart and myself. Alistair
came straight from WHGS and cultivated a regional accent
unique at Brasenose, and brought with him his lacrosse
stick and a racing bicycle. All the Musketeers owned
lacrosse sticks but could not match Alistair’s accent nor the
bicycle. They could all be seen running around The Parks
at times, brandishing their sticks and sporting University
shirts…
Alone among the Four, Alistair, as a geographer was
concerned with the materiality of the world as it is and its
relation to those who live on it. Barry spent his time with
Flaubert and Racine; Ian with Gladstone and Disraeli, and
Malcolm with Beowulf and a Scandinavian dragon.
Alistair playing lacrosse in black on left
Student Days
The ‘Four Musketeers’ went
‘up’ to Oxford in 1958 from
William Hulme's Grammar
School (WHGS) Manchester:
Alistair, Barry Woolham, Ian
Stewart and myself. Alistair
came straight from WHGS and
cultivated a regional accent
unique at Brasenose, and
brought with him his lacrosse
stick and a racing bicycle. All
the Musketeers owned lacrosse
sticks but could not match
Alistair’s accent nor the bicycle. They could all be seen running around The
Parks at times, brandishing their sticks and sporting University shirts…
Alone among the Four, Alistair, as a geographer was concerned with the
materiality of the world as it is and its relation to those who live on it. Barry
spent his time with Flaubert and Racine; Ian with Gladstone and Disraeli, and
Malcolm with Beowulf and a Scandinavian dragon.
Student Days
Lacrosse - Alistair in black on left
Cycling Days
Alistair was keen for Peter and me to ride in a 12 hour time trial around
Norwich and environs. We did eventually do it, but not the first year he
suggested it... ...I think I may have had a sicknote... But we wanted to
show support for Alistair so we came out to the finish line to see him
complete the event. He nonchalantly rode up to us, got off his bike and
muttered that his foot was sore. The night before he had fitted new cleats
to his cycling shoes, but the screws were slightly too long and penetrated
the soles. He had of course noticed this early on in the event but being
Alistair had simply gritted his teeth, put his head down and cycled for 12
hours with the screw tips digging into the soles of his feet!
Malcolm Downes
READ MORE of Alistair’s Memorable Rides
As a teenager
As a student
El Tour de Tucson
Cycling at Work
Alistair was keen for Peter and me to ride in a
12 hour time trial around Norwich and
environs. We did eventually do it, but not the
first year he suggested it... ...I think I may
have had a sicknote... But we wanted to show
support for Alistair so we came out to the
finish line to see him complete the event. He
nonchalantly rode up to us, got off his bike
and muttered that his foot was sore. The night
before he had fitted new cleats to his cycling
shoes, but the screws were slightly too long
and penetrated the soles. He had of course
noticed this early on in the event but being
Alistair had simply gritted his teeth, put his
head down and cycled for 12 hours with the
screw tips digging into the soles of his feet!
Malcolm Downes
READ MORE of Alistair’s Memorable Rides
Cycling Days
As an undergraduate, I must occasionally have caused him pain,
especially during field classes. It was within weeks of starting
my degree course that, on a day trip, exasperated by my
continual, unnecessary banter, he handed me the megaphone,
inviting me to address the 100 or so undergraduates! And, later,
in my second year and on a field class to central Wales, deciding
we’d play a prank and move the minibus from where he’d
parked it, his heart must have been in his mouth as he watched
horrified from the hillside above as the minibus slid down the
road, apparently out of control. Memory fails me when I try to
recall the nature of the reprimand!
Hull geography students tinkering
with the minibus on a field trip
Hull University
Ready for anything
But not the weather!
Click on the photos to enlarge
As an undergraduate, I must
occasionally have caused him pain,
especially during field classes. It was
within weeks of starting my degree
course that, on a day trip, exasperated
by my continual, unnecessary banter,
he handed me the megaphone,
inviting me to address the 100 or so
undergraduates! And, later, in my
second year and on a field class to
central Wales, deciding we’d play a prank
and move the minibus from where he’d
parked it, his heart must have been in his
mouth as he watched horrified from the
hillside above as the minibus slid down
the road, apparently out of control.
Memory fails me when I try to recall the
nature of the reprimand!
But not the weather!
Ready for anything
Hull geography students tinkering with
the minibus on a field trip
Hull University
There is an amusing story about him being inspected by a Quality
Assurance person from the nuclear industry. The method was to follow
the worker around while they worked, asking questions about what they
were doing and why they were doing it. As most of Alistair's work was
library based, he arranged to meet The Inspector in the UEA Library.
Quality Assurance Inspection
Alistair at the scenic
UEA Campus
"What are you doing?" was the first question.
"I'm taking a geomorphology journal down off the
shelves,"
"Why are you doing that?"
"Because I need to read it."
"Why is it relevant?"
“I won't know until I have read it"
"But surely if it isn't relevant you won't need to read it
and you could do something else"
“I told you, I won't know until I have read it."
Inspector
Alistair
Inspector
Alistair
Inspector
Alistair
Inspector
Alistair
"What are you doing?" was the first question.
"I'm taking a geomorphology journal down off the shelves,"
"Why are you doing that?"
"Because I need to read it."
"Why is it relevant?"
“I won't know until I have read it"
“But surely if it isn't relevant you won't need to read it and
you could do something else"
“I told you, I won't know until I have read it."
Alistair at the scenic
UEA campus
Quality Assurance Inspection
There is an amusing story about him being
inspected by a Quality Assurance person from
the nuclear industry. The method was to
follow the worker around while they worked,
asking questions about what they were doing
and why they were doing it. As most of
Alistair's work was library based, he arranged
to meet The Inspector in the UEA Library.
Inspector
Alistair
Inspector
Alistair
Inspector
Alistair
Inspector
Alistair
Geoarchaeology in the USA
Alistair seemed to have a calm way of sharing wisdom and insight. One evening we were all sitting at a restaurant, maybe a
Waffle House, when I expressed some concern that the cluttered strip malls of Victory Drive in Columbus might give him a bad
impression of Georgia as a whole. Alistair smiled and said, "I'm a Geographer, Andrew. I believe in the uniqueness of Place."
Dr. Andrew Ivester
As an undergraduate geography
major at UCLA, my geomorphology
class was assigned his textbook. As
a young professor, I asked him
about the Pitty Pantometer, which
my students and I utilized in several
projects. Alistair stayed in my El
Paso home for a week in the early
1980s, when we explored the local
landforms. He exercised on my
stationary bicycle, almost breaking
it with his intense pedaling!
Dr. Richard Marston
Alistair was a brilliant and uniquely
creative geomorphologist who brought a
philosophical edge to our profession….
Equally important, Alistair’s magnetic
personality brought a joi-de-vivre and
camaraderie to every field crew he was
involved with.
Dr. Joe Schuldenrein
President
Geoarcheology Research Associates
Alistair seemed to have a calm way of sharing wisdom and insight. One evening
we were all sitting at a restaurant… I expressed concern that the cluttered strip
malls of Victory Drive in Columbus might give him a bad impression of Georgia
as a whole. Alistair smiled and said, "I'm a Geographer, Andrew. I believe in the
uniqueness of Place."
Dr. Andrew Ivester
As an undergraduate geography major at UCLA,
my geomorphology class was assigned his
textbook. As a young professor, I asked him about
the Pitty Pantometer, which my students and I
utilized in several projects. Alistair stayed in my El Paso home for a week in the
early 1980s, when we explored the local landforms. He exercised on my
stationary bicycle, almost breaking it with his intense pedaling!
Dr. Richard Marston
Alistair was a brilliant and uniquely creative
geomorphologist who brought a philosophical
edge to our profession…
Dr. Joe Schuldenrein
President, Geoarcheological Research Associates
Geoarchaeology in the USA
Russian Customs
Alistair’s version of events
After a break of a couple of days, we headed for the airport,
where the check-in arrangements start with passing
through customs first. I was too glad that I’d cracked
several critical problems to worry unduly that my luggage
triggered some noisy alarm, although Mike (Michael Egan)
went sheet-white. Admittedly, the gleaming metal tubes of
the Bickerton were perhaps not a good idea, but the officer
was not in the least bit interested in tubes or fold-up
bicycles. Nonetheless, several staff from adjacent desks had
come over to see what was happening. The second suitcase
was then thrown open, revealing the smaller case which
contained the radiation monitor. “Crickey, what’s going to
happen now”, I thought uneasily, and noted that Mike had
gone even whiter than white.
At a dinner in Udomlya, it seemed that our hosts were
trying to test us with an interminable sequence of toasts -
in vodka, washed down with German beer.
Police car in Moscow, 1998
Alistair’s recollection of
events…..
After a break of a couple of
days, we headed for the airport,
where the check-in
arrangements start with passing
through customs first. I was too
glad that I’d cracked several
critical problems to worry
unduly that my luggage
triggered some noisy alarm,
although Mike (Michael Egan) went
sheet-white. Admittedly, the gleaming
metal tubes of the Bickerton were
perhaps not a good idea, but the officer
was not in the least bit interested in
tubes or fold-up bicycles. Nonetheless,
several staff from adjacent desks had
come over to see what was happening.
The second suitcase was then thrown
open, revealing the smaller case which
contained the radiation monitor.
“Crickey, what’s going to happen now”,
I thought uneasily, and noted that Mike
had gone even whiter than white.
At a dinner in Udomlya, it seemed
that our hosts were trying to test us
with an interminable sequence of
toasts - in vodka, washed down with
German beer.
Police car in Moscow, 1998
Russian Customs
Sun Hat in Cyprus
When we were working together in Cyprus, back in 2010, he'd
arrived in moleskin trousers, shirt, tie and tweed jacket to be faced
with 35C temperatures and no shade (even if the area we were
working in is called the Limassol Forest). So, the first thing we did
after the first day on the hill was to go shopping for shorts and a
hat and this sad item was the only thing we could find. The
Cypriot drilling team thought he was "an eccentric English lord"
due to his first day apparel and then wearing the hat for the rest of
the week, something your dad did nothing to disabuse them of!
Dr. Russell Alexander
Thanks also to Dr Ian Crossland for clarifying projects and dates.
Click on each photo to enlarge
Some photos are from a
related project in Jordan
Alistair's walking stick for scale to show roots of
olive trees that he suspected were planted in
Roman times (Parsata abandoned, Cyprus)
Cypriot Drilling Team
Binning the sun hat
at the airport
When we were working together in Cyprus,
back in 2010, he'd arrived in moleskin
trousers, shirt, tie and tweed jacket to be
faced with 35C temperatures and no shade
(even if the area we were working in is
called the Limassol Forest). So, the first
thing we did after the first day on the hill
was to go shopping for shorts and a hat and
this sad item was the only thing we could
find. The Cypriot drilling team thought he
was "an eccentric English lord" due to his
first day apparel and then wearing the hat for
the rest of the week, something your dad did
nothing to disabuse them of!
Dr. Russell Alexander
Thanks also to Dr. Ian Crossland for clarifying
project info and dates.
Alistair's walking stick for scale to show roots of
olive trees that he suspected were planted in Roman
times (Parsata abandoned, Cyprus)
More photos from related
work in Jordan
L.S. Lowry & Philip Larkin
Both famous northern artists, one a painter and the other a
poet, ‘Lowry and Larkin - some personal reflections’ was one of
Alistair’s plans for retirement writing. The village where
Alistair spent his early childhood was also Lowry’s home.
His father, Harold, would sometimes go to Lowry’s house
in the evenings and chat to him about painting.
As for Larkin, who was the University Librarian at Hull,
when Alistair became an independent researcher Larkin let
him continue to use the library facilities. At some point he
came up to Alistair quite excitedly and said, “My aunt
knows your mother.”
Peterhead harbour, NE Scotland
by Harold Pitty
L.S. Lowry & Philip Larkin – some personal reflections
Peterhead harbour, NE Scotland by
Harold Pitty
Both famous northern artists, one a
painter and the other a poet, this title
was one of Alistair’s plans for
retirement writing.
The village where Alistair spent his
early childhood was also Lowry’s
home. His father, Harold, would
sometimes go to Lowry’s house in the
evenings and chat to him about
painting.
As for Larkin, who was the University
Librarian at Hull, when Alistair
became an independent researcher
Larkin let him continue to use the
library facilities. At some point he
came up to Alistair quite excitedly and
said, “My aunt knows your mother.”
L.S. Lowry and Philip Larkin
Recommended charitable donations in Alistair’s memory
Bicycle Links – a Norwich social enterprise that put together the Ellis
Briggs exhibit: www.bicyclelinks.org.uk
Age UK – www.ageuk.org.uk or its Norwich branch:
https://www.ageuk.org.uk/norwich/get-involved/support-us/
UK National Association for Environmental Education:
https://naee.org.uk/funding-for-geography-field-trips/
Hanging on a hat stand, festooned
with Alistair’s ‘many hats’, guests
could read the Recollections stories
1950s Ellis Briggs frame
was on display
Hanging on a hat stand,
festooned with Alistair’s
‘many hats’, guests could
read the Recollections.
Alistair had a lifelong love of trains. He built
extensive model railways in Hull and Norwich.
Recommended charitable donations
in Alistair’s memory
Bicycle Links – a Norwich social enterprise that put together
the Ellis Briggs exhibit: www.bicyclelinks.org.uk
Age UK – www.ageuk.org.uk or its Norwich branch:
https://www.ageuk.org.uk/norwich/get-involved/support-us/
UK National Association for Environmental Education:
https://naee.org.uk/funding-for-geography-field-trips/
This flat cap decided to
stay behind with its new
friends, but it belongs to a
guest. Please email Alice if
it’s yours.
1950s Ellis Briggs
frame on display
READ MORE memories of trains and
model railways
