Rex Walford

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Rex Walford
OBE FRGS
Born
Rex Ashley Walford

14 February 1934
Died2 January 2011(2011-01-02) (aged 76)
NationalityBritish
Other namesUnited Kingdom

Rex Ashley Walford, OBE, FRGS (14 February 1934 – 2 January 2011) was a British scholar, educator, and former journalist, who in later life specialised in teaching others to teach geography.

Education[edit]

Walford was a strong supporter of lifelong learning and, in addition to serving as a tutor with Cambridge's Institute of Continuing Education, continued his own studies throughout his life. From 1952 to 1955, he studied at the London School of Economics, graduating with a Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree.[1][2] Then, he attended King's College, London, graduating with a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) teaching qualification in 1956,[3] and a Bachelor of Divinity (BD) degree after only two years of study in 1958.[2] He studied for a master's degree from Northwestern University, Illinois, between 1960 and 1961.[4][5] In 2003, he was awarded a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree by Anglia Polytechnic University: his doctoral thesis was titled "'As by magic': the growth of 'new London', north of the Thames 1918-1945 and the response of the Church of England" and combined his love of geography with his strong Christianity.[4][6]

Career[edit]

His first career was as a journalist for the Hendon Times (1951–58), but then turned to teaching as head of geography at a Church of England secondary school in Hendon, London (1958–62). In 1962, he made his final career change, moving into academia as a lecturer in geography and mathematics at Maria Grey College a teacher training college in London: he rose to principal lecturer and served its senior tutor. Then, from 1973 until his retirement in 1999, he taught geography and education at the University of Cambridge: he was elected a Fellow of Wolfson College, Cambridge in 1988, and served as Head of the Department of Education in the 1990s.[4][1][2][7]

Personal life[edit]

Walford was a committed Anglican Christian. While at university, he served as national chairman of the Student Christian Movement (1956–1957).[3] He was also involved with amateur dramatics, and served on the council of the Guild of Drama Adjudicators of Great Britain from 1970.[2]

In 1969, Walford married Wendy Kirby at John Keble Church, Mill Hill.[5][1]

On 2 January 2011, he was a passenger on a boat travelling across the River Thames from Pharaoh's Island to Shepperton when it overturned: a non-swimmer, he was one of two people to die in the accident.[8][9]

Honours[edit]

In 1990, he was awarded the Back Award by the Royal Geographical Society.[4] In the 2000 New Year Honours, he was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to geographical scholarship.[10]

Selected works[edit]

  • Walford, Rex (2001). Geography in British Schools, 1850-2000: Making a World of Difference. Psychology Press. ISBN 9780713002072.

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c "Rex Walford". The Times. 15 March 2011. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d Linnell, Andrew (June 2011). "REX ASHLEY WALFORD OBE, 14 February 1934-2 January 2011: Obituary". The Geographical Journal. 177 (2): 192–193. doi:10.1111/j.1475-4959.2011.00409.x.
  3. ^ a b Morrish, Mike (1 July 2011). "Obituary: Rex A. Walford OBE 1934–2011". Geography. 96 (2): 105–107. doi:10.1080/00167487.2011.12094318.
  4. ^ a b c d Younger, Mike; Whitehead, Joan (10 March 2011). "Rex Walford obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  5. ^ a b "1983: Rex Walford - "teacher who made geography fun"". All the (GA) Presidents. 15 October 2020. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  6. ^ Walford, Rex (2003). "'As by magic': the growth of 'new London', north of the Thames 1918-1945 and the response of the Church of England". E-Thesis Online Service. The British Library. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  7. ^ Younger, Mike; Whitehead, Joan (January 2011). "Rex Walford (1934-2011)". Faculty of Education. University of Cambridge. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  8. ^ Harrison, David (9 January 2011). "The Sunday lunch on a river island that ended in tragedy". The Telegraph. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  9. ^ Erskine, Carole; Chung, Alison (4 January 2011). "Thames Boat Accident: Second Man Named". Sky News. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  10. ^ "No. 55710". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 1999. pp. 11–17.
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