Good times (for me anyway) can’t go on forever, so they say, and the time has come for me to finish as Head of Geography. Some may read this with a wry smile and assume I’m being sarcastic, having seen me running round in a flap too many times, but it’s true: I’ve enjoyed the last three years.  

When I started out, I joked that you don’t really need a Head of Department. Again, I wasn’t really joking, simply naïve perhaps. My theory was that if everyone simply did their job then the department would run by natural forces. Of course, things are never that simple and some might advise me to claim a great strategic victory, shaped by my time in post.  

In reality, my hunch was partly true, it has been the excellent work of the entire Geography staff that has made the past three years so enjoyable. In many ways, in the different areas of the department, someone else came up with the vision, with the strategy and the drive to make things happen. This was the way I saw things anyway and it’s always a blessing (and perhaps a good strategy) to work with such remarkable people.  

The Department of Geography has changed dramatically in recent years. A dramatic rise in PGT numbers, whilst maintaining the same stable UG numbers we’ve always had, have both been driven by our external reputation. Research in the department is stronger than it has ever been and this has been achieved despite the challenges of maintaining and ensuring the highest quality of our teaching programmes. The latter has been affirmed by the strong performance of the department in the recent NSS.   

In volatile times in the sector, maintaining our national and international reputation in research and teaching is of paramount important. It has always been clear to me that in our department, excellence in research and teaching go hand in hand. If one thing has been achieved over the past three years it is that this approach has been successful in delivering impressive results. I’d like to thank all the Geography staff for ensuring this success and also the wider SEED umbrella for providing the support and means for the department to thrive. In particular, I’d like to thank Dr Claire Goulsbra, Deputy Head of Geography, who kept the show on the road. Working with others across SEED was also crucial to seeing the bigger picture, particularly during my time on SLT. 

Despite it being the end of the good times, you can have too much of a good thing and it’s certainly time for a change. In this respect I welcome Professor Will Fletcher, who will make an excellent new Head of Department starting on 1st August.  For me, I look forward to returning to normal duties after a sabbatical catching-up on everything I’m late with.

Professor Phil Hughes