Cultural Geography Blog

A cross posting from my Geography in/on Film blog. A new short film, featuring Mark Rylance   Written and Directed by Jack Cooper Stimpson  Produced by Lewis Brierly, Izzy Meikle-Small, Jack Cooper Stimpson  Executive produced by On the Edge and made in association with the wetland conservation charity WWT (Wildfowl and Wetland Trust). A brief summary of the plot: Athel and Edward enjoy visiting the wetlands. Edward likes watching the birds, whilst Athel seems to have a much deeper connection to the landscape. When Athel makes a discovery, she is forced to re-examine what the wetlands mean to her.  A meditation on identity, nature and wellington boots.  The story explores human identity, discovery, and the mystery of these under-represented eco-systems. A note from the director: “Our wetland habitats were not on my radar prior to this project and it has been fascinating researching them and learning more about their quirks and characteristics, alongside their sc...

A new mix by Mike Oldfield for the 50th anniversary of Hergest Ridge is out. The front cover is wonderful... an aerial view of the pastoral landscape on the Welsh border which inspired the 2nd album after the tumultuous success of 'Tubular Bells', after which: Oldfield could have at this point done anything he wanted, and he did. He disappeared. He drove west from London and settled on Kington, a beautiful market town in Herefordshire.  The town is dominated by Hergest Ridge, the long, high common land with breathtaking views that stretches from the town to Gladestry in Wales. Combining flying his gliders on the Ridge and playing in the local inn, Penrhos Court, Oldfield came up with Hergest Ridge, the successor to Tubular Bells, written at The Beacon, his home there on the borders. One of my favourite albums. Good to hear it played in full on Stuart Maconie's Freak Zone.

I've been working on a little project with some very fine people and it's now almost ready to launch on the BBC's Planet Planners area of Bitesize. It involves Roblox. A sneak preview of something I’ve made a small contribution to, working with some very fine people who’ve done most of the hard work and which is coming soon to BBC Bitesize…. if you were at the Festival of Education last week, you may have seen one of the flyers for this new addition to the Planet Planners section of the website.   Planet Planners will be accessible via Roblox for added interactivity. I’ve had an input in the teacher materials that accompany the varied geography scenarios.

A cross-posting from my Fieldnotes from Iceland blog. If you haven't checked this out, there are over 600 Iceland related posts, which are particularly added when I visit Iceland with Rayburn Tours as a field tutor. The popular Lava Show now has a podcast, called Lava Academy. Júlíus and Ragnhildur founded the Lava Show. Hosted by Ian McKinnon and Heiðar Ragnheiðarson.  Each monthly episode dives into the explosive world of volcanoes.  From Iceland’s fiery fissures to famous eruptions around the globe, we explore how volcanoes form, why they erupt, and what they mean for the people who live near them.  With expert guests like geologists and volcanologists, Lava Academy blends science, storytelling, and first-hand experience. Whether you’re a curious traveler, a student of earth science, or just fascinated by molten rock, this show brings the power and mystery of volcanic activity straight to your ears.  Get ready for lava facts, eruption myths, behind-the-scenes sto...

  Why not take part in the Global GeoARTBlitz 2025 Imagine a worldwide celebration where art meets science in a frenzy of creativity and exploration. GeoARTBlitz is not just any event, it's a dynamic fusion of geography and art, inspired by the exhilarating concept of bioblitzes. These events ignite a passion for nature as people across the globe come together to observe and document their natural surroundings using the iNaturalist app. From 19-27 July, unleash your creativity in the great outdoors. Capture your experiences through journal entries, paintings, poems, music, or any other form of artistic expression that nature inspires in you. Don't forget to capture detailed metadata, longitude, latitude, time, date, elevation, and even weather conditions, to enrich your artistic contributions. Share your masterpieces with the world by uploading them to the GeoARTBlitz event on iNaturalist. Watch as your creations come alive on the map, creating a tapestry of artistic expression...

Every year I take part in the Fantasy Tour de France game sponsored by Tissot. It's a fun additional way to engage with the race. Here's my team for this year's race, which starts in Lille tomorrow. They're called the CRANK CALLERS. If you'd like to join the Parky Peloton League and race against me. Join me in the league now no.8080 : PARKY PELOTON Password : UGXDJ By clicking on this link : https://fantasybytissot.letour.fr/#welcome/register?sponsor_player_code=w2d6zfr&league_id=8080&league_password=UGXDJ Remember, keep up the cadence!