Doing It the Hard Way

An academic career in economic geography came late for this author. After teaching drama in schools for many years, the opportunity came to do an undergraduate degree in Economics externally from London University, which had optional geography modules. This was combined with motherhood. This was followed by a DPhil at Oxford University School of Geography (1983–1990). This watershed experience has five dimensions: (1) timing – being accepted by Oxford depended on the reference from Michael Wise, and that the interview panel was chaired by the acting head of Department, the late Marjorie Sweeting, a geomorphologist, who accepted my application. This was supported by a woman for women scholars in action; (2) the kindness of the supervisory team – Ken Warren, an industrial geographer, and Jeremy Howells, who has become a leading economic geographer, and then many others; (3) the arrival of David Harvey in 1987 brought a new buzz, a whole stream of famous visitors and lunchtime critical discussion groups; (4) an introduction to academic priorities of teaching, publishing, and getting research grants; (5) becoming embedded in the world of professional associations and conferences – but quickly realizing the importance of having women friends and colleagues, a sisterhood, in a male-dominated world.