Professor Ron Johnston Geographer, campanologist and life-long Swindon Town fan 1941 – 2020
Are you aware that the work of a son of Swindon is largely to thank or blame – depends on your viewpoint – for the way our politicians do their campaigning? His obituary in The Guardian observes: ‘Ron Johnston, who has died aged 79, was a human geographer whose work in the field of electoral geography was drawn upon by political parties and policymakers, and influenced legislation on constituency boundaries.’ And we’ll come back to that in a bit.
Ron’s early years
The offspring of Louis and Joyce Johnston, Ron entered the world on 30th March 1941. He grew up in Chiseldon where his parents ran the post office. And no doubt that start in life helped him put his stamp on the world. Boom! (It doesn’t get any better I’m afraid!
Ron’s father had the misfortune being captured by the Japanese at the fall of Singapore, in WWII. One of Ron’s early memories is that of his mother introducing him to his father, when he returned in late 1945.
In his school career he performed well enough. Ron passed his 11+ and attended Commonweal grammar school. There he did well. Though in later life he derived much amusement from being described as ‘cheerful but irresponsible in one of his reports.
Though fascinated by maps, Ron’s true passion lay in geography. Like many children of his generation, he didn’t at first consider university. But both his father and his teacher encouraged him to think about it. Thus he went on to get both a degree and a Master’s degree at the university of Manchester. From there he went to Monash University in Melbourne, Australia where he completed a doctorate. He met his wife, Rita, in Manchester and they married in 1963.
A stellar career
Ron worked at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand from 1967–1974. He then returned to England for the appointment of Professor of Geography at the University of Sheffield. He moved to Essex university in 1992 to become Vice Chancellor. From there, 1995 saw Ron go to Bristol to return to being a professor of geography. He was there still when he died in 2020.
Over his long career, Ron authored or co-authored fifty books and over 800 papers.
Memories
Professor Ron Johnston Geographer remains in people’s memories for, amongst other things, his work on electoral geography. His research showed that local effects and local campaigning could have a measurable effect on the outcome of elections, particularly in tight races. This research went against the prevailing view that, in an era of television, national campaigning was all that mattered. His book, Geography and Geographers, remains one of the key studies of the history of human geography. He was known for trying to use Swindon-related examples in his work. Indeed, this Royal Geographical Societyobituary says: ‘As anyone who talked to him, or head him lecture or present a paper would quickly find out, Ron Johnston had an uncanny ability to weave a reference to Swindon, his home town, into the discussion, no matter what the topic.
Those name-checks for the town (and its football team) revealed much about Ron. More often than not, they were wryly humorous and self-deprecating: Ron’s lively sense of humour was a large part of his personality. But they were also apposite to the point he was making. Further they illustrated his strong appreciation of the importance of place, in a very concrete form, in human affairs. Throughout his highly distinguished academic career, Ron devoted himself to tracing the ramifications of space and place.’
With a hatful of awards
Ron found his work recognised with a hatful of awards. The Murchison Award (1985) and the Victoria Medal (1990) by the Royal Geographical Society. Then came the Prix Vautrin Lud at the International Geography Festival 1999, and a lifetime achievement award from the Association of American Geographers (2009). He received too, honorary degrees from the Universities of Essex, Sheffield and bath, and Monash University in Australia. In 2011, he received an OBE for services to scholarship.
The bells, the bells
Were all the above not enough, Ron held an interest in campanology. A active bell ringer, he published two books on the subject and co-complied three editions of ‘Dove’s Guide to the Church Bells of Britain’. He served as ringing master at Sheffield Cathedral from 1980 to 1992.
A life-long town fan
Ron died on 29 May 2020. In an appreciation of his life, it was noted that he was a life-long (and often unrewarded) Swindon Town fan.
Athelstan Turner Diversity Project. I visited the Athelstan museum recently for the first time. It’s small but lovely and well worth a visit. And if you’ve got youngsters there’s the inevitable (but fun!) trail to do centred around the cautionary tale of not tickling tigers! But that’s all I’m saying – ‘cos – y’know – spoilers! Anyway – this post is all about the Athelstan museum (in Malmesbury) taking their Turner diversity project out into the community. It’s all part of their outreach programme to bring living history and art to more local people.
Following the museum’s purchase of the watercolour of Malmesbury Abbey painted by the celebrated artist Joseph Mallord William Turner RA (1775-1851) the Athelstan Museum made a commitment to engage with the local community. This they are doing in various ways, to celebrate the town’s art and heritage.
Photo shows artist Paul Deacon who will be among those running the art classes for those living with Parkinson’s Disease, dementia and other conditions.
About the project
The Athelstan Turner diversity project is a programme of events both within the museum and without to reach more people. One is a schools’ outreach programme led by Janet Casselden. Another is a series of classes in art. These are free for those who find it difficult to access such classes because of such medical conditions as Parkinson’s disease or dementia.
Susan Mockler from the Athelstan Museum explained: ‘We’ve dedicated our Turner Diversity Project to taking the Turner painting of the Abbey out to as many people as possible.’
One of the ways we’re achieving this is running workshops in April, May and June. They’re for people who tend not to get out to enjoy such activities in the Rausing Building. Artists Rachel Heard, Jill Buckley and Paul Deacon will lead the workshops. They have an interest in Turner and have designed the sessions to engage everyone in enjoying the production of some art.
The schools’ project where we’ve had children involved, will culminate in a display at the museum’s Rausing building in June.
‘We continue to visit local groups and residential homes too. When we visit residential homes, we gift a framed print of the Turner as a reminder of our visit.’
About the Turner
In private hands for the last forty years, funding from the Arts Fund and National Lottery Heritage Fund bought the painting for the museum.
The painting shows Malmesbury Abbey from the north on a summer morning.
The free art classes will take place on April 13, 20, 27; May 4, 11, 18 and 25 and also June 1.
With limited places you must book in advance by calling Susan Mockler on 01666 577526.
No 24 Fleet Street is one of the buildings I mention in the New Swindon/town centre trail that I wrote in my Born Again Swindonian guidebook. The whole point of that trail – indeed the entire book – is to urge and encourage the reader to find the interest, the story – yes even the beauty – in the less obvious. It exhorts one to look up because so often that’s where you’ll find the aforementioned.
And this building is no exception. Indeed it’s a perfect example. At street level, as the photograph below shows, it’s pretty dire. In fact, it’s a bloody eyesore. BUT – look up and you see the remnants of a once attractive building. Or at least you did before developers got their hands on it. And more of that at the end.
No 24 Fleet Street 1902 – taken late March 2023
The images below show the windows on No 24 Fleet Street before developers mucked about with it. With thanks to Strolling in Swindon for these. Well – I’m calling it Fleet Street but of course, being on the corner, it’s Fleet Street and Bridge Street.
Now compare and contrast:
The drainpipe records this building as being built in 1902. Thanks to Strolling in Swindon for this one.
The Public Benefit Boot Company
Anyway, way before this building housed the Liquor Lounge and various other drinking establishments before that, it housed the Public Benefit Boot Company. And doesn’t that sound grand? Indeed, as this website points out, the company name makes a grandiose claim to philanthropy and altruism. In Victorian times such claims were pretty commonplace and often little more than a cynical advertising ploy. Below you see it in its heyday. Thanks to “Local Studies (Swindon Libraries)” for use of the image taken on April 30, 1908.
No 24 Fleet Street Swindon also known as The Public Benefit Boot Company Source: Scan of a postcard from our image collection. Date: 1908. Postmark: 30th April 1908, East Dowes. Repository: Local Studies at Swindon Central Library.
When, in 1875, this company came into being, multiple branch retail was a new thing. The multiple system promised to bring cheaper goods within reach of the working classes by following three key principles:
Cutting out the middleman
Refusing credit – no cash – no buy
Bulk purchasing
Many companies thus fulfilled their noble pledge to benefit the public. They also made a tidy fortune for their founders and managers.
The Founder
1875 saw William Henry Franklin opened the doors of his meagre Public Benefit Boot shop for the first time. The Victorian era was enjoying a period of prosperity. great technological progress, enormous optimism and expansion. Within thirty years his little shop in Hull had evolved into a nationwide network of 200 boot stores. Also several repair shops and four modern factories stretching from Newcastle to Cornwall, South Wales and Ireland.
Franklin worked with other shoe making families. He co-operated with the likes of Lennard, Dickinson, Harker, Kirby, and Hunn. Lennard and Franklin were soon making and selling boots and shoes by the million. They cut out the middle man; gave no credit; and consistently made quality and fashionable shoes.
Advertising was critical to their success. And Henry Lennard used a special cart carrying a large boot which stood four feet high from which the driver’s head and torso stuck out as he drove the horse.
1883 saw the horse-drawn boot registered as a trade mark in Bristol. They’d merged with Dickinson’s in 1897 and again with Lennards after 1904. After the Second World War they renamed themselves the Benefit Footwear Ltd. They merged with Saxone and Lilly & Skinner in 1957 and became part of Charles Clore’s British Shoe Corporation in 1962. And that’s when the name finally vanished from so many high streets.
‘… the developers working in Regent Street have removed the elaborate window from the corner shop, that’s been there since 1902 and replaced it with modern PVC windows. This it appears, is completely contrary to the plans submitted to the Council for planning permission, and contrary to the permission granted.
The Council are aware of this and I’ve since been told that the Council are furious that the developers haven’t followed the original plans. Permission wasn’t given to remove the window frames unless they were to be restored. Further they were given clear instructions that they were not to be removed. One stipulation was that ‘The development hereby permitted shall not be used or occupied until the facades including windows and all masonry detail of numbers 18, 22 and 24 Bridge Street and 16 Fleet Street have been restored and refurbished.’
The council are making an active planning enforcement investigation after the public made complaints about the loss of the windows.
And this lovely vintage street sign has disappeared too. That’ll be on Ebay I’ll be bound.
‘ …Swindon has a number of authors who don’t get a look in at the Swindon literature festival. Something I totally understand, because for the festival to make money and have access to the fantastic venues they use, they need to get bums on seats. And for that, the authors need to be well-known.
Many of the authors who are local, have never been heard of by Swindon people.
Myself and Hannah are sharing a pitch as our wares somewhat complement each other without competing. What with Hannah’s very wonderful book being for children. It’s a super book that my granddaughter really engaged with.
So do please support the event – it’s a great initiative and collaboration between Lis and the Mechanics’ Institution Trust. This is the first – here’s to many more!
Explainer video
Here’s a fab video by Eight Interactive that gives an overview of my publications:
Churchward House, now housing offices, is named for George Jackson Churchward CBE ( 1857-1933). He served as the GWR’s mechanical engineer from 1902-1922.
Churchward House Swindon
This imposing Grade II listed stone building sits adjacent to the Outlet Centre and isn’t far from Swindon’s railway station.
Listed in 1984, the entry on the Historic England website describes the building as squared rubble with brick and ashlar dressings. The original part of the building served as the manager’s office in 1846. Sir Daniel Gooch was most likely the designer and builder of Churchward House.
Sturrock, Minard C Rea, Armstrong and Dean as well as Churchward would also have used the building when they served as Works’ manager.
The building’s architectural interest stems from it being part of the original GWR Works designed by Brunel and Gooch. It opened in 1843 and saw extension in 1855-6. The great expansion of the 1870s saw the building altered and extended.
Churchward House – front view
Works Expansion
The 1846 expansion of the Works produced a new iron store with two rooms to serve as offices for Archibald Sturrock, the first Work’s manager. His first office had been a cubicle under the stairs in the office suite on the yard’s east side. 1849 saw enlargement of the iron stores and the addition of two more rooms for Sturrock and his staff.
Further building work in the 1890s saw the building of a new iron store with rail access in the north yard. This allowed for the conversion of the existing iron stores into offices. The 1889 expansion provided the new offices with a central atrium and a fine staircase, still in situ today. cast iron columns with acanthus leaf capitals cast in the Works iron Foundry support the top floor. This spacious office block has since provided accommodation for successive locomotive Works managers, their assistants and staff who’ve been responsible for the locomotive factory accounts, time keeping, piecework, pay bills and stores invoices.
The Swindon Works closed in 1986. Since then there’s been much demolishing of buildings. But, along with the original core of workshops, the manager’s office block, Churchward House, had extensive refurbishment that retained its original architectural features.
Immediately to the east of Churchward House you’ll see a traversing table – the only one left on the site. I do in fact mention this in my Born Again Swindonian’s guide bookas part of the GWR heritage trail wot I wrote.
A polished, black marble headstone and kerb with a bronze plate. The inscription reads: ‘In memory of George Jackson Churchward CBE, JP, Chief Mechanical Engineer, Great Western Railway Company 1902-1921. First mayor and first Honorary Freeman of the Borough of Swindon died 19 December 1933, aged 76 years.
The list includes the tomb for its historic interest.
It’s location: CRICKLADE STREET. SU 1583. NE SWINDON (east side) 8/61 Churchward tomb, 60m east-north-east in churchyard of east chancel wall.
Close up of the plaque on Churchward’s grave in SwindonGeorge Jackson Churchward’s grave in Swindon’s Christ ChurchThe man himself – George Jackson Churchward in 1900 – cutting a fine figure in a photo in the Civic Offices
