Fred J Speakman
Encyclopedia
Fred J Speakman was an English
naturalist
and author
. He was one of Britain's best known naturalist-authors in the 1960s.
. He was a teacher at Woodside School, Walthamstow and spent his later years running the Epping Forest Field Studies Centre at High Beach
between 1959-1979.
A well known popular writer of illustrated guides to the English forests, Speakman in the late 1950s purchased a plot of forested land at High Beach in the expanding London Borough of Waltham Forest
and converted it into a nature study centre which today is the Suntrap Forest Education Centre, High Beach. The Borough became a pioneer in childhood environmental education, sending primary school children who often lived in working class urban areas on fortnightly visits to be taught by Speakman. By the 1970s, Walthamstow
Council had purchased the centre, sending all final year primary classes to make eight visits a year to the Centre, with Speakman teaching thousands about the natural world.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
naturalist
Naturalist
Naturalist may refer to:* Practitioner of natural history* Conservationist* Advocate of naturalism * Naturalist , autobiography-See also:* The American Naturalist, periodical* Naturalism...
and author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
. He was one of Britain's best known naturalist-authors in the 1960s.
Life
Speakman grew up and lived in Epping ForestEpping Forest
Epping Forest is an area of ancient woodland in south-east England, straddling the border between north-east Greater London and Essex. It is a former royal forest, and is managed by the City of London Corporation....
. He was a teacher at Woodside School, Walthamstow and spent his later years running the Epping Forest Field Studies Centre at High Beach
High Beach
High Beach also known as High Beech is a hamlet located within Epping Forest. Epping is located to the north east and Central London at Charing Cross lies approximately to the south west.-Description:...
between 1959-1979.
A well known popular writer of illustrated guides to the English forests, Speakman in the late 1950s purchased a plot of forested land at High Beach in the expanding London Borough of Waltham Forest
London Borough of Waltham Forest
The London Borough of Waltham Forest is in northeast London, England. Officially, it forms part of Outer London as it borders Essex. However, it can be seen that the NE London boundary does not extend far compared to elsewhere in the city...
and converted it into a nature study centre which today is the Suntrap Forest Education Centre, High Beach. The Borough became a pioneer in childhood environmental education, sending primary school children who often lived in working class urban areas on fortnightly visits to be taught by Speakman. By the 1970s, Walthamstow
Walthamstow
Walthamstow is a district of northeast London, England, located in the London Borough of Waltham Forest. It is situated north-east of Charing Cross...
Council had purchased the centre, sending all final year primary classes to make eight visits a year to the Centre, with Speakman teaching thousands about the natural world.