VINCENT MAY, joint editor, is Professor Emeritus of Coastal Geomorphology and Conservation at Bournemouth University, whose evolution from Municipal College of Technology and Commerce into a fully fledged university he was involved with for 45 years. In 1994 he was awarded the British Petroleum Prize for Enviromental Science and Management for developing teaching using a combination of critical thinking and creativity.

JAN MARSH, joint editor, is an Open University graduate and until a few years ago was Local Heritage Librarian for Bournemouth Libraries – for whom she worked for 32 years. She is currently involved with the Streets of Bournemouth project to create a virtual museum of the history of Bournemouth.