KEY PEOPLE 17: Alan F. Cook
Alan Cook
A key publication in relation to this website is Alan Cook’s “A revised geology, geography and history of WEDDINGTON, in the County of Warwick" (© Alan F Cook 1992, fully revised 2002). Much of the core information on this site is directly attributable to - and hopefully accurately credited to – Alan F Cook. Without Alan F Cook's commitment to Weddington's local history, this Website would not exist.
Alan’s personal and professional interests in geology, archaeology, local history, genealogy and topography resulted in an illustrious and impressive career. Key elements of this are:
|
1960 - 65 |
Educated at Higham Lane High School, then 1965-67
Manor Park Grammar School |
|
1967 - 98 |
Collaborated with the British Geological Survey on
the Coventry and Nuneaton memoir |
|
1967 - 08 |
Lectured in all aspects of geology to all age
groups, including school project days, ‘Rock Watch’, and Engineering Council
career advice, (including Universities of Birmingham, Warwick and Leicester
adult and continuing education panels) |
|
1968 - 71 |
Read BSc Geology at King's College, University of
Durham/Newcastle |
|
1972 - 08 |
Author of over 400 site-investigation reports;
desk studies; interpretative reports; mining reports and environmental audits |
|
1972 |
Awarded Fellow of Geological Society |
|
1982 - 87 |
Project engineer, West Midlands County Council,
for the Black Country New Road, Walsall Ring Road and Coventry North-South
bypass |
|
1984 |
Cited in "Geologists and the History of
Geology", the International biography of geologists from the origins to
1984, by W. Sarjeant, Florida, U.S.A. |
|
1987 |
Awarded Chartered Engineer |
|
1988 |
Science tutor for Cambridge Associates/Oxford
University Summer Study School at Pembroke College |
|
1988 - 90 |
Senior geotechnical engineer, Maunsell
consulting engineers, Birmingham; project work - UK’s first Combined Cycle
Gas Turbine power station, desk study for the A46 Fosse Way improvements,
engineering recommendations for the M62-M56 link crossing the Manchester Ship
Canal, remedial works on the River Trent drainage and foundation engineering
for Midland Links Motorway. |
|
1988 - 08 |
Member of Nuneaton Society; 1994-2008 Nuneaton and
North Warwickshire Family History Society and local Civic Trust's spokesman
on planning and environmental conservation. |
|
1990 - 91 |
Consulting author on the NERC / Royal Society:
Earth Science 2000 and the HMSO National Parks Review |
|
1990 - 92 |
Principal geologist, Babtie
Group, involving Birmingham-Wolverhampton Midland Metro Line 1 desk study for
the CENTRO ’Supertram’ |
|
1991 |
European Engineer and Chartered Geologist |
|
1992 |
Publishes “A geology, geography and history of
WEDDINGTON, in the County of Warwick" (revised 2002). |
|
1993 |
Geotechnical consultant, Hyder
(Acer Engineering) desk studies for the Highways Agency schemes; M4 Motorway
widening; ground stabilization design for the A1-M1 DBFO Motorway bid and
geotechnical project engineer for ACER/COSTAIN Black Country Spine Road North |
|
1995 - 97 |
Consultant for Anatolian Highway widening, Izmit Bay Crossing and Adapazari
industrial development in Turkey; Railtrack West
& East Coast main line investigations; M62 Jct
25-27 widening |
|
1996 - 97 |
Contributed to television documentaries
"Local Heroes" about John Barber, the Attleborough
inventor of the gas turbine. |
|
1997 - 98 |
Charity of Thomas Barton commission to compile a
definitive report on the origins of one of the oldest UK charitable trusts |
|
1997 - 02 |
Involvement in BBC Television, radio and national
newspapers re: The Black Country ‘Cancer cluster’ at Bradley and Dudley earth
tremor |
|
1998 - 99 |
Commissioned to describe Midlands' Cambrian sites
for the Geological Conservation Review Vol. 18, a multi-volume Millennium Project |
|
1998 - 02 |
Senior geotechnical engineer, Parsons Brinckerhoff
Ltd. Metro supertram schemes and UK railway
projects |
|
1998 - 03 |
Commissioned to write 4 biographies for the
"New Oxford Dictionary of National Biography" |
|
1999 |
Consultant advisor and specialist on BBC
Television documentary; the collapse of a Black Country house into a mine
shaft broadcast and Midlands Report “Under Your House” |
|
2000 |
Seconded to the West Coast Mainline Route
Modernisation team to interpret Ground Radar data, compile desk study for the
whole route and re-design drainage, sub-grade and interpret all ground
investigations |
|
2002 - 05 |
Senior engineering geologist / Geotechnical
Advisor, ATKINS. Technical audit on West Coast Main Line upgrade work |
|
2003 |
Awarded Fellowship of the Institute of Materials,
Minerals and Mining |
|
2004 |
Author of chapter: Geographical context: Atherstone Manorial Records. |
|
2004 |
Awarded Chartered Scientist |
|
2005 - 08 |
Geotechnical Advisor for various projects for:
Arup, Redrow, Blackwell, Merebrook,
Millard, Corus Infrastructure Services and EDGE Consultants. Professional
advisor to HART project Atherstone and Heritage
Lottery Quarryman’s Walk projects in Warwickshire |
|
2006 |
September - October: Study visit to Utah
with Geological Survey, field checking mapping data and guest lecturer at
Wright State University, Ohio |
|
2007 |
Geotechnical Advisor for T A Millard on numerous
Geo-environmental Phase I, II, III reports for housing
developments. Consultant for Groundwork's Quarryman's Walk
project. Archaeological investigations of Peat and other
organic soils with special reference to the “Bosworth Battlefield site” for
Austin / Jones - Friends of Atherstone Heritage. Geological engineer and site design engineer:
for (Arup, Blackwell, Redrow, Merebrook) for Midland Quarry Reclamation
and reinforced earth structure. Competition entry for UK Project with
a value over £1M. Ground Engineering ceremony I.C.E. London, February 2009, one
of the four finalists. I.C.E. West Midlands Project Awards 2009 –
Geotechnical Award and Construction Award. |
|
2008 |
Geological engineer and site design engineer
for Midland Quarry Reclamation and reinforced earth structure. Professional advisor to HART project Atherstone. Advisor for Hinckley Archaeological Society
projects. Technical Auditor and historical contributor for
Heritage Lottery signs Abbey Green; Attleborough;
Camp Hill; Griff; Stockingford
and Weddington. |
|
2009 |
Contractor's Responsible Engineer - Construction
for Coventry to Nuneaton railway improvements VGC Group / Network Rail. Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council Mayor’s
Appeal (Local History advisor)l Trustee for Warwickshire Geological Conservation
Group and Conservation Committee for WGCG. Public Inquiry Expert
Witness for Keresley eco-town objectors. Advisor for objectors
to Ripon City Quarry, Littlethorpe. Judicial Review expert
witness for objectors to Thornborough Henges
quarrying. |
|
2010 |
Geotechnical Advisor for Atkins Rail
Blackpool Tram renewal / Amey Rail - Garron Point
slope assessment, Antrim; and New piled foundation for M50 River
Severn viaduct Advisor for objectors
to Lenchwick Windfarm,
near Alcester. Site Management Planner
for Local Geological Sites (quarries) for DEFRA / ALSF / Natural England /
Geology Trust and WGCG. Independent check on
the scientific and archaeological validity of recent in situ 'cannonball'
finds in the highly disturbed terrain of ‘Bosworth Battlefield.’ |
|
2011 |
Geological consultant for Charnia
Research Group, University of Leicester, for North Quarry options study ‘Optioneering’ (option engineering) to prevent fossil
theft. Charnia Research Group, Business Case for a dedicated education building
/ museum; to curate, display and conserve the unique Precambrian fossil
assemblage of Ediacaran species of North Quarry. Geoconservation assessor for Warwickshire Local Geological Sites WGCG / Natural
England Geological consultant for objectors to Hallam
proposed development at Weddington. Terrain Evaluation Consultant for Boudicca
Project, Atherstone Civic Society / Heritage
Lottery Fund. |
Image thanks to Peter Lee
British Geological Survey, Building Research Establishment, Construction Industry Research and Information Association, Countryside Commission, Department of the Environment, English Heritage, English Nature, Geological Magazine, Highways Agency, India School of Mines, Institution of Electrical Engineers (Electronics), International Journal of Remote Sensing, Medieval Archaeology, Natural Environment Research Council, New Oxford Dictionary of National Biography and The Royal Society.
He published two fictional historic/contemporary works set in and around Weddington. Both are available online, from the Amazon bookstore: 'The Sword, the Snake and the Curse at Pyreway Field', and 'The 12th Face of Ruth's Destiny'.
Alan Cook was a long-standing resident of Weddington, who tirelessly championed the historical and archaeological integrity of the village. He was married to Jo-Anne and had three sons (all now married).
