MEET TONY OSBORN

TONY OSBORN'S teaching career began in Aldridge, near Walsall, in the UK

It is an area of considerable geologic interest that has been mined and quarried for limestone, coal, iron ore, clays and stones. So it provides locally a rich variety of environmental interest.

About 1979, the Headteacher chose him to “teach something to do with the local environment” to some intending Year 11 students, of varied interests, all wishing an extra subject to augment their other 3 ‘A’ level choices. He accepted the offer and the Environmental Science course was created. It was reckoned to be a success for, and by, the 18 students.

The syllabus topic of ‘Planet Earth in Space and Time’ was eased by a ¼ mile of fence posts at 2.5m apart that Tony scaled at 10 million years per metre to cover the age of the Earth.

That idea of his led to the Scale Tape concept, covering just the last one ninth of Earth history, and to this book, to which has been added further environmental information.