Bob Schofield As a designer of Geographic Information Systems for the utilities, I was able to merge two disparate academic strands, electrical engineering and geography before retirement. Many years ago, I completed D301, the forerunner of DA301, in pursuit of an OU BA in Geography and Earth Sciences. After completion of the degree, I developed the module project into a PhD exploring the experiences and assimilation of the Irish in a nineteenth century northern town, using census data over forty years as the major source. Further academic work resulted in MSc in local history at Oxford, and, keeping in touch with engineering roots, MSc in power systems at Bath. My current research interests revolve around the social structure, attitudes and relationships of nonconformist congregations in eighteenth and nineteenth century northern England.