Richard graduated from University College London in 1970 with a First Class BSc (Honours) Degree in Geography. He was awarded the Science Faculty Silver Medal and the Dora Belasco Prize in Meteorology. He gained a PhD at University College London in 1973. After spending a short while teaching at Haberdashers’ Aske’s School, Elstree, he was appointed as a Lecturer in Geography at Manchester in 1975, and has been there ever since. He retired (early) at the end of September 2011 and is now an Honorary Fellow.