▁Da unt sey ' s ▁School ▁near ▁Dev izes ▁and ▁was ▁a ▁national ▁serv ic eman ▁in ▁the ▁Royal ▁Air ▁Force ▁between ▁ 1 9 4 7 ▁and ▁ 1 9 4 9 , ▁before ▁going ▁to ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Cambridge ▁to ▁read ▁ge ology ▁and ▁pet ro log y ▁as ▁an ▁under grad uate . ▁ ▁He ▁graduated ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 2 ▁and ▁stayed ▁on ▁to ▁work ▁for ▁his ▁doctor ate ▁under ▁the ▁super vision ▁of ▁Maurice ▁Black . ▁His ▁th esis ▁was ▁entitled ▁The ▁marg inal ▁fa cies ▁of ▁the ▁British ▁Ch alk ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 5 ▁he ▁joined ▁the ▁junior ▁academic ▁staff ▁at ▁King ' s ▁College , ▁London . ▁He ▁became ▁Senior ▁L ect urer ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 0 ▁and ▁Re ader ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 7 . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 6 ▁he ▁moved ▁to ▁Imperial ▁College ▁London ▁where ▁he ▁was ▁awarded ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 9 ▁Ly ell ▁Medal ▁of ▁the ▁Ge ological ▁Society ▁of ▁London ▁and ▁retired ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 3 ▁to ▁Sh aft es bury ▁but ▁continued ▁to ▁teach ▁at ▁Imperial ▁as ▁Emer it us ▁Professor . ▁ ▁He ▁was ▁also ▁an ▁er ud ite ▁teacher , ▁bringing ▁all ▁aspects ▁of ▁science ▁and ▁general ▁life ▁to ▁bear ▁on ▁his ▁subject ; ▁one ▁of ▁his ▁more ▁general ist ▁them es ▁for ▁the ▁under grad uate ▁ge ologist , ▁being ▁" How ▁can ▁the ▁study ▁of ▁garden ing ▁benefit ▁the ▁ge ologist ? ".