I’ve just started to read David Lipset’s biography of Gregory Bateson, “The Legacy of a Scientist”, part of a small avalanche of background reading that I have caused to fall into my office at Henley from sources obscure and far away. The Internet has proved a good match for my apparent predilection for Plant and Resource Investigator tendencies, and I have recently found several audio recordings of Bateson speaking and several bargain-priced books by or about him and his thinking/legacy.
Today turned up in Pdf format the entire text for his early anthropological report, “Naven”, which I thought was something of a find.
But the reason for writing this is reading, in the biography, that Bateson was sent to a prep school (now a primary school) called Warden House, in Deal, Kent. It made me smile inwardly because I grew up in Deal and went to primary school about half a mile away. By all accounts, I disliked my religiously charged education as he did. One wonders whether there will be further small Velcro points of contact to come in future exploration. I have other formative memories from that town, several of which must surely one day resurface to be made sense of in the light of this line of research.
Chris Dalton's Personal Development Blog 
Hi! I just turned up your blog while searching for reviews of ‘Understanding Gregory Bateson’ – and find that you discovered me too – at Lancaster. You probably know by know that Understanding GB is a rewrite of my Lancaster thesis.
It would be nice to know more of your developing process – and if there is anyting you would like to discuss or with which I could help – please let me know. I remain VERY keen to get Bateson’s work widely known!
Best wishes, Noel Charlton.
Hi Noel,
thanks very much for posting this, and it’s great to connect with (appropriately) the idea of seeing further into our world using Bateson’s thinking.
I did buy your book this weekend at Blackwells (another personal favourite of mine), though it was a tell-tale story of no-one really knowing which section and shelf it was stocked on. Finally I did find it, in the Anthropology; regional studies, but I think the point that you can’t easily pigeon-hole him.
I would love to stay in touch. I am behind with my Lancaster writing a little, though I do feel that I am on a good track.
Hi Chris (I deduce that you are Chris Dalton?)
Thanks for your response. Interesting to read of your PhD planing process – I guess you are doing this at the Lancaster Management School? I did mine with the (then) institute for Environment, Philosophy and Public Policy – now rather fragmented, with a head of philosophy who does not think much of environmental concerns. Ahh well!
I’m glad you found a copy of my book – yes, it is rather difficult to categorise – as is Gregory himself!
I’m afraid ‘feeling behind’ is a chronic process with PhD work – it was with mine anyway. I wish you all the best with your own project.
Sincerely, Noel.
Hi,
thanks for this and the further comment about Peter Reason, whose articles I have also been reading as background. If it’s ok with you, I’ll drop you an email to follow up later in the month.
Chris
Another thought: my external examiner for the PhD was Peter Reason from Bath University – who is himself a Bateson enthusiast and scholar – and a very helpful guy. You might like to look at his website:
P.W.Reason@bath.ac.uk
His interests include “Action Research” and “collaborative inquiry”.
I think you may find some common ground.
Do let me know if you have any questions.
Noel.