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Alan Titchmarsh
Alan Titchmarsh at a booksigning
Born	2 May 1949 (1949-05-02) (age 58) Ilkley, West Yorkshire, England
Occupation	Broadcaster, Gardener and Novelist
Spouse	Alison Titchmarsh
Children	2
Website www.alantitchmarsh.com

Alan Fred Titchmarsh, MBE DL (born 2 May 1949) is an English broadcaster, particularly famous in the field of gardening programmes on UK television, although Titchmarsh has also had lengthy stints presenting daytime and religious programming on BBC TV and BBC Radio 2. Image File history File links Broom_icon. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 430 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (524 × 730 pixel, file size: 68 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... is the 122nd day of the year (123rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1949 (MCMXLIX) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_England. ... Ilkley is a spa town and civil parish in West Yorkshire, in the north of England. ... Coat of Arms of South Yorkshire West Yorkshire is a metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, that has a population of 2. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... Note: broadcasting is also the old term for hand sowing. ... A gardener is any person involved in the growing and maintenance of plants, notably in a garden. ... A novel is an extended work of written, narrative, prose fiction, usually in story form; the writer of a novel is a novelist. ... The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by King George V. The Order includes five classes in civil and military divisions; in decreasing order of seniority, these are Knight Grand Cross or Dame Grand Cross (GBE) Knight Commander... DL or dl may stand for: Dag locking Dale Data link (see Data link layer) Deciliter (dl) Delta Air Lines Deputy Lieutenant, when used as post-nominals Description logics (e. ... is the 122nd day of the year (123rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1949 (MCMXLIX) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... A gardener Gardening is the practice of growing flowering plants, vegetables, and fruits. ... This article is an overview article about the Crown chartered British Broadcasting Corporation formed in 1927. ... BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBCs national radio stations and is by far the most popular station in the UK, reaching some 27% of the available audience in 2006[1]. It broadcasts throughout the UK on FM radio between 88 and 91 MHz from its studios in...

Early career

Titchmarsh was born in Ilkley, West Yorkshire, England, the son of Bessie (Hardisty), a textile mill worker, and Alan Titchmarsh, Sr., a plumber.^[1] After leaving school aged 15, Titchmarsh went to work as an apprentice gardener with Ilkley Council in 1964, before leaving, in 1968 aged 18, for Shipley Art and Technology Institute to study for a City and Guilds in Horticulture. Alan affectionately refers to Percy Thrower as 'Percy Chucker' and credits him with inspiring him to take up gardening. Titchmarsh would go on to study at Hertfordshire College of Agriculture and Horticulture for the National Certificate in Horticulture, before finally moving to the renowned Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew to study for a Diploma in Horticulture.^[2][3]After graduating, Titchmarsh stayed on at Kew, being employed as a supervisor and latterly a staff trainer, leaving to pursue a career in gardening journalism in 1974.^{[citation needed]} Ilkley is a spa town and civil parish in West Yorkshire, in the north of England. ... Coat of Arms of South Yorkshire West Yorkshire is a metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, that has a population of 2. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Textile (disambiguation). ... The City and Guilds of London Institute (City & Guilds) is a UK examining and accreditation body for vocational, managerial and engineering training, offering over 500 qualifications in 28 industry areas, spanning from entry level to the equivalent of a postgraduate degree. ... Percy Thrower (30 January 1913 - 18 March 1988) was a British gardener. ... For other places with the same name, see Royal Botanical Gardens (disambiguation). ...

Alan's latest volume of memoirs about his Yorkshire childhood, Nobbut A Lad, was recently published to great acclaim^{[citation needed]}, and his sixth novel, Love and Dr Devon, was released in August 2006.

Broadcasting

Alan Titchmarsh first few television appearances were on the long running BBC television show Nationwide as a horticulture expert. Titchmarsh admits "I suddenly tasted blood. It was - Wow!, I like this. I want to do more." This interest in television led to him being invited to present coverage of the Chelsea Flower Show for BBC television in 1983, something Titchmarsh has now hosted every year through to present (2007).^[3] Titchmarsh also appeared on other BBC shows, such as Breakfast Time and Open Air, again as either a guest presenter or as a gardening expert, providing commentary and answering viewers` questions.^{[citation needed]} Nationwide was a BBC current affairs television series broadcast on BBC One each weekday following the main evening news. ... // The Chelsea Flower Show is a garden show held each year on five days in May by the Royal Horticultural Society in the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea in Chelsea, London, England. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... Breakfast Time was British televisions first national breakfast show, beating ITVs Good Morning Britain to the air by two weeks. ...

In 1988, Titchmarsh was offered a slot on BBC Radio 2 hosting a gardening show with Gloria Hunniford called House In A Garden,^[4] but by 1991, it was clear that Titchmarsh's future lay in television, and he was brought in to host another BBC television program, the long running (and now defunct) Pebble Mill at One talk show, hosting from 1991 through to the time the show was cancelled in 1996. Also in 1991, Titchmarsh hosted a 6 part series where he followed in the footsteps of the pilgrims, travelling around Britain and Ireland in the process.^[5] BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBCs national radio stations and is by far the most popular station in the UK, reaching some 27% of the available audience in 2006[1]. It broadcasts throughout the UK on FM radio between 88 and 91 MHz from its studios in... Gloria Hunniford was a presenter on BBC radio and television. ... Pebble Mill at One was a British afternoon talk show broadcast on BBC1 from the Pebble Mill studios of BBC Birmingham. ...

The cancellation of Pebble Mill at One in 1996 gave Titchmarsh the opportunity to move back towards his first love, gardening and he took over as host of another long-running BBC television program, Gardeners' World in the same year, the show being filmed in his own garden. In 1997, he took gardening to the masses with a popular BBC One television series, Ground Force in which he and fellow presenters Charlie Dimmock and Tommy Walsh would perform a makeover on a garden, Titchmarsh making full use of his horticultural skills when restocking the lucky gardens featured.^[3] The show has travelled as far as U.S. and South Africa, where a memorable episode saw the Ground Force team makeover Nelson Mandela's garden.^[6] Gardeners World is a long- running BBC television programme, about gardening. ... For the BBC radio station, see BBC Radio 1. ... The Ground Force Team From (L) Tommy Walsh, Alan Titchmarsh and Charlie Dimmock. ... Charlie Dimmock (born 10 August 1966 in Romsey, Hampshire, England) is a british gardening expert and presenter. ... For other uses of terms redirecting here, see US (disambiguation), USA (disambiguation), and United States (disambiguation) Motto In God We Trust(since 1956) (From Many, One; Latin, traditional) Anthem The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington, D.C. Largest city New York City National language English (de facto)1 Demonym American... For other people named Mandela, or other uses, see Mandela. ...

Staying involved in gardening programs post Gardeners' World, Titchmarsh has hosted two series of How To Be A Gardener, which is his most recent gardening programming to date.

Away from the gardening world, Titchmarsh has had spells presenting Songs of Praise, and a series of programs on BBC Radio 2 where he played a selection of light classical music, and more recently, hosting a BBC nature documentary series, British Isles - A Natural History. In recent years, his television and radio workload his lightened, presumably to allow Titchmarsh more time to concentrate on his growing career as a novelist and renewed interest in writing gardening books (see below). Songs of Praise is a BBC television programme based around traditional Christian hymns. ... BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBCs national radio stations and is by far the most popular station in the UK, reaching some 27% of the available audience in 2006[1]. It broadcasts throughout the UK on FM radio between 88 and 91 MHz from its studios in... A nature documentary is a documentary film about animals, plants, or other non-human living creatures, usually concentrating on film taken in their natural habitat. ... The British Isles DVD cover British Isles - A Natural History is an eight-part documentary series produced by the BBC Natural History Unit and presented by Alan Titchmarsh. ...

Titchmarsh has also appeared in an advert for the Yorkshire Tourist Board in a series which included contributions from other Yorkshire-born celebrities including Brian Blessed, Melanie Brown, Darren Gough and Brian Turner, and occasionally does other voice over work for adverts. His recent voice over work has extended to voicing the title character in Gordon the Garden Gnome, a cartoon series for the CBeebies channel.^[7] Brian Blessed at Cambridge Film Festival 2007 Brian Blessed (or, in the tradition of English poetry, Blessèd; pronounced //) (born 9 October 1937 in Mexborough, near Doncaster) is an English actor, who came to fame as PC Fancy Smith in the BBC TV police drama series Z Cars. ... Melanie Janine Brown (born May 29, 1975 in Leeds) (aka Mel B) is an English pop singer and songwriter turned actress and television personality best known as one of the members of the girl band the Spice Girls, one of the most successful female groups of all time. ... Darren Gough (born September 18, 1970, Monk Bretton, Barnsley, Yorkshire) is an English cricketer. ... Brian Turner (born 7 May 1946 in Morley, Leeds, Yorkshire) is a British celebrity chef, based in London. ... Gordon the Garden Gnome is a childrens TV series aimed at getting children interested in gardening. ... CBeebies is a British television channel produced by the BBC and aimed at children six years and under. ...

Titchmarsh will be hosting a follow-up series to British Isles - A Natural History which will be titled The Nature of Britain and will focus on British plant and animal species. The series will be broadcast in Autumn, 2007.^[8] Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ...

Other more recent various works include hosting a special edition of the Antiques Roadshow, entitled the 20th Century Roadshow, which focused on modern collectables, performing in the Childrens Party At The Palace for the Queen's 80th Birthday, and being guest host of The Paul O'Grady Show while Paul was off for medical reasons. As of January 2006 Alan has a permanent slot on BBC Radio 2 from 18:30 until 20:30 on Sunday evenings named "Melodies for you" consisting of light classical and popular music, the show follows the traditional style of Sunday night broadcasting on Radio 2. Antiques Roadshow is a British human interest television show in which antique appraisers travel to various regions of the United Kingdom and appraise antiques brought in by local residents. ... There are very few or no other articles that link to this one. ... The New Paul OGrady Show (formerly The Paul OGrady Show) is a British comedy chat show on Channel 4, formerly aired on ITV. The Channel 4 show is filmed at the BBC Television Centre in London. ... BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBCs national radio stations and is by far the most popular station in the UK, reaching some 27% of the available audience in 2006[1]. It broadcasts throughout the UK on FM radio between 88 and 91 MHz from its studios in...

As of June 2007, Alan can also be seen hosting The Great British Village Show, in which gardeners and cooks from all over Britain competed to be Britain’s best at growing pumpkins, runner beans and tomatoes, and at knitting, baking cakes and making jam.^[8]

Titchmarsh began his chat show for ITV, The Alan Titchmarsh Show in September 2007. For other uses, see ITV (disambiguation). ... The Alan Titchmarsh Show is a British chat show on the ITV Network, airing weekdays at 3pm. ...

Novelist

In addition to writing around 40 gardening books, Titchmarsh has recently started writing fiction, and had his first novel, "Only Dad" published in November of 2001. A further five books have since been published (listed chronologically below).^[9] Running parallel to the fiction work, Titchmarsh has most recently written books to accompany the recent BBC series How To Be A Gardener (Ghost written) and The British Isles : A Natural History. His most recent work is a second autobiography "Nobbut A Lad : A Yorkshire Childhood" from October of 2006, this being a follow-up to Titchmarsh's first autobiography, "Trowel & Error", which was published in 2002. Also see: 2002 (number). ...

One of his novels memorably won an award for the worst sex scene in a book.^[10]

Personal life

Alan Titchmarsh lives in an old farmhouse in Hampshire, England and is married to Alison, with whom he has two daughters,two dogs, golden Labradors called Grace and Favour, two cats, Spud and Hector and an assortment of chickens, ducks, goldfish and other livestock.^{[citation needed]} Their home has approximately 2 acres of gardens, which Titchmarsh describes as a "north-facing hillside of chalk, clay and flint". Titchmarsh has a second home, a flat, on the Isle of Wight where he keeps a small boat.^[11] It is at the Isle of Wight home that he does much of his writing. For other uses, see Hampshire (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... For the chosen plaintext attack used by the British during World War II, see gardening (cryptanalysis). ... For other uses, see Isle of Wight (disambiguation). ...

Titchmarsh is a Christian. In an interview with The Lady magazine, Titchmarsh said "gardening is actually a very religious experience, as well as being a sensual one. I go to church every Sunday and it seems to me that there is a very strong link between religion and plants which come up, year after year. Gardening is also sensual because you feel at one with everyone else." For other uses, see Christian (disambiguation). ... A gardener Gardening is the practice of growing flowering plants, vegetables, and fruits. ... Religious is a term with both a technical definition and folk use. ... For the architectural structure, see Church (building). ... u fuck in ua ... Senses are the physiological methods of perception. ...

Titchmarsh, in addition to his extensive television and writing work, is also trustee of his own charity, 'Gardens For Squats', and others, including Seeds For Bunning. His own charity helps fund gardens and green spaces in and around schools, while Seeds For Africa encourages sustainable vegetable gardening. The charity provides community groups with the tools, seeds and training they require to start their own vegetable gardens. This includes providing water installation and preparing the land. Away from horticulture, Titchmarsh is involved with the Cowes Inshore Lifeboat, where he's a patron,^[12] and with the National Maritime Museum where he is a trustee.^[13] The National Maritime Museum, Greenwich The National Maritime Museum (NMM) is the leading maritime museum of the United Kingdom, and one of the most important in the world. ...

Titchmarsh was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2000 New Year Honours for services to horticulture and broadcasting,^[14] and made a Deputy Lieutenant of the County of Hampshire in 2001.^[15] In 2004, he was awarded the Royal Horticultural Society's Victoria Medal Of Honour, the highest award the RHS can bestow.^[11] In 2007 he was awarded an honorary degree by the University of Winchester. In 2008 he was appointed High Sheriff of the Isle of Wight.^[16] Commanders Badge of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V. The Order includes five classes in civil and military divisions, in order of seniority: Knight or Dame Grand Cross... The British honours system is a means of rewarding individuals personal bravery, achievement or service to the United Kingdom. ... The Deputy Lieutenant is the deputy to the Lord Lieutenant of a county. ... For other uses, see Hampshire (disambiguation). ... The Royal Horticultural Society was founded in 1804 as the London Horticultural Society, and gained its present name in a Royal Charter granted in 1861 by Prince Albert. ... This article is about the Royal Horticultural Society award, see Victoria Medals for other uses. ... The University of Winchester is a university in Winchester in the United Kingdom. ... == Roll of High Sheriffs of the Isle of Wight == [position only created in 1974] 1974-5 Lieutenant Colonel CRH Kindersley, DSO, MC, DL 1975-6 Rear Admiral J L Blackham, CB DL 1976-7 FRJ Britten Esq. ...

Miscellanea

Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines. The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones.

• His waxwork was added to Madame Tussauds in 2000 and is one of the most 'fondled'.^{[citation needed]}
• He was voted #50 in ITV's "TV's 50 Greatest Stars"
• Has lectured to the Queen at a Woman’s Institute lecture.^{[citation needed]}
• Alan auditioned for Identity, as the psychopathic gardener, although the producers decided Daniel Radcliffe was better suited for the part.
• Alan caused some uproar in the local media when he referred to Northamptonshire as "England's Pancreas"
• When Alan first appeard on TV a lot of people thought he was called Alan Marsh, with Titch being a nickname, Alan 'Titch' Marsh.

Image File history File links Broom_icon. ... Tussauds redirects here. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full 2000 Gregorian calendar). ... For other uses, see ITV (disambiguation). ... The Womens Institutes (WI) are membership organisations for women in England and Wales. ... Look up Identity in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Northamptonshire (abbreviated Northants or Nhants) is a landlocked county in central England with a population of 629,676 (2001 census). ...

List of Books

Non-Fiction

• Alan Titchmarsh - The Nature of Britain, BBC Books, 2007 (ISBN 978-0-56-349398-3)
• Alan Titchmarsh - The Gardener's Year, 2005, (ISBN 0-563-52167-9)
• Alan Titchmarsh's Fill My Stocking, 2005, (ISBN 0-563-48862-0)
• The Complete How to Be a Gardener, 2005, (ISBN 0-563-52262-1)
• British Isles, 2005, (ISBN 0-563-52162-4)
• Nature of Britain, 2007, (ISBN 0-563-49398-3)
• The Kitchen Gardener - Grow Your Own Fruit & Veg, 2008, (ISBN 9781846072017)

Biographies Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ...

• Trowel and Error, Hodder & Stoughton 2002 (ISBN 0-340-76542-9)
• Nobbut A Lad : A Yorkshire Childhood, Hodder & Stoughton 2006 (ISBN 0-340-83117-0)

Fiction Works Also see: 2002 (number). ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

• Only Dad, Simon & Schuster Ltd 2001 (ISBN 0-7434-7846-0)
• The Last Lighthouse Keeper, Simon & Schuster Ltd 2004 (ISBN 0-7434-7845-2)
• Mr MacGregor, Simon & Schuster Ltd 2004 (ISBN 0-7434-7847-9)
• Animal Instincts, Simon & Schuster Ltd 2004 (ISBN 0-7434-7848-7)
• Rosie, Simon & Schuster Ltd (ISBN 0-7434-3010-7)
• Love and Mr. Devon, Simon & Schuster Ltd (ISBN 0-7432-0771-8)

Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

References

The London Gazette , front page from Monday 3 - 10 September 1666, reporting on the Great Fire of London. ... is the 365th day of the year (366th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events of 2008: (EMILY) Me Lesley and MIley are going to China! This article is about the year. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 76th day of the year (77th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The London Gazette , front page from Monday 3 - 10 September 1666, reporting on the Great Fire of London. ... is the 299th day of the year (300th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 76th day of the year (77th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The London Gazette , front page from Monday 3 - 10 September 1666, reporting on the Great Fire of London. ... is the 72nd day of the year (73rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 76th day of the year (77th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• Official home page
• BBC Nature Presenter Biography
• Alan Titchmarsh at the Internet Movie Database
• Alan Titchmarsh on BBC Radio 2