Alan Titchmarsh

Alan Fred Titchmarsh, MBE, DL, HonFSE[1] (born 2 May 1949) is an English gardener, broadcaster, TV presenter, poet, and novelist. After working as a professional gardener and a gardening journalist, he established himself as a media personality through appearances on gardening programmes. He has developed a diverse writing and broadcasting career.

Alan Titchmarsh

MBE DL HonFSE[1]
Titchmarsh at his book-signing in 2004.
Born (1949-05-02) 2 May 1949
Ilkley, West Riding of Yorkshire, England
EducationHertfordshire College of Agriculture and Horticulture
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
OccupationBroadcaster, gardener, novelist, poet
Years active1974–present
TelevisionGardeners' World (1996–2002)
Ground Force (1997–2002)
Alan Titchmarsh Show (2007–2014)
Popstar to Operastar (2010)
Love Your Garden (2011—)
Spouse(s)
Alison Titchmarsh
(
m. 1975)
Children2 daughters

Early career

Titchmarsh was born on 2 May 1949 in Ilkley, West Riding of Yorkshire, England.[2] He is the son of Bessie (née Hardisty), a textile mill worker, and Alan Fred Titchmarsh, Sr., a plumber.[3] In 1964, after leaving school at 15, Titchmarsh went to work as an apprentice gardener with Ilkley Council, before leaving in 1968, at 18, for Shipley Art and Technology Institute in Shipley in the West Riding of Yorkshire to study for a City and Guilds in horticulture.

Titchmarsh went on to study at Hertfordshire College of Agriculture and Horticulture for the National Certificate in Horticulture, before finally moving to the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew to study for a Diploma in Horticulture.[4][5] After graduating he stayed on at Kew, employed as a supervisor and later as a staff trainer. He left to pursue a career in gardening journalism in 1974.

Television
Titchmarsh at the Chelsea Flower Show 2014

Titchmarsh's first few television appearances were on the long-running BBC television show Nationwide as a horticulture expert. This led to his being invited to present coverage of the Chelsea Flower Show for BBC television in 1983. Titchmarsh hosted this every year until 2013. In 2014, he was replaced by Sophie Raworth.[5] He also appeared on other BBC shows, such as Breakfast Time and Open Air as either a guest presenter or as a gardening expert, providing commentary and answering viewers' questions.

In 1991, Titchmarsh was brought in to host the long-running Pebble Mill at One BBC television talk show, which he did until its cancellation in 1996. In 1991, he presented a 6-part series in which he followed in the footsteps of the pilgrims, travelling around Britain and Ireland in the process.[6]

In 1996 the cancellation of Pebble Mill at One gave Titchmarsh the opportunity to move back towards his first love, gardening, and he took over as host of another long-running BBC television programme, Gardeners' World in the same year, the show being filmed in his own garden. In 1997, he took gardening to the masses with 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.[5] The show has travelled as far as the United States and South Africa, where one episode saw the Ground Force team make over Nelson Mandela's garden.[7]

Titchmarsh at the 2008 Gardeners' World Live Exhibition in the NEC.

Staying involved in gardening programmes after Gardeners' World, Titchmarsh has presented two series of How To Be A Gardener

Away from gardening, Titchmarsh has had spells presenting Songs of Praise and a series of programmes on BBC Radio 2 in which he played a selection of light classical music, as well as a BBC nature documentary series, British Isles - A Natural History. In recent years, he has done less television and radio and spent more time on his career as a novelist and renewed interest in writing gardening books.

Titchmarsh has appeared in an advertisement for the Yorkshire Tourist Board (now Welcome To Yorkshire) as part as of a series which included contributions from other Yorkshire-born celebrities including Brian Blessed, Melanie Brown, Darren Gough and Brian Turner. He occasionally does other voiceover work for advertisements as well as voicing the title character in Gordon the Garden Gnome, a cartoon series for the CBeebies channel.[8] In autumn 2007, Titchmarsh hosted a follow-up series to British Isles – A Natural History entitled The Nature of Britain focusing on British plant and animal species.[9]

Other recent work included hosting a 2005 special edition of the Antiques Roadshow, entitled the 20th Century Roadshow, which focused on modern collectibles, performing in the 2006 Children's Party at the Palace for the Queen's 80th birthday, and guest hosting an episode of The Paul O'Grady Show while O'Grady was off for medical reasons.

In 2007 Titchmarsh hosted The Great British Village Show, in which gardeners and cooks from all over Britain competed to be the best at growing pumpkins, runner beans and tomatoes, and at knitting, baking cakes and making jam.[9] In September 2007 Titchmarsh began presenting his afternoon ITV chat show The Alan Titchmarsh Show which aired in the 3.00 pm afternoon slot. The show ended in November 2014.

In 2010 Titchmarsh presented the first series of Popstar to Operastar with Myleene Klass. Since 2011, he has presented gardening show Love Your Garden.

On 1 June 2012 he presented Elizabeth: Queen, Wife, Mother on ITV and was castigated the following day, for his obsequiousness, in a review by Sam Wollaston for The Guardian.[10]

In spring 2013 Titchmarsh was a reporter on BBC Two programme The Great British Winter. In December 2014 Titchmarsh presented a two-part series for ITV called The Queen's Garden that was filmed over a time period of one year.[11][12]

In January 2015 Titchmarsh presented Britain's Best Back Gardens.[13] In February 2016, Titchmarsh began presenting the daytime game show Masterpiece for ITV.

In February 2017, the Channel Five programme Secrets of the National Trust started airing with Alan Titchmarsh as the main presenter alongside other well known celebrities.[14]

Radio

In 1988 Titchmarsh was offered a slot on BBC Radio 2 hosting a gardening show with Gloria Hunniford called House in a Garden.[15]

In January 2006, Titchmarsh was given a permanent slot on BBC Radio 2 on Sunday evenings with the show "Melodies for you" consisting of light classical and popular music, following the traditional style of Sunday-night broadcasting on Radio 2. In August 2011, Titchmarsh left Radio 2. Since January 2012, he has hosted a Saturday morning show on Classic FM.

Novelist

Titchmarsh began writing fiction, and his first novel, Only Dad, was published in November 2001. A further six books have since been published.[16] Running parallel to the fiction work, Titchmarsh published a new series of gardening guides, the How to Garden series, in April 2009. His second autobiographical work is Nobbut A Lad: A Yorkshire Childhood from October 2006, a follow-up to his first autobiography, Trowel & Error, published in 2002. When I Was A Nipper was published on 30 September 2010.

Personal life
Titchmarsh Elm Tree Planting Ceremony in Westminster in 2011[17]

Titchmarsh has been married to Alison since 1975 and they have two children, Polly (born 1979) and Camilla (born 1981).[18][19]

In addition to his extensive television and writing work, Titchmarsh is also trustee of his own charity, 'Gardens for Schools', and others, including 'Seeds for Africa'. His charity helps fund gardens and green spaces in and around schools, while Seeds for Africa encourages sustainable vegetable gardening. It provides community groups with the tools, seeds and training they need to start their own vegetable gardens including providing water installation and preparing the land. Away from horticulture, Titchmarsh is involved with the Cowes Inshore Lifeboat, where he is a patron,[20] and with the National Maritime Museum, where he is a trustee.[21]

In 2004, Titchmarsh became the president of Perennial, officially known as the Gardeners' Royal Benevolent Society. Perennial is one of the UK's oldest charities and was created in 1839 to help gardeners and horticulturists facing times of difficulty.[22]

In 2010, Titchmarsh became president of the plant conservation charity Plant Heritage (previously known as NCCPG).

Titchmarsh has a wax statue at Madame Tussaud's. It was revealed on Series 2, Episode 6 of the TV panel comedy series Would I Lie to You? that his waxwork had to have its face cleaned twice a week to remove all the lipstick smudges on it.

In August 2014, Titchmarsh was one of 200 public figures who were signatories to a letter to The Guardian expressing their hope that Scotland would vote to remain part of the United Kingdom in September's referendum on that issue.[23]

Titchmarsh is an occasional practitioner of church bellringing. In 2011, he rang a quarter peal in Holybourne, Hampshire, to celebrate the marriage of William and Kate.[24]

Titchmarsh moved to his home, a grade II listed Georgian farmhouse in Hampshire, in 2002.[25] He also has a coastal home, near Cowes on the Isle of Wight, where he spends about a third of the year.[26]

Criticism

In 2013, Titchmarsh, then aged 64, responded to complaints that older women were discriminated against on television by stating he would like to hear less "whingeing". "They don't complain in their early days when they are disporting themselves on sports cars", he stated in an interview with The Observer.[27] This drew criticism from media figures who had been protesting against the difficulties faced by older women in the media, including from Miriam O'Reilly, winner of an age discrimination case against the BBC.[28][29]

Honours and awards

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.[30] He was made a Deputy Lieutenant (DL) of the County of Hampshire in 2001.[31] In 2008, Titchmarsh served as High Sheriff of the Isle of Wight.[32]

In 1999, Titchmarsh was awarded an honorary Doctor of Science (DSc) degree by the University of Bradford.[33] He was made Patron at Writtle College, a university college in Essex, in 2001 and had a building named after him at the college in 2011 (the 'Titchmarsh Centre for Animal Studies'). In 2004, he was awarded the Royal Horticultural Society's Victoria Medal of Honour, the highest award the RHS can bestow.[34] In 2007, he was awarded an honorary degree by the University of Winchester, and in 2014 was designated as the new Chancellor of the university. He was honoured by the City of Westminster at a tree planting and plaque ceremony in April 2011.[35]

Other projects

Titchmarsh has capitalised on his strong brand with retail and merchandise projects. He has launched several of his own product lines, including his own range of "Alan Titchmarsh" gardening tools developed in conjunction with tool manufacturer Bulldog Tools. Titchmarsh has also teamed up with Digitalis Media to launch Gardeners' Heaven, the online retail arm of his website. Gardeners' Heaven supplies Titchmarsh's own tools as well as other popular gardening products.[36]

Titchmarsh played the Pope in Sister Act The Musical at The Minack Theatre, Porthcurno, Cornwall in the BROS Theatre Company Production on 29 May 2019. He appeared in the final act of the show.

Bibliography
This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

Non-fiction
  • Alan Titchmarsh – The Gardener's Year, 2005 (ISBN 0-563-52167-8)
  • Alan Titchmarsh's Fill My Stocking, 2005 (ISBN 0-563-48862-X)
  • The Complete How to Be a Gardener, 2005 (ISBN 0-563-52262-3)
  • British Isles, 2005 (ISBN 0-563-52162-7)
  • England, Our England, 2007 (ISBN 978-0-340-95303-7)
  • Nature of Britain, 2007 (ISBN 0-563-49398-4)
  • The Kitchen Gardener – Grow Your Own Fruit & Veg, 2008 (ISBN 978-1-84607-201-7)
  • How to Garden: Gardening in the Shade, 2009 (ISBN 978-1-84607-395-3)
  • How to Garden: Vegetables and Herbs, 2009 (ISBN 978-1-84607-396-0)
  • How to Garden: Container Gardening, 2009 (ISBN 978-1-84607-399-1)
  • How to Garden: Garden Design, 2009 (ISBN 978-1-84607-397-7)
  • How to Garden: Lawns, Paths and Patios, 2009 (ISBN 978-1-84607-398-4)
  • How to Garden: Pruning and Training, 2009 (ISBN 978-1-84607-400-4)
  • How to Garden: Growing Fruit, 2010 (ISBN 978-1-84607-401-1)
  • How to Garden: Flowering Shrubs, 2010 (ISBN 978-1-84607-402-8)
  • How to Garden: Climbers and Wall Shrubs, 2010 (ISBN 978-1-84607-403-5)
  • How to Garden: Greenhouse Gardening, 2010 (ISBN 978-1-84607-404-2)
  • How to Garden: Perennial Garden Plants, 2010 (ISBN 978-1-84607-911-5)
  • Elizabeth: Her Life, Our Times, Ebury Press 2012 (ISBN 978-1-84607-394-6)
  • The Queen's Houses, BBC Books 2014 (ISBN 1849902178)

Memoirs
  • 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)
  • Knave of Spades, Hodder & Stoughton 2009 (ISBN 978-0-340-95306-8)
  • Collected memoirs, Hodder & Stoughton 2016 ISBN 978-1-473-63324-7

Fiction
  • 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 Dr. Devon, Simon & Schuster Ltd (ISBN 0-7432-0771-8)
  • Folly, Hodder & Stoughton 2008 (ISBN 0-340-93685-1)
  • The Haunting, Hodder & Stoughton 2011 (ISBN 0-3409-3689-4)
  • Bring Me Home, Hodder & Stoughton 2014 (ISBN 978-0-340-93693-1)
  • Mr Gandy's Grand Tour, Hodder & Stoughton 2016 (ISBN 978-0-340-95307-5)

Poetry
  • Marigolds, Myrtle and Moles: A Gardener's Bedside Book, Hodder & Stoughton 2020 {ISBN 978-1-529-31115-0)

Filmography
Year Title Role Notes
1989-1994 Songs of Praise Presenter
2002 How To Be A Gardener Presenter
1983–2013 RHS Chelsea Flower Show Co-presenter
1991 Titchmarsh's Travels Presenter
1991–1996 Pebble Mill at One Presenter
1996–2002 Gardeners' World Presenter
1997–2002 Ground Force Presenter
2004 British Isles – A Natural History Presenter
2005 20th Century Roadshow Presenter
Gordon the Garden Gnome Voice of Gordon
2006 The Paul O'Grady Show Guest presenter 1 episode
2007 The Nature of Britain Presenter Documentary series
The Great British Village Show Presenter
2007–2014 The Alan Titchmarsh Show Presenter 15 series
2010 Popstar to Operastar Co-presenter Series 1; with Myleene Klass
2011—present Love Your Garden Co-presenter 8 series
2012 Elizabeth: Queen, Wife, Mother Presenter One-off programme
2013 The Great British Winter
2014 The Queen's Garden Presenter Two-part series
2015 Britain's Best Back Gardens Presenter 1 series
Titchmarsh on Capability Brown Presenter One-off documentary
2016-2017 Masterpiece with Alan Titchmarsh Co-presenter 2 series; with Rachel Houston-Holland
2016 Winnie-the-Pooh: The Most Famous Bear in the World Presenter One-off documentary
2017—present Secrets of the National Trust Presenter 2 series
2017 Royal Windsor Horse Show Live Presenter One-off special
Prince Philip: 70 Years of Service Presenter One-off special
2017—present Love Your Home and Garden Presenter 1 series
gollark: Not much thought.
gollark: Which bots could also do pretty easily.
gollark: I mean, *it* just encouraged listening for pings by popular meme creators, then blindly investing 100% of your money.
gollark: The old system was bad in its own ways.
gollark: Possibly, but only because the new one is especially bad.

References
  1. "Society for the Environment". socenv.org.uk. Retrieved 22 July 2018.
  2. "My childhood – Alan Titchmarsh". www.alantitchmarsh.com. Retrieved 17 September 2011.
  3. Barratt, Nick (14 July 2007). "Family detective". Daily Telegraph. London.
  4. "Alan Titchmarsh on BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs". bbc.co.uk. 7 July 2002. Retrieved 22 July 2018.
  5. "BBC - Programmes - Page not found". BBC. Retrieved 22 July 2018.
  6. "Titchmarsh's Travels (TV series) | BFI". Ftvdb.bfi.org.uk. 7 February 2015. Archived from the original on 9 February 2008. Retrieved 12 December 2015.
  7. "Mandela's green-fingered makeover". BBC News. 14 December 1999. Retrieved 12 December 2015.
  8. Archived 18 June 2006 at the Wayback Machine
  9. Alan Titchmarsh's official website Archived 13 June 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  10. Wollaston, Sam (2 June 2012). "Elizabeth: Queen, Wife, Mother – review". The Guardian. London.
  11. "The Queen's Garden Episode 1". Itv.com. Retrieved 12 December 2015.
  12. Palmer, Richard. "Alan Titchmarsh reveals secrets of Queen's garden in new ITV show". Daily Express. Retrieved 12 December 2015.
  13. "Britain's Best Back Gardens Episode 1". Itv.com. 6 January 2015. Retrieved 12 December 2015.
  14. "Secrets of the National Trust revealed in new Channel 5 TV series - The National Trust". Retrieved 12 May 2017.
  15. "r2ok ! the British pre-pop music website". www.r2ok.co.uk. Retrieved 22 July 2018.
  16. Alan Titchmarsh Official Website List of books Archived 4 November 2006 at the Wayback Machine
  17. "Alan Titchmarsh completes the greening of Bolsover Street". Retrieved 2 May 2011.
  18. "Alan Titchmarsh – Biography on Bio". www.thebiographychannel.co.uk. Archived from the original on 27 December 2013. Retrieved 16 February 2011.
  19. "My family – Alan Titchmarsh". www.alantitchmarsh.com. Retrieved 16 February 2011.
  20. Cowes Inshore Lifeboat, Registered Charity Number 1063407, Patron ~ Alan Titchmarsh Archived 17 May 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  22. Donate Now. "Perennial". Perennial. Archived from the original on 28 July 2014. Retrieved 26 August 2014.
  23. "Celebrities' open letter to Scotland – full text and list of signatories". The Guardian. London. 7 August 2014. Retrieved 26 August 2014.
  24. "Ringing World BellBoard". Retrieved 22 July 2018.
  25. Wintle, Interview by Angela (4 March 2018). "Alan Titchmarsh on restoring his listed farmhouse". Retrieved 22 July 2018 – via www.thetimes.co.uk.
  26. "My Coast: Alan Titchmarsh - Coast Magazine". www.coastmagazine.co.uk. Retrieved 22 July 2018.
  27. Thorpe, Vanessa (22 June 2013). "Alan Titchmarsh: this much I know". The Observer. London. Retrieved 24 June 2013.
  28. Marsden, Sam (23 June 2013). "Alan Titchmarsh: Older women TV presenters shouldn't whinge about lack of work". The Telegraph. London. Retrieved 24 June 2013.
  29. "Women stars furious over Alan Titchmarsh attack on ageism 'whingeing'". The London Evening Standard. Retrieved 24 June 2013.
  30. "No. 55710". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 1999. p. 32.
  31. "No. 56370". The London Gazette. 26 October 2001. p. 12611.
  32. "Alan Titchmarsh High Sheriff of the Isle of Wight". Southern Daily Echo. 1 April 2008. Retrieved 21 May 2011.
  33. "Times Higher Education – Glittering prizes". The Times. Retrieved 7 January 2013.
  34. "Alan Titchmarsh Biography". BBC Radio 2. BBC. Retrieved 16 February 2011.
  35. "Alan Titchmarsh lends expert hand with elms in Bolsover Street". West End Extra. 8 April 2011. Archived from the original on 19 March 2012. Retrieved 2 May 2011.
  36. "Gardeners' Heaven Garden Tools". Archived from the original on 10 September 2011.
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