|
Alan Titchmarsh: Then, Now and in the Future
Visit the Alan Titchmarsh Website
First Signs
Alan took an early interest in gardening - first on his grandfather's Yorkshire allotment in Ilkley, and then in his parents' back garden. Small polythene greenhouses appeared in the back garden, and cacti were bought from church bazaars.
Paperwork
Alan left school at fifteen with one 'O' level in Art and took a job as an apprentice gardener in Ilkley Parks Department nursery, studying for his City and Guilds in Horticulture at day release and in the evening.
He went on to horticultural college at Oaklands in Hertfordshire where he studied for one year full-time, being awarded the National Certificate in Horticulture. This was followed by three years at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, resulting in the award of the Kew Diploma.
Bigger things
After two years as supervisor of staff training at Kew, Alan entered journalism where he became first a gardening books editor, and then Deputy Editor of Amateur Gardening magazine.
He appeared regularly on BBC Radio and Television in programmes such as Nationwide, Breakfast Time, Open Air, Pebble Mill, Songs of Praise, Titchmarsh's Travels, and the Chelsea Flower Show. He presented the 100th edition of The Word for Channel 4, and hosted the quiz show Ask the Family.
Gardeners' World and the hugely popular Ground Force, second only to Eastenders in the BBC1 ratings, are broadcast as far afield as Australia, New Zealand and North America.
The future
After leaving both programmes Alan is working on two other series for the BBC to be transmitted in 2003 and 2004 â?? one of them a landmark series on the natural history of Britain.
Publications
Alan writes for the Daily Express, Sunday Express, Radio Times and BBC Gardeners' World magazine, and has more than thirty gardening books to his credit. His four novels, as well as his autobiography, have been best sellers.
Alan, 53, gardens organically, and lives with his wife, two daughters and a medley of animals.
Visit the Alan Titchmarsh Website
|
