Alan Titchmarsh
Alan Titchmarsh is not so much a celebrity that lives locally as a local celebrity. His TV programmes, gardening columns, books and novels have made him a major star over the years but in Hampshire he is very much viewed as a county man. His cheery personality and commitment to putting something back into the community make him well-loved.
“Hampshire is a bit like Yorkshire where I grew up in that it rolls a lot, which I love,” he says. “I couldn’t live anywhere that was too flat. I’ve lived near Alton for 27 years and feel very much at home here. I love the combination of countryside and seascape that Hampshire has to offer. I have had a motor boat for 14 years and enjoy cruising over to the Isle of Wight where we now have a flat.
“I’ve never been the sort of person that wanted to have two properties particularly as one is quite enough to take care of, but after regularly visiting the Island, we fell in love with it and bought a flat in Cowes. It’s a wonderful spot and looks across at North Island and it’s become an extension of our Hampshire home.
“For an island that’s only 23 miles long, the Isle of Wight has an enormous amount of variety. I’m particularly fond of Steephill Cove and Tennyson Down where we regularly walk.”
Honorary roles
Hampshire for Alan is a lot more than somewhere to get away from it all, with his commitment to supporting local charities and good causes seeing him regularly out and about in public. “I was thrilled to be asked to be Deputy Lieutenant in 2001 and through that role have been lucky enough to get involved with a number of local charities and organisations,” he says.
“I’ve also had a long-standing soft spot for Winchester Cathedral where I host the Lord Lieutenant’s Carol Concert each year.”
This month, Alan takes on yet another commitment as High Sheriff of the Isle of Wight after being nominated three years ago by the then sheriff Anthony Goddard. “At first I was rather reluctant to say yes as I wasn’t sure I was the best person to take it on,” Alan says. “But the more I thought about it, the more I found myself wanting to do it and I officially take up the reins at a ceremony on April 7 at Newport Crown Court.”
Ditch the wellies
Like his Deputy Lieutenant role, the High Sheriff’s job is steeped in history and will see Alan wear formal robes for all public functions.
“I now have quite a wardrobe full of impressive outfits,” he says. “I also have two swords which is rather fabulous. My sheriff’s outfit is an all black velvet and lace affair and was handed down to me by a former High Sheriff of Hampshire Sir James Scott on the understanding that I in turn passed it on when I had finished with it. I’ve had to have it adjusted to fit but it feels even more special knowing that it once graced his shoulders.
“During my year in office I am hoping to make people aware of what the High Sheriff’s role is and its importance in history as well as to actively promote the many sides of life on the Isle of Wight. I hope that I’ll be able to make a difference to the Island in the way that my predecessors have.
“In the old days, the title made the holder the titular head of the judiciary, with the High Sheriff’s main role to ‘entertain the judges’ and make sure the local legal system ran smoothly. Today it’s much more of an honorary role with lots of openings and closings and
public appearances.”
The role particularly appealed to Alan as a means of upholding a great historical tradition. As a keen historian himself, he’s particularly interested in British culture and ancestry. “I feel passionately that we should never reduce life to the lowest common denominator,” he says.
“The great British traditions have made our county what it is today and it’s a tremendous honour to feel that in a small way I am maintaining those through the role. One of my last projects was the book England, Our England which set about to do just that and includes everything from the words of “Land of Hope and Glory” to how to make a perfect Yorkshire pudding.
Pottering about
At present Alan is diary clearing in readiness for his new job but says that when he does have time to himself he likes nothing better than pottering about in his own garden at home. “The reason I got into gardening as a child was to have a garden I could call my own,” he says. “I tend to get out there wherever I can in between work.
“I’ve just finished a book on kitchen gardening and every year grow my own fruit and veg. When I started off we had gluts of everything but I’ve now learnt to plant what we can reasonably get through. We’ve also got chickens, which we’ve had for the last 14 years and are getting to be rather old ladies now. As a result, I’ve just started buying eggs again in the supermarket!”
As well as writing weekly newspaper and magazine articles, Alan is currently penning a new novel and will be honouring his contract on ITV afternoon chat programme The Alan Titchmarsh Show until Easter. He returns to the programme once again in September.
“It’s been great fun to do another chat show,” he says. “I did a long stretch at Pebble Mill before so the interviewing didn’t feel too daunting and it’s super to be able to do live television again and to talk to so many interesting people. I keep a visitors book which I’ll probably auction off to charity just to remember them all.”
Asked whether he finds it hard to switch off, Alan laughs. “So much of what I do is thoroughly enjoyable that my work and life have become very much intermingled,” he says. “Noel Coward said ‘work is more fun than fun’ and that’s certainly true for me.”
Alan’s Hampshire favourites
For a pint…
“The Sun Inn in Bentworth because it’s one of my locals and it always has a good atmosphere as well as plenty of real ale, which I love.”
For dinner…
“Hotel du Vin in Winchester. I held my 50th birthday there and it’s one of those places where the food, wine and service are top notch yet in which you feel totally relaxed.”
For a garden visit…
“Hinton Ampner Gardens near Alresford, as they make such good use of the rolling landscape.”
For a country walk…
“I’m not a golfer but Afton Down Golf Club on the Isle of Wight is a favourite place of mine for walking. There are few places in Britain where you can see the sea both to your left and to your right and the views are spectacular.”
The role of the High Sheriff
High Sheriffs are responsible in the counties of England and Wales for ‘duties conferred by the Crown’ through warrant from the Privy Council including attendance at royal visits, the protection of high court judges in the county, acting as the returning officer for parliamentary elections in county constituencies and the maintenance of the loyalty of subjects to the Crown.
In practice some of these responsibilities are delegated to the professional services, for example the protection of judges and the maintenance of law and order are in the hands of the Chief Constable of Police.
Nominations to the office of High Sheriff are dealt with through the presiding Judge of the Circuit and the Privy Council for consideration by the Sovereign in Council. The annual nominations of three prospective High Sheriffs for each county are made in a meeting of the lords of the council in the Queen’s bench division of the High Court of Justice presided over by the Lord Chief Justice on 12 November each year. The High Sheriff receives no remuneration and no part of the expense of his year of office falls on the public purse.
All about Alan
Alan Titchmarsh was born and brought up on the edge of Ilkley Moor in Yorkshire and started growing things at the age of 10 in his parents’ back garden. He left school at 15 and became an apprentice gardener in the local nursery, following this with training at horticultural college and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
After a spell as a supervisor at Kew he became a horticultural journalist, first as an editor of gardening books and then as deputy editor of Amateur Gardening magazine before becoming a freelance broadcaster and writer.
Since then he has twice been named ‘Gardening Writer of the Year’ and for four successive years was voted ‘Television Personality of The Year’ by the Garden Writers’ Guild. Alan currently writes for the Daily Express, Sunday Express, Radio Times and Gardeners’ World magazine and has almost 40 gardening books to his name as well as six novels.
TV credits include Gardener’s World, Ground Force, Royal Gardeners, British Isles – A Natural History, The Great British Village Show, The Nature of Britain and The Alan Titchmarsh Show.
Alan is patron or president of over 40 charities and organisations and was awarded the MBE in the 2000 New Year Honours list.
Alan Titchmarsh appears in the 2008 edition of Who’s Who. Find out who else made it onto the list in our special feature on page 41.