Alan Titchmarsh at BT British Nautical Awards
by Sue Warden-Owen 25 Nov 1999 14:37 GMT
BT BRITISH NAUTICAL AWARDS - ALAN TITCHMARSH TO BE GUEST OF HONOUR
Radio and TV presenter Alan Titchmarsh is to be Guest of
Honour at next year's prestigious BT British Nautical
Awards. Dubbed the 'Oscars' of the British boating scene
and the social highlight of both the yachting year and the
London Boat Show, the winners of the BT British Nautical
Awards will be revealed during the Millennium Boat Show Ball
at the London Hilton, Park Lane on Friday, 7th January 2000.
The Ball will be a star-studded event, in addition to the
BBC TV's gardening presenter Alan Titchmarsh, there will be
Hello magazine, hosting a table of celebrities, as well as
attendance by current BT YJA Yachtsman of the Year Ellen
MacArthur, Olympic medallists and sailing celebrities such
as Sir Chay Blyth and Sir Robin Knox-Johnston.
Twice named "Gardening Writer of the Year" Alan, from Alton,
Hampshire is best known as an expert gardener and presenter
of BBC2's Gardener's World and Ground Force programmes. A
lesser-known fact however, is that Alan regularly swaps turf
for surf when he sails his 38ft trawler yacht in the Solent.
A keen sailor for over 20 years, Alan is fond of quoting
Ratty's advice from Wind in the Willow's "there is nothing -
absolutely nothing - half so much worth doing as simply
messing about in boats." His nautical ambition is to one
day sail around the coast of Britain.