Alan Titchmarsh backs Minster appeal

10:16am Wednesday 1st November 2006

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CELEBRITY gardener Alan Titchmarsh has joined a drive to raise £30 million to fund the restoration of York Minster.

Cathedral chiefs said they were "immensely grateful" that Mr Titchmarsh had agreed to help out - and urged people to keep donating to the appeal.

Yorkshire-born Mr Titchmarsh will host An Evening With Alan Titchmarsh. He will read from his second volume of Yorkshire memoirs, Nobbut A Lad: A Yorkshire Childhood, and relate tales of gardening and other stories.

He will also sign books at the end of the evening.

Cash raised from ticket sales will be ploughed into the development campaign.

Richard Shephard, the Minster's director of development, said: "Alan Titchmarsh is an extraordinarily talented person - gardener, novelist, anthologist, television presenter - and is, understandably, incredibly busy. So we are all particularly grateful that he has given his wholehearted support to the York Minster Development Campaign."

The total raised so far stands at just under £5 million, some of which is in pledges. The money is already being put to good use - but much more is needed.

Dr Shephard said: "There are two messages to get across. One is that we are immensely grateful for people giving help in cash and in kind, like Alan Titchmarsh.

"The other is that this is an immense project, and it is so vast we are forever looking for people to dig deep and even give more than once."

The evening will take place on Thursday, November 9, at 7.30pm, in the Nave of the Minster.

Tickets at the front of the Nave cost £20, or £15 at the rear of the nave and in the side aisles. All seating is unreserved.

Tickets are available from The Development Office, Church House, Ogleforth, York, YO1 7JN, or by phoning 01904 557245. They will also be available on the door.