HEARTBREAKING NEWS: Alan Titchmarsh Reveals Big Regret After Family ‘Surprise’ Went Wrong
Alan Titchmarsh has revealed the one decision he came to regret after downsizing with his wife Alison and leaving behind the Hampshire home and garden they had loved for more than two decades.
The 77-year-old television gardener recently moved to Surrey with Alison, bringing them closer to their daughters Polly and Camilla and their respective families.
But swapping their long-standing property for a smaller home meant difficult decisions had to be made over what they could take with them.
For Alan, one of the hardest involved an art collection he had spent decades building.
Speaking about the move, the former Gardeners’ World presenter admitted he sold much of the collection, viewing the relocation as an opportunity for a fresh start.
“I’ve got some decent art — or we had,” he explained. “I sold a lot of it when we moved, so here I’ve got less than I’ve ever had.”
Alan had collected art for around 40 years, although he joked that only during the latter half of that period had he earned enough to start buying what he considered the “good stuff”.
He had always viewed the artwork as something of a financial safety net.
“The art was always my pension hanging on the wall,” he said.
Family Were ‘Surprised’ by Alan’s Decision
When the move came around, Alan and Alison decided it offered a chance to clear out some of their possessions rather than attempting to recreate their old home.
His family, however, were apparently taken aback when he sent much of the art collection to auction.
“The family were quite surprised when I sent it off,” he admitted.
It was only afterwards that Alan realised there was one particular piece he was not ready to lose.
He called back a tiny drawing of a horse before it could be sold.
It was not the most financially valuable piece in the collection, but Alan discovered that his emotional attachment to it mattered considerably more.
“I realised I was more attached to it than the others,” he said.
The experience appears to have changed his approach to the artwork surrounding him in his new home.
“I’ve got nothing outrageously, ludicrously expensive on my walls now,” he added.
Leaving Hampshire Garden Was a ‘Fearsome Wrench’
Giving up his artwork was not the only emotional part of the move.
Alan had spent 23 years creating and maintaining the garden at the couple’s former Hampshire property.
Before leaving, he admitted saying goodbye to it would be a “fearsome wrench”.
But he also accepted that gardens ultimately pass from one person to another.
“We are only ever custodians of our patches of earth,” he previously said, adding that he was happy for someone new to take over his four acres and continue cultivating them.
Despite the sadness of leaving, Alan remained optimistic about starting again.
“I like to think that I have one more garden in me,” he said.
New Garden Has Already Presented a Problem
His Surrey property has certainly given him another gardening challenge.
Alan recently revealed that a group of holly “lollipops” used to divide part of the garden are competing with a holly hedge growing underneath them.
One section of the hedge has already died, while the remainder is continuing to deteriorate.
“The rest of it now sort of sits there, getting progressively worse,” Alan explained.
The experienced horticulturalist admitted it had become one of those moments where a gardener eventually has to “bite the bullet” and make a significant change.
“We do have to do something about that,” he said. “But I’m not quite sure what.”
Reports suggest Alan and Alison’s new five-bedroom Surrey home sits within around 1.4 acres and includes a pool house, 32-foot swimming pool, gym, sauna and outdoor kitchen.
Yet despite the new surroundings, downsizing has clearly required adjustment.
For Alan, the move brought the sadness of leaving a garden created over more than two decades, the challenge of shaping a new outdoor space and one lesson about getting rid of treasured possessions too quickly.
Fortunately, one small drawing of a horse made it back home before it was too late.
