WHO was your most inspiring teacher? Was it the sports coach who taught you to take a decent free kick, the primary school teacher who helped you get those tricky letters and numbers into your head, or the music instructor who unearthed a previously unsuspected ear for tunes.

Or perhaps someone who just believed in you, and thought you could achieve more than you thought realised.

For a shy, non-academic lad in Ilkley in the 1960s, the inspiring teacher was David Wildman, who as well as an art and drama teacher was also the Artistic Director of the Ilkley Playhouse.

The lad was a keen gardener, but thanks to David Wildman’s inspiration, he also developed a passion for performance, and was eventually able to combine the two into a spectacular career.

The two remained friends until David Wildman’s death.

The young man’s name was Alan Titchmarsh, and he returns home to the Playhouse on April 4 in his capacity as nationally acclaimed gardener, writer, novelist and broadcaster and as Patron of the Ilkley Playhouse, for a special evening of anecdotes and insights into his life and his career.

And quite a career it is.

As well as his 50-plus books on gardening, three autobiographies and ten novels, he’s presented everything from the Classic FM Breakfast Show to the Chelsea Flower Show, and has also found time to perform in the West End, fly a Spitfire, ride with the Royal Horse Artillery, and compere the Diamond Jubilee Pageant.

There will be a question-and-answer session with the audience, so if you’ve got a query for Alan – from the intricacies of growing begonias to the niceties of presenting the BBC Proms, or perhaps inquiring after what being the Deputy Lieutenant of Hampshire actually entails – then please feel free to email the Playhouse before the event, or submit a question on the night.

One of young Alan’s notable acting experiences at the Playhouse – as recounted in his autobiography, Trowel and Error – was an early appearance as a monkey.

This saw the young Alan flinging nuts from a tree at an unsuspecting couple – one of whom, in a pleasing display of continuity, was ongoing Playhouse stalwart Mary Ambler, who will doubtless be in the audience on the 4th.

Although not all our alumni can have such glittering careers, we’re delighted with – and proud of – Alan’s success.

Providing a nurturing environment for young people – and, for that matter, the not-so-young – to learn more about the theatre, and about the values of participation and teamwork, is important to us. As is forging friendships and connections that help our members grow, offering experiences that last beyond the Playhouse doors.

We see part of our role as a hub of the community, helping to connect the dots, encourage and enable growth and, like Alan, sowing seeds that bloom.

An Evening With Alan Titchmarsh: April 4 only, 7pm.

Tickets can be bought at www.ilkleyplayhouse.co.uk or by calling 01943 609539.

After the event Alan will stay to sign books.