SoLongFairWell Posted April 29, 2012 Report Share Posted April 29, 2012 Seeing as nobody has done so much for the hobby as Adrian Slack I thought it would be nice to have a thread all about him. I don't know anything about him, or even if he's still alive. All I know is his work in cultivars and hybrids and that he owned Marston Exotics. There must be plenty of people on here who can contribute to this thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel G Posted April 30, 2012 Report Share Posted April 30, 2012 He wrote a book.... A good one... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flytyer Posted April 30, 2012 Report Share Posted April 30, 2012 Just three lines in Wiki, I reckon he deserves more than that CLICKY Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobZ Posted April 30, 2012 Report Share Posted April 30, 2012 You might find this to be of interest: Cantley, Robert, Martin Cheek, Paul F. Gardner, Phill Mann, Barry Meyers-Rice, Norman Parker, and Paul Temple (2000) Favorite Anecdotes on Adrian Slack. Carniv. Pl. Newslett. 29(4):109-116 http://www.carnivorousplants.org/cpn/articles/CPNv29n4p109_116.pdf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sockhom Posted April 30, 2012 Report Share Posted April 30, 2012 (edited) What a nice read I just had. Adrian Slack looks like a godfather to many CP authorities. Thanks for the link Bob. Edited April 30, 2012 by Sockhom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnP Posted May 1, 2012 Report Share Posted May 1, 2012 I too had also been wondering what had happened to Adrian Slack. Thanks for the link , an excellent article! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flytyer Posted May 1, 2012 Report Share Posted May 1, 2012 A very interesting read, I didn't know he'd done so much for the world of CP's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexa Posted May 1, 2012 Report Share Posted May 1, 2012 Can't really add more than the Bob's link, thanks for that. I had been trying to gather all of Slack's Sarracenia cultivars for ages, along with Mike King. Finally last year Mike was able to confirm that we had found what I had suspected to be the original S 'Daniel Rudd', and a year before that, S excellens 'Lochness' had turned up. As far as I'm aware, there are now no other plants that are missing, but there are a few strange crosses that are reputed to have come from Adrian but have no cultivar status. I've never met him, but I know that he still lives in the West Country, I believe that he grows a couple of plants but don't think that he has any real interest in CP commmunity. Cheers Alex. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurent Posted May 1, 2012 Report Share Posted May 1, 2012 Thanks a lot . I bought his book "Insect eating plants an how to grow them" 20 years ago. I read it so many times. And I'm still finding advices today. Laurent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoLongFairWell Posted May 1, 2012 Author Report Share Posted May 1, 2012 Thanks so much Bob for some delightful reading. Wikipedia certainly needs some updating as it certainly doesn't do Adrian justice. I've had his 'Insect eaters' book for a couple of years. (one of the reprints, I found it quite cheaply at the Eden Project). I've requested his first book as one of my birthday presents in a couple of weeks; along with Stewart McPherson's Pitcher Plants of the Americas and Barry Rice's book. These will join my collection which includes Peter D'Amato's lovely book and Marcel Lecoufle's abomination. Oh and the dinky Wisely handbook that I've had since childhood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel H-C Posted May 2, 2012 Report Share Posted May 2, 2012 He lives about 4 miles from here with his sister. I grew up reading his books, and apparently he had some greenhouses here in West Pennard where my nursery is based, though I'm not sure where exactly. I see his sister most years, and extend the invitaion each time, but she's not driven him over yet. I'd love to meet him, as without the enthusiasm in his books I doubt I'd be where I am today. Nigel HC 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel G Posted May 2, 2012 Report Share Posted May 2, 2012 Thanks for the link Bob! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meizwang Posted May 2, 2012 Report Share Posted May 2, 2012 Is Adrian Slack still alive today? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Collins Posted May 2, 2012 Report Share Posted May 2, 2012 Here's an interesting read Adrian Slack Best to right click on link and save to your computer or it takes forever to open. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenofeden Posted May 2, 2012 Report Share Posted May 2, 2012 that's the Nature Watch article Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Jearrard Posted May 2, 2012 Report Share Posted May 2, 2012 drat - that means I've just wasted 1p buying the book on Amazon! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amar Posted May 2, 2012 Report Share Posted May 2, 2012 You might find this to be of interest: Cantley, Robert, Martin Cheek, Paul F. Gardner, Phill Mann, Barry Meyers-Rice, Norman Parker, and Paul Temple (2000) Favorite Anecdotes on Adrian Slack. Carniv. Pl. Newslett. 29(4):109-116 http://www.carnivoro...9n4p109_116.pdf A great read, thanks very much Bob! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peatmoss Posted May 2, 2012 Report Share Posted May 2, 2012 Enjoyed reading about him! I found his books to be quite instructive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linuxman Posted May 3, 2012 Report Share Posted May 3, 2012 In my first incarnation as a CP grower some friends and I once travelled down to Marston Exotics from Derby one summer's evening just to buy plants. All that way in a Triumph Vitesse! That was in the early 1980s and I remember seeing someone we assumed to be Adrian at the nursery but was too shy to ask him to autograph his book. I've still got the Marston Exotics sale catalogue that has wonderful drawings by Adrian - you never see anything like it today. Also I've kept the price lists from 1980, 1981, 1982 and 1984 and the Tuberous Sundews of Western Australia supplement. They certainly make interesting reading! How things have moved on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexa Posted May 3, 2012 Report Share Posted May 3, 2012 Is Adrian Slack still alive today? Yes, but he has been very ill. Maybe someone else knows his present condition. Alex. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Defalotus Posted May 3, 2012 Report Share Posted May 3, 2012 I think he may be on facebook:). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
numpty Posted May 5, 2012 Report Share Posted May 5, 2012 Nice links, Bob and Andy! I'm still hopeful that someone, somewhere, will be able to unearth an old recording of the Nature Watch episode that spawned the book article. I recorded it back when it first came out in 1981, but a search of my parents' old video cassettes hasn't turned anything up. I also search every so often on Youtube, but haven't been able to find anything yet. I even wrote to ITV a couple of years ago to ask if they had access to it in their archives, but not surprisingly didn't get a response. I recall it being a very enjoyable programme, with Slack an engaging (and somewhat tipsy) raconteur. It inspired me to buy my first VFT. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darkrai283 Posted May 5, 2012 Report Share Posted May 5, 2012 His book, 'Carnivorous Plants', is in my school library and on the 1st or 2nd page, there is his signature, a litle message to our school and the date, which I think was 1985 or something like that and I've borrowed it many times as it is a very interesting book to read. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Damien Posted May 5, 2012 Report Share Posted May 5, 2012 Well who would have thought the great man was into illegal trading, hiding them in a sponge bag - I couldn't believe it when I read that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoLongFairWell Posted May 5, 2012 Author Report Share Posted May 5, 2012 Or interesting enough; What would the hobby as we know it be like had Adrian not initially illegally traded. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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