Stuart Slack

Stuart Slack (25 January 1935 – 5 December 1998) was a racing cyclist from the Isle of Man. He was part of the first ever Manx team to participate in the British Empire and Commonwealth Games.[2]

Stuart Slack
Personal information
Full nameStuart George SLACK
Born25 January 1935 [1]
Douglas, Isle of Man
Died5 December 1998
Team information
DisciplineRoad
RoleRider
Amateur team
Manx Viking Wheelers/Ellan Vannin CC
Medal record
Cycling
Representing  Isle of Man
British Empire & Commonwealth Games
1958 Cardiffroad race

Slack participated in the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games, taking part in the road cycling event. He finished third in the event, arriving in a five-man group nearly three minutes behind the race winner, Ray Booty[3] winning a Bronze Medal after a photo-finish.[4][5] In 2011, this result was described as being "against all expectations" and was credited with increasing the popularity of cycling in the Isle of Man.[6]

Later in his life, Slack published two books about the island. He was also a noted Manx musician and Isle of Man folk songwriter.[7] This including the popular folk song ‘The Laxey Wheel’ (1957).[8] A number of different recordings of Stuart Slacks folksongs were banned by the local commercial radio station Manx Radio for being too " risqué. "[9]

Since his death in 1998, there is now an annual cycle event in his memory.[10]

In 2002, the Isle of Man Post Office issued a set of post stamps for the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester including a 22 pence stamp depicting the photo-finish of Stuart Slacks third-place finish in the Men's Cycling Road race at the 1958 Empire Games.[11]

Published works
  • Slack, Stuart (2003). Manx Milestones. The Manx Experience. ISBN 978-1873120583.
  • Slack, Stuart (1996). Streets of Douglas – Old and New. The Manx Experience. ISBN 978-1873120279.

Discography
  • Wreck of the Herring Fleet
  • The Laxey Wheel
  • Bulgham Bombshell
  • The Foxdale Miner
  • Laxey Girls are the Boys
  • Ride the Rails
  • Give Me the Bus Fare to Laxey
  • Illiam Done
  • Ballamodha Dragoons
  • Effort
  • My Little Home at Port-e-Chee
  • The Port Erin Breakwater Disaster

45 rpm single
  • Isle of Man TT Hall of Fame (David Collister) / The Laxey Wheel Song (Stuart Slack) David Collister/Athol Moore Manx Radio Recordings (c.1972) Hillary Productions
  • Mannin Folk – Mannin Folk Sing / Track 1. The Laxey Wheel Song (Stuart Slack) Kelly Recordings (1976)
  • Give Me The Bus Fare to Laxey (Stuart Slack) / Smugglers Lullaby (Traditional) Mike Williams/Laury Kermode – Kelly Recordings

[12]

Sources
  1. "Stuart George Slack's Personal Data". museocyclismo.it. Retrieved 3 October 2015.
  2. The Manchester Guardian page 6 Monday 28 July 1958
  3. The Daily Express page 8 Monday 28 July 1958
  4. Isle of Man Times page 7 THIS PICTURE MADE GAMES HISTORY Friday 1 August 1958 “Stuart Slack Wins a Bronze in Photo-Finish.”
  5. "Commonwealth Games Federation – Commonwealth Games – Event Results". thecgf.com. Commonwealth Games Federation. Retrieved 3 October 2015.
  6. "Tour de France hero Mark Cavendish leads Our Sporting Life at Isle of Man's Manx Museum". Culture24. 31 August 2011. Retrieved 3 October 2015.
  7. Bazin, Fenella (1 April 2001). Belcham, John (ed.). A New History of the Isle of Man, Vol. 5. p. 393. ISBN 9781781387788.
  8. Isle of Man Weekly Times page 4 12 August 1984 ".....Stuart also wrote the music and words of that well known song the Laxey Wheel."
  9. Manx Independent page 53 STUART SLACK – THE CYCLIST Friday 11 December 1998 Isle of Man Newspapers Ltd (1998) Johnson Press Publishing
  10. "Stuart Slack memorial ride this Sunday". IOM Today. 13 October 2003. Retrieved 3 October 2015.
  11. Stanley Gibbons: Collect Channel Islands and Island of Man Stamps 2016 page 212 Stanley Gibbons Limited; 30th edition (2016) ISBN 0-85259-962-5 " 17th Commonwealth Games, Manchester Photographic Montages 2002 (11 Mar.) 976 937 22p. multicoloured."
  12. "Stuart Slack". www.discogs.com. 10 August 2019.
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