Stuart Slack (25 January 1935 – 5 December 1998) was a racing cyclist from the

Isle of Man ) , anthem = "O Land of Our Birth" , image = Isle of Man by Sentinel-2.jpg , image_map = Europe-Isle_of_Man.svg , mapsize = , map_alt = Location of the Isle of Man in Europe , map_caption = Location of the Isle of Man (green) in Europe ...

. He was part of the first ever Manx team to participate in the

British Empire and Commonwealth Games The Commonwealth Games, often referred to as the Friendly Games or simply the Comm Games, are a quadrennial international multi-sport event among athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930, and, with the exce ...

. Slack participated in the

1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games The 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games (Welsh: Gemau Ymerodraeth Prydain a'r Gymanwlad 1958) were held in Cardiff, Wales, from 18–26 July 1958. Thirty-five nations sent a total of 1,130 athletes and 228 officials to the Cardiff 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 Raymond 'Ray' Charles Booty (September 3, 1932 – August 25, 2012), sometimes nicknamed 'The Boot', was an English road bicycle racer. In 1956 he was the first man to beat four hours for the individual time trial. Booty rode for Ericsson Whe ...

winning a Bronze Medal after a photo-finish. 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. Later in his life, Slack published two books about the island. He was also a noted Manx musician and Isle of Man folk songwriter. This including the popular folk song ‘ The Laxey Wheel’ (1957). A number of different recordings of Stuart Slack's folk songs were banned by the local commercial radio station

Manx Radio Manx Radio (legally Radio Manx Ltd.) ( gv, Radio Vannin) is the national commercial radio station for the Isle of Man. It began broadcasting on 29 June 1964, almost ten years before commercial radio was licensed in the United Kingdom. The Isle of ...

for being too "''risqué.''" Since his death in 1998 there is an annual cycle event in his memory. In 2002, the

Isle of Man Post Office The Isle of Man Post Office ( gv, Oik Postagh Ellan Vannin), which formerly used the trading name Isle of Man Post, operates postal collection, ancillary mail services, philatelic goods and delivery services and post office counter services on ...

issued a set of postage stamps for the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester including a 22 pence stamp depicting the photo-finish of Stuart Slack's third-place finish in the Men's Cycling Road race at the 1958 Empire Games.

Published works

* Slack, Stuart (2003). ''Manx Milestones''. The Manx Experience. . * Slack, Stuart (1996). ''Streets of Douglas – Old and New''. The Manx Experience. .

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

Sources

External links

* Manx male cyclists Commonwealth Games bronze medallists for the Isle of Man Cyclists at the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games 1935 births 1998 deaths Commonwealth Games medallists in cycling Medallists at the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games {{UK-cycling-bio-stub