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

Isle of Man The Isle of Man ( , also ), or Mann ( ), is a self-governing British Crown Dependency in the Irish Sea, between Great Britain and Ireland. As head of state, Charles III holds the title Lord of Mann and is represented by a Lieutenant Govern ...

. He was part of the first ever Manx team to participate in the British Empire and Commonwealth Games. 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 to 26 July 1958. It was the sixth edition of what would come to be known as the Commonwealth Games, the ...

, 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 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 includes 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.) () is the national commercial radio station for the Isle of Man. It began broadcasting on 29 June 1964, almost ten years before legal commercial radio was licensed in the United Kingdom. The Isle of Man, hav ...

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 (), 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 the Isle of Man. History Th ...

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