The Lord-Lieutenant was delighted to present to Mr Patrick Church with his British Empire Medal at an Investiture Ceremony which took place in front of the big screen at the Abbeygate Cinema in Bury St Edmunds on the evening of Thursday 8 December 2022.
Mr Church, former Manager of the Cinema, was recognised for his life long dedication to the Abbeygate Cinema, which began over 55 years ago, when he was employed as a 19 year old Second Projectionist.
His vision, has seen the rundown backstreet theatre transformed into the fully inclusive, luxury cinema experience it is today.
His initiatives have included bringing Theatre, opera, ballet and orchestral experiences to the cinema for the community to enjoy. He has ensured the theatre is inclusive and accessible to all including special facilities have been provided for those with mobility issues. During Lockdown, his care and concern for his ‘cinema family’ continued, and he set up an efriending telephone service called ‘Chat with Pat’. This reached out to those regulars for whom the cinema was a welcoming haven and who were suffering with anxiety and loneliness at the time. Mr Church has also found time to publish his autobiography, which marked his 50th year in 2017 and a second book, ‘Mr Movie Man’ was published this year.