Patrick Church is Signing Books at the Waterstones in Bury St. Edmunds
Browsing the bookstores at the weekend is something that everyone loves to do, scouring for new titles or looking for something to catch your eye. This weekend though Bury St. Edmunds browsers will find something very eye-catching in the Waterstones along the Butter Market, as Patrick Church will be signing copies of his debut book 'The Smallest Show on Earth'.
From the 60s through to the present day Patrick Church has worked in the cinema from Peterborough through to Bury St Edmunds. In The Smallest Show on Earth he takes us through that experience in an autobiography that draws the reader into the trials and joys of a being a projectionist screening blockbusters like ‘Jaws' and a curious period of Indian films where half the time is spent splicing the films back together.
The role of projectionist was always a low paid, but with the advent of TV and bingo and other demands on people's time it also became a precarious one as the decades rolled by. Sometimes Patrick had to plead his case as cinemas changed hands from ABC, to Odeon and bingo conglomerates, just to keep his job going and the buildings in operation. The fact that he succeeded is testament to his love for cinema and this passion shines through in this engaging book.