Description
The Smallest Show on Earth Book
AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY BY PATRICK CHURCH
Paperback Book, 230 pages, with 78 Black & White illustrations.
From the 60s through to the present day, Patrick Church worked in the cinema, from Peterborough to Bury St Edmunds. In The Smallest Show on Earth
he describes his experiences in an autobiography that draws the reader into the trials and joys of life as a projectionist. The job was always low paid, but with the advent of TV, bingo and other demands on people’s time it also became a precarious one. Sometimes he 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. His passion shines through in this engaging book, as he describes a boyhood in post-war Britain, with the rare treats of cinema visits to see films such as ‘Cockleshell Heroes’ with Trevor Howard, or Richard Todd in ‘The Highland Rogue’ and playing at Dan Dare or Biggles with his brother. A first job at a local cinema for two pounds ten shillings a week led to a career as a projectionist, which he relives, interwoven with details of family life and the films he enjoyed. Patrick Church paints a personal portrait of his life in British cinemas, with nostalgic details that will bring back memories for many.
