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Thu 31 Dec 2020
Paul Tate (10th
March 1951 - 26th December 2020). |
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It is with sadness that I report the death of Paul Tate. Paul
was a co-founder of Chorley Film Society and also a member of
Chorley Historical & Archaeological Society. He was a very
friendly and likeable person with a skill of telling terrible
jokes and stories so they sounded hilarious.
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Paul Tate. |
Estelle Briers has sent me some
fascinating information about Paul that we’d like to share.
Paul was an integral part of the
Chorley Film Society from when it formed in 1986 to when it
disbanded in 2019. He avidly enjoyed all the arts and was a
familiar face to everyone who came to our films as he invariably
greeted people with a friendly smile and an old joke before
asking for their money. As the Society's raffle man at one point
he brought in nearly 20% of all the income but it's for his film
introductions that he will be best remembered. Usually ignoring
the film entirely in favour of a rambling comic story, it's fair
to say he made our screenings unique, warm, welcoming and full
of character. His cheery smile and passionate optimism will be
missed, and our love and thoughts go to his family.
Paul was 2nd
ever editor of Pluto (furthest from the Sun) the newspaper of
Preston Poly then University of Central Lancs 1991 - 4. I think
he came up with the name. This role was won by a yearly campaign
for Students to vote, his slogan was You know he makes no sense
! Pluto parties were legendary, always meant to begin with his
lecture on the history of the pencil sharpener and could travel
by train to Chorley or Manchester & back. His homeP was referred
to as Lime Grove Studios. Pluto was a bit like Private Eye.
One of Paul’s first jobs was in the
Hong Kong Police. He came to Chorley in 1972 & opened a betting
shop.
He then did Combined Modules to get a degree at UCLAN and then
into Insurance.
His main focus was on attending
community events & being the reader in church. He did the raffle
at the Film Society for most of its history - often being the
only profit. His film introductions were legendary & often
infuriating. His commitment to a long term self devised joke
that only he understood put him into the realms of DaDa or
surrealism.
He loved slapstick & panto. One Xmas
he managed to see 21 pantos in 21 days. His favorite play was
The Importance of Being Ernest, which he would travel to see in
any venue that put it on.
Paul's Final
Request was that after the ceremonies, at the graveside for all
there to listen to "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now" by the
Smiths be played. One last joke. Some lyrics from the song "I
was happy in the haze of a drunken hour, but heaven knows I'm
miserable now" Paul always put that on the jukebox wherever he
went.
The Requiem Mass to Celebrate the
Life of Paul was at St Gregory's R,C, Church, Weldbank, Chorley
Thursday 31st Dec 2020a t 10:00am |
Paul Tate |
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