Dickie has always loved movies. Since a very small child, movies were his joy and his escape. His mother actually went in to labour with him whilst she was at the cinema (she's never been able to remember what film she was watching, much to his chagrin). Dickie's knowledge of movies is encyclopaedic. Not only can he remember every film he's ever watched and where, he can also recite every film I have ever watched and where - even the ones I have long forgotten!

Whenever we visit a town with an old (maybe disused) cinema, Dickie always dreams about reopening it and running it. I remember an early holiday to Chinon in France instigating such a dream and he also has a recurring fantasy about reopening the small independent cinema in Lyme Regis which closed down due to a fire many moons ago.

However, apart from a brief foray onto a film set as work experience (which he hated!), Dickie's own career adventures had never taken him into the cinema. Instead, he has worked in retail (this did include a video shop back in the day), the wine trade and recruitment. Oh yes, and he has written a published novel.

Aged 40, Dickie was made redundant and we jointly decided that he would go back to University. Originally, he was going to do a teacher training but, on flicking through the options at Universities locally, we found a BA at Portsmouth University (locally) in Film and Creative Writing. This degree could have been written for him and he still describes those three years at Portsmouth as his happiest ever! He honed his art, met film producers, writers and interviewed the great and the good of independent cinemas. Achieving a first, he then went on to Kings College London to do an MA in Film & Philosophy.

All through this time, Dickie and I have been regularly attending Chichester's small, independent cinema. They run a hotly contested film quiz every year that we (he!) have won twice. It's just the sort of place that Dickie would aspire to run.

Early last year, I saw a notice that this cinema was losing its "second-in-command" who was retiring and needed replacing. In a flash, Dickie applied, was interviewed and offered the job ... exactly two days before the first lockdown of the COVID pandemic in March 202. The cinema had to close and Dickie was not in time to start the role or receive furlough. The dream was snatched away, for a while at least.

Spending the long, hot summer of 2020 reading novels in the garden (yeah, hard life) and waiting for the cinema to reopen did test Dickie's patience a bit (despite the lovely weather). But, he knew the dream was coming.

During the summer, Dickie achieved a feat that few have achieved before. He was actually promoted, before he'd even started, to Head of Operations. He was going to be in charge of the box office, staff, volunteers and all the operations of the cinema. Fabulous!

He started this role in September 2020 preparing for the big reopening. The cinema opened for a grand total of 21 days and then had to close again! It has since reopened, first with social distancing measures, and now as normal.

So, it's never too late to pursue that childhood dream. The turning point for Dickie was pursuing this new field of study in his forties. What if he'd done that degree at 18? Who knows? But there's no regrets. He's in his element right now!

What was your childhood dream? Could it be fulfilled now or in the future?

Let me know your dreams and perhaps we can support each other in getting there!

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