FROME community stalwart Humphrey Barnes has been awarded a British Empire Medal in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours List.
Humphrey, chair of the Trustees of the Frome Memorial Theatre Trust received the award for services to the community of Frome.
“I’m absolutely thrilled,” Humphrey told Frome Times. “I’m quite amazed and obviously very honoured. It took quite a while to sink in.
“When the letter arrived marked ‘On Her Majesty’s Service’, I thought. ‘Oh dear, what have I done wrong’’; it was quite a shock when I opened the envelope.
“I know it’s a bit of a cliche but this award really is for all the people involved in the Memorial Theatre. There are so many people who play a part and this award is for all of them. Awards like this do tend to go to the person who is the chair but it really is for all of us. There are lots of ‘Humphrey’s around doing great work for the community; I’m just lucky to be recognised.
“The theatre is a really big success story. It puts on a lot of fantastic shows in Frome and is a big part of Frome life. This year’s pantomime sold out with 4,500 tickets sold which is a fantastic achievement in town the size of Frome.”
Humphrey led the campaign to save the Memorial Theatre back in the early 1980s when it was threatened with closure and became one of its original trustees. He has been chair of the trustees for more than 30 years and is also actively involved in Frome Musical Theatre Company (formerly Frome Amateur Operatic Society) and Frome Rotary Club. He was also the first winner of the Frome Times Person of the Year award in 2009.
Humphrey will be awarded with his British Empire Medal by the Lord Lieutenant of Somerset at a special ceremony some time in the next two or three months and has also been invited to a Buckingham Palace Garden Party in the summer.
