Forty years ago he was a choirboy at Great Yarmouth's historic St Nicholas' Church and used to earn five shillings singing there at weddings.And now four decades later Yarmouth hotelier Nicholas Mobbs has repaid the church for giving him his first job by helping to raise �2,100 to restore St Nicholas' organ and tower pinnacles.
Forty years ago he was a choirboy at Great Yarmouth's historic St Nicholas' Church and used to earn five shillings singing there at weddings.
And now four decades later Yarmouth hotelier Nicholas Mobbs has repaid the church for giving him his first job by helping to raise �2,100 to restore St Nicholas' organ and tower pinnacles.
Yesterday, Mr Mobbs organised a cookery demonstration at his Imperial Hotel as part of the St Nicholas' Church Preservation Trust's spring festival fundraising campaign.
About 80 people paid to watch Imperial Hotel chefs Simon Wainwright, Mark Dixon and Peter Clarke cook up delicious treats in a Take Three Chefs demonstration.
The cooking trio's recipes included chump of lamb with aubergine caviar, baked belly of pork, smoked haddock fishcakes, North Sea cod wrapped in Parma ham and American style pancakes.
Yesterday's demonstration was the last in the series of spring festival fundraising events, which hope to raise at least �5,000 for the 12th century building.
Mr Mobbs said: “St Nicholas' Church has a special place in my heart. It gave me my first paid job as a choirboy when I was seven.
“We were paid five shillings a time to sing at special occasions.
“I learned a bit about discipline too. I remember two of us were chattering and the choirmaster threw a tuning fork in our direction. We kept quiet after that.
“I have had close links with the church ever since and I am delighted we can do something to help out now.”
When he was a choir boy at the church it needed �50,000 for a new organ - but now it needs �700,000 to restore the instrument and its tower pinnacles.
Paul Davies, chairman of St Nicholas' Church Preservation Trust, said he was delighted at all the support given to the church during the festival which should raise at least �5,000.
Anyone wishing to support the trust can visit www.sncpt.co.uk
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