HEARTFELT tributes have been paid to a kind parish councillor who will be remembered for his generosity and caring nature.

Dave Edwards died at Gloucester Royal Hospital aged 68 after suffering a major heart attack on Saturday, January 27.

He has been described as a 'talented man' who was always 'prepared to roll up his sleeves and help anyone who needed it'.

Mr Edwards worked as a senior engineer at software company Dolby, in its old headquarters in Royal Wootton Bassett, and played a huge part in ensuring the longevity and success of the Movies@Malmesbury rural cinema pilot scheme.

The cinema shows an array of plays, opera and films in the Assembly Room at Malmesbury Town Hall and was originally set up as part of a Wiltshire pilot scheme for rural cinemas which was funded by the British Film Institute, South West Screen and Wiltshire Council.

Charles Vernon, a member of the Movies@Malmesbury steering group, told the Standard that Mr Edwards played a major role in helping the group develop and evolve over the years to ensure it was providing residents with the best possible cinema experience.

The engineer first got in touch with the group when they put out a plea for help in the Standard over a decade ago.

Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard: Dave Edwards Dave Edwards (Image: UGC)

When the original cinema initiative folded in 2010, Mr Edwards helped design a new projection scheme in the town hall and led the team which installed it. 

He also helped negotiate a good price, £2,000, for a new projector for the Malmesbury cinema when Dolby's Wootton Bassett head office closed.

Over the last few years he was always on hand to offer his expertise when any projector issues cropped up.

He would drive from Wroughton, where he lived and was a parish councillor, to Malmesbury in times of need and would never accept any payment.

Mr Vernon said: "Dave was a really good guy who was always there for us when we ran into any problems.

"He really enjoyed making and repairing things.

"In 2022 he even cut a holiday short to help us try to unpick the problems we were experiencing with our projector.

"It was Dave who came up with the specification for the magnificent system we now have.

"He helped us set it up and guided us on how to get the best from our investment.

"We always offered to reimburse him for his time but he wouldn't accept any payment.

"The only time we were able to provide him with anything was when we had the opening of the revised cinema in July last year.

"He came along to the opening and had a free cinema ticket which was a very small recompense for his years of help.

"Dave was also a parish councillor so obviously cared for the local community.

"He helped all sorts of people and we were very grateful to be one of the recipients of his generosity.

"He was really a talented man who was fully prepared to roll up his sleeves and help anyone who needed it.

"We have lost a good friend."