Roger Green could not believe the devastation and neglect when he first visited the church back in the early 1970s. Nothing worked and it was all covered in dust and cobwebs, standing unloved and friendless at the centre of the town. Roger was invited to meet a town councillor, Tony Moore. Tony’s ambition to revive the building inspired Roger and together they hatched plans for a Festival of Sudbury to “prove the use of the building
for the benefit of the town.” The Festival ran from May 16th to 22nd June, 1975. The list of events was huge. It was difficult to live in or around Sudbury without noticing that something was afoot. Many of the events were spectacular, and very well supported by the public.

The Festival made a profit but, much more significant, the attitude in the town towards the building had changed. People from all walks of life
had attended events and enjoyed the experience. They wanted more. Many of them looked at the building with new eyes.