YORK FILMS News and Views
Dr John Mason, the York Films science editor, has been awarded the MBE in the Queen’s New Year’s 2009 Honours.
The medal recognises his achievement in setting up and running the South Downs Planetarium and Science Centre at Chichester, Sussex, on the south coast of England.
Doctor John, as he’s affectionately known at York Films, is one of the UK’s best known astronomy communicators – as a lecturer, broadcaster, author, book editor and astro-tour guide. At York Films he has brilliantly supervised the science content of all the company’s programming over the past 15 years.
A former academic at Imperial College, London, Doctor John established the South Downs Planetarium with his childhood mentor, the veteran astronomer, writer and broadcaster Sir Patrick Moore.
Said David Taylor, managing director of York Films: “The award is richly deserved. John has such energy and enthusiasm. Add to that his encyclopaedic knowledge of astronomy and his talent to communicate, it’s little wonder the South Downs Planetarium has proved such a success”.
The MBE is one of the UK’s most prestigious state honours. The initials stand for Member of the Order of the British Empire.