"Frank was a man of many parts. Those who knew the quiet, shy, patient and loving family man were always flabbergasted to see him on stage – quite a different persona – a sweating, gyrating, cigar smoking, hoochy-coochie man. Then there was the racing man. Racing day with his mates always started early – the buzz already kicking in. Best suit; racing post; ready to take on the bookies; life on the edge" Sue Prendergast June 2013 Award-winning film and television director Frank Prendergast, a leading figure in the East of England film community, has died of cancer at his Suffolk home. He was 66. Co-founder of the Norwich-based Eye production company, Frank’s creativity spanned the industry, in London and East Anglia. Among his many triumphs was the Norfolk Broads children's TV drama series 'The Secret of Eel Island', which he wrote with a small team, directing all 26 episodes. Born in Leicester, Frank was a graduate of the Royal College of Art, London, having learned the craft of filmmaking with the likes of Tony and Ridley Scott. He co-founded Coles, Prendergast and Associates Limited (later to become Eye Film and Television) in 1973, with his friend and fellow graduate, the cameraman Mike Coles. After a brief stint as a film editor, working for the BBC on shows such as Tomorrow's World, he moved out of London with his wife, Sue, to Laxfield in north Suffolk, which was his home for the remainder of his life. In 1982 Frank teamed up with Duncan Fairs and Nigel Rea to establish Eye Film and Television in the Guildhall at Eye. Throughout the 1980s the company produced a wide range of corporate films for blue chip companies, including ICI, Lotus Cars, Pfizer and BT, winning many awards, including for 'The Thoroughbred' which launched the Lotus Esprit and 'The Collector' which began Frank's long time involvement in road safety films. Frank directed the Channel 4 series A Secret Life of Machines with Tim Hunkin, as well as three episodes of the BBC2 landmark documentary series Metropolis. Since 1998 Frank has formed a vital partnership with Charlie Gauvain who became MD of the company in 2004. From 2000 to 2009 the company produced over 100 hours of television, most notably 'The Secret of Eel Island' which won the Creative Industry Award for the East of England, and the documentary series 'Going Home' for ITV, which was narrated by John Peel. The friendship between Frank and John was pivotal in the creation of The John Peel Archive which launched in 2012 as part of an Arts Council and BBC Initiative on The Space. At the time of his death Frank, described by his family and those close to him as a gentle, inspiring and hugely creative person who loved people, was working on a feature documentary about John Peel's legendary record collection. He had also just finished the screenplay for the Norfolk feature film Moon Daisy, a five-year collaboration with writer and former EDP deputy editor Martin Kirby. And there was another vital musical aspect to his life. He was well-known locally as a blues singer, fronting the Low House Band, wowing audiences who would cheer for more and he would oblige by entertaining them all night long. “Frank was a man of many parts,” said his wife Sue. “Those who knew the quiet, shy, patient and loving family man were always flabbergasted to see him on stage – quite a different persona, a sweating, gyrating, cigar smoking, hoochy-coochie man.” He leaves Sue, children Tom, Rosie and Jack and three grandchildren. There will be a memorial service at Laxfield Church at 6pm on June 21, and afterwards a celebration of Frank’s life at his home.