Local Face: Pat Melhuish

Pat Melhuish was born in the Princess Mary Hospital, Halton, in 1930. Her father was a Sergeant in the RAF and they lived in Scarlett Avenue, Lambe Road and other places on the Camp as family circumstances changed. Her father in law worked on the weigh bridge in the coalyard by the railway station at Halton and knew the driver, Phil Cook. The site of the coalyard is now Leonard Pulham Nursing Home. When World War II broke out, families were moved out to make way for the WMF’s. Pat moved to Wendover but continued at school in Halton, a building now used to house the’ archives of Bucks County Museum.

As was customary in those days Pat left school aged 14. The war was still on and she worked in Stocks’s, the watchmaker and jeweler, opposite the Red Lion, now occupied by the Post Office Shop. This was a great vantage point from which to watch village life, especially major events like the march of the Apprentices from Halton Camp to the Railway Station when they went on leave. Around this time her brother Tom was conscripted to the Navy and introduced his sister to his new friend from Aylesbury – Bert Gower. Pat remembers a strong courtship. Sadly her mother died, aged only 49, so on 16th September 1950 Pat and Bert were married even though she was only 20. At that time parental consent was required until age 21 and Pat’s father agreed happily.

Bert was a printer at Hazell Watson & Viney and they started their married life in Victoria Street, Aylesbury. Eleven months later a Trevor was born followed by Pauline two years later. Both Pat and Bert longed to return to Wendover and in 1959 they moved to Castle Park Road. Pauline remembers seeing the trains puffing up to Halton just before the branch line closed. Now part of the track bed is a footpath maintained by the Wendover Society between Aylesbury Road and the Wendover Arm Canal, passing by the Ashbrook Playing Field. After a while they had the idea of running a pub. They moved into the Packhorse in Tring Road on 1 the May 1963. Pat has been the landlady there ever since.

Their RAF connections meant that they hit it off straight away with the Apprentices. The first group through were the 99th who started at Halton in 1961 and qualified in 1964. Their plaque and many others are proudly displayed in the bar. Pat is still invited to their reunion every 3 years and was guest of honour in 2001. Some of the 99th even came to Bert’s funeral 10 years ago. Shortly after that, Dave Pound taught Pat to drive because she couldn’t bear to part with the car she and Bert had just bought. She found fame as the Granny who passed on her fourth attempt, having failed for driving too fast. Pat was 65 with lots of life still in her.

When Pat first moved in, the Tring Road was much narrower than it is today. Major used to sell newspapers outside the Clock tower.

The Packhorse had its bottle store in a building across the Tring Road.

Further along Tring Road, where the bus stop is today, was the Camp Studio run by Mr. Brooks. The apprentices from RAF Halton could have their photo taken to send home to mum. The entrance to Clay Lane was single track with a fish shop on the other side, probably of an age with the pub, later demolished to widen the road. Wendover was full of enclosed “hamlets” like Clay Lane with little two up two down cottages. Some of the older residents “held court” there. Most of these old buildings have now been demolished and replaced by Old Folks Flats. There were fields too, now developed as The Poplars, The Maples and the Scout Hut. A few of the original houses still stand, some knocked together to provide larger accommodation. By the late 60’s, the buildings on the opposite side of Tring Road from the Packhorse were demolished to make way for the road widening as we see it today and the Old Tring Road was bypassed with the roundabout at the Rose and Crown. Beyond Clay Lane from the Packhorse were Chapel Hall and the United Reformed Church. Juson’s Glebe now marks the spot.

Both Pat’s children and all 6 grandchildren have helped stacking shelves at The Packhorse and progress to serving behind the bar when appropriate. Her daughter Pauline and her husband James still do, along with Pauline’s daughter Stacey and her fiancé Robert. It’s a close family with Pat at its heart. Everyone is delighted to congratulate Pat on her ruby anniversary at The Packhorse.