Butcher Pat dies aged 94
A LEEK butcher and war hero who served the community for 40 years and once swept bombs off his shop roof has died at the age of 94.
Patrick Evans, known to most in Leek as the proprietor of Bayley’s butchers at 40 Derby Street until his retirement in 1987, passed away on May 2 in Surrey.
He left Leek in 2015 following the death of his wife, Jenny. Pat had been fighting the impact of dementia since that time but has otherwise been largely happy and healthy.
Pat’s father, Reginald Evans, had been a farmer and horse breeder in Wellington, Shropshire, and during WW1 provided horses for the Western Front from a stables in Kent.
When growing up, Pat rode and trained ponies purchased and sold by his father, and won a number of prizes at prestigious shows around the country.
Pat maintained this interest as an avid participant (and later supporter) of the High Peak and Meynell & South Staffordshire hunts after moving to Leek.
His mother Lilian’s family had been master butchers in Norfolk, and in September 1939 Reginald decided to move into the business with the purchase of Sidney Bayley’s butcher business.
As an ARP warden during the war he once had to sweep incendiary bombs off the roof of the shop. Pat joined the Air Training Corps in 1943, but was enlisted to the Kings Shropshire Light Infantry in 1944 as the need for pilots had reduced.
He recounted that he had a lucky escape when many of his comrades boarded a ship that was later sunk. In August 1945 he was accepted by the War Office Selection Board and was asked to take a commission after the war, but decided to return home to help his father in the shop.
TRIBUTE has been paid to a butcher who served the community of Leek for 40 years.
Pat Evans, the proprietor of Bayley’s butchers at 40 Derby Street until his retirement in 1987, passed away in Surrey aged 94.
He left Leek in 2015 following the death of his wife, Jenny, aged 89, who was a member of the Tatton family who had owned a bakery and café next to the Roebuck Hotel in Derby Street from 1908.
So their marriage was a Derby Street romance between the families of neighbouring shops.
Jenny had a sister, Margaret Sergeant, many of who’s children, grandchildren and great grandchildren live in Leek.
Pat’s son-in-law, Tim Nelson said: “As a butcher, Pat worked a six day week which started with market day on Monday, when he travelled to Staffordshire and Shropshire cattle markets looking for animals that would provide the best meat at competitive prices, and where he was a well known face among farmers, auctioneers and other butchers; he also purchased animals direct from local farmers and the shop was normally displaying a proud collection of rosettes from prize animals.
“From Tuesday to Saturday he would leave home by 7am to prepare the shop for opening, return home for lunch and close up by about 7pm. Jenny had the jobs of washing the men’s white aprons and having Pat’s meat and veg lunch and dinner prepared every day; although Pat was also a very good cook himself.”
After Reginald retired, Pat worked in the shop with Paul Duffield, Martin Ball and Sam Hine. The shop ran two deliveries within Leek each week, and also ran rounds to Cheddleton, Waterhouses, Danebridge and Longsdon.
Pat was often invited to judge animals at Leek Show. He had also been president of the local branch of the Royal British Legion, chairman of Leek Round Table (1960-61) and chairman of Leek 41 Club (1969-70), where he enjoyed many social and fundraising activities, and he was an active member of the Chamber of Trade.
Pat is survived by his two daughters, Chris and Liz, four grandchildren, and would shortly have seen his second greatgrandchild.