Pauline & Jim Hovell returned to RAF High Wycombe last week and to the place they first met, to celebrate 50 years of marriage.
Yorkshire-born Pauline joined the RAF aged sixteen and a half and spent time at RAF Spitalgate before training at RAF Cosford. “I wanted to stay there but was posted to High Wycombe. Nobody wanted to go to High Wycombe in those days! I trained as a telephonist, but my first choice was to be a dog handler. However, that job that was not open to women at that time,” said Pauline.
Jim, who was born at the top of Cock Lane in High Wycombe, was part of the GPO Post Office Engineering Dept (now BT) and started at Daws Hill before transferring to RAF High Wycombe in 1964. Bar initial training, Jim spent his entire career on Station before retiring in 1998.
Back in 1972 one of the telephone exchanges on Station was tucked away in an old ops room. As a BT engineer Jim’s job was to fix any incidents and one day, he spotted a young lady sitting in the corner who turned out to be Pauline. Though both worked shifts they often bumped into one another after that.
Cupid played a hand when Jim was in the BT tearoom one afternoon and he was handed an envelope. It contained a Valentine’s card, but he wasn’t sure whom it was for. After visiting the ladies in the switchboard room, the sender was revealed. “I sent it as a dare….the girls made me do it!” said Pauline, laughing. The switchboard team told Pauline about the up-and-coming Valentine’s Day dance which turned out to be Pauline & Jim’s first date. “Jim was very shy and did not talk to many people,” said Pauline, with Jim adding, “We have three children and six grandchildren now. We just clicked from the very beginning.”
Jim popped the question at Queens Gardens in Hull, and they married on 31 March 1973.
The couple, along with their youngest daughter, Ellie was treated to a tour of the Sir Arthur ‘Bomber’ Harris room by the Station Media & Communications Officer, Laurence Parker, who commented, “It was an absolute pleasure to welcome Pauline, Jim & Ellie to Station and to be a part of their magnificent achievement.” It also allowed the happy couple to reminisce about their time on Station. “The camp has not really changed that much, except there are a few new buildings,” said Pauline.
On the 31 March, the happy couple will continue to relive their time together with lunch at a place they regularly frequented in the early days - the Black Horse pub in Lacey Green. Pauline left the RAF soon after getting married and has continued her love of dogs by being a trainer for over forty years. They currently count rescue dogs from Bosnia and Romania and an Old English Shepherd as part of their furry family.
And the secret to 50 years wedded bliss? “Shift work!” grinned Pauline. “Most of the time we were passing ships in the night during our careers.”
