Biography of Pat

Pat the Bus’ is a legend in Rye…

As I discovered when doing this HerStory recording with Pat, both on and off her bus, the atmosphere she creates for passengers is a special experience. Some years ago a mother told her little boy who loved the bus to say good bye to the driver as they arrived at their destination. “ Thankyou Pat the Bus “ he said.

We can indeed be thankful Pat the Bus is running Rye and District Community Transport; providing a vital service for adults and children covering all areas of Rye town centre, medical surgeries and schools. The Community Bus began in Rye 1994 and has since expanded it routes and number of buses to become a scheduled 326 service. Trips to and from local primary and secondary schools include a special service for autistic children who need the quiet space of a small bus to get to and from school in Tenterden. Regular trips include interschool activities, music and literacy events. Pat’s busses can also be hired to take the Bonfire Society to other towns for example or for private parties (although she is known to be very rude about loud singing especially by drunk men).

In her interview link below you will hear how Pat left university in Leeds because of ‘too many Marxists’ in her International relations course. How she goes to London to become a mother’s help and gets into trouble because she doesn’t iron fitted cot sheets and finally finds her niche in selling classified ads in local newspapers. That job brought her eventually to the Sussex Express and County Herald and, luckily for all of us in this part of the world , to live and work in and around Rye.

Audio of interview with Pat