Women's History Month: Pam Ayres

This Women’s History Month, we spoke with poet Pam Ayres about her time in the RAF, and how that led to her successful career as a one-woman performer

Nobody knows better than Pam Ayres what life in the military was like as a woman, having served in the RAF in 1965 at the age of 18. Pam said: "I owe a huge debt to the RAF – it opened my eyes to the world and gave me the chance to perform – I wouldn’t be where I am now without my time serving. It really did change my life."

Pam decided to join the RAF after her four brothers did National Service and would always come back having travelled from faraway places with wonderful stories. "I was brought up in a very rural area and I left school with few qualifications,” said Pam, adding: “I had a job as a civil servant and I hated it – I wanted to see the world, so I joined the WRAF."

Pam worked as a plotter air photographer, working on operational maps, although the role didn’t quite meet her strengths. Pam explained: "When I went to sign up in Reading, I told the sergeant there I liked drawing, so he put me in the drawing office. However, I found the work really difficult. There was a lot of maths, focal lengths and formula. I was pretty rubbish!"

It was the social side of the RAF Pam enjoyed the most. Talking about her favourite activities, Pam said: "The brilliant thing about the RAF then were the sports clubs, the swimming clubs, the education opportunities. And the theatre clubs – which I loved!"

Pam’s skill for performing was made apparent during a posting in Singapore, where there was a ‘marvellous’ theatre with a club night on a Friday, where people performed. Pam did a few funny skits and people enjoyed it. "The gust of laughter is addictive – I became hooked and wanted to perform all the time," she said. 
 

Pam started writing her own material and performed frequently during her RAF career, but when she left the service after three years and was back on civvy street, she struggled to continue doing what she loved the most. Pam explained: "I had many jobs I didn’t enjoy – they just couldn’t replace the facilities the RAF offered, and I felt completely lost."

Not sure what else to do, Pam reapplied for the RAF to be an air quartermaster, but was unsuccessful, leaving her heartbroken. However, despite a series of dead-end jobs, Pam continued writing and performed in local pubs and clubs in west Oxfordshire, where she was coincidentally scouted for a new folk programme on BBC Radio Oxford, which led to a weekly slot. When one of her poems was selected for Radio 4’s Pick of the Week, and subsequently Pick of the Year, she was able to reach a much wider audience.

Pam’s career took off – she became a fixture on television and radio, and a best-selling author. But she never forgot her roots and a big reason for her success – the RAF. She said: "The RAF enabled me to truly discover my talent and gave me the opportunity to perform." Understanding first-hand how difficult the transition between serving and civilian life can be, Pam fully appreciates the importance of the RAF Benevolent Fund.

"The fact that the Fund is there to support RAF veterans, serving personnel and their families is so cruicial. For me, the hardest part was leaving the RAF and knowing what to do next, a conundrum I know many others face leaving the military, so knowing that the Fund is there to support people should they need it, is wonderful."

She concluded: "I don’t think I shout about the Fund enough, but I should – the charity is tremendous in what they do."