CHAPTER 15

The Elvis Fan Barbara Frances Browne 1966–67

Roy Browne first met Barbara, the woman who would become his wife, in 1942, when she was just fourteen years old. A relationship developed and, in 1948, when she was twenty, they married. A daughter, Roylene was soon born to the union and to all intents, Roy and Barbara were happy enough together. Things changed, however, in 1959 when Barbara Browne suffered a miscarriage. Ever since that time, she had been moody and depressed.

Indeed, one might almost say, she retreated into her own childhood for her behaviour became rather strange. She began to collect dolls and built a sort of shrine to them. One day, Roy even found one of the dolls carefully positioned on top of the wardrobe. One might think that this was not an undue cause for concern, but Barbara had given this doll the name Carla, the same name she had selected for the daughter she miscarried.

Still, Barbara had one great interest, which Roy encouraged. After all, it took her mind off things and made her happy. Roy, therfore, had no concerns whatsoever when Barbara founded an Elvis Presley Fan Club which met, on a regular basis at Watlington House, in Watlington Street, Reading.

By all accounts, the club was a success and Barbara soon managed to recruit many new members. Two of those members were Peter Whittaker and Sheila Griffin, who both joined around June 1965. These two youngsters seemed to get on very well together and in due course, Peter asked Sheila out. She agreed, and the relationship between the two blossomed. Finally, they discussed marriage and it was agreed that they would become officially engaged on Sheila’s twenty-first birthday, 7 February 1967.

That, however, was in the future. For now, Peter continued to live at 108 Crockhamwell Road, Woodley and drive around on his motorbike, whilst Sheila lived at Amherst Road, Reading and caught the bus to her work for the Automobile Association.

In fact, Peter had known the Browne family ever since he was a child. They lived at 18 Silver Fox Crescent, also in Woodley and he had grown up with their daughter, Roylene. They had played together as children and he had been to Barbara Browne’s house many times. It was no real surprise then, when in September 1966, Barbara offered Peter a lift home when his motorbike broke down. That journey back to Woodley would prove to be very fateful indeed.

As Barbara drove Peter home, they talked about his relationship with Sheila and the discussion they had had about getting married. Barbara made the comment that she didn’t think Sheila was good enough for him. That might well have surprised Peter, but what came next shocked him far more, for Barbara confessed she was in love with him.

The fact that she was forty years old, whilst he was half that age, or that she was married and he was about to become engaged, did not seem to dissuade Barbara. They talked further and the drive to Woodley became a detour to a wood just outside Reading where the couple had sex for the first time.

Despite her apparent disapproval of Sheila Griffin, Barbara had also been known, occasionally, to give her lifts too. On 7 December 1966, Barbara gave Sheila a lift home from the offices of the Automobile Association. Exactly one week later, on 14 December, she did the same again, but this time, Sheila was never to complete her journey.