"He was all about people - and joy": Tributes to Yorkshire landlord who was son of Leeds United legend

Mel Charles died in hospital aged 68 on Friday August 30.

Mel, who lived in Saxton, North Yorkshire, was the son of Welsh international John Charles, widely regarded as the greatest Leeds United football player of all time.

Born in Leeds in 1956, Melvyn Charles travelled with his parents while his father played for Italian club Juventus.

He was introduced to life running pubs when his father and mother, Peggy, took on the New Inn in Churwell, Leeds, after John’s retirement from professional football.

It sparked a love affair with the pub trade which lasted his entire life.

Following a short spell playing rugby league for Halifax, he went on to run six pubs including the Crown in Hunslet, the Gascoigne in Garforth, the New Inn in Staincliffe, and the Airedale Heifer in Mirfield, where he was landlord for 12 years.

His last pub was the Cross Keys in Hillam, near Selby, where he was a towering figure in the village having set up initiatives to make the pub the heart of the community, including dressing up as Santa Claus for the village Christmas lights event, running a football team and organising race days.

His daughter Laura, who has followed her father into running pubs and is landlady at the Crooked Billet in Saxton, said: “He was a living, breathing landlord in every aspect of his life. That was him.

“It wasn’t just a job. When he finished work for the day, he was a landlord. When he walked down the street with his dog, he behaved towards people like the landlord. He was all about people - and joy.

“That’s just what he wanted to do. He wanted to entertain, and make people happy. He just put a spark back into pubs.”

Reflecting on her dad’s relationship with his father, Laura said: “He was just so proud of him [John Charles.] Growing up in Leeds, his dad was such an icon of the working man. And Dad always had a story to tell about him. They had a really close relationship which had a huge impact on his life.”

Laura said the family had received hundreds of messages since her father’s death from his customers over the years.

One particularly touching anecdote came from a man who had entered one of Mel’s pubs worried as he’d lost a round of golf and had been told he needed to buy the first round, but didn’t have the cash.

Under his breath, Mel had told the man “I’ve got this,” and paid for the round of drinks.

Mel had four children, Laura, Christopher, Jake and Ami, and four granddaughters, Olivia, Grace, Poppy and Sofia.

In the weeks before his unexpected death, he took the whole family on a holiday to Menorca.

“He’d give his last penny to anyone who needed it,” said Ms Charles, “Just totally selfless. He lit up our family, I don’t know anyone who had a bad word to say.”

Mel’s mother Peggy said: “I think he deserves to be recognised as a caring and loving human being.”