'He just asked for the way to the mountains'

LANDLORD Mel Robinson

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LANDLORD Mel Robinson stood silently in his country pub yesterday and pondered on a visitor who never came back.

A year ago to the day, quietly-spoken Mel, father of four, stood exactly at the spot at approximately the same time, 2.10pm, and gave a man directions to his question: "Can you tell me the way to the mountains?"

I met Mel for the first time soon after the body of the man was found on Saddleworth Moor after travelling by train from Ealing to London Euston, on to Manchester Piccadilly and dropped by The Clarence in Greenfield.

Since then, the affable 69-year-old has been interviewed numerous times by news and TV teams from across the globe.

They are all intent on wringing the last ounce out of one of the most curious mystery tales to ever grace these hills.

But Mel's answer to the intriguing question, "What was the mystery man doing in Greenfield?" has always been steadfastly and consistently the same.

Yesterday, after he was interviewed by Adrian Chiles on BBC Five Live, he conducted another interview with a film crew from Los Angeles visiting the pub and attempting to piece together the bedevilling mystery man puzzle.

Unfazed by the fact he was possibly the last person to ever talk to the 6ft 1in tall stranger, he told me candidly: "He just asked for the way to the mountains... nothing more.

"I've gone over it scores of times in my head since but that's what he asked.

"He was dressed like an ordinary British working chap... but his clothes weren't right to walk up Chew Track.

"I told him there's not enough daylight for him to get there and back. He just thanked me and asked me again for the directions, which I repeated to him. And he just set off."

The Clarence is a hugely popular watering spot with walkers and tourists keen to share the delights of the Peak District National Park.

"I've even walked the route the man took," said Mel. "But, as the police say: there are still more questions than answers."

And over the months he's talked to one of the many tragic families who thought the man, mortuary attendants have named Neil Dovestones, was their missing relative.

"It's heartbreaking," Mel added."But someone, somewhere must know his identity."

Yesterday's weather at Greenfield offered partial similarity to weather conditions of a year ago.

But 2.10pm ticked past... and no-one came through the swing doors of The Clarence to ask the way to the top of the mountains.