Throughout ‘The Hudson Bay’ pub there are many references to Sir John Pelly and his remarkable historic achievements. With production in full swing, Trebor bought up many other smaller confectionary companies – and in 1950it built a new headquarters just up the road at Clayhall in Ilford.

In 1670 the Hudson Bay Company was given a royal charter by King Charles II in 1670, and made huge profits for Britain from selling imported furs and skins it had obtained by trading with North American Indians. Heavy - Active for much of the day, walking non-stop and carrying objects. Typical jobs: hospital/ward nurse, waitressing in a busy restaurant, cleaner, porter, labourer/construction worker, gardener, farm worker. Leisure Activity Level Not long after WW2, the Trebor factory in Forest Gate was painted white, with a huge “Trebor Quality Sweets”branding displayed in green on its exterior. However – the story didn’t end with the closure of the factory, as the Trebor premises at the corner of Katherine Road& Shaftsbury Road in Forest Gate is ‘still’ standing and in use to this very day, but for something completely different than making sweets.Today, several places in Northern Canada bear the Governor’s name, including Pelly Mountain, Pelly River and Pelly Lake – and locally, there are numerous street name and building references to this local lad who was often referred to as the un-crowned ‘King of Canada’, and basically individually instrumental in the creation of Canada as a British Colony. So – all in all an interesting little day out, and I only hope that London Shoes ‘findings’ now leave the initial enquirer from Oz, a little bit more informed than perhaps he was before – and who knows, there may be others reading this particular ‘Shoes’ posting, who may have a past connection or memories of the Trebor factory, and enjoy finding out a little bit more about it. Moderate - On your feet for much of the day, either standing or occasional slow paced walking. Typical jobs: shop assistant, teacher, chef/cook, bar worker, engineer.

You may be thinking what the hell has a historically iconic institution such as the “Hudson Bay Company” got to do with a run-of-the-mill east-end boozer. As the sugar-free mints have less sugar, this also means fewer calories which explains why there is half a syn each, you could have up to 30 of these till you exceed your syns. We would suggest however only having mints in moderation, as full sugar ones can be deceiving with their calories. Low Syn Alternatives To Trebor Mints Trebor soft mints in particular have 1 syns each and a half syn if you buy the sugar-free ones making them a nice low syn treat to have now and then.Inactive - Do very little exercise, going for the occasional walk (moderate pace, low intensity). Spend majority of leisure time doing activities such as watching TV, playing computer games, on the internet, reading, cooking, driving, general household chores. Most people often assume that mints would have no syns or calories, but due to the high sugar content inside of them, this contributes to their syns. When I went to this school in 1954, Trebors were still in production. Us children couldn’t always afford to buy sweets so we all sat on the wall outside and just enjoyed sniffing the wonderful aroma of the sweet making!

Well – interestingly the pub’s named is connected to one ‘Sir John Pelly’who was the governor of the globally renowned ‘Hudson Bay Company’. During WW1 the business was badly affected by sugar rationing – but they played to their market by manufacturing confectionary products specifically aimed at the troops (e.g. their very popular ‘Army & Navy Paregoric Tablets’) and they also started producing a new design of sweets known as the pear drop, pineapple drops& mixed fruit drops.Trebor Mints is a brand steeped in British confectionery history. Since its establishment in 1907, Trebor has delighted sweet enthusiasts with a wide range of iconic sweets and hard candies. A shining light of the British confectionery world, Trebor’s commitment to quality and their irresistible range of sweets has led to them being the household name that they are today. Over the years, they’ve made many sweets, but today they are known and loved for their range of irresistible mints. The factory was left in a right old state structurally following the bombing, and the local police had to maintain a guard over it at all times, to prevent the many looters that had tried to gain entry to ‘alf-inch’ the sugar supplies. Trebor’ were also one of the first companies to produce products from compressed compounded powders, which removed the need for the messy and time consuming process of boiling sugar.

Sir John Pelly was a Forest Gate ‘local’ as he owned a massive amount of the land in the Forest Gate district throughout the 18th & 19th Centuries – and he was made ‘First Baronet of Upton’ by Queen Elizabeth in 1840. Moderately active - Do light to moderate intensity exercise 3-4 times a week. E.g. going to the gym / swimming / cycling / horse riding / dance classes / playing golf. Daily dog walking (brisk pace, twice a day).London in the 50’s and 60’s was a far cry from today – we used to get a Red Rover bus pass for half a crown and travel all over London, hopping on and off to see the sights and felt totally safe. It is believed by some that the name ‘Trebor’ came about by reversing the first name of one of its founders ‘Robert’ Robertson – others say that the company was named ‘Trebor’ because the Forest Gate factory was situated next to a row of Victorian terraced residential houses in ‘Trebor Terrace’. Just read your article about Trebor’s factory in Katherine Road Forest Gate. I grew up in East Ham/Forest Gate and my parents both went to Shaftesbury Road School in the 1920’s.