Here is a round-up of the events at The Swan during August, 2022.

Special brewing for SwanFest

Micky went to The Brewery this week to create a special beer for SwanFest. We are brewing a Red IPA at 4.5%. This is an exclusive for our SwanFest and only available from The Swan during 19th-21st August. It will not be available anywhere else (including The Brewery).

Step 1: ensuring you have the equipment, people and raw ingredients.

Step 2: gathering the raw ingredients that are required for a beer.

Step 3: carefully measuring out the ingredients.

Step 4: mixing the ingredients, and starting the brewing process.

Step 5: fermenting and waiting for a wee while, and a bit longer, and a bit longer .... time to do the naming and branding. We had a competition and the team chose 'FEATHERED FRIEND', named by Adam Chojnacki and a local resident. A brilliant name that ties to our community and story beautifully! Well done Adam and thanks for creating the perfect name for our Beer!

Our beer is alive and brewing as we speak ready for you later this month!

10th Aug: Quiz Night

This week's Quiz Night really sorted the men and women from the boys and girls, as high temperatures addled a few little grey cells! Expertly topping the list of the 11 participating teams in a closely run contest were 'Not having one for the road!' who won the coveted £25 bar tab prize. And the winning raffle ticket was claimed by Chris from 'Swan Patrol' who had the good fortune to select the right envelope and walk off with the £20 cash jackpot!

19th - 21st Aug: SwanFest

Our exciting and fun celebration ran from Friday 19th until Sunday 21st August. We were open from 11am until 11pm each of the three days of party. All were welcome and as a bonus, there was no entrance charge. We had an excellent range of activities for all ages including,:

• Family fun - face painting, games and crafts.
• A beer festival.
• Music each afternoon and evening.
• A raffle with excellent prizes.
• And our famous BBQ each day too.

Read on and see what happened on each of the days to soak in all the fun. For each of the three days of SwanFest we have created a separate section with the stories and photos of the day. Please just click on the photo of the day and you will be whisked there. Enjoy!

What Was On

The Raffle

We had a traditional raffle with an excellent range of prizes. All funds raised went to the continued renovation of the pub. A MASSIVE thank you to all our prize donaters without whom this would not be possible, really appreciated by all the team. Here are our winners:

We are sorry, but no switches or substitutions are possible. All winners have already been contacted by telephone or email. Any personal details taken in order to contact winners will be destroyed as soon as the prize has been collected. Prizes must be claimed from The Swan, Mill Lane within 3 weeks of the draw, unless alternative arrangements are made.

Thanks to The Team

Unfortuantely we didn't get a picture of the team that put the whole event on. Just to say a huge thanks both to the staff and volunteers who helped make SwanFest 2022 a real success. Without you, it would not have been possible. Here are some photos of the team at the BBQ, or the raffle, or in the stocks (as you do), or in the bar, or face painting, or selling tickets, or .....

If your picture isn't here, apologies.

Feathered Friend

Micky created our own special beer for SwanFest. It was a red IPA at 4.5%. Lighter than a Guardsman in colour with a lovely red tinge. See more of the story earlier in this page talking about 'Feathered Friend', our very own beer for SwanFest. It went very quickly as it was very popular.

Guest Beers

We had a fine range of guest beers during SwanFest including:

• Batemans Triple XB by Batemans Brewery
• Summer Swallow by Batemans Brewery
• Feathered Friend by Windsor & Eton Brewery
• Simply the Zest by Rudgate Brewery
• Brew No.34 Dinga Dinga by Rudgate Brewery
• Ruby Mild by Rudgate Brewery
• Side Pocket for a Toad by Tring Brewery
• Lukas by Thornbridge Brewery
• Lost and Grounded by Helles
• Eisbar Lager by XT Brewing Company
• Fork Handles by Vale Brewery
• Cwtch by Tiny Rebel

World Record Attempts

Each day at 5pm we had our own version of the hit BBC programme 'Record Breakers'. Remember the McWhirter brothers and Roy Castle? Well we had our own version with our very special compere Micky who hosted our world record breaking attempts. Despite some brave attempts, we were unsuccessful.

• Friday 19th: How many socks can you put on 1 foot in 1 minute. Can you do more than 30? That's the goal ...
• Saturday 20th: Can you eat more than 20 MnMs in 1 minute? How about if you were blinded folded and had to use chopsticks? Not so easy now is it!
• Sunday 21st: Do you think you make a freestanding toilet paper roll tower higher than 20 rolls in 1 minute? Come and try!

24th Aug: Quiz Night

Congratulations to Hetties Heroes who won this week's quiz. Under the slightly amended format (revealing the half time scores) the winners maintained their early lead to finish in style. Although Izzy won the raffle she didn't scoop the jackpot so this rolls over to £20 next time.

26th Aug: Coffee Morning

This month's coffee morning was for the Roof Fund for The Swan. As is quite apparent from the scaffolding, we are in need of funds to repair the roof of the pub. It is leaking and we needed urgent help to get funds to get the work started. Thanks to the bakers, the volunteers, the staff and importantly the community for help on the day.

28th Aug: Mini-Market

Our monthly mini-market last week went ahead complete with BBQ as hoped after an 11th hour purchase of gas, which appears to be in short supply in the area – thanks to Peter for tracking it down! With a variety of stalls, fun was had by all who enjoyed another Sunny Sunday in the Courtyard.

19th Aug: SwanFest Day One

Our Community

Our roving photographer was out and about on day 1 to take some excellent portrait photos of the local community who turned out.

Marlow Ukulele Group

The Marlow Ukulele Group has been set up to provide opportunities for new and more experienced ukulele players to practice their favourite songs in a friendly group environment. Everyone is welcome to come along and join in their fun.

We had the pleasure of the Group opening our weekend of music.

The Kids

As well as having music and beer, we had activities for the kids too. Face painting proved very popular amongst the young and old.

The Courtyard

With the good weather, excellent beer, the fab BBQ and the live music out Courtyard was a busy place.

Mark & Sherridan

We were very pleased that Mark and Sherridan could join us in the evening for some more live music. As usual they really entertained the community in The Courtyard with their superb selection of music.

20th Aug: SwanFest Day Two

World Record Attempts

We then attempted to break another Guinness World Records with the most MnMs eaten in a minute and blindfolded... no record this time but a good try.

Windsor Jazz Collective

We've been waiting since the start of the Covid Lockdown to host this fabulous jazz group. And boy, were they worth the wait!

A Popular Event

There was an excellent turn out from the locals and the community who came to taste the various beers on offer, take in the music, enjoy the music and BBQ, and to take a little sun too. And there was some entertainment from the people taking on our Guinness World Record attempts.

38MM

To close off the night, The 35mm band got the dance floor pumping.

21st Aug: SwanFest Day Three

Dino the Dinosaur

DJ Wildcat

The Raffle

The Friends of The Swan held a tradfitional raffle with all funds raised went to the continued renovation of the pub. We raised nearly £1,200 over the three days through the sale of lots and lots of tickets. Thanks to Anne, Peter, Judy, Richard and Ian plus the bar staff for selling the tickets.

A HUGE thank you must be given to all our prize donaters without whom this would not be possible.

Although our news page has all the newsletters, we thought it might be easier to access this month's ones from here.

• 05/08/2022: Lionesses and a Swan - a winning combination
• 12/08/2022: Lazing on a Sunday (and/or Saturday) afternoon
• 18/08/2022: SwanFest 2022 is here!
• 26/08/2022: Memories made at SwanFest