Online Events

During the pandemic The Swan did its best to keep everyone safe: customers, staff, students and volunteers alike. We adapted through three different lockdowns and various periods of restricted operating. We recorded it all here for posterity - who will believe this in 20 or 30 years?

During the various Lockdowns and Tier restrictions, we introduced online activities to bring the community together. We started with online bingo and then introduced a quiz. Live music followed along with themed nights too. Please see below for more information. All these were run online over the Internet using the likes of Zoom and Facebook Live.

Message from the Directors ^(18/Mar/20)

Given the recent advice from the government and the World Health Organisation, we’'d like to let you know how we are adapting to the current situation here at The Swan. We are remaining open. However, we want to give you a place you can come to connect with people responsibly.

The following measures will be in place from Wednesday 18th March…

1. We are cancelling all our events (eg this week there will be no quiz, bingo or Green Canteen).
2. The cleaning routine at the Swan has been upped to half hourly cleaning/spraying of all touchpoints (door handles, tables, toilet areas). With a thorough daily clean as usual.
3. The staff will be washing their hands more regularly than usual and we politely request you all to do the same. (hot water, soap and hand dryers will always be available).
4. We will be taking everyone's temperature on arrival (with a ‘no touch’ temperature gun). If you have a temperature over 37.5°C, you will be asked to leave the bar area and advised to go home.
5. If you have a repeated cough, you will also be asked to leave the bar area.
6. We are now card only, to stop the handling of cash.
7. We are removing some of our furniture to ensure you have enough space to feel comfortable.
8. We will be maximising the space we have in our courtyard with the tables, standing areas, lighting and umbrellas. We know the courtyard is a lovely space in the summer, we will try and make it as agreeable as possible in Spring.
9. Our daily drinks offers will continue and we will be offering 'take outs'. Don't forget we have an extensive range of bottled and canned beer (including some fantastic craft beer) that are available for take away to enjoy at home.
10. Our daytime opening hours will reduce to be open from 4pm 'til 11pm (Monday to Saturday) and from noon 'til 9pm on Sundays.

These are uncertain times and everyone will need to do what they can to remain safe and stem the spread of this virus. During this time we will also do whatever we can to remain true to being a community hub. If you know someone who is struggling to get provisions, walk the dog, look after the children, or anything else...please send an Instant Message to our Facebook Group and we will try to help. Even if we are being forced into isolation, we will still need to remain strong as a community and support one another.

We will keep you regularly updated as usual through our mailing list and social media channels. If you have any suggestions, please let us know.

All the very best,

Will and Richard

Message from the Directors ^(19/Mar/20)

Temperature testing started last evening when the bar opened at 4pm. Customers all approved and whole heartedly supported the move. Thankfully all tested with a temperature less than 37.5°C. We continue to review daily and will update immediately should there be any changes.

We do advise that everyone takes heed of the advice of the relevant authorities. Please stay safe!

Photos by our professional photographer - Doug Seeburg - who is a Swan supporter and volunteer too.

Message from the Directors ^(20/Mar/20)

We want everyone to be as safe as possible. On coming to the pub, we therefore ask:

• Do stay at home if you have any symptoms.
• Do take our quick temperature test.
• Do wash your hands regularly.
• Do avoid touching your face.
• Do practice social distancing.
• Do respect the bar staff & needs of others.

We have made further alterations to the pub to create more space. The bar stools and pews have been removed for now and the number of tables and chairs reduced. The Courtyard and Coach House are available for use.

21st Mar: Weekday Warriors

The Weekday Warriors took the opportunity of lockdown 1.0 to clear the pub and start some maintenance activities.

Message from the Directors ^(22/Mar/20)

We've now closed The Swan as a pub following the Government's announcement on Friday 20th, perhaps for 3-4 months. The Green Room School have already closed activities at the Swan for the time being.

That puts our business at risk which we are trying to mitigate:

• All of our staff are now on unpaid leave (they should be able to benefit from the newly announced Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme).
• Take advantage of a mortgage holiday offered by Triodos Bank.
• Stop all refurbishment expenditure (including the kitchen).

Decisions going forward in these uncertain days ahead will be based on our core values of community, inclusivity, sustainability and responsibility. We know that the community togetherness that you’ve created will pull us through the tough time ahead.

Message from the Directors ^(24/Mar/20)

Following the UK Government's announcement last night, we just like to confirm that The Swan is now closed for all activities. This now includes all of the refurbishment work of the Weekday Warriors too.

Whilst the gates and doors are locked, we would like to advise that security and alarm systems are fully functional. Also the building is being monitored remotely. However, we do ask our neighbours to report any suspicious activity. Thank you in advance.

We do advise all supporters, volunteers and staff to follow the advice of the UK Government and stay in doors. Also, please support our key workers and the rest of our community by keeping them safe.

Online Bingo #1 ^(14/Apr/20)

Eyes Down from our Bingo Caller, Richard Allen. Our first foray into online Bingo proved very popular and raised over £320 for our chosen local charity, Family Friends. Congratulations to all our winners - no prizes but their names recorded for posterity:

• 1st Game: Rene Lowe (age 99) & James Bennett
• 2nd Game: Morgan Weller (age 9) & Martin Payne
• 3rd Game: Kate Bennett & Louise Winch

Due to popular demand we will play again on Tuesday 28 April. More details in next weeks email!

Message from the Directors ^(18/Apr/20)

The Swan remains shut at the moment. On a regular basis we do have people going in to clean the beer lines, check the security, ensure the buildings are watertight, and to water the plants in the Courtyard (that were donated). These people all follow the government guidelines.

Starting last week, we have introduced online activities to bring the community together. We've started online bingo and will be introducing a quiz too. These will alternate on a Tuesday night at 8pm. Please watch out on our regular emails and social media for further information. Please check out our Events page.

Welcome to our online Swan!

Online Quiz #1 ^(21/Apr/20)

Our Quiz Master was Rachel Cross, who took us through five rounds of questions and an additional one of ditloids. Yes, ditloids ... you need to look it up.

We had 40 households with over 50 participants, with some being teams either in the house or virtually the likes of the Datchet Morris Dancers.

We had joint winners on the night with 29 our of 38. Well done guys!

• The Armitages
• Bacon Bappers

And also a birthday too - congratulations to Sue - apologies for the singing, we were slightly out of tune!

Online Bingo #2 ^(28/Apr/20)

Another night of online Bingo via Zoom. There were about 35 connections with about fifty people. Unfortunately some couldn't join us. Fingers crossed for them in a fortnight.

On the night, we raised £305 towards the funds of The Swan. This is really appreciated as we still have outgoings with no income. This will help pay some of the bills. So a big thank you to one and all.

Our winners on the night were:

• 1st Game: John Decoutho (line) & Amy Allison (house)
• 2nd Game: Trudy Lowe (line) & Louise Winch, Kate Bennett and Sue Rigby (house)
• 3rd Game: Sue Rigby (line) & Trudy Lowe (house)

Next week it will be a Quiz Night hosted by Ken Sutherland.

Message from the Directors ^(1/May/20)

With The Swan closed for business for 6 weeks we have had no income for this time yet still have significant outgoings. Triodos bank has generously given us a mortgage holiday but we still have the interest to pay. Sadly utility bills, etc also do not go away.

We have established a PayPal account to enable us to receive donations which was first used very successfully for our recent Bingo Night. Players were invited to make a voluntary donation in lieu of a fee to join the game. We raised £305 on the night!

If you are able and willing to make a donation at this time, perhaps equivalent to the price of a pint or a round that you would have bought had we been open, any support will be greatly appreciated. The process is simple via PayPal.

Sincere thanks to everyone who bought gift vouchers under the ‘Save Pub Life’ scheme. Such was the level of support that we have reached our target of £1,000 which will be matched by Budweiser. Vouchers can still be purchased but will not increase the amount of match funding.

Mark & Sherridan - Live Music ^(3/May/20)

Mark & Sherridan were live last night singing an excellent mixture of well-known tracks. It was an excellent evening which we hope they will do again. If you missed it, you can see the full 45 mins on our YouTube channel.

We like to thank them both as we raised £65 through donations made by those viewing the gig. It was a bit unclear how to do make a donation (we've sort that). FYI this goes towards the running costs of The Swan during the lockdown.

Online Quiz #2 ^(5/May/20)

We had three winners on the night, one for each of the newly introduced categories. We believe that this is a fairer way to play the game. Five rounds this evening with sport, geography, history, general knowledge and of course VE Day. Of all the rounds, it was the latter that people did the best on - perhaps the knowledge fo the round coming up spurred some swotting. And who could forget about the world champions of elephant polo in 2005? They were:

• Best Team: Datchet Morris Dancers
• Best Household: The Mad House
• Best Individual: Anne Tebbat

Mark & Sherridan - Wartime Music ^(10/May/20)

We were delighted to host this fantastic and versatile musical duo for another Sunday session. This time they plaid songs based on a VE75 theme. It was live streamed on our Facebook Group to a very appreciative audience. The gig is available on our YouTube channel.

Online Bingo #3 ^(12/May/20)

Another night of bingo with nearly 30 households and 50+ cards. There were quite a few regulars returning to see if they could do as well as the winners last time. Richard Allen was our caller. In the process, we raised £173 in donations towards the current running of The Swan. A huge thank you to one and all. Our winners on the night were:

• 1st Game: Bas Williams (line) & Fleur Morgan (house)
• 2nd Game: Rachel Cross (line) & Martyn Payne (house)
• 3rd Game: Colin Armfield (line) & Kate Bennett (house)

Mark & Sherridan - Motown Music ^(17/May/20)

Another superb Sunday session from Mark & Sherridan. This time theme was Motown classics. It was live streamed on our Facebook Group to a very appreciative audience. The gig is available on our YouTube channel.

Online Quiz #3 ^(19/May/20)

We were not put off by the small inconvenience caused by being Zoom-Bombed early on in the quiz. We continued and enjoyed the evening. Six rounds on the evening including one from Plastic Free Windsor which was very informative. Who can forget questions about the most tyres produced in 2011 (Lego) and what is the nine of diamonds (the curse of Scotland). As before, we had three winners on the night:

• Best Team: Bacon Bappers
• Best Household: Hodkin
• Best Individual: tie between Louise Winch and Anne Tebbat

Mark & Sherridan - 80s Music ^(24/May/20)

Mark & Sherridan moved to an evening slot from 7.30pm. They plaid an excellent mixture of hits from the 80s. The gig is available on YouTube as normal.

Online Bingo #4 ^(26/May/20)

Another night of bingo with over 20 households and 50+ cards. There were quite a few regulars returning to see if they could do as well as the winners last time. We did miss some regulars and hope they will return in a fortnight. Richard Allen was our caller. In the process, we raised £160 in donations towards the current running of The Swan. A huge thank you to one and all. Our winners on the night were:

• 1st Game: Sheila Allen (line) & Emma Falconer (house)
• 2nd Game: Rob Bishop (line) & Martyn Payne (house)
• 3rd Game: Peter Clifford (line) & Helen Crick (house)

Message from the Directors ^(22/May/20)

The Swan is now offering an off-sales facility each Friday evening between 6pm and 8pm. We will be offering a wide range of excellent beers, wines and soft drinks that regulars will be very familiar with.

All drinks will be served from The Bar and will be paid using contactless facilities. Volunteers will be manning The Bar and will have the necessary safety processes and equipment in place.

You will enter through the front door, get temperature checked and invited to wash your hands. The floor will be marked out to allow people to observe social distancing. Exit is through the side door. We must emphasise that there is no eating or drinking within The Bar or in The Courtyard, you must take it home.

Mark & Sherridan - 90s Music ^(31/May/20)

This week the musical duo plaid a fabulous mixture of hits from the 90s. They also had a prize of a Windsor & Eton brewery presentaion pack for one of the lucky viewers. The gig is available on YouTube as normal. A huge thanks from all those associated with The Swan for their Sunday gigs and keeping us sane.

Online Quiz #4 ^(2/Jun/20)

A busy night at the Quiz with Rachel leading as Quiz Master. There was a good mixture of individuals, households and teams. Our chosen local charity Family Friends provided one of the rounds (all donations went to their worthy cause).

• Best Team: Bacon Bappers
• Best Household: Claire and Tim Allison
• Best Individual: Anne Tebbat

Mark & Sherridan - Disco Music ^(7/Jun/20)

This was the last of the series of gigs by the duo and it was a cracker - they went out in style. They plaid a fabulous mix of disco hits from across the ages. And how they hit some of the high notes, who knows? The thoroughly enjoyable gig is available on YouTube as normal.

Online Bingo #5 ^(9/Jun/20)

Although there were less players this week, we still raised an amazing £165 towards the upkeep of The Swan during the COVID-19 shutdown. The players still had a lot of fun and still want more! Richard Allen was our caller. Our winners on the night were:

• 1st Game: Lexie Sparks (line) and Jonathan Day (house)
• 2nd Game: Jayne Hosmer (line) and Mike Fulton (house)
• 3rd Game: Louise Winch (line) and Ann Payne & Claire Clifford (house)

Online Quiz #5 ^(16/Jun/20)

Another quiz night this time with Ken holding the reigns and with a special round from the Datchet Border Morris. As usual we had a good mixture of individuals, households and teams. At time of writing, we had raised £50 towards the running of the pub during the lockdown. Winners were:

• Best Team: Hettie's Heroes
• Best Household: The Totnes 2
• Best Individual: Trevor Harvey

Online Bingo #6 ^(23/Jun/20)

Potentially our last truly online Bingo event, we had our regulars and a lady all the way from Falmouth who had found us on the Internet. We raised £65 towards the upkeep of The Swan during shutdown. We are looking into ways of continuing the Bingo in the future. It was perhaps fitting that our very first online winner, Rene Lowe, was also our very last one. She was also first served when we re-opened back on July 20th, 2019. Our winners on the night were:

• 1st Game: Anne Tebbatt (line) & Helen Crick (house)
• 2nd Game: Martin Payne (line) & Louise Johnson (house)
• 3rd Game: Sheila Allen (line) & Ann Payne, Sid Allen and Rene Lowe (house)

Message from the Directors ^(26/Jun/20)

The Swan will re-open on Saturday 4th July when Matt, Connor, Luke and Michael will welcome you back. Initial opening hours will be from 5 pm on weekdays and noon at weekends. Closing will be 10 pm on Sun-Mon but 11 pm on Tue-Sat.

Opening times are constrained until September to safely accommodate building work on The Coach House. When complete we will return to morning opening.

Tables will be placed indoors and out to permit social distancing. We’ll operate a one-way system in through front door and out into the yard. We plan to operate a mix of bar and table service but will confirm that when we’ve fully digested the 43 pages of government guidelines! There will also be a range of other measures which we’ll ask you to comply with to ensure that we keep The Swan a safe place to socialise.

Our drinks offer may be a little more limited on start-up but we'll quickly restore a full range. Initial food offer, until the kitchen project is completed, will comprise a range of snacks, Dublicious Fridays and occasional street food vans.

Thanks for your patience during the enforced closure – we're looking forward to seeing many of you again.

Message from the Directors ^(30/Jun/20)

Plans are underway to get The Pub and The Courtyard ready for Saturday. We will be publishing more details shortly but it is likely to include:

• Do stay at home if you have ANY of the symptoms.
• Do take our quick temperature test.
• Do wash your hands regularly including on arrival.
• Do text your details to the pub so we can record your visit.
• Do avoid touching your face.
• Do practice social distancing.
• Do respect the bar staff and follow their direction.
• Do keep kids under control and respect other customers.
• Do use the table service whenever available.
• Do follow directions when being seated during busy periods.

Please revisit this page before going to The Pub so you can get the latest news. Thank you for your patience.

Online Quiz #6 ^(30/Jun/20)

Our last online quiz for now. A really good mix of people enjoyed the quiz set by Hettie's Heroes, one of our regular qui teams. We had three winners on the night, one for each of the categories:

• Best Team: Bacon Bappers
• Best Household: SMike & Lego Warriors
• Best Individual: Anne Tebbatt

Message from the Directors ^(3/Jul/20)

Guidelines have been published on our new Covid-19 page.

Message from the Directors ^(4/Jul/20)

We've re-opened with a number of new ways of working. Here are some of the pictures taken to remember the day. We will also have more photos in our "events" section soon.

Message from the Directors ^(23/Sep/20)

As of Thursday 24th, the new government guidelines and rules are coming into effect which affect all pubs and restaurants in England. These directly affect The Swan so we are changing our operating practices and hours to reflect.

We do want you to really enjoy yourselves when at The Swan, but in a safe way for one and all and through adherence to the new rules and regulations. For you directly, that means when visiting us at The Swan the following apply:

You MUST wear a face mask:

1. Upon entering The Swan.
2. Whenever not seated at a table.
3. If collecting a takeaway and not drinking.

You MUST:

1. Provide track & trace details before being served, info is on your table.
2. Use table service at all times.
3. Maintain at least 1m social distancing, 2m is better.
4. Vacate the premises 15 minutes after last orders is called.
5. Wash your hands regularly for at least 20 seconds.

You MUST NOT:

1. Come to The Swan if you have any symptoms.
2. Have more than six people at a table.
3. Move furniture or participate in table swapping.

There are also other measures being taken by The Swan such as:

1. All of our staff will be wearing masks at all times.
2. Ensure that everyone has left by the legal closing time, no exceptions.
3. The NHS Track & Trace QR code is available for you on entry too.

To be frank - we can be fined, shutdown or even lose our license if these rules are flaunted. Your help and patience with this is really appreciated by all involved. Together we can get through it and still enjoy ourselves in a safe way.

Message from the Directors ^(5/Nov/20)

AND we're closed again for four weeks, possibly longer ... we wait to see. During Lockdown 2.0 we are going to hold Online Events, continue to offer The Friday Feast, and also offer off-sales too.

Online Bingo #8 ^(11/Nov/20)

A return to online bingo proved very popular and provided lively entertainment on a wet lockdown Wednesday. We were delighted to see both established regulars and many new faces. The winners, set to join our virtual luxury cruise, were Debbie Hodkin, Sheila Allen, Colin Armfield, Sue Rigby, Louise Winch and Mary Feyerham. Eyes down again on 25 Nov.

Hug in A Mug ^(13/Nov/20)

Our coffee mornings for Macmillan and then the Royal British Legion proved very popular. The place was very busy, with everyone socially distanced as per the rules. We decided to keep the coffee club going but move online using Zoom which we invested in as it is so important. It was good to see regulars at the first 'Hug in a Mug'. Thanks to all who came along.

Online Quiz #7 ^(19/Nov/20)

Another tricky set of questions didn't deter our quizzers this evening. Rachel was our Quiz Master with questions coming from some of The Friends. Congratulations to all those who took part and especially our winners:

• Team: Shivering Swans
• Individual: Anne Tebbatt
• Household: Yoghurt Pots

Online Bingo #9 ^(25/Nov/20)

Perhaps our last of 2020, or will we enter tier 2 next week and in that case we will see you in a fortnight. Richard Allen was our Bingo Caller for the night and we were joined by both regulars and some newbies. Winners were:

• Game 1: Peter Clifford (line) & Sarah Drake (house)
• Game 2: Tony Cross (line) & Daniel Drake (house)
• Game 3: Sheila Allen (line) & Sarah Drake (house)

Message from the Directors ^(30/Nov/20)

We were really pleased that a group of volunteers went into The Bar and gave it a lick of paint. They were all socially distanced, etc but managed to repaint all the walls and woodwork which was looking a little tired. A huge thank you to them. These are our Weekend Heroes got in some photos that refreshed The Bar - THANK YOU!.

Message from the Directors ^(2/Dec/20)

The Swan will re-open at 5 pm this Friday. We'll operate as before lockdown, but can only serve alcohol to customers who each have a substantial meal. You'll still have to be seated, with table service only, text for contract tracing, and wear masks except when seated. Single household groups apply in the pub and coach house, and rule of six in the covered and open courtyard. Last orders will be at 10 pm (Sun 9 pm) with pub closed an hour later. Whatever you think of the regulations we ask you to follow them both in name and spirit.

You don't need to book but should do so to be sure of a table simply by texting the pub phone (07458 300026) with your name, number in party, any meal order and arrival time, which will be retained for 21 days as your contact tracing record. We'll allocate tables in order – in the pub, then coach house, then covered courtyard (all of which will have heating), then open courtyard - until we're full. If you wish to be outside (eg if your party of up to 6 are from different households) say so – otherwise by making a booking you are confirming that your party are all from the same household.

For the first week our 'substantial' food offer is planned to be:

At all times we'll also offer starters (breadsticks or crostini with houmous or guacamole, or a bowl of olives) for £4, and Gu individual desserts for £3. These aren’t a substantial meal in themselves, but are great value to extend your meal.

This is not how we planned December but we count on your continuing fantastic spirit and have priced our food offer at little more than our cost to make it very affordable.

Our Friday Feast takeaways from Dublicious and fresh cask beer carry-outs will continue on Fridays between 6-7 pm.

Please keep checking the website and social media for further updates as we learn about these new ways of operating and as we recevie further government guidance. Thank you.

Willie

Online Quiz #8 ^(2/Dec/20)

What we hoped was the last fully online quiz saw regulars attend to try out their little grey cells. Our winners on the night were:

• Team: Hettie's Heroes
• Individual: Anne Tebbatt
• Household: Matt & Bev

This was the guys before the quiz started .. confidence oozing out of every pore. Later on ... well that's another story! What happens at the Quiz, stays at the Quiz!

Message from the Directors ^(16/Dec/20)

Following the Government announcement today, The Swan will close from Saturday. On Friday evening there will be a varied food offer including pizza and discounted draft beer – till 10 pm - as long as we’re allowed to open.

We'll do some takeaways from next week – but haven't worked out when yet.

For now, the Doctor Bike session being run by Maidenhead Cycle Hub from the Coach House during Saturday day time will go ahead. There are still a few spots left to get your bicycle checked and minor repairs done – to book it in e-mail Julie Lyons.

We will continue to update you as and when we get more information and a much better understanding of what the new Tier 3 regulations mean to us.

In the meantime, thank you for your support and please stay safe.

Regards,

Will, Richard & Richard

Online Quiz and Bingo #10 ^(30/Dec/20)

As part of Our Swan Song to 2020, we also had a Quiz. This was well attended and by the time we started, we had also tasted three different Brewery beers. Anne was quizmaster. Our winners were:

• Individual: Richard Douglas
• Household: Smike
• Team: The Snowy Swans

Online Quiz #9 ^(16/Dec/20)

This was a mixture of online and also actually in The Pub. The Tier 2 restrictions meant it was difficult for regular players to be there physically, so we went for both media. Our winners on the night were:

1. Hettie's Heroes
2. The Willie Wests
3. Santa’s Sexy Swans

At the pub we also had burgers and chips available from the new food van. It was just prior to the quiz that we learned that we were to enter Tier 3 from COP Friday, essentially closing the pub again.

Message from the Directors ^(6/Jan/21)

Note to The Investors

As we hit our third lockdown in a year, both for hospitality and education, we’ll again put the pub into hibernation – until the spring. Although it puts pressure on our funds, we’ll continue to install the kitchen during the closure to launch a food offer soon after re-opening, subject to ongoing review. All staff are furloughed and we’ll take advantage of all grants and reliefs available.

Remarkably we expect our accounts for 2020 to show that we managed to break even over the year, in spite of obvious trading difficulties. That is 100% down to the spirit and loyalty of all of you as shareholders, volunteers and customers of the Swan.

No doubt the Friends of the Swan will continue to keep in touch with you all and to organise the range of lockdown entertainments that won a national award during the first lockdown, such as the 2020 Swansong last week. Unfortunately new restrictions prevent us from re-starting our Friday drinks takeaways, at least for now.

So thanks for all your support in 2020 and we look forward to welcoming you back to the Swan in the spring.

Warm regards, The Directors

Online Bingo #11 ^(6/Jan/21)

Another fun night of Swan Bingo welcomed both new and regular players to the game. The first joke was on Richard Allen our resident caller when '39 more steps' was interpreted by most as number 39! The confusion didn't deter our worthy winners, who were:

• Game 1: John Decoutho (line) & Iain Morgan (house)
• Game 2: Colin Armfield (line) & Debbie Hodkin (house)
• Game 3: Joanne Decoutho and Anne Tebbatt (line) & Claire Clifford (house)

Online Quiz #11 ^(13/Jan/21)

Thanks to Anne Tebbatt for another challenging quiz and congratulations to our worthy winners:

• Individual - Ann Payne
• Household - Sheila & Sid Allen
• Team - Hettie's Heroes

The next quiz will be on Wed 27 Jan when the questions will be set by Hettie's Heroes leaving every opportunity for a new winning team!

Online Bingo #12 ^(20/Jan/21)

Another entertaining bingo event saw a phenomenal result as Sue Rigby scored a hat trick of wins. She was first to get a line in each of the 3 rounds plaid. What are the odds on that happening? We understand she is available for advice on how to choose lottery numbers!

Congratulations also to our other winners: Jayne Hosmer, Claire Clifford, Sophie Drake and Anne Tebbatt.

Online Quiz #12 ^(27/Jan/21)

Thanks to Colin Armfield and Sue Rigby (of Hettie's Heroes) for setting a challenging and quite different quiz this week. Winners were:

• Individual - Anne Tebbatt
• Household - The Cliffords
• Team - The Snowy Swans and Willie Wests

Online Bingo #13 ^(3/Feb/21)

Another evening of pure escapism under the watchful eye of 'resident caller' Richard Allen saw many more bingo winners. Congratulations to Sophie Drake (a double winner), Martin and Trudy Payne, Sue Rigby, Louise Winch, Joanne Decoutho and Faye Fulton. The same exciting fun will be back on Wed 17 Feb.

Beer and Cheese Tasting ^(6/Feb/21)

A very popular online event to help get us through Lockdown 3. Seems people like beer and cheese with a little entertainment thrown in too. AND it was Rene's 99th birthday too! See our Photo Diary for that evening.

Book Club ^(8/Feb/21)

It's not often we get a picture from the Book Club, but we are pleased that they shared this one with us. As usual they were discussing their favourite books or a recent read, and they were also choosing their Spring choice (to be announced shortly).

Online Quiz #13 ^(10/Feb/21)

Another guest quiz master this week - Paul Drake took over the reigns and set a jolly good quiz. Some found it a wee bit hard but the grey cells were definitely working. The quiz will be back on Wed 24 Feb when it will be set by the RubyQ team. BTW can you spot the erroneous 'tache in the screenshots below?

• Individual - Anne Tebbatt & Ann Payne
• Household - Sid and Sheila Allen
• Team - The Snowy Swans

Online Bingo #14 ^(17/Feb/21)

Bingo dabbers were in action again online on Wednesday evening. With Richard Douglas finally able to shout BINGO the list of those not eligible for the virtual cruise is shrinking. The other winners this week, who had already booked their place at the Captain's table, were Martin Payne, Peter Clifford, Jayne Hosmer, Sophie Drake and Debbie Hodkin.

Online Quiz #14 ^(24/Feb/21)

Many thanks to quizmasters RubyQ (Fiona, Andrew & Caitlin) for a challenging evening. Congratulations to our worthy winners:

• Household - Anne Mograby & Mick Hill
• Team - Spring Swans & Muddy Boots

Online Bingo #15 ^(3/Mar/21)

Another exciting evening of Bingo saw Trudy Lowe sweep the board with a hattrick of wins. Success also for Paul Drake (a worthy first time winner), Syd Allen and Anne Tebbatt.

Race Night and Beer Tasting ^(6/Mar/21)

An excellent evening of horse racing with themed beers to match! The 'Clewer Gold Cup' was a noisy event as our "punters" cheered on their horses. More pictures can be found on our March Diary page.

Online Quiz #15 ^(10/Mar/21)

Thanks to Rachel of The Friends and also the Windsor Homeless Project for setting a quiz that didn't mention Harry &Meghan once. Thanks to all who made donations on the night to The Project, appreciated. More pictures can be found on our March Diary page.

Well done to the winners:

• Individual - Johnny No Mates
• Household - Oh Dear
• Team - The WilliWests

Online Bingo #16 ^(17/Mar/21)

A Paddy's Day spectacular where the attire and banter was more important than the bingo. Only joking!. Who could forget our caller's fantastic Irish accent? More pictures can be found on our March Diary page.

Winners on the night were:

• Game 1, line: Paul Drake
• Game 1, house: Debbie Hodkin & Cath Scott
• Game 2, line: Martin Payne
• Game 2, house: Debbie Hodkin
• Game 3, line: Shiela Allen
• Game 3, house: Martyn Payne

Online Quiz #16 ^(24/Mar/21)

With grateful thanks to the Scott & Bailey quiz masters the final on-line quiz saw a competitive evening with Easter Eggs to play for. Congratulations to our winners:

• Team - Muddy Boots;
• Household - SMike;
• Individual - Anne Tebbatt.

Online Bingo #17 ^(31/Mar/21)

The final online bingo saw the fun continue to the very last number. Richard Allen, again in the hot seat, checked his records and confirmed that the first winner on the night, Rene Lowe, was our first winner in our first online game.

Lightning did strike twice as Louise Winch claimed a full house win in both the first and last online games. Congratulations to our other winners on the night; Bas Williams, Debbie Hodkin, Tony Cross, Daniel Drake and Jayne Hosmer. More pictures can be found on our March Diary page.

Online Quiz #17 ^(7/Apr/21)

With grateful thanks to question master Martin Payne for setting the questions in our last lockdown quiz. We offer congratulations to all who took part and in particular the worthy winners:

• Team - Spring Swans;
• Household - Oh Dear (aka The Baileys);
• Individual - Ann Payne.

Message from the Directors ^(10/Apr/21)

Courtyard Clear-Up

A few folk, neighbours and passers-by popped into The Swan to help clear up The Courtyard. For four months it has been used for renovation activities and now it was time to turn it back into a beer garden. A huge thanks to all those who turned up and helped.

Message from the Directors ^(12/Apr/21)

Opening again!

We're delighted to welcome you back to the Swan from Monday 12th April. However, while there's no early curfew or food requirements, we do need you to follow some revised rules. These are clearly set out on our covid-19 page and we ask for your support of these when you visit.

There is one rule that has changed significantly since previous lockdowns, that of recording your visit. Whilst you no longer need to send a text message to the pub phone about your visit, EVERY person must either log the visit using the NHS QR code or have an entry in our diary for the day. There is no exception to this and we may ask you to leave if you refuse to do so.

Please enjoy your time with us. We are opening for longer and are providing bar food to make your stay enjoyable. We do look forward to seeing you in the near future.

Monday 19th July, 2021

Lockdown restrictions eased as of Monday 19th July. The government pushed the onus onto businesses and individuals to operate in a cautious manner that does not increase the spread of Covid, and in particular the Delta variant. At The Swan, we decided that we would continue to operate in a safe and responsible manner.

• Face Coverings: Staff would continue to wear face coverings for the next couple of weeks as a minimum. They would ensure that their mask is covering both their mouth and nose. We would encourage Guests to wear masks around the site although this is not mandatory.
• Physical Distancing: Staff would keep a 2 metre distance where possible from our Guests.
• Lateral Flow Test: Staff would be completing a lateral flow test Monday and Thursday each week for the foreseeable future.

The reason we extended the current rules at site, is to keep us all safe. Confirmed cases were spiking throughout Windsor and we needed to be on the same page to keep EVERYONE safe.

Message from the Directors ^24/Feb/22

All remaining legal Covid restrictions have been removed in England, nearly two years after the first rules were introduced. It means people are no longer legally required to self-isolate if they test positive for Covid - although they are still advised to do so.

For The Swan, our bar staff and volunteers will continue to take regular Covid tests. They will not be working should they feel unwell or have a positive lateral flow test. We believe that we still need to protect our wider community, especially those who have not been vaccinated for whatever reason.

We do politely ask that you do not come to The Swan if you are feeling unwell, or are isolating, or have Covid and still returning a positive result. By doing this we can protect one and other and especially those that are vulnerable. A HUGE thank you in advance.

We were recognised for our efforts during Covid through the Great British Pub Awards - we won the unique category of Keeping the Community Entertained. We were absolutely surprised and delighted for this recognition for the pub, the community, and all the volunteers who gave up their time to hold these online events.

“Entertainment is a key part of the pub mix and with people struggling during lockdown, many pubs reinvented their offer into the digital space, but none quite as well as The Swan in Clewer. This Windsor-based pub took the title for Keeping the Community Entertained in the Great British Pub Awards Pub Heroes 2020 by offering a huge range of things to engage with the local community. This community owned business already runs a school as part of its operations but shifted events online from its book club and sewing club to even offering bedtime stories services for children to help stressed parents out. All this alongside quizzes, music events and more.”

We have more photos, videos et al on our dedicated page celebrating this award.