The Swan, Gillingham

JennyMorgan · October 17, 2016

No, not that Gillingham, the near Beccles one. We went to see a 'live-aboard' friend of ours yesterday to find out it's her birthday this week. Where's the nearest pub? The Swan, naa, it's a grubby bikers pub. How wrong could I be! Tasteful decoration, no tatty, shabby chic, it's modern and really nice. The staff, all enthusiastic, all going the extra mile, impressive, some eye candy behind the bar too. But hey, the food, mouthwatering stuff, just have to recommend it. We stopped to have a 'Sunday Carvery', wow, quality, melt in the mouth meat, superbly cooked 'greens' as we say in Suffolk. Big plate, small bill, amazing! We'll be going back! Not just for the food, they keep their ale well.

Clearly popular with the locals and with good reason. Thirty minutes easy walk from Beccles yacht station it has to be well worth the effort. Just head off over the old road bridge, past Hipperson's boatyard towards Norwich but stop when you get to the Gillingham Swan. If you make it to McDonalds, great place if you like bikes, then you have gone too far.

http://www.gillinghamswan.co.uk/

Happy · October 17, 2016

5 hours ago, JennyMorgan said:

No, not that Gillingham, the near Beccles one. We went to see a 'live-aboard' friend of ours yesterday to find out it's her birthday this week. Where's the nearest pub? The Swan, naa, it's a grubby bikers pub. How wrong could I be! Tasteful decoration, no tatty, shabby chic, it's modern and really nice. The staff, all enthusiastic, all going the extra mile, impressive, some eye candy behind the bar too. But hey, the food, mouthwatering stuff, just have to recommend it. We stopped to have a 'Sunday Carvery', wow, quality, melt in the mouth meat, superbly cooked 'greens' as we say in Suffolk. Big plate, small bill, amazing! We'll be going back! Not just for the food, they keep their ale well.

Clearly popular with the locals and with good reason. Thirty minutes easy walk from Beccles yacht station it has to be well worth the effort. Just head off over the old road bridge, past Hipperson's boatyard towards Norwich but stop when you get to the Gillingham Swan. If you make it to McDonalds, great place if you like bikes, then you have gone too far.

http://www.gillinghamswan.co.uk/

The one and only time I went in there was about 5 years ago when we first moved the boat to Beccles...............and it was pretty grim then!

JennyMorgan · October 17, 2016

I too remember it as grim, indeed grim plus, but it certainly isn't that now. We went on recommendation, despite my recollections, glad that we did.

smellyloo · October 18, 2016

One claim to fame ..... It was the pub that gave birth to the Darkness.

For those who don't know what i'm on about .... "the Darkness" were once a very popular group of minstrels whose renditions were laid down on black vinyl platters and who regularly entertained us via televisual & wireless recordings.

TheQ · October 18, 2016

Actually the Darkenss were well into the era of CD's only forming in 1999, breaking up in 2006. Their reformed (2011) band finished it's most recent tour just before Christmas 2015. Their next UK date is at the O2 on 18th December 2016.

A good band if you have hearing like a bat, Justin Hawkins voice is often that high..

JennyMorgan · October 18, 2016

Thanks, Q, for putting the record straight.

As a matter of remote interest Ed Graham, drummer with the original Darkness, has formed a new group with whom my classically trained violinist daughter plays keyboard & electric violin. They have just put together a Christmas video and it's pretty good. Not quite sure many times I have heard the tracks but it's rather more than once and I still rate them!