Dolly Drury
Running The Swan 1937-1948
In 1937 my husband, Vin, and I, together with our family, moved out of Vine Cottage and became tenants of the Swan Hotel at Whittington. We took in boarders from the aerodrome and there was lots of laughter at this time, but this happy spell was shattered by the sudden death of Jimmy at five and a half years old. I was pregnant again at this time, and with the shock of Jimmy’s death and falling down stairs, plus a fall in Lichfield I was taken to a Nursing Home in Tamworth. Vin cycled from Whittington to Tamworth in very heavy snow for ten days to visit me. There was great relief when our second daughter arrived safely on 7th February 1938 christened Pauline but always known as Paul. Pregnant once more, and our son Peter was born on 3rd May 1939 … after this Vin was informed no more family.
ONCE MORE MY LIFE MADE UP OF LAUGHTER AND TEARS.mentality, one for living the moment.
When the American soldiers first came to Whittington, they were supposed to be confined, but one night six of them crept out and came down to the pub. They asked Vin to keep guard while they drank their beer. When Vin heard the military policemen on the gravel outside he pushed the soldiers out of the back door and into the orchard. When they returned after the ‘All Clear’ it was to find that the only other customer in the pub (an Irishman) had drunk all six pints of beer.
It was during this time I acquired my drinking habits – mostly black market whisky. Even though there was food rationing we never went short of anything; the Yanks kept us supplied with food, chocolates and stockings for myself. One day a soldier was bringing in some food for an after-hours party when he was stopped by the military police and detained. I was afraid that the police would raid the pub so I wouldn’t let Vin go to work at Fradley aerodrome that day.
Dora Sylvester came to work for us in the bar and we became very good friends. Whilst she was with us she got married to a Welsh soldier and the Yanks provided a marvellous wedding reception for her. They also catered for the wedding of our neighbours’ daughter, Hilda Mellor, even providing a five tier wedding cake finished in butter icing. Another helper in the house, Emily Wallace, was married from the Swan and once more food supplied by the Yanks.
One regular customer, Mr Bridgen, called every week after collecting his ten shilling pension for a pot of tea and three gins
After exchanging some drink for a book of clothing coupons, I bought Vin a light coloured suit. He looked so smart in this suit, but it was fated – something disastrous happened every time he put it on. Vin was on his way to court in Lichfield to renew our drinking licence when he met up with some Yanks. They had a very heavy drinking session and as he was cycling home along the canal bank, he fell in. He climbed out absolutely drenched, but realised his bike was still in the canal, so went back into the water to retrieve it. Of course he was wearing the suit.
Most of these sort of events were in the black out. On another occasion, Vin took a lorry load of soldiers to see the brewery; he came home at 4am very much the worse for wear declaring ‘Never Again!’ Did I believe him? … not on his previous antics.
We made a great acquisition in 1942 when we bought our first car – a second hand Ford. My parents who lived in Rugby used to visit most weekends and after closing time the sing-along would get underway. I would play the piano and my father would always start singing ‘Little Grey Home in the West’. Unfortunately on a visit one Easter he suffered a heart attack and died; he was taken home to Rugby to be buried - Mum continued to live there until she died.
AGAIN A LIFE OF LAUGHTER AND TEARS
At the end of the war and the Yanks went home, the trade in the pub dropped dramatically. Although we struggled for three years things didn’t improve, so we decided to leave the Swan after eleven very happy years.