A few, not so ancient, Tales of the Lavenham Swan.

Most readers will know Lavenham, it’s one of the finest examples of a mediaeval village in England. Walk through the streets with their quaint names and look at the old beamed buildings some crooked with age, many of the fine Georgian facades covering even finer Tudor architecture. The church is known as one of the finest in the country, it’s tower being a landmark for miles away, and the whole village is seeped in history.

The Swan in Lavenham is six hundred years old and is a heavily timbered Inn but some interesting events happened more recently.

In the 1970’s Dolly Parton, the world famous country and western singer was touring the country, she was due to appear at the Gaumont in Ipswich and she decided to stay overnight in the Swan. She was most taken by the village and its locals and they were enchanted by her, after a good dinner and a couple of drinks she entertained the customers in the bar with her singing. The local policemen went home to fetch his guitar and accompanied her along with guests and villagers till 3 am.

Howard Marks was the most wanted Drug smuggler in the world during the seventies and he relates, in his book ‘Mr Nice’ how he was at the bar in the Swan when a gentleman asked him the time, as he looked at his watch the ‘gentleman’ who was from Scotland Yard, snapped the bracelets on him. He served quite a long sentence in the USA for his activities but, since his release. he has made a living out of books and lecture tours relating his, sometimes, hilarious adventures. Currently they are filming his book, I hope they put this incident in.

More recently Patricia Cornwell a famous American thriller writer whose books have been made into films, TV series and radio serials, had lunch there and left a £5000.00. tip! Must have been some service and some surprised waiter. Actually she’d seen a notice that said all tips went to a Catering workers benevolent fund but it was remarkably generous. She had tea in the neighbouring pub, the Angel, and, despite the fact that one of the bar staff bought some biscuits from the local shop for her she never left a penny.

Claudia Schiffer the famous model booked a room there so she could change into her clothes for her wedding which was held locally. There were crowds outside waiting to see her in all her extravagant and expensive finery, they included lots of schoolchildren, imagine their disappointment when she came out covered in a blanket, all photo rights having been sold to ‘Hello” magazine. Even rich people seem to be greedy for more and more.

Vincent Price stayed there with his wife, Coral Browne, when he was making ‘Witch finder General’ a horror film made all around Lavenham and still worth seeing. He is said to have complained to the management that he never saw any ghosts and they replied that he was just unlucky as a chambermaid from the 16th century often stalks the passageways carrying a full chamber pot which she sometimes spills, many people have said after hearing a noise they have looked out, haven't seen anything but have noticed the floor quite wet and puddled but in the morning there is no sign, just a faint odour.

During the war the Inn was popular with American air crew who were making daylight raids over Germany, it was very hazardous and many were killed or bailed out and were captured. The signatures of many of them are still on the wall in the bar along with details of their units, albeit they are covered with glass to protect them from wear and tear. Periodically ever since 1945 there have been reunions of these servicemen held at the Swan, David Deacon, a local businessman and historian and member of ‘Upbeat’, introduced me to a couple of the old pilots, this was about 3 years ago, they were both big, burly gentlemen with tanned, open friendly faces but well into their eighties, most of their contemporaries were dead or not fit enough to travel and they were saddened that the trip they were on would probably be their last. They adored Lavenham with all its bitter sweet memories and they seemed to me to represent all that was good of America in the past.

Rumour has it, but there’s no substantive evidence, that Glen Miller, the famous American band leader, spent the evening here before he disappeared on a night flight but no wreckage or evidence has ever been found of when or where in the air he was so tragically lost.

Paul Burrell the butler to Prince Diana stayed there recently and complimented the staff on the food but unlike Patricia Cornwell he left no tip explaining that he was just ‘one of them’. They, the staff were not impressed.

Famous people like to be fairly anonymous when they travel and who can blame them but Jerry Hall the ex wife of Mick Jagger has been spotted in the village as has Kylie Minogue, I dare say lots of famous people pass through and are not even noticed but its great to sit in the square outside the ‘Angel’ on a warm summer evening ‘people watching’ who knows what or who you will see, ultimately it’s not important, just a talking point. As long as the swallows and the swifts turn up every year and as long as the beer from the Angel is kept in good condition I’ll stay happy.