GI Favourite Re-Opens on D-Day 

Clifton Hotel in Swindon refurbished and ready for summer and the World Cup

Today is D-Day – and also for The Clifton Hotel in Old Town, Swindon which reopens ready for the summer.

 

The Arkell's pub has been taken over by landlords Darren and Vicky Turner, who also run 20 at The Kings and The Plough Inn, both in Old Town, Swindon.

 

 

American GI Favourite

It's all a big co-incidence because according to amateur military historian Rodge J Dowson, who hails from Swindon but is now based in Yorkshire, The Clifton was one of the most popular hotels with the GIs of Easy Company (stationed at Aldbourne before D-Day and later immortalised in the American TV series, Band of Brothers).

 

 

In his recollections, Bob Lundy D/506 remembers visiting this pub with Walt McCauley, who smashed his hand through the front door glass when he couldn't wait for opening hour; he wanted the pub to be instantly open!

 

The local Arkell's Brewery's Mild & Bitter beer and darts were also part of the attraction.

Among the many military stationed in Swindon during the run-up to D-Day, 3Bs was generally understood to mean 'Beer, Bicycles and Blackouts.”

 

Even the members of Easy Company made famous in Stephen Speilberg's HBO series Band of Brothers piled eight to a taxi to get to The Clifton from their base in nearby Aldbourne during their nine months in Wiltshire prior to D-Day.

Clifton Landlord, Darren Turner, said: 'We had no idea about the D-Day connection and our opening on Friday is a total coincidence, but it will provide a special atmosphere to the occasion and we'd love to hear from any veterans who might have visited here during the war.”

 

Transformed - with more to come

 

To get The Clifton reopened in time, an initial £20,000 has been spent redecorating the inside and out before a more major refurbishment takes place in the next two months, which will include new accommodation rooms, furniture, décor, kitchen and dining area.

 

 

Darren & Vicki recently transformed the run down Plough Inn nearby into one of Old Town's most impressive and popular pubs.

 

For now The Clifton is serving the complete compliment of craft ales, beers, lagers and ciders plus an extensive range of gins, whiskies and wines.

 

A new big screen will also show all World Cup games.

 

Win a £50 Bar Tab

 

We've teamed up with The Clifton to offer one lucky winner a fifty pound bar tab to be enjoyed this summer.

 

Just answer this simple question for your chance to win:

 

In which city is the Clifton Suspension Bridge?

 

1. London

2. Bristol

3. New York