THE SWAN at Tytherington is decorated with skeleton props, creepily-carved pumpkins and cobwebbed ceilings for customers to appreciate during Hallowe’en.

Landlady, Lillian Memia, opened the pub in April this year and has since tried to boost community spirit in the village by offering a friendly meeting place for locals to enjoy.

The 55-year-old from Oxford has been a landlady for almost two decades. Before opening on Duck Street in Tytherington she took six months away from the pub industry.

“I felt like people had lost support for their local pubs and felt a bit disheartened. But I’ve come back with a new view.

“I missed the social life and community spirit that a pub can offer. They are a place where the whole community can come together to socialise.

“When I saw it I thought ‘it’s a fantastic pub, and in such a lovely area’. It was pretty neglected but I like a challenge, so I pulled it up from the doldrums and decorated - making it look tidy.”

She supports local groups – including the knitting and book clubs, the skittles team, British Legion, and young farmers and councillors – who regularly meet up there to enjoy the pub’s fine cask ales and cosy atmosphere by their open log fires.

The Barn area of the pub has also proved popular with some younger people, where they can play pool, darts and skittles.

Appreciating a nice glass of wine herself, Lillian offers customers a fine selection of carefully selected wines to accompany a hearty meal at the pub.

Some of her most popular food items are her homemade faggots, liver casserole and lamb stew. Other traditional best sellers are the steak, fish and pasta dishes.

There are generous meal offers for OAPs, and reduced lunchtime prices from 12-2pm Monday to Saturday.

Lillian is a live-in landlord, and her partner, Colin Smith, likes to help out behind the bar. She said: “We keep at it. A lot of our staff are local - it can be hard work but we love it.

For Hallowe’en, Lillian has arranged for her local butcher to bring her two pig heads which she will cook and put on the bar top for decoration. She will offer her usual menu options but has also bought some Hallowe’en table cloths to add to the spooky ambience.

On Hallowe’en there is a kids trick or treat event organised starting at 4pm, and at 8pm an adult disco and fancy dress party.

Lillian is already getting the pub prepared for the Christmas period. She wants to create a Christmas wonderland and thinks that there can a lot of decoration in a pub is never be too much decoration in a pub. She is offering set four course meals for £18.95 from December 1.

She has arranged a winter fair at the pub with indoor market stalls from 2-5pm on Saturday, November 12, and from 7-10pm Thursday, November 17.

On December 2 a band will be playing rock covers. On Christmas Eve there is a traditional Christmas themed evening with mulled wine, mince pies and Christmas carols.

“If we don’t offer events I think we would miss out. There are only around 600 people in the village so we try to attract people from a little further afield too. People want to see events going on.”

Lillian previously achieved a degree in Business Studies. She feels that her marketing background and skills have helped her to succeed in the trade.

She added: “I consider the music, ambience, and everything that goes on so that I can make it an enjoyable experience for my customers.”

Other pub features include their outside garden for summer evenings, a children’s play area, jukebox and large car park.

For more information about events and the pub visit facebook.com/TheSwanInnAtTytherington/.

After the success of last year’s inaugural Pub of the Year competition, the contest is back for 2016.

The Gazette’s Pub of the Year competition will have one winner for the Dursley, Cam, Wotton-under-Edge and Berkeley region, one for the Thornbury patch, and one for the Yate and Chipping Sodbury area.

The voting deadline is Friday, October 28, and the winners will be announced in the newspaper on November 3.

Use the slip on this week's newspaper to name your favourite pub and tell us why they deserve the award.

Post your nomination to Gazette Pub of the Year, Gazette, 6 Lansdown, Stroud, GL5 1BE.

Only slips cut from the paper will be counted – Photocopies will not be accepted.