Former Ettington landlady Jan Williams fondly remembered following her death last month
FRIENDS and relatives of Jan Williams, former landlady of the Chequers Inn at Ettington and a published poet, are mourning her death at the age of 77 on 20th March after a short illness.
Although born in Kent, and brought up in The Wirral and North Wales, Jan spent most of her life in south Warwickshire after moving to the area in the late 1960s with her mother Margot and daughter Emma. They first lived in Shipston before settling in Ettington in the early 1970s.
Jan quickly became a fixture in the village, instantly recognisable for her white Scimitar sports car, signature drink of Campari on the rocks, and her parrots and dogs, large and small – dobermans to chihuahuas – who were as well known, and well loved, as Jan herself.
Jan was best known to many as the landlady of the Chequers Inn in the village. She and her then husband took on ownership of the pub in the early 1980s, with a vision of providing restaurant quality food in a friendly environment.
Under Jan’s management, the Chequers became a rare thing - a pub cherished by locals for its warm and friendly environment, but that also drew customers from afar. It was feted in guidebooks and recognised in national awards - coming second in a national good food competition during the 1980s.
After retiring from the Chequers, Jan chose to stay in the village she loved, living in Kent’s Lane and then in Ivy Lane, where she continued to be part of village life, winning best garden award and campaigning for safer parking.
In retirement Jan was able to devote more time to her passions for the arts. She had attended art college as a young woman, and published volumes of poetry throughout her life under the pen name of Afra Grey.
For many years she was a participant in and patron of the Stratford Festival, and she was a founder member of the Ettington Arts amateur theatre group, writing their first play, Routes and Roots, which took audiences on a tour of the village while dramatising its history.
Her associations with the theatre turned professional in 1995, when her chihuahua, Hero, was invited to join the cast of the RSC production of Anton Chekov’s The Cherry Orchard. Her cockatoo, Chaz, would also feature in the company’s staging of Tennessee William’s Camino Real (1997) - on the shoulder of Leslie Phillips.
“Weaving together the many threads of Jan’s life was her generosity,” said her daughter Emma. “With family, friends, and anyone who crossed her path, she was quick to share her love for painting, music, and literature, her exceptional cooking, and her warm hospitality. Her laughter, wit, and wisdom will be missed by everyone who knew her.”
