Armed Forces Day (formerly Veterans' Day) in the United Kingdom is an annual event celebrated in late June to commemorate the service of men and women in the British Armed Forces. Veterans' Day was first observed in 2006. Although an official event, it is not a public holiday in the UK. The name was changed to Armed Forces Day in 2009. Armed Forces Day has so far been observed on the last Saturday of June. Today we honour the dedicated individuals, who are serving, or have se

Father’s Day in the UK and Ireland takes place on Sunday, June 19 2022. Not many people can say they have a true friend Someone that stands by your side and shows devotion with no end The person that encourages you to reach for your dreams and goals The one that understands the hardships hidden deep within your soul That person that stays up at night When you need a listening ear The only person in the world that knows your deepest fear That shoulder that you cry on When life

The past couple of years have been testing for all of us. But with The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee this summer, there’s never been a better excuse for a great big party, to say thank you to everyone who has helped us through. That’s why Sunday 5th June, is this year’s Thank You Day. 😊 We would like to say thank you to all our lovely members for making @thevirtualtavern2020 such a wonderful, kind, caring, fun community. And thank you to all our Admin, who work tirelessly to keep

This week is ‘Mental Health Awareness Week’ This year’s theme is ‘Loneliness’. Loneliness affects millions of people in the UK every year and is a key driver of poor mental health. Research has found that loneliness has been exacerbated by the Covid pandemic. Loneliness has been an important factor contributing to higher levels of distress, resulting from people’s sense of isolation and reduced ability to connect with others. Further polling also found that loneliness was on

St George has been celebrated as the patron saint of England since the 14th century. He was born in the third century in Cappadocia, Turkey and became a high-ranking soldier in the Roman army. After converting to Christianity, St George protested against the army’s harsh treatments of Christians, which led to him being sentenced to death. His torture and execution made him a Christian martyr and St George was canonized as a saint by Pope Gelasius I. St George grew in populari

Starting Friday 22nd April, we thought we’d do a little 30 day photo challenge. We are giving you a heads up so you can be ready. You can be as artistic as you want and interpret each day as you see fit (nothing rude obviously 😆). We’ll start things off on Friday with Day 1 and if you want to join in, post a pic with the hastags: #30dayphotochallenge and #virtualtavern over on our main Facebook page. Have fun 📸📱😀 #30dayphotochallenge #photochallenge #bringingpeopletogethe

Well, after having to initially postpone the South Wales leg of the Virtual Tavern on Tour, we finally got to Newport on Saturday 16th April and it did not disappoint. Huge thanks to all the barstaff at the Pen and Wig for hosting us and a massive thanks to all our sponsors who kindly donated raffle prizes and drinks giveaways: Tesco Steve Turzynski & Co Accountants Amanda Mcnulty All the generous Taverner's who donated prizes, or money towards buying prizes We are delighted

Wishing all our members Easter, Passover and Ramadan Greetings. ✝️✡️☪️❤️ Easter is one of the principal holidays, or feasts, of Christianity and this year falls on Sunday 17th April. It marks the Resurrection of Jesus three days after his death by crucifixion. For many Christian churches, Easter is the joyful end to the Lenten season of fasting and penitence. The tradition of Easter eggs originated in a Pagan springtime celebration. Eggs symbolise new life for Pagans, and so

April is stress awareness month, and in 2022 it seems more people than ever before are feeling stress. Research from the Mental Health Foundation has found that in the last year, 74% of UK adults have felt so stressed at some point that they have felt overwhelmed or unable to cope. What is Stress? If you feel overloaded by demands being placed on you, or your reaction to being put under pressure is to feel upset, worried, or unable to cope, you might describe yourself as feel

National Pet Day is marked every year on 11th April around the world. It celebrates the presence of pets in an individual's life. Although pet owners celebrate their pets each day, they get this designated day to shower love on their best companions. So whether your pet has fur, feathers or fins, please share the love you feel for your animals with us over on our Facebook Page. And remember… LOVE YOUR PETS!! 🐶🐱🐭🐹🐦🐴🐥🐢🦎🐠🐈🐕🐓 #worldpetday #loveyourpets #adminpets #an

27th March 2022 What is a Mother? A mother is someone to shelter and guide us, To love us, whatever we do, With a warm understanding and infinite patience, And wonderful gentleness, too. How often a mother means swift reassurance In soothing our small, childish fears, How tenderly mothers watch over their children And treasure them all through the years. The hearth of a mother is full of forgiveness For any mistake, big or small, And generous always in helping her family Who

The Virtual Tavern is officially celebrating its 2nd Birthday today. 🥳 THANK YOU to all taverners new and old. Plus a HUGE thank you to the whole team who have kept the good ship tavern running smoothly, through both the rough and smooth seas:- Neil, Adam, Brigitte, Carla, Carole, Jane, Justin, Sarah, Simon and Steph. 🥳 Our ethos is, and always will be about being kind and focussing on fun and positivity. Here is just a very small selection of the many amazing things we ha

St. Patrick's Day is celebrated on the 17th March and observes of the death of St.Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. The holiday has evolved into a celebration of Irish culture with parades, special foods, music, dancing, drinking and a whole lot of green. The holiday has evolved into a celebration of Irish culture with parades, special foods, music, dancing, drinking and a whole lot of green. Though only minor figures in Celtic folklore, leprechauns were known for their t

Hello Taverners. If you are a foodie and like nice food, THIS is the draw for you!! Our very kind sponsors at Chef 2 U Hospitality have donated this AMAZING prize to help us raise tavern funds. For just £5 you can get yourself a ticket for the draw to win a private dining experience for 2 people! They have chefs all over the UK so your very own private chef will prepare, cook and serve a 5-course tasting menu for 2 in your own home. Below are just a few pictures of the kind o

You might have seen International Women's Day mentioned in the media or heard friends talking about it. 🌸 International Women's Day, also known as IWD for short, grew out of the labour movement to become an annual event recognised by the United Nations. 🌸 International Women's Day was first celebrated in 1911, in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland. The centenary was celebrated in 2011, so this year we're technically celebrating the 111th. 🌸 Things were made official

Today is also Shrove Tuesday or Pancake day. 🥞 Shrove Tuesday, the day immediately preceding Ash Wednesday (the beginning of Lent in Western churches). It occurs between February 2 and March 9, depending on the date of Easter. Shrove, derived from shrive, refers to the confession of sins as a preparation for Lent, a usual practice in Europe in the Middle Ages. Although the day is sometimes still used for self-examination and introspection, Shrove Tuesday eventually acquired

Today is St David’s Day, the patron saint of Wales. Legend says that he gave is last words in a sermon ~ “Lords, brothers and sisters, Be joyful, and keep your faith and your creed, and do the little things that you have seen me do and heard about. And as for me, I will walk the path that our fathers have trod before us…...Do ye the little things in life” It’s the little things. Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Hapus 🌼❤️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 #dyddgwyldewihapus #happysaintdavidsday #wales #thelittlet

The work to create a kinder world never ends. There is no limit on the amount of goodness we can put into the world, but we need your help! We invite you to join the annual Random Acts of Kindness Day (RAK DAY) celebration on Thursday, February 17, 2022 and help #MakeKindnesstheNorm Let’s show people some kindness. No gesture is too small xx #randomactsofkindnessday #rakday #kindness #randomactsofkindness #bringingpeopletogether #combattingloneliness #strongertogether #virtua

Despite having to change the venue at short notice, Tavern on Tour 3 took place on Saturday 12th February and was a sell out again, as we returned to The Lowerhouse Inn, Oldham. What a fantastic night!! Along with Karaoke, a few party games were also added this time, seeing as it was loosely a Valentine's themed event. My goodness, you guys did not disappoint. 🤣 Huge thanks to Tom, Dan and the girls at The Lowerhouse Inn for hosting us again and a massive thanks to all our s

A day to avoid? Or one to look forward too? I suppose that's up to you. Valentines day can be perfect for those in love, But those still looking, prefer to discontinue. But not all have such a dark look on life, And Valentines Day as well. Some choose to rejoice in their wealth, Love surrounds them like a carousel. For the mothers and fathers and siblings alike, The best friends and co-workers too. Valentines day is a day to share all your love, So please let us not misconstr