A few months ago, the SwimWay Summer Party 2023 announcement was made, and excitement started brewing! As usual, SwimWay Facilities Manager Ana Veronica Pastor put together an amazing treat for the team. This year, the SwimWay team ventured back to a favourite summer venue, Denbies Wine Estate for a perfect evening of good company, delicious wine, beautiful views, and tasty food! It was a additional treat too, to have SwimWay instructor and photographer Jordana Barale there with her camera to take most of the amazing photographs you will see below!
The Day Arrives!
On Saturday 1st July, the big day arrived! The entire team, joined by the lovely Putney Pool owner Jenny, met at the SwimWay offices. From there, we were transported by bus to Denbies. It is always a surprise at how quickly the cityscape turns into the beautiful countryside when travelling out of London!
Due to a low bridge, the bus could only take us to the entrance to the estate, but the short walk was a welcome stretch of legs after the journey.
Canapés & Bubbly
The Denbies team took excellent care of us throughout the day. Starting with a fun “train ride” up to a beautiful viewpoint where we tasted two amazing types of Denbies sparking wines! The view was an incredible partner to the delicious bubbly, along with some very interesting information about the harvesting and fermentation processes involved.
Winery Tour & Tasting
The train then took us back to the main venue. Spirits were high as we started a short but interesting tour of the winery. This was followed by some more tasting and information about the various different wines. The history and processes behind winemaking was fascinating!
The Award Ceremony
After the tasting, SwimWay MD, Dan Pastor, took the stage to talk about how proud he was of the team. We have been working through uncertain times recently and managed to navigate with the support of an amazing team. Hence why Dan likes to show the team his appreciation for their hard work with the staff, office member and instructor of the year awards.
Office member of the year went to Claire Maskell. Having joined the company just over a year and a half ago, Claire has proven herself to be an outstanding manager. She is consistently supportive, quick to act and always happy to step up when needed. A well-deserved award!
Instructor of the year went to Ioannis Nikiforos. Ioannis is a very recent addition to the team, but has made incredible progress since joining the company. An asset to our teaching staff, he has taken to regular as well as cover shifts with nothing short of excellent feedback from all his students and parents alike. We are very lucky to have him with us, and look forward to more terms with him on board!
Staff member of the year was awarded to Alexei Grajdean, who gave a very funny acceptance speech before the team disbanded to head upstairs for supper. Alexei is the Home Guard Club front of house manager. A vital role that he works at above and beyond all expectations. It is difficult to see how that venue would operate as well as it does without Alexei’s help.
Claire Maskell 
Ioannis Nikiforos 
Alexei Grajdean
Suppertime!
The team was ravished! As with most SwimWay Summer Parties, the evening culminated with a delicious meal in the Denbies restaurant along with some lovely wine and other drinks. The service was top-class and supported the festive atmosphere.
Alas, however, all good things must come to an end. The team was then taken back to the office via the party bus with instructor of the year, Ioannis, serenading everyone with some makeshift Karaoke! One of the most relaxing, truly lovely SwimWay summer parties! Our heartfelt thanks once again to Ana Veronica, Dan and Denbies for a fantastic event!