A bright new presence has arrived in Old Town, inspired by Cypriot style. Marion Sauvebois finds out more

TAKE a veteran guitarist and an all-but-naturalised expat, add a pooch with a fetching alias, rustic furnishings, lashings of sunny colours, shake and there you have it: Old Town's answer to Cyprus, Gibson's Meze Bar.

Billed as a flavour of the balmy island in drizzly Swindon, the watering hole is the brainchild of Howard Tucker, the man behind town institution The Guitar School, and partner Lynne Ridge.

Inspired by Lynne's trips to her holiday home on the Mediterranean isle, Gibson's is a true-to-life rendition of a traditional Cypriot beachside bar with typical white-washed furniture and hardwood floors. The only concession to her fondness for rich colours is the red table tops and bright trinkets scattered around the snug little venue.

In true Cypriot form, Gibson's is a laidback, no-fuss haven for patrons shunning the throng of cocktail bars and the obligatory club hits blaring from loudspeakers.

"It is a small, cosy bar with a friendly atmosphere," says Howard. "It's a place where you get talking to other people, where you learn their names."

Guitars hanging from the ceiling as though levitating above patrons - Howard's nod to a roving musical career which saw him leave his native Chippenham for session work in the states before an impromptu spell entertaining American GIs across Air Force bases.

"I was musical director for a division called MWR, Morale Welfare and Recreation," he adds breezily in the same way one would discuss the weather. "We rehearsed the GIs and took them all over the NATO and American bases in Europe. I would nurture their talent. It was very similar to the old USO shows."

Back in England he joined the team at Chippenham nightclub Goldiggers. This foray into hospitality in the broadest sense of the term prompted him to take over as landlord of the George Inn, a Wadworth Brewery pub in Sandy Lane.

After a 20-year hiatus during which he established his Victoria Road Music School, he began itching for a return to his publican roots.

"I went back to my music in the late 1990s and in 1998 I opened one of the first proper guitar, base and singing schools in Swindon. It was the biggest private musical school at the time.  But I missed my bar. I found that I'd been doing it long enough. I had been thinking before the recession that I would like to have my own bar. The recession ended and I found a partner. The building  next to The Guitar School became available around the time we were looking for a place. It was convenient."

Lynne, who is poised to leave her job at St Joseph's School this winter was more than ready for a new venture to plough her energies into.

They knocked some ideas around and eventually settled on a hipster meets island lull concept.

"We're both social people, we like meeting people and going out," says Lynne, who worked at Swindon College for 17 years. "I've got a house in Cyprus and I always had this idea that I'd like to run a bar in Cyprus or a cake shop in the UK. But things got in the way. Howard and I talked about it and we thought, 'This could work.'

"I felt a Cypriot bar would work in Swindon. This is exactly what you would see in Cyprus: the white furniture and colourful decor. I wanted it to feel like the bars I visit when I'm over there. Obviously it's Anglicised a little with the guitars. It's important to keep your identity. You have to put your own twist."

Christening such a hodgepodge was no easy task but, the pair, agreed, a convoluted Cypriot name was out of the question. The answer eventually trotted into view in the form of Howard's beloved Parson’s Jack Russell called Gibson.

"We sat there and wrote down lots of names but in the end Gibson's seemed to roll off the tongue," she adds. "Howard has a music background and Gibson was named after Gibson Guitars. You might as well have a name that means something to you and Howard loves his dog."

Customers after Cosmos or Manhattans won't have much luck at Gibson's: it is a wine and real ales strictly sort of place (with a small exception for Greek liqueur Metaxa).

The meze side of the operation is still in its infancy, with only a tasting platter of bread, olives, meatballs, tzatziki and vegetables available to share over drinks while the kitchen is being refurbished.

Once the work is complete Lynne plans to serve a modest but authentic menu of Cypriot staples.

Not surprisingly music is an integral part of the Gibson's experience and Howard has carefully curated his playlists to strike the perfect balance of cool easy blues and soothing jazz.

The bar-restaurant as they envision it, with a fully operational kitchen and inviting beer garden, still has some way to go become reality, but the couple are confident they are on the right track.

"We designed it from scratch," smiles Howard proudly. "It's not been easy. But that's the place we wanted to go and have a drink in within Swindon."

Gibson's Meze Bar is located at 93 Victoria Road.

To find out more visit www.facebook.com/gibsonsmezebar or call 01793 48462