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I think we may have a difference of opinion here. If the bees have decided to swarm then they often swarm in spite of attempts to remove all queen cells. There are quite a few Easy methods of persuading them that they have already swarmed, which may lead to a couple of hives which can then be united back to one when the swarming period is over. I would suggest that the OP do some research now in anticipation, maybe come up with a list of options and we could critique his thought processes.

Spring ! Winter doesn't start for another month ! It's the same every year, oh how mild it is..

I've seen in Tony's hives. Bee numbers were high. Brood was low. Two boxes packed out with mostly syrup. Many of the extra bees that have hung on since summer will die through winter. Nothing I saw would lead me to expect those hives will be anything other than healthy coming into spring. Just be ready with your varroa treatment and they will do fine.

thanks guys it gives me something to look for.

Sorry about your hive. Hives can die for a lot of reasons. You need to pinpoint why they died. So you'll need to open the hive up and have a good look through, see if there is any brood in the hive, take note of how much honey or pollen the bees had. Probably the most common winter deaths are starving or queenlessness. How much honey was left on it after summer? And how old was your queen roughly? Did your hive get an Autumn varroa treatment? And what did you use and how much? Photos would be good If your not confident it would be a good idea to find someone you can ask to