Swindon: "a place where anything can happen" and in critically acclaimed author Jasper Fforde's books "anything does happen."
 | | Low airship over Swindon. |
Anything, that is, including Swindon's first ever Fforde Ffestival. Organised by the 'ffans for the ffans' the Fforde Ffestival 2005 is all set to bring to life the surreal 1985 Swindon setting of Fforde's 'Thursday Next' novels. A Swindon where croquet is played at the County Ground, a train system rattles underground, a skyrail runs eye-level with the Brunel Centre and home-cloned dodos are the household pet of choice. Well, at least in part. Kicking-off on Friday September 16th, the Ffestival is offering up two days of Ffordian fun including a World Croquet Challenge on the lawns and an open-top guided bus tour of some of Swindon's over-looked charms that make an appearance in the Thursday Next books.
 | | Jasper Fforde |
The Western Players, am-dram group, will be staging a special encore performance of their successful Ffringe show Richard III and on Saturday September 17th Jasper Fforde himself will be reading an exclusive piece of work written especially for the Ffestival. "We have ffans coming from not just all over the UK to this event in Swindon's Old Town, but also from France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Hungary and the States," says Sarah Courtney-Green, the Ffestival's Event Manager. "We've even received enquiries from ffans in Iceland! "Jasper is hugely popular worldwide and his ffans are proving his popularity by just how far they will travel to take part in this truly unique event." And with all the road layouts and other similarities between Swindon and it's 'Nextian' alter-ego as Jasper Fforde says himself:
 | | The Lighthouse on Alexandra Road |
"You can actually come here and see what my alternative Swindon would look like but you have to sort of screw up your eyes slightly." The Fforde Ffestival is being launched on Friday 16th September, at 6pm, with a World Croquet Challenge on the Lawns in Swindon and will run through until Saturday 17th September. Tickets, giving visitors unlimited access to the event over the 2-day period, are available in advance only and cost £25.00 per person. For more information and tickets call the Swindon Tourist Information centre on 01793 530328. | 
