I am just letting you know that tickets are now on sale, you can follow this link to our pages on Jasper’s website [www.jasperfforde.com]

The event takes place at the De Vere (soon to be renamed Village) Hotel in Swindon on 28th and 29th May 2011. The cost is £85.00 which includes the following:

Access to Ffiesta events during the weekend
Ticket
Programme
Gala Dinner with after dinner entertainment from Ffordians Have Talent!
Printed Lanyard
Colour coded badge

For those of you that didn't come last time and think it's quite expensive, the hotel will be undergoing a refit so unfortunately we have to adjust our prices accordingly but just ask anyone who came last time what great value for money you're getting!

Although we don't officially start until Saturday morning, we will be hosting a Pub Quiz on Friday evening in the bar for anyone arriving earlier.

Everyone will be put into genre of either Romance, Horror plus Fantasy and Sci-Fi, Feminist, Children's Books, Crimes or Classics which will be used for the Getting to Know You quiz to make new friends and for a few group activities

We will be starting off with the lighting of the Eternal Flame and a rousing rendition of the President Formby anthem When I'm Cleaning Windows

We will be concentrating on One of Our Thursdays is Missing. There will be a reading on Saturday by Jasper, more details nearer the date

Our thespian offering this year is A Midsummer's Night Dream, The Panto! - Will Mr Johnson (he's behind you!) manage to succeed (oh no he won't!) or will Puck & Co foil his attempt to wreak havoc? (oh yes they will!) As this is being penned by our very own bard Katie, we will have scripts to send out to anyone who is interested in taking part.

A return of a favourite event Thursday Next's Coach Tour of Swindon - the original and best, so good another group copied our format! There will be a small charge for this.

The Swindon Treasure Hunt will take place in and around the hotel

The Danver clones will be gathering; we are trying to get as many as possible in one place to break the world record of 23. Certificates will be given to everyone who joins in

After the Gala dinner on Sunday, there will be a Ffordians Have Talent competition, open to anyone who wants to present their talents, from singing to playing an instrument or anything else, but no blindfolded knife throwing at the audience. There will also be the obligatory Fancy Dress contest

Build a Lego model competition - work in teams to build masterpieces (smaller and more this year)

A return of a favourite event... Name that Fruit with your host Frankie Saveloy

Feed the Dodo... watch Steeljam defend his title, will he make it three years in a row?

Compose a poem: Midlife Crisis Angst - Why is everything against the middle aged?

Make a Wedding Present for Thursday and Landen – What do you give the perfect couple? Bring your idea to be judged.

Hamlet Soliloquy Speed Reading Competition – Fancy yourself as a fast talker? A copy of the Soliloquy will be included with confirmation letters to give you a chance to practice before the event

Hunt the Lobster - look for lobsters around the hotel, you never know where they might be

There will be Secret Cheese Tasting - we're not quite sure when or where yet, it's a secret

We will end with the damping of the Eternal Flame and singing When I'm Cleaning Windows

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate in contacting me, my email is on my profile.

We hope to see you in May



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 02/10/2011 10:40PM by Lycanthra Pod.

Hah! You have all lost The Game!

moved back to top



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 12/30/2010 08:57AM by SkidMarks.

moved left to right

Does anyone know where to get a Mrs.Danvers costume? I normally like to make rather than buy/rent costumes, but I doubt I can this time.

Just walk into your local costume shop and ask for a Mrs. Danvers?

Borrow a long black skirt, and blouse from Mrs Skid, a pair of black sunglasses topped off with a grey granny wig from your local fancydress shop.

Last but not least, don't smile!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/05/2011 07:23PM by Lycanthra Pod.

Thanks for the tips!

Perhaps I can't borrow from Mrs. Skids, but the idea is there, now.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/05/2011 10:48PM by SkidMarks.

Trying to persuade my husband to come with me to this, but he's not a reader of anything fictional..... how severely is he likely to be traumatised? Has anyone else brought along a partner with no knowledge of the books?

xmorpheus - plenty of people have come who haven't read the books. They were a bit bemused by quite a bit of what went on, but then the events are mostly ideas inspired by the books so it's not really necessary to have read any of them. It's only things like the quiz that you would need to know anything about them, this is a printed version so they are not forced into having to answer anything.

When non book readers leave they have said they enjoyed themselves, they quite often start reading the books.

No traumatisation is inflicted by attending the Fforde Ffiesta.....honest!



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/16/2011 08:26PM by Lycanthra Pod.

cool! I presume everyone stays in the hotel and I also presume that accommodation is not covered by the ticket price?

Right on both counts, the rates for the hotel are quite good, even though we had to put up the price of the tickets to cover the cost of the venue hire.

Need a costume?
I may have the answer.
[www.rsc.org.uk]
The Royal Shakespeare Company are selling off around 10,000 items including costumes, shoes, hats and accessories including numerous items worn by David Tennant (including his understudy costume from the 2008 production of Love's Labour's Lost).
No Richard III items mentioned, but you never know.

-----------------------------------------
Joint winner Colouring Competition 2007
and outright winner of the 3 time winner of the Ffestival Dodo Feeding competition.
Fforde Ffiesta Ffotos are here - [www.flickr.com]

I've got hold of a wig (from Amazon Marketplace), i will use a black shirt and mrs. SkidMarks will make me a long skirt, so i should be o.k.

some of the RSC stuff does look good, though.....

I have just noticed the Feed the Dodo is not on the list!
How am I going to defend my title?

-----------------------------------------
Joint winner Colouring Competition 2007
and outright winner of the 3 time winner of the Ffestival Dodo Feeding competition.
Fforde Ffiesta Ffotos are here - [www.flickr.com]

Now added. Sorry Steve, shame on me, your dodo is on the list, any particular colour dodo you would like to receive this year?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/10/2011 10:42PM by Lycanthra Pod.

Evening,

As we'll be attending our first Ffiesta this year, we're a bit mystified re the rules for this dodo feeding experience. How are we meant to win if we don't know how the dodo is to be noshed?

Could someone please elaborate. Ta.

Dear Oldffields,

Our dodo Corsham is ever eager to receive marshmallows in her open beak, your challenge if you choose to except it is to throw as many as possible in 20 seconds.

Up to now our champion has been Mr Steeljam.

Never fear, the said dodo is quite comfortable in the bedroom and is regularly fed and watered and has been helping me perfect a dodo whispering technique



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/25/2011 07:52AM by Lycanthra Pod.

Obviously a competition requiring an extremely high level of expertise. Corsham doesn't get annoyed at being pelted by misaimed marshmallows?

Nah, she's used to it