WOOTTON Bassett has been on the map since Saxon times and a proposed arts festival will ensure it stays there for another thousand years.

A meeting this week was the first step towards reviving the festival, which was last held in 1983.

The new event will be called the Wootton Bassett Music and Arts Festival.

Ideas came thick and fast at the meeting yesterday.

It was decided that the festival should be bi-annual to avoid clashing with the North Wiltshire Festival, with the first festival being held this summer.

As there are already several musical events planned for the summer, the committee hopes to build the festival around the existing events.

The Clarendon Players, for instance, are hoping to present a play with an extremely long name on June 16.

Events such as their production of 'We found love and an exquisite set of porcelain figurines aboard the SS Farndale Avenue' could be incorporated into the festival, it was suggested from the floor.

A committee is being formed for the new festival and its inaugural meeting took place in the Cross Keys pub in the town's High Street.

Brian Taylor, president of the town's chamber of commerce, chaired the initial meeting.

He said: "We have a wealth of artistic talent in the town and we need to show it off.

"The meeting was a good start, and there were lots of exciting ideas which were put forward."

Mr Taylor said the committee group wants to hear from people who are interested in painting and sculpture, music and singing, dancing, literature and poetry.

The committee decided to give every art, music and drama group in the town a mini-questionnaire asking whether anyone wanted to join the committee or take part in the festival.

Mr Taylor said: "We had a big festival almost 25 years ago, but that's a long time ago. When we had the consultation about regeneration with North Wiltshire District Council the idea of having a festival emerged on several occasions."

The next meeting will be held at the Cross Keys pub on March 7 at noon.

For more information on the festival call 01793 853870.

Dave Andrew