THERE are now just 18 days to go until the start of Old Town's spectacular Victorian Festival.

This year's festival will be a 13-day extravaganza from June 22 to July 4, marking several anniversaries across the town, as well as showcasing the area's culture and heritage.

Old Town Festival Committee chairman Neil Butters said: "This is the biggest and longest festival yet. We want to showcase what Swindon and Old Town has to offer by bringing the best quality entertainment for visitors."

Twenty different events will lead up to the main festival weekend on Saturday, July 3, and Sunday, July 4.

Among the attractions will be talks on local subjects, jazz performances, quizzes, workshop and an early morning hot-air balloon launch and a Pop Idol competition for youngsters.

A highlights will be a classical concert by the City of London Sinfonia Orchestra in the Bowl on Saturday, July 3, which has been organised by Swindon Council and Swindon Artscape along with electricity company npower.

There will also be a range of music and performing arts including 14 different jazz performances.

And no Old Town Festival would be complete without the excitement of the annual parade.

This year the parade will feature up to 300 people led by the Adamant marching band.

A planned English Civil War battle will now not go-ahead.

Then, on Saturday, July 3, Queen Victoria or rather Old Town resident Mary Ratcliffe Julia Drown MP and the Mayor of Swindon and a celebrity guest will formally open the proceedings.

Events will be held on the Lawn all day including performances from jazz bands as well as displays from martial arts groups, storytellers, clowns fencing and a Punch and Judy Show along with a wide variety of stalls, tours and a Farmer's market.

On the Sunday, the events will move to the Town Gardens and will be a similar set-up to the Lawn events with stalls dance displays and music from the Swindon Youth Orchestra a nd dancing displays by the Swindon Bluebells and the Liddington Hall ladies' morris dancing group.

In the Quarry Road Recreation Ground a fairground, bouncy castle, go-karts and even a Jonny Wilkinson drop kick competition will keep the youngsters happy.

The Old Town Festival office is due to open early next week in the former Victoria Bookshop in Wood Street, while festival programmes will also go on sale at the festival office and from Howells furniture shop in Devizes Road.

Anthony Osborne