The Lower Shaw Farm project was born in 1997, as the five urban villages which make up West Swindon's housing mass, were beginning to take shape.

Among the individuals behind it was the council's far sighted community development chief Andrew Hake, who is also an ordained Church of England priest.

He envisaged it as a base for what was then trendily termed an urban initiative and, said Matt, got together a group of like-minded liberal thinkers.

The near-derelict, boarded up farmhouse was make habitable, the barn and other outbuildings were cleaned up and holes in walls and roofs were repaired.

One of the first successes was the launch of the Pulse shop, which still trades in Curtis Street and is now one of Wiltshire's longest running wholefoods businesses.

"It began by selling lentils and similar foods from the back of an elderly Morris van," said Matt.

"We were paying ourselves £1.10p an hour to run the business but we were idealists.

"I was amazed, when it looked as if the shop might have to close, by the number of people who came forward and said they wanted it to continue."

Matt, a former farm worker, export executive and university lecturer he taught Latin-American literature, English literature and modern poetry at Oxford and Andrea, who is a psychology graduate, became involved in the Lower Shaw project 20 years ago when it had already been running for nearly four years.

They returned to it after a two year absence, during which it came close to folding and have been running it ever since.

The Festival of Literature, which is now a huge annual success, grew out of a literature course they ran at the farm.

Its students are accommodated in chalets and caravans, as well as the farmhouse. It can accommodate up to 45.

Some children's events are free. Some adult courses cost upwards of £100.

"We keep prices to the minimum possible to keep the farm viable," said Matt. "Some people say they come here specially because of the food. Andrea is queen cook and queen gardener and no, this isn't just for vegetarians. We do eat meat."

Germaine Greer, who has her own smallholding, Kate Adie, Melvyn Bragg and other luminaries who have appeared at the Festival of Literature, have all shown an interest in it.

For a brochure giving details about events and courses for adults, children and family groups contact Lower Shaw Farm, Old Shaw Lane, Shaw, Swindon SN5 5PJ, o1793 771080, or e-mail enquiries@lsfarm.globalnet.co.uk .