Universal will be 'a wake-up call' for theme parks

The arrival of Universal UK Resort and theme park would be a "shake-up and wake-up call" to other parks in the UK, the man behind some of the country's top attractions said.

John Wardley, who has developed several parks and whose work includes Nemesis at Alton Towers, believed the planned attraction near Bedford would be "the best thing to happen to the industry in Britain in many years".

He is due to appear at a sell-out talk on Friday as part of the inaugural Write by the River Bedford Literacy Festival, which runs from 18-20 September.

He said demand for his event had been so high it had been moved to a larger venue at the University of Bedfordshire theatre.

The event, a new literary festival, aims to celebrate stories across all genres, featuring Bedfordshire writers, including bestselling author Ruth Hogan, who lives in the town.

A free Local and Indie Author Showcase takes place on Friday at the Swan Hotel.

Throughout the weekend, author talks, book signings and workshops will take place.

Wardley said he had been invited to the event due to his huge experience working with theme parks and because of the planned opening of Universal near Bedford in 2031.

He has written two books, including Creating My Own Nemesis, his own autobiography about designing rides at Alton Towers and Life After Nemesis.

He said his event would be a "chat show format" where he would talk about his life and career and the development of theme parks.

"Universal is the best thing to happen to the theme park industry in Britain in many years.

"I think theme parks have needed a bit of a shake-up, a wake-up call and this is going to do it.

"If existing attractions react in a positive way, they can be a very successful compliment to Universal, it all depends on how they react."

He does not believe smaller parks in the area will be impacted, saying it will be "the bigger parks that will have to watch out".

"I think they are going to rise to the challenge and develop new products and compete satisfactorily with Universal."

He believed the development would be "huge for the area, the net effect is going to be unbelievably positive to Bedford".

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