Legendary theme park designer John Wardley will be speaking in Bedford tonight and has told the BBC that the arrival of Universal United Kingdom Resort will be “the best thing to happen to the theme park industry in Britain in many years”.
Wardley, whose career includes creating Nemesis at Alton Towers, said: “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.”
He does not think it will necessarily be the smaller theme parks that feel the pressure. Instead, Wardley believes it is the UK’s bigger parks that will need to respond, potentially developing new attractions and products to compete.
On Bedford specifically, he added: “The net effect is going to be unbelievably positive to Bedford.”
John Wardley will be speaking tonight, Friday 18 September, as part of the inaugural Write by the River Bedford Literacy Festival. Demand for the sell‑out event has been so high that it has been moved to a larger venue at the University of Bedfordshire theatre.
It’s going to be fascinating to hear what someone with Wardley’s experience has to say about Universal coming to the UK. Do you agree with him? Could Universal UK force the likes of Alton Towers, Thorpe Park and other major UK attractions to raise their game?
