Ref. 71978-04THE Sheriff of Nottingham and Friar Tuck came to Swindon this weekend as part of a Robin of Sherwood convention.

The Hilton Hotel was the scene of a medieval banquet on Saturday evening with guest appearances by members of the cast of the cult 1980s TV series.

The programme may have finished 18 years ago but enthusiasts have been meeting regularly to keep it alive. This year's convention marked the 20th anniversary of the first episode shown in 1984.

Swindon was chosen for the event because so much of the series was filmed in Wiltshire.

Les Hollis, 31, an electrician from Loughborough, was one of the organisers. He explained why the series, which starred Michael Praed and Jason Connery, had such lasting appeal. He said: "The TV series, based on the Robin Hood legend, became the accepted modern dramatisation.

"For example, the film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves borrowed from the series, and other films have all taken Robin of Sherwood as their basis.

"It is simply the best modern telling of the story.

"There have been conventions almost annually since the series finished, but this is the first that we have organised."

The conventions are remarkably popular, attracting fans from far and wide.

"This year some travelled from as far afield as America, Germany and Holland," said Mr Hollis. "About 80 per cent are usually women. I think they were in love with Michael Praed, who played Robin."

Highlights of the weekend included the appearance of Friar Tuck (Phil Rose) and the Sheriff of Nottingham (Nickolas Grace).

On Saturday the main event was the medieval banquet and yesterday devotees were taken on a location trip to Lackham Abbey where some episodes were filmed.

The series ran from 1984 to 1986 and has never been repeated on UK terrestrial television.

David Andrew