‘No, you don’t look like a swinger’: Man barred from the swingers festival sues
…poor bloke, you should not really judge a swinger by his looks
Accountant sues organisers of sex festival after they bar him from entry because he didn’t have enough references from other swingers
- Roy Maggs paid £127.85 for a ticket to Swingfields in the Forest of Dean
- But he arrived without reading the small print which said single male visitors needed two references
- He has spent eight months fighting for a refund, but loses court case
- Organisers have told him he will be able to attend this year’s event
Accountant Roy Maggs tried to sue the organisers of a sex festival after they blocked his entry because he didn’t have any references from fellow swingers
Accountant Roy Maggs tried to sue the organisers of a sex festival after they blocked his entry because he didn’t have any references from fellow swingers
Roy Maggs, who says he is 49, paid £127.85 for a ticket to the Swingfields event in the Forest of Dean only to arrive at the three-day festival to find he hadn’t read the small print on his ticket.
Mr Maggs, from Plymouth, Devon, was told single men who wished to attend needed two references, which he should have uploaded to www.fabswingers.com, along with a photograph, before he arrived.
His lack of preparation meant he had to forfeit his ‘Earlybird Gentleman’s Ticket’ and was not allowed to enter the event.
The dissatisfied customer then embarked on an eight-month row with the festival organisers as he battled to get a refund. He lost his court case and was not given the money back, but has been told he can attend the festival this year.
Mr Maggs told Gloucester County Court yesterday that he was ‘keen’ to be one of 500 attending the fourth annual event after it had sold out quickly in the past two years.
He told district Judge Woodburn he did have the references and offered to show them to the
judge – who declined.
Swingfields owners Deborah and Stuart Wilson, from Highnam, Gloucestershire, accepted he now has references and say he will be allowed to come to the next erotic event – due to take place in the summer.
Mr Wilson told the court: ‘Because of the nature of the event, personal security and respect and a certain understanding and trust is needed so we need to know who is coming.
‘What we need from single gentleman is verification, essentially a character reference.
If we were shown this references at the start this would not have been a problem.
‘We will welcome him to the festival – it’s what he as paid for and it’s a sociable festival.’
As well as providing references, the profiles also show members’ sexuality, interests and preferred partners.
Judge Woodburn refused Mr Maggs’ claim for his money back as he said the owners had not breached their contract.
Mr Maggs paid £127.85 for a ticket to the Swingfields event in the Forest of Dean only to arrive at the three-day festival to find he hadn’t read the small print on his ticket. Pictured is last year’s festival, which took place in the village of Flaxley
The dissatisfied customer then embarked on an eight-month row with the swingers festival in order to try and get a refund. He lost his court case and was not given a refund, but the organisers have now said he can attend the festival this year
The dissatisfied customer then embarked on an eight-month row with the swingers festival in order to try and get a refund. He lost his court case and was not given a refund, but the organisers have now said he can attend the festival this yearThe case has been adjourned until July 29 and if no other issues arise between the defendants and the claimants by then the case will be thrown out.
A friend of Mr Maggs said he had been ‘very excited’ about his trip to the sex fest.
Last year villagers in Flaxley in the Forest of Dean were shocked when the large campsite was pitched up for a weekend of adult-rated activities. This year’s festival will run from June 30 to July 3 in a mystery location – which will only be revealed to visitors three days before.
Mr Maggs’s lack of preparation meant he had to forfeit his ‘Earlybird Gentleman’s Ticket’ and was not allowed to enter the event. A friend said he had been ‘very excited’ about his trip to the sex fest
He said: ‘He initially bought the tickets in a fit of excitement last year, but he forgot to read the small print.
‘He emailed the event after realising his error and gave them two one-line testimonials from other swingers.
‘But the Swingfields organisers didn’t think this was enough information and barred him from attending this year. By that point it was full and there was no more room.’
Swingfields is described as ‘the original and biggest independent lifestyle event of year’.
For single men, the organisers specify that they must have ‘well verified profiles’ by at least two other swingers from the swinging ‘dating’ site www.fabswingers.com.
Swingers operate under nicknames so their real identity is kept hidden, but verification is used to make sure that others know the information provided is accurate.
The erotic festival has received ringing endorsements from previous attendees, including: ‘The improved daytime entertainment to get people mingling was ace, especially the jelly wrestling’
The erotic festival has received ringing endorsements from previous attendees, including: ‘The improved daytime entertainment to get people mingling was ace, especially the jelly wrestling’
THE ETIQUETTE: HOW TO BEHAVE AT THE SWINGFIELDS FESTIVAL
Swingfields was first run in 2013, and according to organisers has sold out every year since.
Visitors are required to buy tickets online for security reasons. Only 10 per cent of the tickets are available to single men – who must have pre-approved references and must have an existing profile on a ‘lifestyle’ website, which will be checked before they are given a ticket.
Couples who buy couples tickets must arrive together. Visitors are required to carry ID on them for security and privacy reasons. Ticket holders are only told of the venue in the week of the event, again to ensure privacy.
There is no formal dress code, but ticket holders are advised that if they fail to ‘dress to impress’, they may find themselves alone. They are also asked to remain clothed from the waist down in the main area of the festival ‘out of respect for catering staff’.
Newcomers are advised to ‘relax’, to not get drunk, and ‘be clean, smell nice, look good, feel good’, as well as recognising that ‘no means no’. The festival also has a safe sex policy.
The sex festival has issued a guide for single gentlemen hoping to attend.
It says there are a ‘number of basic rules/etiquette that you must follow’ and warned them not to assume they would ‘get any action’.
Swingfields has been run by the Wilsons since 2013 and offers live entertainment, artists, games and street food.
The erotic festival has received ringing endorsements from previous attendees, including: ‘The improved daytime entertainment to get people mingling was ace, especially the jelly wrestling.
‘The fet tent was also a great improvement… ‘ and ‘Wow Swingfields was the most amazing weekend we have had by far, a very well planned and professionally run festival of naughtiness.’
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