The first show of the RISC OS calendar is usually the South West Show, which traditionally takes place during February. Paul Middleton of RISC OS Ltd, who has been organising the show for the last few years, is reported in Archive Magazine issue 23:3 to have told Jim Nagel, the editor, that “he usually learns a date at the last minute when the hotel offers special deals”. However, even last year’s show, which was held later than usual, in March, was officially announced towards the end of November 2010, and the date for the show had been spotted over a month earlier, during October 2010. With it now being January, therefore, it was beginning to look as though there wouldn’t be a South West Show in 2012.
However, keen to ensure that the RISC OS community doesn’t miss out on one of it’s main events, one which was particularly notable in 2011, Orpheus Internet and R-Comp Interactive have joined forces and announced that “the show must go on!”
The date for the 2012 South West Show is set for Saturday 25th February and, as usual, the location is the Webbington Hotel, Loxton, in Somerset, not far from Weston-Super-Mare and an easy drive from Bristol.
The show will run from 10:45am, which will allow time for people to arrive in the morning and for exhibitors to set up their stands, and will end around 3:30pm to 4:00pm, depending on how busy things are. Attendance has already been confirmed by many regular exhibitors at RISC OS shows, and with so many new RISC OS and ARM developments causing a real buzz in the RISC OS scene, we can all anticipate another good show.
Richard Brown of Orpheus Internet said, “I always find the South West Show very enjoyable, and wanted to ensure that the show took place – it is important to us to keep in touch with our friends and customers in the South West”.
Andrew Rawnsley of R-Comp added, “The shows are the lifeblood of the RISC OS world, allowing users and companies to meet up during the year. They are integral to keeping RISC OS alive, and so we wanted to ensure the South West Show continued. With exciting new hardware such as the ARMini and the latest RISCubes, not to mention other new possibilities, it is a great time for RISC OS, and we look forward to sharing this excitement with everyone at the show.”
