#ROSW2016 is where you want to be this Saturday!
For anyone living at the event horizon of a black hole, and who is therefore less aware of the passage of time than most, the Southwest Show – the first show of 2016 – will be taking place in just a few days time, on Saturday, 27th February.
The show has once again been organised by R-Comp’s Andrew Rawnsley and Orpheus Internet’s Richard Brown, and will take place at its usual venue, the Webbington Hotel – a venue that has been its home since it began, making it the longest any RISC OS show has remained in one place.
The dynamic duo say this year’s show looks set to be one of the most exciting since they took over its organisation – which started with the 2012 event – with “a huge amount happening in the RISC OS scene right now.”
The full list of exhibitors can be found on the show website, but it includes some who have been notable by their absence from other recent events, such as Martin Würthner and Steve Fryatt, and some for whom the Southwest Show is the only one they attend, such as David Snell and John Norris. Regular exhibitors include the usual big names, such as R-Comp, Orpheus, CJE Micro’s and RISC OS Open Ltd, and the usual smaller exhibitors, including Soft Rock Software, Drag ‘n Drop, Organizer, and others. There will also, as ever, be a charity stand and various user groups represented.
The Webbington Hotel – whose address is simply Loxton, Somerset, BS26 2HU – is located on the side of Crook Peak in the Mendip Hills, overlooking the M5 motorway, from which it is clearly visible – but despite its prominent location, actually getting to it has proven to be a point of confusion for some, so here is the handy RISCOSitory guide to finding it.
If you’re coming via the M5 motorway, it’s best to use junction 22 and take the A38, heading towards Bristol. Junction 22 brings you off the M5, and along a short stretch of road to a large roundabout on A38, from which you need to take the third exit (effectively turning right) so that you are heading North, with the motorway to your right, and Brent Knoll – a very obvious hill – to your left.
As the hill fades into the corner of your eye – unless you aren’t looking where you’re going – you’ll reach a roundabout, forming a junction between the A38 and the A370. Take the second exit, which will keep you on the A38 and heading in the right direction – and the most confusing part is over.
You need to stay on the A38 for about five and a half miles, when you’ll pass a row of cottages and a pub called the Lamb Inn. You should now see a turning to the left, signposted Webbington – take that road and turn left when you reach a T-junction. You are now on Webbington Road. It’s long and winding, but after about three miles you’ll find the hotel entrance on the right.
If you’re heading down the A38 from Bristol, when you reach a village called Cross look for a junction with a pub called the New Inn; turn right there. You will be on a road called Old Coach Road, which will become Webbington Road when you pass the T-Junction mentioned in the paragraph above – which means the hotel entrance is about three miles further on.
The nearest railway station is at Weston-Super-Mare, about eight miles away, and the nearest airport is Bristol Airport, about eleven miles away.
