And, oh yeah… I should probably say something about the show as well, shouldn’t I?
It is now just two and a half weeks until this year’s Southwest Show, which will be taking place at the Webbington Hotel, its home since the first one took place all the way back in 1998. With there having been no show one year – I believe in 2000 – that makes this the twentieth Southwest Show.
While the Webbington is a very nice hotel, set in a very nice location on the side of Crook Peak overlooking the Somerset Levels, that location is also a problem because it’s a little out of the way. To the best of my knowledge there is no public transport that gets any closer than a few miles – so if you’re coming by train, you need to start thinking about how you’re going to get from the railway station to the venue.
Shortly after last year’s show, RISCOSitory set up a new mailing list for people to discuss RISC OS shows and events, which has so far been sadly underused. The thorny issue of getting to and from the Southwest Show a catalyst for its creation – so why not subscribe to the list now, and discuss the possibility of mutual arrangements with other people?
For example, if you’re coming by car, could you offer a lift to someone else who might be coming from the same general area, possibly sharing the cost of the fuel? If you’re coming by train and completing the last leg of the journey by taxi, what station are you coming into and at what time? You might consider sharing that taxi with someone else in order to share the cost.
At last year’s show, as a very last minute idea, a table was set up near the exit to help people to make such mutual arrangements for their return journeys – and I would expect a similar set up this year – but for making such arrangements before the event, in order to get to it, consider the RISC OS Shows and Events list to be a virtual table.
So, that out of the way, what can I say about the show itself?
It is once again being organised by R-Comp‘s Andrew Rawnsley and Orpheus Internet‘s Richard Brown, who stepped in to keep the show going in 2012 when RISCOS Ltd’s Paul Middleton decided to call it a day. A final list of exhibitors has not yet been published on the show website, but Richard has told me that almost all of the exhibitors from the 2017 show have confirmed that they will be appearing at the 2018 event – with a notable addition.
At this stage, it is too early to be able to say what most exhibitors will be showing off – it’s customary for announcements to be made in the last few days before a show – but I do know of one or two things at this stage.
That notable addition mentioned above is Martin Würthner, who wasn’t able to attend last year’s show but who has now confirmed his attendance at this one. Martin released a new version of ArtWorks2 at the recent London Show – his first show appearance for a while – so he will be demonstrating and selling that at this event.
I also know that Soft Rock Software will be selling ‘Collection’ CDs and USB flash drives, which includes a number of titles including desktop applications such as WebChange, and games such as Escape from Exeria. After all, I am Soft Rock Software, so there would be something seriously wrong if I didn’t know what I was doing, wouldn’t there? Ahem.
I can also say that Chris Hall will have a new commercial product available – his new genealogy application, FamTree – and that the RISC OS User Group of London will be represented by Bryan Hogan.
AMCOG Games will be present, so you will be able to play and buy from Tony Bartram’s ever increasing range of games, as well as a software kit for creating them. And if you’re very, very lucky, you might also be able to catch sight of the Lesser Spotted Archive Magazine – hopefully, Jim Nagel will have a new issue out to coincide with the show, but no promises!
The doors are expected to be open for members of the public from 10:30am, and close at around 4:00pm, on Saturday, 24th February, with an admission price of (I think) £5.00 per person. The details you need to punch into your satnav if travelling by car, or give to your driver if covering the last leg by taxi, are:
Loxton,
Somerset,
BS26 2HU.
For anyone driving that doesn’t use a satnav, here are some directions that you might find handy:
If you’re coming via the M5, you can leave it at either junction 21 or 22 – though I tend to suggest junction 22 since I think it’s easier, and these instructions assume that’s what you’ll do.
Whether you’re heading North or South on the motorway, from junction 22 you need to take the A38 heading towards Bristol. After about five and a half miles there is a row of cottages and a pub called the Lamb Inn, with a turn off to the left signposted for the Webbington Hotel – take that turning and, when you come to a T-junction, turn left again. You will now be on the long and winding Webbington Road, and after about three miles you’ll come to the hotel entrance on the right.
If you’re coming down the A38 from Bristol, look for a village called Cross, and a junction with a pub called the New Inn – this is where you need to turn right onto a road call Old Coach Road. Follow that road, which will become Webbington Road when you pass the T-junction mentioned above. From here, then, the directions are the same: About three miles along this winding road, the hotel entrance is on the right.
