As noted last week, we now have the dates for all of the main RISC OS shows that are planned for 2025 – and one of those is a new event, RISC OS North, to replace both the Southwest Show and Wakefield.
The new show is being organised by R-Comp’s Andrew Rawnsley and Orpheus Internet’s Richard Brown, the pair who normally handles the Southwest event, and this week they sent out a formal announcement of the show.
The reason for the new event is that the Wakefield RISC OS Computer Club (WROCC) have had to bow out of organising their event, which normally takes place in April, due to rising costs. The group approached the Southwest Show organisers to see if they wanted to step in and organise an alternative – to ensure the continuity of a show in the North, which they have gladly done.
The show will take place on Saturday, 29th March, 2025 in the Inspiration Suite at:
Village Hotel Warrington,
110 Centre Park Square,
Warrington,
WA1 1QA.
The keen eyed will note that 29th March is a little earlier than the Wakefield Show would ordinarily have taken place, and this was a practical decision. Organising two events within a couple of months of each other – Southwest (normally late February) and a Wakefield replacement – was a tall order. The duo therefore decided to organise a single event, somewhere between the two usual dates, and in the North.
This date also increases the gap between London (late October) and the next show, which affords exhibitors a little more time to get their wares ready to show off, and removes the very short gap between the two UK shows that previously took place. In addition, there’s now a slightly longer gap between the new show and the Big Ben Club’s RISC OS eXperience (which takes place in May in the Netherlands) than there was between Wakefield and that event.
Public transport access to the venue for RISC OS North is reportedly very good, with two railway stations – Warrington Bank Quay on the West Coast main line, and Warrington Central on the Manchester-Liverpool East/West line, and both are comparatively close to the venue with walking and/or buses an easy option.
For people coming from further afield, Warrington is served by both Manchester and Liverpool airports.
When at the show, you may want refreshments, and there will be food and drink available in both the hotel restaurant on one side of the hotel lobby, and a Starbucks on the other – and if you want to venture outside, there is also a pub (The Waterside) very near by.
Invitations have been sent out to many exhibitors of previous events, but if you wish to exhibit and haven’t received one, please contact either Andrew or Richard, whose contact details can be found on their respective websites, linked above.