Maud and by Strichen exhibitions.

The Old Mart, Maud. A windswept and rain lashed me about to enter.

This was our first port of call today where there were a variety of artists exhibiting their work. Mainly photographs. Some paintings, and some driftwood pieces. The artists were on site and it was good to talk to them and feel their enthusiasm for what they do. I have put a bit about Maud at the end of this posting (its at the end as I struggle with blogger sometimes it will not put stuff where I want it!)

Our next port of call was this isolated massive bungalow near Strichen.

This was the view from the front of the house.

More photographs done by Rosemary Stubbs. A variety of subjects, many from her travels to Australia and Peru. I must say I do prefer local scenes. But still interesting and an enthusiastic and lovely person. I found it slightly more interesting that the photographs were displayed throughout (some) of the house so I could have a good nose!

Right your history lesson.

Maud features an old railway station, which closed to passengers in 1965. Walks can be taken along the old railway lines; the railway tracks were removed following the ending of freight trains in 1979.

The old railway station is now a museum, but sadly only opens a few weekends in the year. We have visited and it is a fascinating well displayed museum and run totally by volunteers.

There was a mart or livestock market until recently, selling local livestock. There is also a hospital for the elderly, which was formerly a poorhouse that opened in about 1868.

The mart was transformed by the local community with the help of funding. There are now modern buildings housing a cafe, meeting rooms, the health centre and the Maud Community Trust, Buchan Dial a Bus and BYTES (computer training.)

Weatherwise it has not been a pleasant day. It has become blustery and rainy and grey.

Personally I have not seen anything today which I was blown over by. Other than nature. Many of the photographs we have seen were, well just that, photographs. Anyone could frame nicely and mount a picture of their child on the beach. But would anyone else want to hang it on their wall? Similarly holiday snaps. It made me think hard about the commercial versus the pleasure.

I do sometimes see something that makes me want to picture it, to draw it, and if I go on and do it I get great pleasure from that.

But to then mount and frame it and PUT A PRICE ON IT. How difficult is that?

The question I havent dared ask any of these 'artists' is "Have you sold many?"

Some actually come up/boast with the information without being asked. Or there are the red dots on stuff. Indicating they have been sold.

Possibly the reason for these meanderings is that we were asked, by one who will remain nameless, if we had bought anything during the week, and in a quite aggressive manner.

Which to be honest has rather removed my enjoyment, for today anyway.