I am having an exhibition of my photographs at Beltie Books & Cafe in Wigtown, Dumfries and Galloway. It is a long way from Treshnish, but if you have a chance, please do go along and have a look at them – you can enjoy some delicious coffee and cake, or a light lunch at the same time.
The exhibition
Nick made a great job of hanging the photographs, I was very pleased with the way they look. There are about 24 of them on the walls, plus 20 or so unframed (mounted) ones, plus cards and books for sale! The subject matter is one that regular guests at Treshnish will recognise from the cottages! These photographs are part of a record I am making of Scottish corrugated iron (tin) sheds and buildings.
Wigtown Book Festival
The exhibition opened on the 22nd September, the night before the Wigtown Book Festival began. The Festival, in its 17th year, runs for 10 days, over 2 weekends until the 2nd of October. I was staying with a book festival volunteer. She was one of a team of 70 folk who cater, accommodate, drive and generally support and facilitate the practical aspects of the Festival. My wonderful hostess was acting as ‘authors taxi’. She collected various writers from train stations and airports. Consequently during my stay I met Michel Faber, Kevin McNeil and Cal Flynn! After the Festival party (I gatecrashed!) I met children’s book illustrator Benji Davies, whose wonderful illustrations were on show in one of the galleries.
The Bookshop
‘The Bookshop’, above, is the largest second hand bookshop in Scotland, a wonderful Aladdin’s cave of the written word! Every nook and cranny (and there were many) is filled with books of all topics, and there was even a bed to climb up in to and read. Upstairs was the ‘Green Room’ which, during the Festival, becomes a Writers Retreat. Us mere mortals downstairs could hear the chatter of voices as if eavesdropping on a good party!
I first came to Wigtown to meet Andrew and Nick the owners of Beltie Books and Cafe in April. On that visit I spotted this tin structure in a field. I didn’t explore, but on this visit as the field was being used as an overflow carpark and as its gates were open I went to have a closer look. It was clearly the old Wigtown Football Ground, complete with disintegrating ‘football stands’. Perfect for a tin shed obsessive like myself!
