Full steam ahead as Buckie Fishing Heritage Centre open doors for new season
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IT'S grand to be back – that was the verdict as Buckie Fishing Heritage Centre Ltd threw open their doors to welcome their first full season since the pandemic hit.
While a relaxation of the rules last summer allowed the centre to open from August for a few months during which time they still managed to welcome 500 visitors, last Monday saw them lay out the welcome mat for what will hopefully be a full summer season until November.
Chairman Jim Farquhar said that the volunteer team were glad to be back after the disruption caused by over two years of pandemic, as were visitors from the local area and further afield.
"It's been very busy since we opened on Monday, which is great to see," he continued.
"We did wonder if folk would be wary given all the restrictions there's been over the last two years.
“Even when we were getting ready to open we had folk spotting the door ajar and asking if they could come in. We never turn anyone away!”
Mr Farquhar went on to praise the group's members and the wider community for their support over what has been a very difficult time for volunteer groups.
He said: "Due to Covid we weren't able to run our usual fundraising coffee mornings, which was a blow.
"However, our members continued to pay their fees despite the fact we weren't open.
"In fact, we sold more books during lockdown to folk across the world than we did when we were open before the pandemic.
"Buckie folk have been very good to us, very generous and we've had lots of kind donations. This included £1288 from Strathlene Golf Club. The ladies section chose as as their nominated charity in the summer of 2021."
The centre lost a number of volunteers during the pandemic, including a number who sadly passed away, but more people have stepped forward and the group now boast a full complement of 52 on their books.
One display making its debut before a wider audience is the Herring Lassies, a spectacular stained glass window funded by legacies left by former group members, which was formally unveiled at the end of last July.
Mr Farquhar added: "It's great to be back to something approaching normal and we're looking forward to welcoming parties and schoolchildren back to the centre.
"I think it's going to be very busy this summer."
To find out more about the heritage centre, visit https://buckieheritage.org/
The centre is open Monday to Friday 10am-4pm and 10am-1pm on Saturday. For more information on what is on offer, visit https://buckieheritage.org/
