Culcheth Art Group is set to host its annual exhibition, giving local artists the chance to display their work and residents an opportunity to enjoy a proper browse rather than merely admire the view from the bypass.
Annual exhibitions are a valuable part of village life. They celebrate creativity, bring people together and provide a platform for artists whose work might otherwise remain tucked away at home, competing for wall space with family photographs and the occasional questionable holiday print.
The event also offers a welcome reminder that Culcheth has plenty going on beneath its familiar village surface. Supporting local artists is a positive thing, and an exhibition by a community group has a warmth that polished, anonymous gallery spaces can struggle to match.
There is, of course, only so much room on the calendar for events, and art exhibitions may not appeal to everyone. Still, dismissing them as simply a collection of pictures would be a mistake. They reflect the skill, imagination and patience of people in the local area, which is considerably more effort than most of us put into choosing a colour for the kitchen.
With the Culcheth Art Group annual exhibition on the way, the village is preparing to put its creative side firmly in the frame.