Window to the past
18 Jan 2012 15:51:39
New pictorial window graphics on the refurbished Johnnie Walker Bond have been unveiled which pay tribute to the building’s unique historical position within the town.
In a past life the building was Johnnie Walker’s bonded warehouse, home to a range of whisky- related production activities including a coopers’ shop, bottle-washing house, a joiners’ shop and warehouse. Located in the heart of Kilmarnock’s outstanding conservation area, the Bond now provides modern, accessible and energy-efficient accommodation for employees from East Ayrshire Council’s Roads and Transportation, Planning and Economic Development and Social Work services.
Councillor Douglas Reid, Leader of the Council said: “The Johnnie Walker Bond is a historic flagship building in the heart of Kilmarnock which has been refurbished to a very high standard. While it now brings hundreds of our own employees into the town centre, it used to house workers producing Johnnie Walker’s Whisky, and we wanted to acknowledge the building’s proud heritage and how it linked Kilmarnock to the rest of the world.
“Our Graphic designers worked closely with Diageo’s archivist to source images of the Johnnie Walker workers and converted the images into these stunning window graphics. The windows illustrate aspects of life back in 1893 and provide information on the wide variety of tasks that were undertaken in the actual building itself. This really is a window to the past!”
Details of the window graphics:
Engine Room
This building contains a Steam Engine, working up to 48 h.p. and the Hydraulic Ram for working the hoists.
The Engine works dynamos of sufficient power to supply the Electric Light to every part of the premises. It also supplies power for driving the machinery of the various departments.
Extract from: ‘John Walker & Sons’ (Alfred Barnard c1893)
An Interior of the Coopers’ Shop
This Shop, upwards of 50 feet square, is where customers’ casks are repaired and hooped before being sent into the Vatting House to be filled.
Extract from: ‘John Walker & Sons’ (Alfred Barnard c1893)
A Racking Store in Bonded Warehouse
This lofty and well lighted place, which measures 70 feet in length, contains five capacious Blending Vats constructed from solid oak, the largest among them
containing 8,000 gallons. It is here that the firm’s blends are racked off into casks, weighed and duly taken cognizance of by the Inland Revenue Officials.
Extract from: ‘John Walker & Sons’ (Alfred Barnard c1893)
Bottle-Washing House
This House is fitted with appliances and machinery for thoroughly cleansing the bottles. When the new bottles arrive from the Factory each one is subject to a thorough cleansing process, the firm being scrupulously particular in this matter. Every bottle is passed through the hands of an examiner before being sent to the Bottling stores.
Extract from: ‘John Walker & Sons’ (Alfred Barnard c1893)
A Joiners’ Shop, ‘Case Making’
All the Cases for the Home and Export Trade sent out by the Firm are manufactured by themselves.
Extract from: ‘John Walker & Sons’ (Alfred Barnard c1893)
Export Bottling Warehouse (North Side)
This building contains four vats holding upwards of 6,000 gallons, from which the blended Whisky is drawn off into the bottling machines. In this department the Whisky for export is bottled, corked, capsuled, labelled, and finally packed into cases, each gang of workers turning out 400 dozen per day.
Extract from: ‘John Walker & Sons’ (Alfred Barnard c1893)
Duty-Paid Bottling Department for Home Consumption
This Warehouse, situated on the west side of the premises, is for bottling duty-paid Whiskies for consumption in the United Kingdom.
Extract from: ‘John Walker & Sons’ (Alfred Barnard c1893)
Ends