AUTUMN AT BLADNOCH
Compiled by Sue (Sue writes the BEST newsletter – WI)
It was that time of year again and time for the Autumn visit to my favourite distillery. (Actually, I have to confess – it’s the only distillery I’ve ever visited!!) We were glad to leave a very wet Ulverston behind with Raymond promising the usual tropical weather in Galloway. What he didn’t admit was that he meant it was the monsoon season. The rain clouds started when we turned the corner at Gretna and stretched the full length of the A75 and down to Bladnoch.
The boys had towed the caravan out of the shed and it was perfectly placed to watch the River Bladnoch in full spate – No fishing for Kevin this trip! Although Hugh did take off once or twice in his waders to try his luck. At this point Raymond was quite concerned as a few weeks previously Hugh had missed his footing and ended up in the river!! Was he worried about Hugh, the fish or the water quality?? Hugh of course – John’s day off and a load of casks expected!! Well, Hugh turned up dry, fish-free and ready to sink a pint of Ulverston Brewing Company ale with Kevin.
Early morning walks around the distillery with my camera are always an essential part of my visits. No matter how many times you wander around there’s always something new – or old – to catch the imagination. My favourite shot from this visit was a couple of aged chairs outside the bottom door of the still-house. You’d think that after more than seven years and thousands of photos there’d be nothing left to photograph – how many different views can you get of one pagoda tower? Believe me – there’s no limit………..
As always Hazel & Sammy were beavering away in the office, new guide Mandy was touring until dizzy, and Yolanda took the rare opportunity to have a few days off – although she was working evenings in the function hall. John & Hugh were working full stretch in the warehouses with a delivery wagon that drew more than a few admiring glances – and there’s that pagoda tower again….
They alternate between stowing barrels in the traditional way on rails and stacking palletised casks with the fork-lift – both impressive in their own way. But I’ve got to say – I prefer to see the casks sleeping peacefully on their sides rather than in towering regimented rows.
The weather reverted again to torrential rain – another opportunity for pagoda-pics…. but it also meant that people visiting the area would head to us thinking that a tour of Bladnoch would be a warm, dry way to spend an hour or more. Of course the theory is sound but the practice is quite different and involves a number of sprints through puddles to get to the next building, which always adds to the Bladnoch Experience – especially when Raymond shows off his cunning plan to keep the workforce warm and dry….
Some of you may already know – Bladnoch now has a Facebook page and a growing following. You can visit us on http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Bladnoch-Distillery-The-Spirit-of-the-Lowlands/137407822965995 “like” us and you’ll get regular posts from your favourite distillery. We’ll update you with news, photos and events.
Like the recent charity auction of Inchgower that raised almost £400 for the local “Wigtown Players”
I look forward to seeing you there….
And don’t forget to look out for the Special Christmas Edition of Bladnoch. This year’s label features a photograph of a festive fir tree in the courtyard – not the pagoda!! – taken by Yolanda during last Winter’s snowfalls.
It was Wigtown Book Festival the whole time we were there and the Distillery was again a very popular venue for a number of events – not least was the Wigtown’s Got Talent competition which prompted Raymond to write on our Forum:
We’ve had a busy week with various events relating to the Wigtown Book Festival taking place here at Bladnoch, finishing on Saturday night with a ceilidh.
The previous Saturday I was given the enjoyable task of being one of the judges of “Wigtown’s Got Talent” which was held in front of a packed crowd here in the distillery. The winner was a superb young piper but a humourous version of “Ten Green Bottles,” one of which was Bladnoch, was performed enthusiastically and under the influence of former guide Janice (now retired) and others. She had not forgotten how to make whisky and the gusty rendition compared favourable with Robbie Burns “John Barleycorn”
Our student guides have all returned to University or have taken up their new careers … however it’s great to see that they still drop in regularly, one of the most recent was Tony Woods who was a guide about 8 or 9 years ago and is once again living locally and working as an engineer for Siemens and involved in one of the many wind farms that have been built in the area.
Sian now a Chartered Surveyor (and one of “Raymond’s Angels”) also dropped in on Saturday. Having met Charlie McClean somewhere and indicated that she was coming across to Bladnoch, he kindly gave her a little booklet on the origins of Irish whiskey to give to me … if you read this, thankyou Charlie .. it stretches the imagination a little bit, but if it’s in a book it must be all true.
I had a meal a few nights ago in the Galloway Arms Hotel in Newton Stewart run very well by our former guide Craig and owned by his dad. Excellent food and by far the best line-up of whiskies on optics in our area. It was also pleasing to see a nice display of Bladnoch whisky.
It’s great to see how well everyone has done. We try to pick our guides because of their personality and character and this and a good education obviously carries them through to better careers, but it’s nice that they remember work at the distillery as a fond memory.
As a word of warning, it’s not wise to visit the distillery for any longer than a few hours. Sue and Kevin had planned a weeks holiday having come across from the Lake District. Sue worked all week and Kevin with his language skills once again got roped into taking the French Tours. Everybody including myself have gone home for a rest.
Raymond said, “home for a rest” and as always, we left Bladnoch with regret, fond memories and promises to return.
To our many friends all over the world we would like to say “Thank You” for your continued support of The Spirit of the Lowlands
BLADNOCH DISTILLERY
BLADNOCH
WIGTOWN
DG8 9AB
01988 402605
www.bladnoch.co.uk
bladnoch@talktalk.net
