A PROMINENT Hunter’s Quay building – and a family’s work to renovate it – was the subject of a Channel 4 TV programme this week.
George Clarke’s Building Home, aired on Wednesday (February 12) evening, featured Glasgow couple Kate and Keith and their efforts to transform the disjointed seven-bedroom Victorian edifice Bonnie Blink into a modern family home.
In 1878 Walter Bergius, a successful naval engineer, was about to marry into the Teacher’s Whisky family.
In order to impress his wife-to-be, Anges Teacher, he commissioned a large castellated house – based on a building he admired in Morocco – to be built on Hunter Street with magnificent, then uninterrupted, views across the water.
The impressive result was Bonnie Blink.
Now, nearly 150 years later, Bonnie Blink held some period charm, but was entirely unsuitable to modern living.
Kate and Keith, the programme revealed, sought to replace gloomy corridors and dark rooms with modern, open plan spaces.
This episode of George Clarke’s Building Home followed the refurbishment over a four-month period last year.
The programme features many historic photographs of Dunoon, which were sourced from the town’s Castle House Museum.
A museum spokesperson said: : Museum staff greatly enjoyed welcoming George Clarke and his team to Castle House in the Spring of last year.
“It was a fantastic experience, and it was wonderful to showcase the rich history of Dunoon alongside that of Bonnie Blink.
We found it fascinating to see behind the scenes of the filming process, and to watch it come to life in the episode.”
After builders found various roof, floor and render problems when they started taking down walls to create a more open-plan living space, the family’s initial refurbishment budget of £140,000 quickly nudged closer to £190,000.
In the end, though, Bonnie Blink was beautifully transformed, and will hopefully serve the family well for generations to come.
Castle House Museum is currently closed, but will reopen for the summer season on April 1.
