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Report (Permission Visit) - Johnsons Cleaners Building - Bootle - March 2008 | Other Sites | 28DaysLater.co.uk

Report (Permission Visit) Johnsons Cleaners Building - Bootle - March 2008

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bazunitec

28DL Member
28DL Member
My first ever report... I'm far to old and porky to go climbing into some of the places you guys get to so please go easy on me :)

I have just found these old photos on one of my hard drives... At the time these photos were taken in 2008, my company had worked for Johnsons for 10 years and we still carry out works on all of their sites even now. The building in Bootle was the former head office for the Johnsons Cleaners (The dry cleaning shops) and Johnsons Apparelmaster (The industrial laundry factories) I had permission to be in the building and had permission to take photos (I actually shared them at the time with the IT director!)

These photos were taken 3 days after Johnsons had relocated to their new buildings the Cleaners side to Knowsley and the Apparelmaster side to Fulwood near Preston. It was literally a "Close the doors on Bootle on Friday and open up at the new sites on Monday" scenario

Once they had moved, we were asked to go in to remove all of the old network cabinets and switches etc. and I left some of my lads to do the ripping out, while I had a wander round the place we had cabled for over 10 years as a bit of a walk down memory lane. The cameras were crap back then so go easy!

The shelving in some of the photos is now in my garage full of MK1 Granada parts!

This building was the HQ of Johnson's Dyers and Cleaners in Mildmay Road in Bootle.

The origins of the dry-cleaning business go back to 1817 when Johnson Brothers started in business in Liverpool as silk dyers. In 1920, Johnson Brothers joined forces with two dry-cleaning companies, Jas Smith & Son and Flinn & Son Ltd of Brighton and "Johnson's the Cleaners" was born. In later years the company started to branch into the textile rental business. acquiring the likes of Bourne, Afonwen and the industrial laundry side of Cannon Hygiene.

Public requirements for dry-cleaning started to decline due to many factors, including the smoking ban (no smoke, no smell on your clothes!) and Johnsons finally sold off the business to Timpsons for £8million in January 2017 (2 weeks after we had finished a rollout programme upgrading all of the point of sale tills across over 200 sites all over the country!!) but continued to expand the industrial side with hotel linen rentals, workwear rentals and tablecloths, napkins etc. for many top London restaurants. We now still work for the group and they have over 40 factories from Aberdeen to Cornwall... it certainly puts the mileage on my car!

The Group is all contained under the banner of Johnson Service Group and Johnson Workwear

And excuse the company plug!!

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The two photos above are actually taken in the Disaster Recovery Building which was located at the far end of the car park and was demolished about a week after Johnsons left the site

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bazunitec

28DL Member
28DL Member
These are some of the other photos taken during the final day we were on site at Johnsons



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Speed

Got Epic Slow?
Regular User
Great stuff. We tried to get in here a few times and failed. Think we managed it eventually but by then most had gone and it was just empty. Good to see what we missed.
 

Calamity Jane

i see beauty in the unloved, places & things
Regular User
Nicely showcased. Great photos. Nice to see a well rounded coverage. Good research too. Welcome to 28DL:thumb
 

bazunitec

28DL Member
28DL Member
Welcome to 28DL:thumb

I think I've been here over 10 years, I just didn't think I had anything to contribute, but I love looking at the posts... If I'd had a camera when I was a kid in the 70's and with the number of buildings we used to play in around Warrington, I could fill an entire section on my own :)

Sadly cameras were a luxury back then :(

I do have another couple of Johnsons sites I can post from when we have decommissioned them over the years as well as a few local Warrington ones and a school in Irlam so I'll put them up at some point. All done with permission of course as we were working on there :)
 

Calamity Jane

i see beauty in the unloved, places & things
Regular User
I think I've been here over 10 years, I just didn't think I had anything to contribute, but I love looking at the posts... If I'd had a camera when I was a kid in the 70's and with the number of buildings we used to play in around Warrington, I could fill an entire section on my own :)

Sadly cameras were a luxury back then :(

I do have another couple of Johnsons sites I can post from when we have decommissioned them over the years as well as a few local Warrington ones and a school in Irlam so I'll put them up at some point. All done with permission of course as we were working on there :)

I was here for yrs before I done my first report too. But I always like to welcome new posters, its shows input and effort. I like you as a kid explored 100s of buildings, lots of big manor types where I grew up. But sadly as you say cameras werent used much by kids. I did have a couple, but never crossed my mind to photograph the buildings, kicking myself now of course.

Life lessons I guess. I also didnt back up around 10+ yrs of photos and lost the lot when my pc crashed. Just couldnt retrieve them grrr.

I`d love to see you others, permission or not, I just love seeing & reading about these historic/disused/half used places. :thumb
 

Boomy74

28DL Member
28DL Member
I live close to this building and have been thinking about making it my first exploration for a while now. Any experienced explorers fancy showing a newbie the ropes?
 

chills

Queller of the uprising
Moderator
I live close to this building and have been thinking about making it my first exploration for a while now. Any experienced explorers fancy showing a newbie the ropes?

Best thing to do is to get some of your own reports up first then someone more experienced may give you some assistance!
 

james08

28DL Full Member
28DL Full Member
Always wondered whats inside here i work about 2 mins from there its all boarded up now but i think theres a door open now though
 

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