We were working at Christ Church in Bury recently to repair and protect the beautiful stained glass windows in some high level windows. The damage had been caused by high winds ripping of old Perspex glazing. To get to the windows we had to reach over the roof with a cherry picker boom lift which proved to be more trouble than the stained glass repairs. The machine weighed 3 tons and had to be pushed in to position by hand. We had to negotiate our way over a high curb, soft grass, between grave stones and across the ancient Yorkshire stone paving. After much heaving and red faces we finally got the machine into position under the over hanging branches of a large tree by the side of the church wall. We then had to load up the machine’s basket and inch our way up and around the branches, over the roof and get into place between the church tower and the high level windows. The design of the building seamed to act as a window tunnel, with the gentle breeze turned into a hurricane force blast of cold air. The benefit of working from the cherry picker is that you can get to the perfect working height and carry all your tools and glass in one trip and also get to see the world from a different point of view, literally!
We have just started work on another school art project. This time for a large private school which is in the process of building a new Junior Block. The window is to symbolise the new start for the school and is being inspired by a beautiful poem by Thomas Carlyle, “So here hath been dawning another blue day: Think, wilt thou let it slip useless away? Out of eternity this new day is born; Into eternity at night "twill return.” I have been working with the staff and children to come up with 
designs for the new stained glass window and we are near to completing the artwork. I have chosen to use beautiful deep blue and violet shades of hand made glass for a morning sky which will contrast vividly with the orange, red and amber rays of the dawning sun. I also have a vision for using fusing techniques to intensify the effect of the suns rays by layering glass and heating it until it melts together. This will give a brilliant shimmering effect to the glass which will really catch the eye.
Thanks to Monty Don’s ‘Master crafts’ program we have been inundated by enthusiastic new students for our stained glass courses and classes. I love the fact that the ancient art of stained glass is alive and well in our modern age. There is something timeless about the effect of fabulous rich coloured glass when the sun shines through it that always makes you stop and look. Long may it continue.
