Saturday 27 March 2010

magical

Drove up to Ipswich where even though school had closed for the Easter holidays the lovely librarian, Paula Boughton, opened the library for me. The four foliate heads are just glorious, the building purposely designed so that each window receives the seasonal light. Since this is spring (well hopefully some day soon) I've included that roundel which also represents Youth and the Earth. It was a joy to meet someone who was so enthusiastic, and Paula is like the custodian of the windows.
Thence to Wyken Hall, Suffolk and their magical leaping hares, where Annie and I caught the farmer's market just before it closed, browzed in the shop, had a super light lunch in the big barn, and then a ramble over to the vineyards and back. The purchase of a few bottles of their prize-winning Bacchus wine was of course obligatory. We'll have to go back in the summer when the gardens are open.

Friday 26 March 2010

frenetic ...

... is hardly the word for my perambulations and working schedule the next couple of weeks ...
Tomorrow I set off for Norwich to see my cousin who is feeling a trifle down, visiting Ipswich School en route because they have some wonderful Piper/Reyntiens foliate head windows in the Library. Sunday on to Film Farm to put together the Glaziers Benefit promo (hopefully Charles will be rejuvenated by his recent holiday in Sicily, his first in 2 years, so well deserved - although I've only had 3 days in Japan in the last 3 years ... but who's counting). Thence to Thornton on Wednesday to collect my mother and take her to Kent Thursday via Cambridge Waitrose since I'm catering for 7 over the Easter weekend. Easter Monday I have to drive to Pembrokeshire (i.e the other side of the world) whilst Graham drives my mother home. I've got a lecture Tuesday, hope to see a couple of Piper/Reyntiens windows (Llandaff and Newport) on the way to Bristol area (overnight stop), then down to Sherborne Wednesday for 2 lectures, returning to Bristol area about midnight. Thursday drive up to Film Farm, Friday drive to Grantham early to catch the train to London for a Brangwyn interview with a Japanese TV station (dependent on strikes). Saturday and Sunday polish the promo until gleaming. Monday drive to London, have a Gordon Russell meeting in the afternoon, present our film at the Glaziers Hall in the evening, Tuesday film John Reyntiens cutting glass in his studio followed by Patrick painting glass, then a quick dash down to Sidcup to interview Richard DeMarco who studied in Edinburgh with Patrick, then back to Sandersons in Berners Street to interview Patrick in front of the wonderful abstract he and Piper created. Wednesday morning interview the Master of the Grocers Company before driving back to Film Farm. Thursday review our achievements and give my poor car a rest. Friday drive back to Kent.
Meanwhile poor Charles has Jobear arriving the day I leave and staying to Monday (Charlotte Bach editing) to be replaced same afternoon by Eileen for Big Draw editing .
Someone uttered that old fashioned word 'weekend' in our hearing recently - and we really had to think hard to recall the positive aspects - hey ho, c'est la vie!

Sunday 21 March 2010

For the Snark was a Boojum you see


Actually I was hunting windows, not Snarks, but one never knows, I may have seen one sub-consciously since no-one really knows what they look like, not even their creator.
Anyway, my hunt took me to Borough Green. Had been assured the place would be open for a play practise but of course it wasn't, so thank goodness for ghastly mobile phones. Rang one of the churchwardens who kindly walked round and let me in. I found it rather a disappointing window, so pale it was almost acidic in parts, tooth-curlingly so, although I liked the autumnal leaves. Detail from the window above.
Thence on to Marden. WOW! Much more my style, bold, almost violent, colours and the energy in the east window and north and south lancets was palpable, frighteningly so. Semi abstract, but the more you looked the more detail you absorbed, like the piercing green eyes in the north lancet detail below.
If you're interested in seeing lots of Patrick's autonomous panels, there's an excellent website with super images - http://patrickreyntiens.com


Friday 19 March 2010

gazeteer

In my usual mode of 'I'm going to get more information than I'd ever need', have now made a database and started entering a gazeteer of Patrick's windows, from which I gather there are two within spitting distance (I lived in Hong Kong for 17 years so have considerable knowledge of this discipline) - Marden and Borough Green - and have arranged to visit them tomorrow - all good background stuff. And since everyone at school (which was eons ago) thought I'd study geography at University, have also drawn out a UK map highlighting Reyntiens windows, so that whenever I am in a particular vicinity I can make a detour and 'bag' same. Jolly good fun, what?!

Thursday 18 March 2010

Chagall

Detail of one of Chagall's windows at All Saints', Tudeley
Have spent the last few days putting together the Glaziers Hall promo. Having sorted out the transcriptions I then put together a putative script, then went back to the tapes, got the exact timings and ugh - turned out at something like 11 minutes without breathing space, so then looked through all the Cochem film again, found some rather moving moments, added them, then started cutting out 'my darlings'. Then I mark up the script in different colours which indicates where words should be cut and where film or stills replace an image of the speaker. With the films I have to note the shot name, title, roll # and check the timecodes and of course ensure it's about the right length. With stills, I doctor them in Photoshop, save them as TIFF files, and have to note down the size and whether any moves are required.
I then decided a break would be a GOOD THING and I'd do some Chagall research since Cochem is Chagall related, so drove down to the Mascalls Gallery at Paddock Wood, run by Nathaniel Hepburn.
AMAZING - this gallery is in the grounds of Mascalls school (which set it up and helps fund the exhibitions) it's small but so professional and just such an inspiration to the children. A group were leaving as I arrived, really enthused and chatting about sending email information. An excellent exhibition about images of the crucifixion, including a whole series of Chagall's sketches for All Saints', Tudeley.
I whizzed off there afterwards, and can see the connection, although Graham Jones' colours are much more vibrant and confident, less reclusive, and Patrick is just another Chagall when he wants to be!
Today was also a TomTom experiment, having been the recipient of same at Christmas but not having used it since - Thornton and Film Farm being on the 'auto' list. So this was a try out prior to the Reyntiens rambles in April and May - not that I cast nasturtiums on my navigator, heaven forfend BUT .... (!)

Monday 15 March 2010

Much binding ...

Arrived at Much Hadham (very attractive village and church, be good on film) to great clouds of dust, trillions of godly folk were spring cleaning. A spectacularly friendly bunch who offered me dusty tea and showed me the Reyntiens window - great fun, the lower portion is taken from a Moore etching with just abstract patches of blue above - completely secular. Titled the Tree of Life. It just looks like a tree outside! Only problem is the organ loft which blocks one's view of the entire window from the nave.
Since returning to Kent have succeeded in organising the week 10-14 May where we launch ourselves from Ampleforth and gradually move down the country taking in Southwell, Coventry, Anstey and Much Hadham.
The main job now is to prepare a 5 minute promotional film to show at the Glaziers 'do' 12 April - From Coventry to Cochem. To this end I started trying to transcribe Father Muller (speaking German - him, not me) but couldn't cope. Luckily my sister-in-law Carolyn (she was part of Miscellany, see FBSG!) is a German graduate and in 2 days had transcribed and translated said religious figure for me - noting what a lovely man he was! Not totally sure Graham Jones and Patrick would have agreed - a character maybe, but certainly a man who knows what he wants - and gets it! Like his beautiful windows. Anyway - Carolyn's a real STAR!
Yesterday I transcribed Wilhelm Derix and the Jones/Reyntiens interviews recorded in Cochem and did some research into who exactly bombed Cochem on 5 January 1945 - turns out it was the American 8th Air Force. Might be worth noting the difficulties of transcription. One needs to write down not only every word but also every um and ah and er and every burble. The point being that X might say something extremely interesting but in the middle has a large ER which one wishes to delete - if one cuts the film then there's a jump so you have to know where to cut to other images. When one is putting together a film sequence this can be quite tricky. Yesterday's transcribing session was quite fun because Patrick can be very droll and has wonderful analogies to music and food. Graham Jones was excellent, knew when to listen and when to speak up to stop Patrick going OTT. Graham also talks in a very energetic, enthusiastic way and is incisive - what a joy!


A stop designed by Henry Moore, Much Hadham

Saturday 6 March 2010

more organisation

About to whizz off to Thornton for a weekend with mea mater (yawn), hoping to visit Much Hadham on the way to have a look at Patrick's memorial window to Henry Moore. Then 3 days editing on FBSG with Charles next week. This last week have been re-reading and supposedly proof-reading all the book chapters but of course I can't see the proverbial wood ... so have also asked some friends who are discovering all sorts of silly little errors (no ENORMOUS boobs yet though). Stop it! Contacted Ampleforth or Amplefifth this week and the Father Prior has agreed a date for filming there but we have to await the Abbot's blessing. Coventry also booked, still waiting to hear from Southwell and Anstey. When one hopes to visit countless places in one week it's always problematic because if one venue can't accommodate it puts all the others out of kilter - but I'm sure I don't have to tell you that. Grandmothers - eggs.