Dr Horner #3

Saturday 15th May saw Libby leaving Film Farm before Charles had already risen, to drive to Cambridge where her younger son, Aidan, following in the footsteps of his mother and grandfather was awarded his PhD. Good day and the sun shone!

Not one to allow a research opportunity slip away, Libby also photographed the Brangwyn memorial to Fitzgerald on Kings Parade, and the Piper/Reyntiens windows in Churchill College chapel (detail below).

A few days later, queuing at a Waitrose cafe for a reviving coffee, the lady in front of me had a plate of curry and asked for some mango chutney. 'Oh no' said the girl behind the till, absolutely straight faced, 'we can't serve that any more. Health and Safety.' Good Heavens, what is the country coming to, when even chutney is considered dangerous!

Retrospective 6 - Anstey

Today we drove to Anstey to see the 398th Memorial window, fabulous, lots of butterflies and bombers and the names of all the fallen inscribed in the window - a beautiful and unusual tribute to the American airmen who were stationed nearby (detail above). Sir Roger du Boulay, a very sprightly 88 year young gentleman, arrived and gave a me a complete history of the church, the ancient mermaid font, the old chests etc. Sir Roger had organised the appeal for funds and the installation of the window and gave us an excellent interview, explaining the symbolism. We finally packed bags at Anstey about 2pm and, following Sir Roger's tip off, drove to the Woodman pub which had been the local for the Americans and has lots of memorabilia which we were able to photograph. And then back to Film Farm, both rather shattered.

Retrospective 5 - Much Hadham

Penelope, John and Patrick meet again after 15 years

A joyful days of unexpected extras. We arrived at Sts Andrew and Thomas at the same time as a lovely lady who turned out to be our guardian angel throughout the day - Penelope Wrong who was largely responsible for the Moore Memorial window in the church. Then some churchwardens arrived to see if we needed any help, then the vicar popped in. Libby went outside for her time lapse leaving Charles to the mercies of the ministrations and working out how to climb into the organ loft to get decent film of the window. Penelope dashed off to get some rope to hoist the camera into the loft.
Patrick and John arrived with one of the studies for the window and we filmed them - this was John's first commission with his father so pretty important.
Having found some garden rope Penelope then set about tracking down the previous rector who arrived just before midday so we were able to film him. Penelope and Patrick then went off for luncheon together whilst John stayed on to help with the ladder climbing, for which we were very grateful. A practical joker, John knocked over a stool when the camera was being lowered, giving Charles a real fright! He was somewhat relieved to be on terra firma after his efforts.
Having done all our church work we stopped for a brief eat in and then drove down to Penelope's wonderful thatched house because she owns the other study for the window. We set up the camera in the delightful courtyard watched by Poppy the lurcher and interviewed Penelope about the history of the window. Penelope in her garden with a study for the window
A great day, so many kind and helpful people. I had planned a visit to the Henry Moore Museum but we didn't finish work until 5pm so returned via an amazing and slightly scary water-splash to our Lutyens B&B for another picnic.

China mid water-splash and the wonderful Lutyens house, Homewood

Retrospective 4 - Coventry

Loads to do today - not only filming the Baptistry window but also interviewing Patrick and Graham Jones together (he of the Cochem window and born in Coventry - keep up!), and Graham tout seul assessing Patrick's place in the history of stained glass, his strengths and weaknesses (surely not?!) I wanted to start with Graham and Patrick in the bombed out shell of the old Cathedral but it was raining so we moved to stage 2 - the pair of them discussing the Baptistry window. Then a Litany intervened so we had to call a break. Meanwhile Charles had discovered a lovely lady helper who told him that visitors complained about almost every aspect of the new cathedral EXCEPT the Baptistry window which often reduced them to tears because of its beauty. So we programmed her into the schedule, reconvened with PR and Graham, and then, the rain having eased, filmed the two chaps outdoors.
PR and JR were then sent packing whilst we filmed Graham sitting on a gravestone being interviewed by Libby kneeling on damp grass - both Charles's suggestions and not exactly to our liking! Graham is such an ebullient figure, so full of energy and enthusiasm - a joy to interview, a natural. Through the Looking Glass, Libby (somewhere in there) and multiple images
Somehow we missed out on lunch, although the coffee was restorative. Bought some picnicy food en route to our B&B - a Lutyens house no less, Homewood, just fab.

Retrospective 3 - Southwell

One of the windows leading to the Chapter House

On our own today which does make life easier! We understand each other's working methods so sessions are pretty efficient. Southwell is a beautiful Minster, not the soaring elegance of Gothic, but good solid Norman pillars, rounded arches, lovely detailing on the arches and doorways - reminds me of Durham, a solidity and weightiness and lack of hyperbole which appeals. And the staff and helpers are so helpful and in love with their treasure, which made the day a delight.
Since the weather was forecast to deteriorate, Libby started off outside with the time lapse, before moving inside to photograph the west window (the Angels window) which Charles was filming. I think it's rather splendid with grisaille colouring which attunes perfectly with the age of the church. Now whose that remind you of? ... No, me neither ...
Luckily Patrick had reminded me about a series of small windows leading to the Chapter House which we thought glorious (both the windows and the Chapter House itself with foliate heads and intricate stone carvings creating filigree baskets of leaves).

Forget about the Minster, what about the beautiful horse-chestnut candles?
An excellent day apart from the fact that Libby then had to drive another 1 1/2 hours to Coventry. This is a pretty tiring schedule!

Retrospective 2 - Ampleforth

And so to the wonderful setting of Ampleforth Abbey and College, where Patrick was once a student, where I first met John (serendipity), and where there's a whole slew of Reyntiens' windows. We set up the cameras ready for Patrick and John to arrive and then proceeded to interview Patrick in front of the beautiful north transept windows and round the chapel windows in turn, luckily finishing seconds before the midday service, at which point we retired outside to film Patrick talking some more about his school days (Basil Hume taught him rugby!)
Patrick and John were invited to the monks' refectory for luncheon and I had asked repeatedly whether Charles could film the event (he having done so in the dim and distant past and realising how well it would work in this film) but was told that a decision would be made on the day. However the Father Abbot said that the monks did not relish change and he had to give them a week's notice - so unfortunately that plan was shelved. Quick lunch for the troops - porkus pieus for Charles, a few peanuts for Libby.
She was then sent out into the freezing cold to organise a time lapse and fell in love with the field of beautiful white heifers with their huge mournful brown eyes. When she returned indoors with four numbed yellow fingers she discovered that Charles was not filming details of the windows as anticipated but had gone missing. Imagine her chagrin when it transpired he'd been having a coffee break with Patrick and John, recently returned from their monkish meal.
John did a quick bit to camera before the Reyntiens team went their way, which meant we could get back to filming and photographing the windows and details of same, plus a rather amusing sight of the heifers lined up by the fence observing the Cadet Force with great interest! Charles much amused by the anti-caravan signs leading to Sutton Bank! If he had his way all caravans would be banned except perhaps during the hours 2-5am - SCRAP stands of course for the Society for Caravan Removal and Prevention, and is going global - watch this space. Nothing to do with me Guv.
Finished an hour later than Libby's schedule and then a 2 1/2 hour journey to Southwell.

Retrospective - Film Farm

Arrived at FF Saturday 8th to discover an absolutely exhausted Charles but insisted we do some scanning for the Reyntiens project in the afternoon. Sunday charging of batteries and all that malarkey before driving up to Helmsley to stay the night in a lovely little B&B called 43.

All Fall Down

Pretty much what we've all been doing this week. Charles initiated the habit on Sunday by tripping over a kerbstone. As usual he had his hands in his pockets and so wasn't able to save himself from splitting his temple on the edge of the pavement. Much blood but some wonderfully helpful Helmsley inhabitants who took him to the nearest pub, found a Doctor and bandaged him up.
In Coventry on Wednesday Libby was getting rather stressed out juggling interviews between the Litanies, the rain and the guided tours and when dashing around outside trying to find some recalcitrant team members, slipped on the wet York stone and sliced the end off her elbow. Much blood but John Reyntiens came to the rescue in magnificent fashion, dashing off to a chemist and returning with bottled water, painkillers and bandages (the Cathedral is not allowed bandages in its First Aid Box - don't ask!)
A mere hour or so later, when the assembled had just finished their assorted coffees, Patrick wanted to get the show on the road, so instead of asking if I'd move from the bench, he stood on same, vaulted over the top, landed successfully on the other side, then leaped down to the ground which was his mistake because he ended up flying in horizontal mode for a good few feet before colliding with a metal table and chairs and a rather astonished imbiber. He pronounced himself fit as a fiddle and performed a jig just to prove it.
John had his chance the following day when jiggling a ladder into position but decided enough was sufficient and maintained his balance.

Transcribing ...

... is what I've been doing this week using my new CatDV programme which Charles purchased for me (great stuff!), plus reading a book I borrowed from Patrick about Edward James, and penning an article for Glass Circle News (about FB's glass and decanter designs), catching up, cleaning the house, and organising the next week's filming. All quite relaxed really - especially compared to the week my colleague has endured.
As soon as I left on Sunday Charles started work on the Big Draw DVD, with masses of slide shows to animate, music to add etc and that's before starting to author the DVD. Eileen stayed at Film Farm Monday and Tuesday to help sort out stuff and then he's been working flat out until the wee hours every day since. He is aiming to finish it and pop in the post before I arrive tomorrow midday-ish hoping to propel him back into Reyntiens mode.

Home James

The beautiful prawns and red mullet preparing themselves for the barbie

Having been for a pre-breakfast run every day this week I decided to give myself a birthday treat and have a lie-in. Crumbs the big 6-0 next year - I just don't feel sufficiently grown up to be a venerable age like that.
As predicted the fish shop was patronised - some gloriously patterned wild prawns and 4 small red mullet. Thence the drive back to Lincolnshire where we arrived late afternoon, checked e's etc and then dug the huge BBQ out of the stables where it was hiding behind an immoveable mini tractor and hedged in by the Sound Bites bike. Anyway with much heaving and grunting we managed it. Too cold to eat outdoors but we BBQd the wonderful prawns which Hare in the Gate served with garlic mayonnaise, followed by BBQd mullet with Hassan's cracked potatoes (with coriander, yummy) and a green salad. An excellent birthday celebration, washed down with a drop or 3, and decidely the BEST meal of the week! The Boss and his little BBQ
Then I made the poor chap watch some Japanese FB programmes because I thought there were some good graphics which we might adapt for Reyntiens. Following that the poor boy had to do some work in the editing room to process the films for me to transcribe next week and didn't get to bed until the wee hours of Sunday according to him - but then he revels in tea and sympathy! Back to Kent tomorrow.