Collecting windows (2)

Armed with my new railcard I headed off to London and was muchly satisfied by the reduced fare! First stop St Margaret's, St Margaret's Road, St Margaret's! A very modern church (well for 1970) by Austin Winckley and now Grade II listed. A clerestory window above the altar which reminded me of a poached egg (below) and a narrow sliver in greys and blues behind the Baptistery.
Thence to St Theodore of Canterbury in Hampton, a small low-budget Catholic church also designed by Winckley. Four tiny windows here, a Supper at Emmaus, two narrow windows either side of the Tabernacle, and then a truly delightful Penitence window (St Peter and a cockerel) in the Confessional. Hardly anyone except the Priest views that one - so here's a sneak preview.
Last stop the Barn Church, Kew, so named because it is actually formed from a 17th country barn, with old threshing stones in the entrance and 17th century bricks for the exterior. A delightful place, rather Arts and Crafts in style so Patrick's almost abstract window fitted perfectly with (possibly) an angel/girl and definitely a beautiful garland of flowers, all in yellows, mauves and purples - and NO hand painting, remarkable itself for a Reyntiens window.
A wander back to Kew Gardens station and since I hadn't stopped for lunch and it was a glorious day I treated myself to a cappuccino, sitting on the pavement in the sun, reading my notes.

Collecting windows (1)

OK, I admit it, I'm getting obsessive about collecting Patrick's windows, but it's partly for my lectures and partly for the article I've got to write for the Decorative Arts Society by the end of July and partly for the catalogue - which I really do think some publisher ought to take up and give me the time and means to develop into a proper academic work. It would look superb for one thing and would inspire people to get out and about and visit the works in situ. And it would prove that Patrick was not just the amanuensis of Piper. Such a tome is long overdue methinks.
Anyway today I drove up to St Lawrence College, Ramsgate and was pleasantly surprised. I got to know the town fairly well when researching for a book about Pugin's church with my friend Gill Hunter back in 2000. Unfortunately becoming familiar with the town did not endear it to either of us. Anyway St Lawrence College is in a beautiful setting, lovely old buildings, extremely helpful and friendly staff and the windows rather glorious. The main window (which happens to be the west window since the chapel faces that direction) has joyful colouring and an almost abstract design (although being Patrick there's buckets of symbolism in there) so can be viewed on all levels by the pupils. Detail of that window above. The tracery glass was designed by Piper and made by David Wasley, the remainder designed and made by Patrick, so rather an oddity. Patrick also designed the much more deeply coloured rose window in the balcony.

addenda

For some unknown reason I couldn't fit these in the previous blog! Above, some beautiful pigeons looking in through a shop window, below Robinson College, Cambridge tympanum.

Below, detail of Lowesby window.

One of the abstract windows at Tewin below.

And a detail from East Knoyle.

a long and winding road

Tuesday 10th May I set off for Thornton and for a couple of days took my 95 yr old aunt and 92 yr old mother around the countryside (the best bit was when they sat admiring the North Bay, Scarborough, eating Mr Whippy ice creams!) Unfortunately I didn't take a photograph. Thence down to Film Farm via a Piper/Reyntiens stained glass window in Misterton (below). Wrote some voice overs for Patrick.
Charles has decided it would be better if we visited Patrick together (probably doesn't trust me with his high-faluting sound system - and I don't blame him!) so we set off for Somerset Friday, staying near Beaminster and having dinner at the Wild Garlic run by Matt Follas (of Masterchef fame) and excellent it was too until the next day's meal!
Saturday off to Patrick's and he performed the voice-overs brilliantly, then answered some of my interminable questions about previous commissions until it was obvious he'd had enough, at which point he retired to the kitchen to provide us with a splendid meal of chicken Kiev and 'peasyrice' followed by a choice of ice cream and yog or apple pie. For someone who rarely bothers about lunch, apart from a lettuce leaf on the fly, this was a huge undertaking for me, a gargantuan meal. Unfortunately I couldn't partake of the alcoholic beverages since I'm the chauffeur on these expeditions, but Charles had a very liquid lunch - sherry, much wine and then the local Temperley apple brandy which he considered EXCELLENT! I showed Patrick my catalogue to date and he appeared to be more than somewhat impressed - which makes everything worthwhile! Photos of Patrick and me in the kitchen, and part of Patrick's amazing selection of art materials in the kitchen.
In fact the brandy was so excellent that when Patrick had got rid of us we drove round there and bought some brandy, cider and Hix cherries for Film Farm's cellar and larder. With the afternoon free we drove to Lyme Regis but failed to spot any ammonites and then on to Axminster and another visit to Hugh F-W's Canteen, which was just great. Simple fare, simple surroundings, but just fabulous food (shame the wine prices are so high). Needless to say, these gastronomic delights are not part of the budget but funded from our own pockets since we enjoy good food and one has to have some fun in life! A slightly manic looking filmmaker below!Sunday drove back to FF but I insisted on bagging more churches en route so first it was East Knoyle (wonderful plasterwork by Sir Christopher Wren no less - his old man was Rector there at one point - and an amazing mosaic reredos). One Patrick window.

Then to Tewin where there were 4 Patrick windows, one very like the Annunciation at Ampleforth, the other 3 purely abstract (so I rather liked them!)
The remainder of the week was spent adding Patrick's voice-overs and painstakingly going through the 7 pages of changes desired by the clients.
Friday I visited Lowesby to see the Reyntiens window and drove back to Kent on Saturday 21st via Cambridge for another look at the Robinson College windows. My poor old car really is getting a bit of a flogging - she's done a mere 148,000 miles!

more changes

We sent off the revised DVD but apparently yet more changes are required - this is becoming design by committee - want a horse, get a camel. So I'm back at Film Farm 12th May, have to record Patrick in Somerset that weekend and back to the edit suite to hopefully produce a final version of the DVD with which everyone is satisfied. Please, please, please, cross fingers etc etc etc!!!!!!
Meanwhile I have been producing a catalogue of Patrick's work which will be an added extra on the DVD and am pretty chuffed with same it has to be said, although a huge amount of work (not in the budget unfortunately!) So why am I such an idiot, producing all this work for no personal benefit - probably just because I really do believe Patrick is a seminal figure, a one-off, unique, and I want people to appreciate what he has contributed to the development of stained glass over the last 50 years or so.

more editing

Oh yuck, the clients seem to think that they paid for a 50 minute film and receiving a 90 minute film is not a bonus - so we are supposed to cut, cut, cut - obviously to the detriment of the film as conceived. So we have spent the last 3 days cutting, horrific, hugely dissatisfying.

The Big Preview!

After a weekend ministering to mea mater it was back to Film Farm on the 28th, interrupted by a train journey to London for the NADFAS Directory Meeting. Unfortunately the East Coast service was suspended on the return journey 30 March so I had to get a train to Kings Lynn, Charles had to drive 50 miles to collect me, and then the following day I had to take the train to Grantham to collect my car and drive back to Film Farm. Huge expense and waste of time all round.
Thursday and Friday reviewing the DVD plus cooking on my part and then Saturday the grand preview with Patrick himself, John and Charlotte, some media friends of theirs and Charles' expert, Hugh Newsam. Although they thought it could be shortened the response was enthusiastic which was a huge relief after all the agonies we've been through. So a few minor changes and we are there - hopefully!
Photos of us all in the garden post preview.