Cheshire Stained Glass
A Week in the Life of Cheshire Stained Glass...
From replacing single panes of stained glass, to managing the glass restoration project for Gorton Monastery, no one day is ever the same for Michael Birch...
MONDAY
Just left for the first call of the day, after discussing with the children what images we’re going to use in the window in their playroom. I’m going to use their designs in a stained glass window. Arrived at a house on Lapwing Lane; customer would like their large landing stained glass window restoring. There are lots of cracks, especially in the central heads of the flowers, so I recommend replacing them with handmade antique glass in streaky ambers with a hint of green to make the windows come alive. The stained glass will be re-leaded and encapsulated into triple-glazed units.
TUESDAY
Phone call from Manchester Town Hall: repairs in situ needed to the Great Hall prior to a visit from the Queen. Can we get them done quickly? I call over and inspect the damage from scaffolding. It’s an intricate job but we should be able to do it in time. Repairs to individual cracked panes can sometimes be carried out in situ. Drive back through Didsbury and call into Emmanuel Church on Barlow Moor Road to take photos of a recently restored stained glass window. As the lead and the cement which help to hold the glass inside the lead came slowly deteriorates, the window bulges and buckles. Leaded windows have an approximate lifespan of 90-100 years before generally requiring attention.
WEDNESDAY
Have a morning appointment at a house on Belfield Road in Didsbury to discuss putting in embossed and brilliant cut glass into a front door. Door and windowpanes of etched glass were used in Victorian and Edwardian houses as an alternative to stained glass to increase privacy without sacrificing daylight.
THURSDAY
Finished off working on a television set that will be used at Granada Studios. I have used 12mm-thick laminated safety glass and a combination of triple acid embossing and deep carved sandblasting.These decorative panels can be incorporated into oak frames and together with a sliding track system, can be used to dramatic effect for floor to ceiling room dividers, and can be produced to customers’ own sizes.In the afternoon I go to Alderley Edge to discuss a contemporary stained glass window with a customer. I suggest using mouth-blown glass with all its subtleties and variations. In the afternoon I called into Gorton Monastery where we have been restoring all the leaded light and stained glass windows, and I am asked to put on a demonstration of stained glass skills for the local schoolchildren next week.
FRIDAY
Drove over to Buxton in Derbyshire for an appointment with the headmistress of Buxton Primary School. They would like a stained glass window in the staff room overlooking the playground. The teachers have come up with a competition for the children to draw pictures of the local landmarks around Buxton. The six best designs will be incorporated into a circular stained glass window.
Cheshire Stained Glass are the local experts, able to offer a service of creating and restoring stained glass windows, as well as the supply and fix of hardwood doors and windows to match Edwardian and Victorian detailing and design.