Stained Glass Repairer Is Working On Downham Market Church

Workshop creating and restoring stained glass windows.

Exterior view of St Edmund’s parish church at Downham Market, Norfolk. Vandals have damaged the stained glass with bricks, stones and air rifle pellets. Restorer Tony Kilty is seen repairing the lead around a damaged section and describes the process to complete a repair. The Magnificat window was recently damaged and restored over two months at a cost of £3,000 and has now been vandalised again. Tony Kilty expresses his anger at the damage and concern that protective screens required by insurance companies are costly and restrict the light. He holds up painted faces from a damaged window. Mr Kilty moved from London to Stoke Ferry, Norfolk four years ago. In his workshop he repairs glass at a large table surrounded by windows. He and his wife Pat also offer classes in stained glass work to encourage people to take up the hobby – a class is seen in progress and a recent pupil was singer Mary Hopkins. Tony Kilty has bookings for church glass repairs for months ahead and as far afield as Hampshire. He fears that vandalism is spreading like a plague. Chris Young is the reporter for this video made to be shown in a news story on Anglia Television early evening news / magazine programme About Anglia.

Keywords

Stained glass; Churches, Windows; Crafts; Restoration; Vandalism; Workshops