Art With Glass

This time last year, The Triangle ended 2012 with a visit to the Upper Norwood Methodist Church, mostly memorable for its spectacular stained glass. And we round off 2013 with a visit to Vince Reid's stained glass studio at the top of Haynes Lane. Vince has recently worked in the church, repairing damaged glass, and indeed the majority of his work is in repair and restoration of historic glass, mostly in domestic settings. From the mid Victorian period to the middle of the twentieth century, stained glass was hugely popular in homes, so there's an awful lot of it out there that needs attention. Apparently over recent years, the high price of gas has limited the production of stained glass causing a decline in its use in contemporary design. 
Originally a metalworker, and an electrician at a nuclear power plant, Vince had always wanted to do something more creative, and learnt his new trade at an established stained glass firm in Oxford. His business has been run from the same site on the Triangle since 1992. Perhaps surprisingly, much of his work comes from people walking in off the street, so being in a prominent location on the Triangle is fairly crucial. Tucked away on an industrial estate, he'd never get the same sort of exposure. All too often, development and high costs force out artists and craftsmen that an area like ours is all the richer for having. Vince has two part-time freelancers, Cathy and Antonella, working for him, and also provides work experience for students, who learn the trade by making the simpler items such as mirrors and picture frames, which are for sale at the studio.

Art With Glass