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

Christmas Pop-Ups

Let's face it, even in boom times, there's always the odd empty shop on the high street. But when times are tough, our shopping parades look positively gap toothed. So it's great that in recent years, plenty of initiative has been shown regarding this issue. The 'pop-up' phenomenon has been a boon, injecting life and creativity into dark and shuttered premises. Locally, Lewis Kite has been spearheading a campaign via the Chamber of Commerce to re-use empty shops, and in particular was looking for somewhere for his partner, Sam to sell her range of baby clothes. His appeal on the local Facebook page had a response from Julie Rumlerova, who had a shop on Belvedere Road, called Julie's Handmade World, which had sadly closed. They then set about inviting other local design and crafts oriented people, who might not have had the financial ability to open their own shop, to share the space. The result is a space with a variety of products, which nevertheless feels like a proper shop, with a considered range, rather than an indoor market or bazaar. But of course, being a pop-up, its life will be brief, opening again tomorrow (sunday 15th) and next weekend (saturday 21st and sunday 22nd).

The shop at 3 Belvedere Road

Julie Rumlerova
Knitwear & Soft Toys

Sarah Dennis, Magpie and Hen
Vintage toys, books and clothes

Sam Perry, Lil Beans
Children's clothing & toys

Soilse Lundberg, Bewilder

Baby hats

Alice Robertson & Ben Alderman, Stripey Pipey
Cards & Calendars

Michaela Simova, Blowing Dandelion
Handmade Chocolate

Linda Edvardsen, Bo Nordica
Homewares & paper decorations

And some of the team, from left to right: Lewis, Sam, Alice, Sarah, & Julie

Meanwhile on another corner of the Triangle, it comes as no surprise to find a pop-up in a pub! The Nordic Pop-up at The Sparrowhawk until December 29th, is run by Martina Helin. Originally from Finland, Martina has been doing pop-ups for nearly 10 years, in London, Brighton and Helsinki, and constantly finds new products to sell, and new makers to represent. Most of the artists and designers are friends and colleagues that she has met through her daytime job as an events organiser, often working on brand launches during London Fashion Week.

Lampshades, by Alice Aitkin

Copper Jewellery, by Sadie Clayton

T Shirts, by Blood, Sweat & Ts

Poola Kataryna Jewellery

Xi Designs, Jewellery

Baby Clothes by Carry me Home