Meanwhile in Southwark
The publication date of Built to Brew will be a bit later than expected (technical hitch), so while we are waiting here is an interesting piece of stained glass work from Christ Church in Southwark (about a quarter mile north of Southwark underground, and open most mornings – check their website). The nave features a series of windows showing local trades, one of which of course is hops. The upper part of the window seems to depict a hop pocket being sampled, while the lower section shows the brewing process with a couple of large copper vessels. ‘Trade’ windows like this are rare in British churches, and this is a splendid example, to be treasured. The church itself, opened in 1960 and very modest from the outside, was designed by the architect R. Paxton Watson. The sanctuary windows are 1960 by Frederick Walter Cole (1908-98; from the mark below) while the trade windows of 1959 are probably also by Cole. Information at the church tells us that an apprentice artist called Kenneth Gordon Bunton worked on the design of the trade windows, perhaps producing the cartoons. In 1959-60 both Cole and Bunton were working for the Exeter church furnishers and glass firm of J. Wippell & Co Ltd, whose monogram Cole adapted to include his name. Wippell’s were founded in 1789 and are still very much in business today. Their windows at Christ Church are well worth a visit.
Built for Brewing 