Alan Davis

No, not Alan Davies, star of qi and Jonathan Creek, but a highly-talented artist we stumbled across when searching for someone to create extra stained glass for the four small front windows of the chapel to match the round window above. We liked Alan the moment we met him and he persuaded us to replace the window that was already there (apparently it was very fragile and likely to shatter at any moment, as well as poorly made) so that the five windows would create a whole. We left him to come up with a design which he did and we loved and having given him the job, we have more or less left him to get on with it.

Last week when we made our weekly visit to the chapel we took a longish detour to Alan's studio in the village of Lythe - just up the coast from Whitby and Sandsend. And there, on his work bench was part of our large window. Stunning! We were so excited. Not only does he use different textures and colours of glass he also paints them and uses acid and tools to create a kaleidescope of texture so that the finished work looks different in changing light conditions. The overall effect is a reprsetation of the changing moods of the moors. We are so thrilled and ever so slightly smug that we (all right then, me) found him. If the link works, it's worth taking a look at his website: http://www.alandavisglass.co.uk/

It had been raining hard when we left home; dry but murky when we drove along the coast which made for some moody seascapes - picture above - but by the time we arrived in Rosedale the sky lightened until it was soon a glorious spring afternoon. The may was out, other buds were bursting, the birds were trilling and our spirits lifted. It's days like those that make us remember why we want to live in Rosedale Abbey.