This week, Year 2 were privileged to have a stained glass window expert, Buffer Tucker, visit them in class and run a special workshop. Buffy is now retired but used to work in the stained glass windows department at Canterbury Cathedral. As well as a career restoring historical windows, Buffy has her own window design in St. James the Greater church in Staple, near Wingham. She also loves to draw in her spare time – her life drawings are excellent!
Buffy began the morning session by telling the children that stained glass windows are a way to tell stories, especially in churches, through the use of coloured glass and pictures. She went on to tell us the story behind the Thomas Becket Miracle window at Canterbury Cathedral and about Becket’s murder in 1170.
As well as telling the children about the religious significance of stained glass windows, she also described how they are made and constructed. She even brought in a full-size cartoon (design) of another of her own windows at Read school, Cobham in Surrey.
Inspired by the windows by Marc Chagall, Year 2 then designed and made their own stained glass windows to celebrate and commemorate people and animals special to them. Using tissue paper and cellophane to colour their windows, they layered primary colours together to make any secondary colours that they needed for their designs.
We all had a fabulous morning. Thank you Buffy!
Please see some photos of the morning in our gallery below:
