History of the Williams & Byrne stained glass studio
 Ten marvellous years
The Williams & Byrne stained glass studio is owned and run by David Williams and Stephen Byrne. David and Stephen have worked together for ten years.
David Williams - 30 years’ experience of designing and painting stained glass
 David Williams has over 30 years’ experience of designing and making beautiful stained glass. Right from the start, David knew what he wanted to do in life. While still at school, he studied Fine Art at the Laird School of Fine Art, and then he took a BA in Fine Art from the Sunderland College of Art.
Next he worked for eight years with Patrick Reyntiens at Mr. Reyntiens’ stained glass studios in Buckinghamshire and Somerset. Under Mr. Reyntiens, David worked on the Britten memorial windows in Aldeburgh (he did a lot of the acid-etching) and on Reyntiens’ new windows for Robinson College, Cambridge. He also assisted in the execution of various other windows designed by John Piper (such as the Evangelist windows at Saint John Without The Bars in the City of Lichfield) and Cecil Collins (for All Saints’ in Basingstoke). Such was David’s apprenticeship. (But in truth these things never stop.)
In 1986 David took up the position of Studio Manager and Chief Designer at Hardman’s of Birmingham. Here he designed, made and restored stained glass for fifteen years, working on a huge variety of projects. For example, a complete restoration of Saint Chad’s in Birmingham; two windows for Saint Mary’s, Uttoxeter; the restoration of glass in Inverness Cathedral; also in Winchester Great Hall (where the Round Table of King Arthur is); and the Town Hall at Leamington Spa.
David is accredited to the ICON, the Institute of Conservation.
Stephen Byrne - a less direct route but an equally happy destination
 Stephen Byrne has worked with stained glass for ten years. He took an Honours degree in Philosophy from Saint Andrews University and, after a year spent teaching in Italy, he also took a doctorate in Philosophy from University College, Oxford.
Next he worked in the City of London for thirteen years as a business analyst, something which continues to help enormously with project management at the Williams & Byrne stained glass studio.
Deciding that some manner of manual work was necessary to his happiness (he had anyway found it impossible to keep his pin-strip suits clean like the other business analysts somehow managed to), he left the City, travelled to France for an inspiring meeting with Leo Amery, and never looked back. After a year spent drawing and painting on his own in London, he took a position under David at Hardman’s and began four hectic years of training-on-the-job.
Here Stephen worked with David on eight windows for Saint Stephen’s Hall in the Palace of Westminster and on two enormous facsimiles of Victorian windows: one being the magnificent east window from the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Farm Street, Mayfair, and the other being the equally glorious east window from Saint John the Divine, New York. (Both facsimiles, it is believed, were destined for wedding chapels in Japan.) During this period, Stephen also worked intensively on the restoration of a set of early 20th century French enamel stained glass doors, which, rumour has it, later became a walk-in wardrobe in a pop star’s mansion.
Williams & Byrne
 David and Stephen joined forces to create Williams & Byrne, opening the new studio’s doors in 2004. They have moved forwards at a tremendous pace, so that now they not only take glass students from the USA, Japan and Australia but they also have the work exhibited in buildings across the world from Auckland to the Bay of Nice.
Just as importantly, not a week goes by without the discovery of a lovely new technique for developing even further the decorative potential of hand-made glass.
Art or craft?
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Williams & Byrne
Designers, Painters & Restorers of Glass
Telephone +44 (0) 1584 856724
Williams & Byrne Limited, Church Farm Studios, Stanton Lacy, Near Ludlow, Shropshire, UK, SY8 2AE
— Registered in England No. 5052911 VAT Registration No. 826 4837 05 —
E-mail studio@williamsandbyrne.com |
