Whilst meandering along the shops scattered throughout the Hampton Hill High Street, you might come across the stained-glass window adorning the Eastern wall of the United Reformed Church. However, from outward it appears boring and dull, and you therefore might not realise that inside is a rich tapestry of glasswork, with an even richer history and symbolism.
The window was originally designed by Don Nicholson, a member of the church, in 2010. He had wanted for the church to have its own proper stained-glass window, and immediately got to work. His hard work paid off, winning him an international competition for his design. However, to do this the window still had to be built. In order to do this, the church got the help of several sponsors, including Beti Williams, David Salmon, Peter Ryan and Audrey Williams, alongside managing to get Edgar Phillips & Westpace Stained Glass Ltd., who got to work developing, fabricating and installing the window, as close to the original design as they could get. After all of this had been done, the final design of the beautiful stained-glass window was finally unveiled on Saturday 12th May 2018 by both Rev. Nicola Furley-Smith and the Right Hon. Sir Vince Cable MP.
However, this window is more than a mere piece of coloured glass. In the opinions of the members of the United Reformed Church, it acts as a symbolic light bringer to the people of the High Street. It is highly detailed, with the imagery being inspired by the natural beauty of Bushy Park, and small details being scattered around the place. Most of these act as little references towards notable sponsors and members of the church, including Don Nicholson himself. According to John, a member of the church, it represents life itself. One can look for the little details that make it interesting, or simply step back and take in everything at once and wonder down the path of life.
