Stained glass window rescued

PETER Mackenzie was able to save a ‘‘special’’ stainedglass window in the nick of time.

And with his help, the artist hopes it will last another 80 or so years at Opoho Presbyterian Church.

Mr Mackenzie received the call yesterday that the window was falling apart.

‘‘I got there just in the nick of time.

‘‘It was starting to buckle and collapse when I got there, and when I was removing the window it began to disintegrate.

‘‘It was pretty nerveracking, but I managed to cradle it.’’

The stained glass window was designed by John Brock in the late 1930s, and was a ‘‘pretty special’’ example, Mr Mackenzie said.

‘‘John Brock was a very accomplished stainedglass artist who originally worked in London before he moved to Dunedin for good in 1914.’’

This was one of Brock’s most ‘‘striking’’ works, Mr Mackenzie said.

‘‘It’s one of the few stainedglass windows in Presbyterian churches which shows the emblem of the burning bush.

‘‘Presbyterian Churches of that time tended to be pretty dour buildings, so the colour of this one is quite spectacular.’’

The stainedglass window also featured the motto of the Church of Scotland, ‘‘Nec tamen consumebatur’’, which is Latin for ‘‘Yet it was not consumed’’, an allusion to the biblical description of the burning bush.

‘‘It’s really encouraging to see a church so well looked after and being used by the community.

‘‘It will take about a month to restore [the window], but I’m really looking forward to it being reinstalled and staying in the church for another few decades.’’

PHOTO: STEPHEN JAQUIERY In safe hands . . . Stainedglass artist Peter Mackenzie is entrusted with restoring the window of the Opoho Presbyterian Church.