Jane Gray, who lives on the banks of the River Severn just outside Shrewsbury, was the first woman to become a liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Glaziers and her work also graces homes across the country as well as places of worship.

Her many creations include windows at St Oswald’s Church in Oswestry, St Bernadette and St Margaret’s at Uxbridge, and St Andrew’s Church at Pitminster in Somerset.

After moving to Shropshire Jane’s work was spotted by members of the Guild of St Winefride who had been saving profits from the Abbey Gift
Shop to provide some sort of beautification for Shrewsbury Abbey.

Jane says: “When they saw my display they decided to commission a window dedicated to St Winefride. The window was installed in 1992. It is quite a large one, six lights on two levels and it is in the north aisle of the Abbey.”

In 1990 Jane had a commission for a window in St Peter’s Church on Monkmoor Road, Shrewsbury, and went on to complete a memorial window for

Sir David Offley Wakeman at St Peter and Paul’s Church at Fitz in Shropshire and a window marking the 50th anniversary of the D-day landings in St Mary’s in Chirk.

Jane has penned Playing with Rainbows, a book starting with her enrolling as a student at the Kingston School of Art in 1949 and ending in 2010 with Jane still creating windows, as she says “while I still have my health and strength I will carry on working in the medium I love”.

The book, published by Ellingham Press in Much Wenlock, is available now from Ellingham Press (cheque for £15 + £3 postage), and can be ordered through bookshops or on Amazon Priced at £15.00.