Historic Churchill Memorial Screen Returns to Public View After 30 Years
After more than three decades out of sight, a monumental piece of Black Country history is about to step back into the light.
Stourbridge Glass Museum is delighted to announce the unveiling of a newly conserved panel from the legendary Churchill Memorial Screen, a striking 40-foot-long glass mosaic created in 1969 by renowned sculptor Edward Bainbridge Copnall. The reveal will take place at 11am on Thursday, 20th November 2025, when the museum will ceremonially ‘switch on’ the artwork’s new state-of-the-art backlit display, allowing visitors to experience it just as it was originally intended, ablaze with colour and brilliance.
This dramatic moment marks the culmination of a long and complex conservation journey and paves the way for a major new permanent exhibition opening in April 2026, which will tell the screen’s extraordinary story in full.
“The screen was a symbol of post-war ambition and civic pride,” said Alexander Goodger, Director of Stourbridge Glass Museum. “It was part of the fabric of Dudley, a backdrop to countless shopping trips and meetings. To finally bring a section of it back into public view, preserved for future generations, is a huge honour. We’re also fundraising to conserve another panel, perhaps even for display at the Churchill Shopping Centre, where it once stood!”
A Black Country Icon Reborn
The Churchill Memorial Screen once dominated Dudley’s Churchill Precinct, an awe-inspiring glass appliqué mural weighing over five tonnes and consisting of seventeen panels. It celebrated the life of Sir Winston Churchill and was integrated into the architecture of the shopping centre by Borough Architect John T. Lewis.
But the screen’s story is not without tragedy. In the 1980s, it suffered a devastating vandalism attack that destroyed the central portrait of Churchill and several surrounding panels. The remaining sections were taken down in 1992 and placed in secure storage, where they remained unseen for over 30 years.
The panel being unveiled this November depicts the Battle of the Atlantic, one of ten surviving side panels, a powerful reminder of both the screen’s artistry and the resilience of the region’s glassmaking heritage.
Realising this project has taken persistence, passion, and partnership. After years of fundraising challenges and logistical hurdles, the conservation was made possible through the support of DCMS, Arts Council England, and Museum Development Midlands, timed to coincide with the 80th anniversary of VJ Day.
“This isn’t just a story about glass,” said Niamh Peters, the exhibition’s Curator. “It’s a story about a community. People remember the screen from their childhood, or as part of their daily life. The upcoming exhibition will explore those memories, as well as the debates around Churchill’s legacy, and the powerful emotions this artwork still inspires.”
Join Us for the Reveal
The ‘Battle of the Atlantic’ panel will be officially unveiled at a special event on Thursday, 20th November 2025, open by invitation only to museum members and volunteers who have helped make this conservation possible.
By becoming a member for just £15 per year, you can be part of this celebration and receive an invitation to both the November reveal and the permanent exhibition launch on 30th April 2026.
Your membership directly supports the conservation of future panels, helping us bring more of this extraordinary artwork back to life.
https://www.stourbridgeglassmuseum.org.uk/become-a-member/
Stourbridge Glass Museum Awarded Funding to Restore Iconic Churchill Screen Panel for VE Day 80th Anniversary
Stourbridge Glass Museum has been awarded a £25,000 Victory 80 Fund grant to conserve and reinterpret the historic Battle of the Atlantic Panel from the Churchill Screen, a monumental glass artwork created in the 1960s by artist Edward Bainbridge Copnall. The project, supported by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) and Museum Development Midlands (MDM), will culminate in a permanent display of the panel at the Museum, alongside community events marking the 80th anniversary of Victory in Japan (VJ) Day.
The Churchill Screen, originally spanning 12 metres with 17 panels, depicted Winston Churchill’s life through intricate appliqué glass—a technique bonding coloured glass to clear plate glass. Commissioned for Dudley’s shopping precinct, it was a technical marvel weighing five tonnes. In 1984, vandals shattered its central panels, including the Spitfire-themed section honouring Churchill’s WWII leadership. Fragments were salvaged, but the screen’s fate remained uncertain until Stourbridge Glass Museum assumed ownership in 2024. Only 11 panels of the original 17 are salvageable and the central Churchill panel is seriously damaged.
Project Highlights
- Conservation: Accredited glass conservator Kirsten Ramsay will stabilise and restore the Battle of the Atlantic Panel for display at Stourbridge Glass Museum, ensuring its preservation for future generations.
- New Display: A bespoke, lit exhibition unit will showcase the panel with interpretation exploring Dudley’s wartime glass industry and women’s contributions, on permanent display at the Museum.
- VJ Day Tea Party: A free community event on 15 August 2025, featuring reminiscence activities, period dress, and music for the museum and its community groups- join as a member for details.
- Creative Workshops: ‘Make Do and Mend’ glassmaking and ‘Skies of Remembrance’ collages workshops will be hosted, inspired by the screen’s designs.
- Tunnel Tours: Highlighting the museum’s underground air raid shelters used during WWII, plus new interpretation.
Alexander Goodger, Director of Stourbridge Glass Museum, said:
“The Churchill Screen is a cultural treasure- both a testament to the creativity of post-war glass art and a powerful symbol of resilience. This project not only restores a vandalised masterpiece but reconnects the Dudley community with its heritage. The Battle of the Atlantic Panel’s imagery, celebrating Churchill’s leadership, makes it a fitting centrepiece for future VE Day commemorations. 42 years after the panel was vandalised- we will finally be able to showcase a panel fully restored”
News Reel Here: (20+) Facebook
GRAHAM KNOWLES MBE
We are delighted to announce that our Chairman Graham Knowles has been recognised in the King’s 2025 New Year’s Honours Lists with the award of MBE for services to heritage.
Graham is CEO of the locally-based Hulbert Group and is well-known for his business connections throughout the Black Country and beyond.
But it is his long-term philanthropism and community involvement for which he is recognised here, and in particular his Chairmanship of the British Glass Foundation from its inception right through to the opening in April 2022 of the Trust’s crowning achievement, the brand new Stourbridge Glass Museum. From January 2009 to date Graham has given many hours of voluntary leadership, as well as being unstinting with practical and financial help, all in addition to his own considerable business activities.
His energy and enthusiasm have motivated and encouraged the rest of the team and the wider community. His open and inclusive style has minimised misunderstandings and his humour has often stopped the wheels coming off at crucial moments. He has dealt with around 7 different Leaders and Cabinet Members at Dudley Council and has shown great leadership and professionalism. Without Graham’s dedication, drive and commitment to finding a new home for the world famous glass collections they would probably have remained in storage never to have seen the light of day again. He has ensured that the 400 year glass making history of Stourbridge is preserved for many generations to come.
On behalf of the Trustees, Ambassadors, volunteers and all associated with Stourbridge Glass Museum we offer Graham Knowles MBE our heartiest congratulations, together with our assurance that it is a privilege to serve under his continuing stewardship.
More at: BBC News – Glass lover appointed MBE for keeping industry’s legacy alive – BBC News
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwyp8vzy1geo
and
Stourbridge: British Glass Foundation’s Graham Knowles awarded MBE | Stourbridge News
STOURBRIDGE GLASS MUSEUM – HOW IT CAME INTO BEING
A brand new book by Graham Fisher MBE is now available to purchase in the museum at £10 per copy with all proceeds going to the charity.
Stourbridge Glass Museum; how it came into being by Graham Fisher (with a Foreword by Lynn Boleyn MBE) is a comprehensive and absorbing account of how Stourbridge Glass Museum was created on the vandalised and burnt-out site of the former Stuart glassworks in Wordsley.
Graham’s new work covers the intense period of just thirteen years – a remarkably quick timescale – from BGF’s formation through to the official opening in 2023 of a brand-new, purpose-built canalside facility that will conserve and promote both the heritage and the future of local glassmaking for generations to come.
Graham Knowles, Chairman of the British Glass Foundation said: ‘Graham has captured the essence of creating what we consider is a ‘People’s Museum’ from the relics of a former glassmaking site that, more than 20 years after its closure, is still regarded locally with great affection. His latest book is a fascinating narrative in its own right but his recording of how we arrived here will doubtless prove of immense value to researchers and historians yet to be born’.
HRH ROYAL OPENING
HRH The Duke of Gloucester formally opened Stourbridge Glass Museum on 19 April 2023. Full details are in GlassCuts Supplement 220 HRH Opens SGM
LANDSCAPING WORK
Landscaping work at the entrance to the museum started on 8 February and was completed on 25 May 2023 with a spectacular lighting structure created and installed by Simworx of Kingswinford. The landscaping work was undertken by Jack Moody Landscaping & Civil Enginnering Limited of Wolverhampton and the project was funded by FCC Communities Foundation and will greatly enhance the frontage to the museum.
https://fcccommunitiesfoundation.org.uk/
CHRIS AND MAX DAY IN THE HOT GLASS STUDIO
Chris Day in Hot Glass Studio 8.10.22
ROYAL GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY DISCOVERING BRITAIN
Heart of Glass article by Rory Walsh here:
Royal Geographical Society – Discovering Britain June22 – Stourbridge_
INTERNAL FIT OUT BEGINS!
The fit-out work at the new museum commenced on 4 January 2022 and will be completed on 25 February. The glass items will then be moved into the new cabinets in March. Stourbridge Glass Museum is due to open to the public on 9 April 2022. You can see the progress here:
Downstairs Space 10.1.22
THE COLOUR ROOM
The Colour Room premiered at recently and is due to be widely available on the big screen. Our warmest congratulations go to the star of the show, our very own Will Farmer of Fieldings Auctioneers (Stourbridge) and, of course, BBC’s Antiques Roadshow. Will is afforded free rein to propound the talents of his heroine Clarice Clift in a story of lifelong enthusiasm for her work that goes back to his childhood when ‘the most ‘bizarre cup and saucer I had ever seen … were an instant draw that took all of my hard saved £15 spending money’. Will goes on to describe how ‘hers was a true rags to riches success story founded on hard work, determination and an unwavering clear vision’.
Learn more of Will Farmer’s passion for Clarice and her output by catching the film or clicking
here:https://fieldingsauctioneers.co.uk/news/225/the-colourroom-tonight-s-the-night
Oh, and by the way, Antiques Roadshow featuring Will and colleagues is back on the box soon.
Cinderella
Sony’s latest blockbuster, Cinderella, already the number 1 film being streamed in the USA and by all accounts destined to be a worldwide cinematic sensation, and right in the middle of it all is the glass slipper made by Allister Malcolm.
You can see Allister making the glass slipper here.
Cinderella, filmed at Pinewood Studios, is now available on Amazon Prime and here is the official trailer. September 2021.
New Book By Graham Fisher MBE
A new Book – In My Opinion: essays and comment on contemporary social issues is the latest work to hit the shelves from Graham Fisher MBE, who has collated another series of his podcasts for Black Country Radio www.blackcountryradio.co.uk in an eclectic collection covering a period of the recent past right up to the departure of President Trump and the aftermath on Capitol Hill earlier this year.
This is Graham’s 11th book under the ‘Sparrow Publishing’ banner and follows on in similar theme from his Tales From the Barn of 2019. It offers incisive analysis and astute observation on matters that will be welcomed by anyone with an interest in current affairs and contemporary perspectives, but also contains references to glass and glassmaking. His inclusion of postscripts at the end of each chapter bring each account up to date and the work is liberally illustrated throughout. The Foreword is by Zyllah Moranne Brown, Head of Marketing & Communications at Black Country Radio. Mary Spence (Publisher) says: ‘Graham focusses here on topics as diverse as history, philosophy, science, religion, politics and more in a collation of themes all tinged with his usual penchant for the unusual and arcane. Penetrating and thought-provoking, this is Graham at his most incisive in a combination of wit, critique and piercing analysis’.
The book of 136 pages is presented in velveteen-effect hardback with ribbon place-marker and is available through the usual outlets at RRP £15.00 (+£2.50 p&p). However, and hence its mention here, for a limited period it is available direct from the author at £10.00 (+ £2.50 p&p) with proceeds to the British Glass Foundation. Simply use the contact details at https://grahamfisher.co.uk/contact quoting GlassCuts in the header and we’ll do the rest.
Graham Fisher MBE – 7 September 2021
Chris Day on ITV Central News 20 August 2021
ROYAL GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY DISCOVERING BRITAIN
Heart of Glass article by Rory Walsh here:
Royal Geographical Society – Discovering Britain June22 – Stourbridge_
INTERNAL FIT OUT BEGINS!
The fit-out work at the new museum commenced on 4 January 2022 and will be completed on 25 February. The glass items will then be moved into the new cabinets in March. Stourbridge Glass Museum is due to open to the public on 9 April 2022. You can see the progress here:
Downstairs Space 10.1.22
THE COLOUR ROOM
The Colour Room premiered at recently and is due to be widely available on the big screen. Our warmest congratulations go to the star of the show, our very own Will Farmer of Fieldings Auctioneers (Stourbridge) and, of course, BBC’s Antiques Roadshow. Will is afforded free rein to propound the talents of his heroine Clarice Clift in a story of lifelong enthusiasm for her work that goes back to his childhood when ‘the most ‘bizarre cup and saucer I had ever seen … were an instant draw that took all of my hard saved £15 spending money’. Will goes on to describe how ‘hers was a true rags to riches success story founded on hard work, determination and an unwavering clear vision’.
Learn more of Will Farmer’s passion for Clarice and her output by catching the film or clicking
here:https://fieldingsauctioneers.co.uk/news/225/the-colourroom-tonight-s-the-night
Oh, and by the way, Antiques Roadshow featuring Will and colleagues is back on the box soon.
Cinderella
Sony’s latest blockbuster, Cinderella, already the number 1 film being streamed in the USA and by all accounts destined to be a worldwide cinematic sensation, and right in the middle of it all is the glass slipper made by Allister Malcolm.
You can see Allister making the glass slipper here.
Cinderella, filmed at Pinewood Studios, is now available on Amazon Prime and here is the official trailer. September 2021.
New Book By Graham Fisher MBE
A new Book – In My Opinion: essays and comment on contemporary social issues is the latest work to hit the shelves from Graham Fisher MBE, who has collated another series of his podcasts for Black Country Radio www.blackcountryradio.co.uk in an eclectic collection covering a period of the recent past right up to the departure of President Trump and the aftermath on Capitol Hill earlier this year.
This is Graham’s 11th book under the ‘Sparrow Publishing’ banner and follows on in similar theme from his Tales From the Barn of 2019. It offers incisive analysis and astute observation on matters that will be welcomed by anyone with an interest in current affairs and contemporary perspectives, but also contains references to glass and glassmaking. His inclusion of postscripts at the end of each chapter bring each account up to date and the work is liberally illustrated throughout. The Foreword is by Zyllah Moranne Brown, Head of Marketing & Communications at Black Country Radio. Mary Spence (Publisher) says: ‘Graham focusses here on topics as diverse as history, philosophy, science, religion, politics and more in a collation of themes all tinged with his usual penchant for the unusual and arcane. Penetrating and thought-provoking, this is Graham at his most incisive in a combination of wit, critique and piercing analysis’.
The book of 136 pages is presented in velveteen-effect hardback with ribbon place-marker and is available through the usual outlets at RRP £15.00 (+£2.50 p&p). However, and hence its mention here, for a limited period it is available direct from the author at £10.00 (+ £2.50 p&p) with proceeds to the British Glass Foundation. Simply use the contact details at https://grahamfisher.co.uk/contact quoting GlassCuts in the header and we’ll do the rest.
Graham Fisher MBE – 7 September 2021
Chris Day on ITV Central News 20 August 2021
ROYAL GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY DISCOVERING BRITAIN
Heart of Glass article by Rory Walsh here:
Royal Geographical Society – Discovering Britain June22 – Stourbridge_
VACANCY – PART-TIME VOLUNTEER CO-ORDINATOR
VACANCY – MUSEUM MANAGER
Salary £35,000
A unique opportunity for a dynamic cultural leader to become the Manager of the brand new Stourbridge Glass Museum which opened on 9 April 2022 providing an exciting new home for the internationally significant Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council glass collection in an iconic recently restored historic building set in the Stourbridge Glass Quarter funded by ERDF, National Lottery Heritage Fund and others.
Reporting to the Chairman of the charity that run the museum, The British Glass Foundation, the Manager will provide executive leadership to achieve the development of the Museum and a high quality visitor experience. The role will be as a hands on CEO maximising operational and financial performance as a paid entry visitor attraction and marketing and promoting the museum. Maximising the visitor experience will be key with regular events and activities with daily glass blowing demonstrations within the in-house but independently managed hot glass studio. Stewardship is required of the tenancies of several refurbished office and workshop units to secure income essential to the overall sustainability of the Museum.
The Manager will build upon the close relationship with Dudley MBC and work with its museum staff on curatorial and collections development and foster commercially advantageous relationships within the local communities whilst developing initiatives that will help make the Museum a leader in visitor/heritage management.
Museum Manager Job Description and Person Specification: Museum Manager JD – May 2022
Applications should be addressed to:
Graham Knowles, Chairman, British Glass Foundation, c/o Stourbridge Glass Museum, High Street, Wordsley, DY8 4FB or by e-mail to bgf@britishglassfoundation.org.uk
Please include a covering letter, a full resume and an outline of why you think you are suitable for this role. You will need to describe how your skills, knowledge and experience match the job outline whilst also explaining your motivation and goals.
The closing date for applications for this role is Friday 17 June 2022.
INTERNAL FIT OUT BEGINS!
The fit-out work at the new museum commenced on 4 January 2022 and will be completed on 25 February. The glass items will then be moved into the new cabinets in March. Stourbridge Glass Museum is due to open to the public on 9 April 2022. You can see the progress here:
Downstairs Space 10.1.22
THE COLOUR ROOM
The Colour Room premiered at recently and is due to be widely available on the big screen. Our warmest congratulations go to the star of the show, our very own Will Farmer of Fieldings Auctioneers (Stourbridge) and, of course, BBC’s Antiques Roadshow. Will is afforded free rein to propound the talents of his heroine Clarice Clift in a story of lifelong enthusiasm for her work that goes back to his childhood when ‘the most ‘bizarre cup and saucer I had ever seen … were an instant draw that took all of my hard saved £15 spending money’. Will goes on to describe how ‘hers was a true rags to riches success story founded on hard work, determination and an unwavering clear vision’.
Learn more of Will Farmer’s passion for Clarice and her output by catching the film or clicking
here:https://fieldingsauctioneers.co.uk/news/225/the-colourroom-tonight-s-the-night
Oh, and by the way, Antiques Roadshow featuring Will and colleagues is back on the box soon.
Cinderella
Sony’s latest blockbuster, Cinderella, already the number 1 film being streamed in the USA and by all accounts destined to be a worldwide cinematic sensation, and right in the middle of it all is the glass slipper made by Allister Malcolm.
You can see Allister making the glass slipper here.
Cinderella, filmed at Pinewood Studios, is now available on Amazon Prime and here is the official trailer. September 2021.
New Book By Graham Fisher MBE
A new Book – In My Opinion: essays and comment on contemporary social issues is the latest work to hit the shelves from Graham Fisher MBE, who has collated another series of his podcasts for Black Country Radio www.blackcountryradio.co.uk in an eclectic collection covering a period of the recent past right up to the departure of President Trump and the aftermath on Capitol Hill earlier this year.
This is Graham’s 11th book under the ‘Sparrow Publishing’ banner and follows on in similar theme from his Tales From the Barn of 2019. It offers incisive analysis and astute observation on matters that will be welcomed by anyone with an interest in current affairs and contemporary perspectives, but also contains references to glass and glassmaking. His inclusion of postscripts at the end of each chapter bring each account up to date and the work is liberally illustrated throughout. The Foreword is by Zyllah Moranne Brown, Head of Marketing & Communications at Black Country Radio. Mary Spence (Publisher) says: ‘Graham focusses here on topics as diverse as history, philosophy, science, religion, politics and more in a collation of themes all tinged with his usual penchant for the unusual and arcane. Penetrating and thought-provoking, this is Graham at his most incisive in a combination of wit, critique and piercing analysis’.
The book of 136 pages is presented in velveteen-effect hardback with ribbon place-marker and is available through the usual outlets at RRP £15.00 (+£2.50 p&p). However, and hence its mention here, for a limited period it is available direct from the author at £10.00 (+ £2.50 p&p) with proceeds to the British Glass Foundation. Simply use the contact details at https://grahamfisher.co.uk/contact quoting GlassCuts in the header and we’ll do the rest.
Graham Fisher MBE – 7 September 2021
Chris Day on ITV Central News 20 August 2021