Stories behind church windows

From: Michael Plumbe, The Bourne, Hastings
Hastings Observer lettersHastings Observer letters
Hastings Observer letters

Peter Cole pays tribute to the Canadian soldiers who fought with us in WWII (letter, Aug 4).

In St Clement’s Church, Old Town, there are two glorious windows created by the local artist Philip Cole (any relation I wonder?) after the war.

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One window shows people who lived and worked here during the war, with faces drawn from life. For example, a young woman told me the face used for the lifeboatman was her grandfather. Another visitor said the woman in red holding a baby was her aunt.

One of the figures is a soldier in a dark-brown uniform. Sadly Philip Cole’s records were not kept so we cannot confirm his portrayals but it is thought this represents the many Canadians who laboured here to create the coastal sea defences.

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