The Duchess Unveils her Gate.

On the 27th August a small crowd gathered in the Alnwick Gardens to witness the unveiling of The Gate. 

The Gate was conceived about 2 years ago when the Duchess approached Stephen Lunn to design and make a unique Gate to be positioned at the entrance to the rose garden. The Gate was to be unique in design, have elements of glass and sensors placed so that when members of the public approached it would burst into bird song.

The Duchess became heavily involved in the design and the making of the gate. Stephen approached me to design and make the glass element, which was to be 10 large iris heads that would be positioned within the metal work and run along the bottom of The Gate. The iris is one of the Duchesses favourite flowers.

I remember making some prototypes and taking them along to Stephen's forge in Red Row where I met the Duchess and showed her my ideas. Bigger, thicker, each one individual and a variety of colours was the result. She told me she had got the idea for the singing gate from a jewellers she had visited in London. In the shop they had sensors positioned so that when customers walked close to them they could hear bird song.

The difficulty I had when making the glass irises was getting the thickness and also bending the glass without distorting the shape too much. I did have a few accidents where a couple broke in the kiln, I probably tried to cool them down too quick. I have also been worried about how strong they are and breakages. About 8000 people visit the gardens everyday and although some are protected by the metal work some are quite exposed along the wall, so we will have to see what happens. I did make a few extra.......just in case.

I think what I really enjoy most about projects like this are the people I come into contact with. Stephen is a Master Blacksmith, but is the most down to earth guy you will ever meet and who still makes time to make a horse shoe or piece of farm machinery for his friends and customers. Ashlee is one of his three daughters. She is the apprentice blacksmith. There is a picture of her above putting together the dog roses for The Gate. Working with these people and getting to know the family was an honour and a privilege.