The most recent addition to St. Thomas’ Church is the stained glass window in the middle of the south side of the church. It has been erected in memory of Richard Smith (1935-1999), who was churchwarden for many years.

The following description of the window was provided by Alan Davis, the artist who designed and executed the window.

The inscription on this window reads: “In Loving Memory of Richard Thomas Charles Stratford Smith, 1935 -1999.”

The window is based upon the opening phrases of Revelation 22 which reads:

“The angel showed me the river of the water of life, sparkling like crystal and coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb. On each side of the river was the tree of life, which bears fruit twelve times a year, once each month”.

I have chosen this theme to link the window to the area in which it is situated:

The river which is a  feature of Glaisdale and was an important part of Richard Smith's life as he was a keen fisherman. The tree whilst relating to the surrounding countryside shares symbolic links between heaven and earth. The Tree of Life is echoed in the ‘tree’ of the cross and in Christ, ‘the True Vine’ who provides the living link between God and mankind.

The symbols:

The Star -                          Heaven, the Almighty.

The Angel -                       The messenger.

The Twelve Globes -       The twelve months in which the trees bear fruit.

The Tree -                         The tree of life, the Cross.

The River -                        The River of Life also signifies perpetual flux of the created world.

The Fish -                          Christian symbol.The soul swimming in the water of life.