The church of St Nicholas, Radford Semele, was devastated by fire in 2008, as reported in Vidimus 17 and 20. The church’s windows were largely of nineteenth-century date, including glass probably by Hardmans of Birmingham and Powells of Whitefriars; it also contained however, modern glass and vestiges of a small window dating from the twelfth century . The outer shell of the building survived, but the windows were lost. Only very small fragments and shards of glass were recovered from the church after the fire, and new windows have now been inserted as part of the rebuilding of the church.
The restoration and rebuilding has been documented on line since 2008, and work is now drawing to a close. The exterior has been restored to its former state, but with the addition of extra rooms on the north side and a large glazed gable, part of the redesign of the interior. The new stained-glass windows are by Emma Blout. The church is set to reopen on 17 May 2013.
A local film maker, Alan Jones, has produced a film in response to the destruction, in order to record the heritage and history of the church, and to reaffirm its place in the community. The film also deals with how the community responded to the disaster and set about raising funds, as well as exploring the rebuilding and restoration. Photographs of the old, destroyed windows can be seen in the film, alongside designs for and images of the new glass. The film will be available shortly, to tie in with the re-opening of the church.
