Published on 20 June 2023
A stained glass restorer and University of Sunderland lecturer is working on panels at a North Tyneside Metro station created by her tutor 40 years ago.
The Beach and Shipyards installation, by Mike Davis, sit in Monkseaton station's glazed canopy and are being temporarily removed as part of a £400,000 revamp.
Dr Cate Watkinson was taught by him when she studied at the old Sunderland Polytechnic. Now, she has been tasked with restoring the stained glass art work.
Cate, who is now a Research Culture Fellow and Senior Lecturer in Architectural Glass at the University of Sunderland, said: “It’s lovely for me to get the task of restoring this amazing stained glass installation, and make it as good as it was 40 years ago.
“I studied for my degree under Mike Davis, and now, four decades later, I get the chance to use the skills that he taught me to ensure that a piece of his work is going to be preserved for many years to come. I can’t wait to get started."
Cate will re-lead each panel before carefully cleaning and polishing them. Nexus, the public body which owns and manages Metro, will then carefully remove the panels to be transported to National Glass Centre (NGC) in Sunderland to be cleaned and repaired.
Head of Renewals at Nexus, Sarah McManus, said: “The stained glass art work at Monkseaton Metro station is one of the most striking pieces of public art on Metro, and really has become an iconic feature of the station’s historic canopy.
“We are investing in a range of repairs to the canopy and the restoration of the stained glass is a key element of the scheme, so that customers can enjoy this amazing piece of art work for many years to come.
“It’s amazing that Mike’s former student Cate Watkinson is getting the opportunity to restore his work to its former glory over at the National Glass Centre in Sunderland.
“‘Beaches and Shipyards’ played such a big part in the first few years of our art on transport programme in the early 1980s, not long after Metro first opened. It will be fantastic to see this unique piece of art looking as good as new again.”
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Davis incorporated stained glass into each end of Monkseaton’s glazed canopy in 1983.
It features two stunning pieces of stained glass art work. ‘Beach’, executed in a bold and colourful style, was designed from a schools competition won by Rosalind Hurst, while ‘Shipyards’ is a more abstract treatment of the River Tyne’s heritage.
NGC director Rachel Smith said: "Beach and Shipyards is a well-known and well-loved public artwork, and it's apt that Cate is leading on its restoration.
"As someone who studied under Mike at the old Sunderland Polytechnic she is now a leading academic at University of Sunderland and National Glass Centre, as well as a respected artist in her own right."
Nexus said the project formed part of a £400,000 scheme to refurbish the gable ends of the station canopy, which dates back to 1915, preserving the canopy and the stained-glass windows for many years to come.