Hilary Macaskill admires the writer’s stained-glass window
One of Agatha Christie’s lesser- known talents (along with being an early British surfer, and collector of houses – at one time she owned eight) was as a stained-glass window designer. When living in Devon, she attended the 14th-century church of St Mary the Virgin, Churston. She had long disliked the plain glass of the east window, which ‘gaped at me like a gap in teeth’, and decided in 1954 that she’d commission a design of her specification. She’d pay for it by allocating the rights of a story to the diocese. She found James Paterson, who had made windows for other Devon churches. Her plan that the central figure represent the Good Shepherd was disapproved of by the Exeter Diocese, who insisted it show the crucifixion. Christie won that battle – Jesus holding a lamb is depicted centrally, a purple cow looking over Joseph’s shoulder. There was a problem...
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