STAINED glass windows donated to a village church were blessed by the Bishop of Durham on Remembrance Sunday.

The windows in St Philip and St James, Kimblesworth, near Chester-le-Street, were created by Whitby artist Alan Davis and paid for by Muriel Suddick.

Mrs Suddick said she and her late husband Maurice often talked about donating windows in memory of their parents.

“I hope that the windows give a lot of pleasure to the people in this area and show them that the church is there for them and that it is progressing well. It is something wonderful.”

In the Creation and Harmony window, Mr Suddick’s life in mining and the community and his love of music and gardening are depicted.

The other window, Mother and Child symbolises the nativity in a semi-abstract style.

The Rev Canon Caroline Dick said: “This is a wonderful gift and a lasting legacy for both the church and the community, we are delighted.”

Bishop of Durham, the Rt Rev Paul Butler said: “These wonderful windows, for which we thank God, and thank Alan for his work and Muriel for her generosity, speak to us of God’s fruitfulness through Jesus and shown in human lives like that of Maurice Suddick in his working life in the mining industry, his love of music and gardening and his love of God.”