THE oldest and largest specialist stained glass conservation studio in Britain is celebrating its 50th anniversary today.

York Glaziers Trust was established in July 1967 and has since been responsible for the care and conservation of York Minster’s world-famous stained glass, as well as historic stained glass around the UK.

The Trust was the vision of Eric Milner-White, Dean of York from 1941 to 1963, who had supervised a small team responsible for the restoration of the cathedral’s stained-glass windows after the Second World War, when they were removed to protect them from potential bomb damage.

After his death, the team was formed into an official Trust with the help of the Pilgrim Trust, with Peter Gibson appointed as its first secretary and superintendent.

During the last 50 years it has been involved in a number of key events in the Minster’s history, including saving the Rose Window which was nearly destroyed by a fire in the South Transept in July 1984.

During the fire, the temperature of the window reached 450 degrees centigrade and had cracked into around 40,000 pieces.

“If you imagine a piece of glass the size of the palm of your hand cracked into 300 pieces, that gives you an idea," explained Mr Gibson, recalling his first inspection of the fire damage.