WHEN Marie Drummond ran out of ideas for a birthday present for her husband, Joe, she decided to send him on a stained-glass course.

Mrs Drummond was not to know that her gift would not only brighten his life, but that of the whole community.

Because Joe, 66, who is deaf, used his skills to create stained-glass windows for a chapel for the deaf and went on to set up classes to teach his friends, who are also deaf, how to work with stained glass.

Glass artist Maralyn O'Keefe, of the Glass and Art Gallery, in Consett, County Durham, runs a series of courses.

She said: "He took to it like a fish to water. He was my star pupil. Because he was deaf, he had no distractions and was completely focused.

"As I was talking, I was writing down instructions at the same time. When I was demonstrating something physically, one of the other students wrote them down for me."

Coincidentally, Mr Drummond took up the lessons, covering all aspects of glass design, at the same time that the pastoral group of Our Lady of Lourdes deaf centre, in Elswick, Newcastle, were preparing an upstairs room for a chapel.

He said: "They had restored the entire room and were deciding what to do with windows - whether to have venetian blinds, roller blinds or curtains."

They decided to take up Mr Drummond's offer of stained-glass windows.

One of the windows they considered was one for the prayer group, with the design incorporating a dove of peace and praying hands.

Mr Drummond said: "We wondered which one of the remaining four windows we should use when, lo and behold, the next day, the decision was made for us.

"A wood pigeon flew against the window at the rear of the chapel and left a clear imprint. That is where the window had to be."

Another window was in memory of Canon Charles Hollywood, founder of the Catholic Deaf Association, who died earlier in the year, and Canon William Hayward, pioneer of the deaf Apostolate.

Over 18 months, Mr Drummond made ten windows for the chapel in his garage in Rowlands Gill, Gateshead, with designs adapted from Ms O'Keefe's classes.

He was full of praise for the support of his wife, who kept him supplied with coffee.

He said: "She must have felt like a stained-glass window widow after all that.

"But when the sun shines through the windows and fills the chapel with colour, and when prayerful thoughts are inspired by the designs, then it is all so worthwhile."

The deaf pastoral group holds a variety of activities and Mr Drummond is also chairman of the deaf action group - set up to provide activities for the deaf. He decided to pass his skills on to others and set up classes for the deaf, for which there is now a waiting list.

Mr Drummond, who was a tailor and cutter before retiring, was also responsible for the joinery at Home Farm at the Beamish Museum.