
Craftsmanship and knowledge
Matt Nickels grew up around Stained Glass, being introduced to the craft from an early age through his parents established Stained Glass business. Matt has had an exciting career, gaining unique experience as he has progressed. This began at his family stained glass business, before moving on to working freelance and then joining York Glaziers Trust, the stained glass studio connected to York Minster Cathedral.
In addition to Matt’s stained glass work in the studio and on-site, he also makes a regular appearance on the BBC One TV show The Repair Shop, as their resident glass and stained glass expert. Matt has been part of the show since Season 2, and continues to be called on for any glass and stained glass needs down at the barn.
Spanning his career, Matt has worked on many residential and business properties, as well as cathedrals, historic churches and prestigious buildings. These include York Minster Cathedral, Lincoln’s Inn, the Houses of Parliament, Oxford University, Coventry Cathedral, Tudor mansions and the House of Lords.
During his working life, Matt has however always made sure he kept ties and a working relationship with his family business, never forgetting his roots.
“One of the beauties of growing up around stained glass back then, was that the knowledge being passed on came from people who were part of the lineage of historic firms making the monumental large scale commissions of the Victorian era and beyond. They really had that expert experience, as well as those stories about stained glass which only get passed down from person to person”
Matt continues to work at The Repair Shop as the resident stained glass expert, as well as serving national and international high profile historic institutions and private clients.
