A greener shade ... Gary Brooker seeks assistance from fans

Craftsperson needed for a unique collaboration

In the course of conversations with the 'Beyond the Pale' team in the last week of March 2015, Gary Brooker spoke of difficulties he was having in finding a particular lampshade. He has a very clear idea in mind of the shade he wants, but it's not a run-of-the-mill item and he's not been able to locate anything suitable in lighting shops.

The lamp in question was made for him, by the BtP team, out of a very large champagne bottle from which everyone who gathered at his 69th Birthday Party in Freising toasted his health. The bottle came from Rome, the present of Stefano Ciccioriccio and his son Andrea. Embellished with Swarovski crystals, it says '69 Gary'. Drilling a hole for the cable was an intriguing challenge: the bottle-glass was more than a centimetre thick. The electrical fitting is brass and GB specified the colour of the cable.

The shade Gary visualises for it will be grape-shaped, in a greenish material: see below for three drawings by GB with his handwritten annotations regarding dimensions and so on. Please note – to forestall any Spinal Tap Stonehenge moments – that some dimensions are specified in inches and some in millimetres (1" = 25.4 mm). It may be that there's a fan out there who could fabricate the metal frame; and another person, probably, with the skill to select and affix the appropriate fabric.

If a Procol fan reading this page has the skills or experience to help Gary realising this intriguing project, could they please in the first instance contact webmaster@procolharum.com and we'll forward messages. Gary would pay for materials and postage; we imagine the manufacturer will be willing to contribute his or her own time and skill as a labour of love.

Gary Brooker's page at 'Beyond the Pale' | Other craft projects for fans, from members of Procol Harum | Good progress on the 'shade' front