Robert Elms Show - BBC Radio London

Peter Layton joined Robert Elms on BBC Radio London, reflecting on his life in glass and fifty years of London Glassblowing. In a warm and wide-ranging conversation, Peter shared how he first came to work with glass, and looked ahead to his solo exhibition In Retrospect: 50 Years of Alchemy, offering a glimpse of what visitors can expect to see.
Peter's segment begins around 1 hour 11 minutes into the programme.
If you missed it, the recording is available now on BBC Sounds.
Our Stories
Women in Glass
London Glassblowing invites applications from UK-based women working in glass to take part in Women in Glass, a group exhibition opening in September 2027 to coincide with the studio's celebration of Peter Layton's ninetieth birthday. We are pleased to welcome back Cathryn Shilling, London Glassblowing's gallery curator from 2010 to 2019, who returns as guest curator for this special exhibition.
A Bermondsey Street Collaboration
Renowned glass artist and founder of London Glassblowing, Peter Layton, has collaborated with old friend and celebrity chef, José Pizarro, to create 30 limited-edition platters, launching on 12 October, to celebrate the 15th anniversary of José Pizarro on Bermondsey Street and the 50th anniversary of London Glassblowing.
The Alchemist at Work: An Interview with Peter Layton
For Peter Layton's solo exhibition, our Marketing and Sales Assistant Eva sat down with Peter to talk about alchemy - from his birth in Prague, a city steeped in alchemical history, to the alchemy he finds in glass itself. Read on to hear how Peter revisited his earlier works for this exhibition, and why he chose to return to the dangerous iridising process.