For the Penrith Chamber of Trade & Commerce, the annual Christmas Window Competition has long been part of the town’s festive tradition. But over time, many of the original trophies had disappeared, leaving the Chamber searching for replacements that felt worthy of the event’s history and community spirit.

Stephen Macaulay, President of the Chamber, explains:

“We didn’t want to purchase off the shelf trophies as they are generally poor quality and not inspiring. We wanted to have custom trophies made that would look great in the winner’s windows, raising the profile of the competition and making it ‘of the place’.”

Inspired by Place 

Rather than choosing generic awards, the Chamber wanted pieces rooted in Penrith itself, something meaningful, lasting, and visually striking. The inspiration came from the Penrith Beacon, an iconic local landmark that already features prominently in the Chamber’s identity. Stephen reflected:

“Penrith Beacon is a regularly used icon for local businesses and our own logo is a modern interpretation of this. We wanted the trophies to be derivatives of the beacon also.”

A Collaborative Design Process 

Working closely with artist blacksmith Ellie of Grace Forge the project evolved through sketches, discussions, and collaborative refinement. Stephen, himself an architect, particularly valued the creative dialogue throughout the process:

“We worked iteratively with Ellie on the designs, feeding back on sketches and refining our ideas together. It was an ideal way to progress… It was great to work with Ellie with me as a client for change!”

Ellie’s approach to blacksmithing is rooted in storytelling, place, and material honesty. Through forged steel, light, and form, she creates work that balances sculptural individuality with practical function. Her aim for the Penrith Chamber awards was not simply to make trophies, but to create objects with presence, pieces that reflected the character of the town and the pride of the businesses receiving them. 

The final collection achieved exactly that. Each award carried its own identity while remaining connected through shared references to the Beacon and the landscape surrounding Penrith.

Bringing the Awards to Life

One of the defining strengths of the finished collection was the individuality of each piece.For Stephen, one of the most memorable aspects of the finished pieces was their individuality, craftsmanship and physicality:

“What was most surprising was the range of designs that we ended up with. It was just what we were looking for. The uniqueness of the individual awards, the materiality, the weight!”

At the awards event itself, the sculptures became an immediate talking point. Designed to be illuminated, the forged forms interacted dramatically with light and shadow, adding atmosphere and theatre to the celebration.

“The main thing about the award event was that they were all lit up as intended and the play of light and shadow was a real talking point.”

A Lasting Legacy

Today, the awards continue to live within shopfronts across the town, visible reminders of local creativity, commerce, and collaboration. Stephen reflects on the legacy the pieces may carry into the future:

“I smile every time I pop into one of the businesses lucky enough to have one. It’s a real long term investment and so proud to have brought these to life. They will outlive me. Who knows what they will see in the future of the town.”

For Ellie and Grace Forge, the commission represents the heart of what artist blacksmithing can offer: handcrafted work that is deeply connected to place, made collaboratively, and designed to endure for generations.