Benches of Love

 Found in the Cambridge Botanical Gardens... happy Valentines Day  xx

A bits and pieces bench

We found this one when we were walking in Cornwall. Still sittable though...

 

wood to wood benches

 This is obviously the start of a collection... there's something poignant about a wooden bench that hasn't forgotten where it came from! That third picture, in particular, looks as if the roots are coming to claim it back...

Bench with a view

 

Graffiti bench

 

Derek's bench by the river

 

This isn't a bench poem, but I think it should be!

 22

If you don't mind,

can I just sit here today?

Can I not be amusing please?

by Dionne Brand

An Exmoor bench - and why it's worth reading ALL the plaques....

 

Poetry on the Ripple bench

 A real honour for this bench-lover, to see my words engraved on James Tunnard's beautiful Ripple bench at Lullingstone Country Park. 

Listening benches

 

I love the idea of listening benches - somewhere strangers can sit to talk to each other.  This one above is in Grange Gardens in Lewes, and was installed after restoration work by Lewes FC Supporters. 

It's not the only football listening bench though, this one below was designed by George Best's son, Calum, who tweeted back in 2021, that  'I hope the design and idea welcomes people to sit down and share a convo or listen to someone else.'