These benches, obviously in spots where the dog had loved to walk, feel so personal. I can't help wondering if the owner still comes here and sits. I hope so.
My sister, Mary, has just been to Canada and America. Here's the first of her special Bench Reports, featuring this bench from the Medicinal Herb Garden at Bastyr University, Seattle. The plaque tells the story of the Reflexology Footpath, the first one open to the public in North America. Intrepid walkers on the footpath (by the railings) are advised to rest on the bench if the cobbles cause too much pain in their feet!
There's a fascinating tweeting/bench project going on in Dundee at the moment. Images of visitors to this bench, above, will be shown live on twitter in a truly interactive project. Follow @tweetingseat for more, and there's full inspiration about the design and inspiration behind the bench here.
Keen observers of this blog will notice that normally I take photographs of benches without people, but somehow it's impossible to contemplate Syria without its wonderful chaotic beautiful mix of people -(you can read more about my recent trip here.