Benches at the Chelsea Flower Show 2011

Birds Eye of Square Dancing Benches

As seen from the top of Bath Abbey!

Plastic Bag Bench

Foot Bench...

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!

A LIVE TWEETING BENCH

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.

Thanks to Alex for the lead.

GET ON YOUR BIKE BENCH

From here, with thanks to shedworking.

Benches in Syria

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.

The Bench of the Fuel Clerk

Taken from a train whilst waiting at Hubli Junction, Karnataka by my sister, Mary Atkinson. She complained that she nearly missed the train in order to get this photograph, but it would have been worth it.

Sitting Spiritually

I'd seen photographs in magazines of beautiful benches with beautiful words on them, but have only just managed to trace the company - Sitting Spiritually. Lovely to find such pride in benchmaking from Martin Young, and his designer daughter, Lucy. I particularly hanker after one of these swing seats ...

HOW TO MAKE ME HAPPY BENCH....

SEND ME A PHOTO LIKE THIS, WITH A MESSAGE LIKE THIS...

I saw this bench by the river in Nelson, on the South Island of New Zealand, the other day and thought of you.

Thanks Deborah!