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No matter how bleak their views, benches embody civil kindness

25 5
16.02.2026

A bench in Bristol installed facing a brick wall has aroused local curiosity – why put it there? BBC West commented that it joined other perversely placed seating: “a bench in Shirehampton facing a derelict building … and one in Wedmore facing a hedge”. Bristol city council explained that when it plants a planned tree, the bench will provide a shady spot to rest on a steep hill, but promised to “review” the placement.

My first thought was that facing a brick wall could be meditative – I quite like staring at nothing – but my........

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