Benches: Sit, Stay A While

By Joe Barkovich, Scribbler-at-large
WELLAND – I’m a collector of benches. Photos of benches, that is.
Benches are interesting, informative, even intriguing.
There are benches with a view.
There are benches with a past.
There are benches with a presence.
Old benches silently tell stories about how things have changed.
Some examples are found in a green space between the Welland River bank and River Road.
In the early 1900s, the green space park was known as Orchard Grove Pleasure Ground and was a popular gathering place for weekend picnics and other social events. Some benches were positioned to provide views of the river and riverbank. But growth of weeds and other vegetation since then denies or obscures views in the current day.
Benches can be: feeding places, thinking places, meeting places, get-away places, resting places. I find a bench in Welland’s Chippawa Park a great place to get away from it all, to just sit and think. It is pictured on this page.
My point in providing this for readers is simple enough: please don’t underestimate the value of a bench!
Benches from my collection featured here are from Merritt Island, old Orchard Grove Pleasure Ground, Morgan’s Point Conservation Area, Cedar Bay park, St. Johns Conservation Area and various other sites.
So sit, stay a while and enjoy the tour. Who knows… you might move up from backbencher to bench photo collector yourself.
Thanks for viewing and for reading.