A bench that mysteriously disappeared has been replaced thanks to a donation from the not-for-profit company that runs Keswick’s public toilets.
Canon Michael Webb and his wife Marija were among many who had enjoyed sitting on the public bench at Manor Brow until it went missing.
Marija’s casual church conversation about it with fellow parishioner Councillor Allan Daniels led to Keswick Community Asset Company being asked to provide the £600 needed for a replacement, which it has now done.
Marija said: “‘Michael and I are delighted the bench is back and grateful for the speed at which it was replaced. I think the same applies to a lot of people – and the new bench is a much more comfortable seat and made of recycled material to boot!”
Cllr Daniels’ quest to have the bench replaced had led him to contact Keswick Town Council, which he thought owned it, and Cumbria County Council, which maintains the grassed area it was on.
However, neither of them knew anything about the issue or had the money required for a replacement.
So Cllr Daniels contacted Keswick Community Asset Company, which was able to pay for it from the public pay-per-use takings it receives from the toilets it runs at Bell Close and Lakeside.
He said: “My Sherlock Holmes-like enquiries about the missing bench led nowhere and I eventually decided to try to get it replaced by a new one myself. So I approached the chairman of the toilet company, Cllr Tony Lywood, who was more than willing to help with the £600 needed.
“With excellent installation help from the parks trust employees and park’s manager Christine Fawcett, we were eventually able to get the job done. It’s great when these things all come together. Whatever happened to the original bench though is still a mystery to me!”
