Two benches revisited

It is nearly five years since I posted A Tale Of Two Benches. This morning, the author of that poem, Marin Rukavina, e-mailed me from Croatia with his own lovely explanation. (A small leap of faith here, Marin is a name mostly but not exclusively applied to males.) He was just seven years old when he wrote the poem.

Although you correctly deduced I'm from Croatia (and am currently living in Croatia), at the time my parents were working in London. My poem got selected by Groundwork Merton for inclusion in a poetry anthology called "Poetry & Place: Poems by the People of Merton", and at some point got carved into a bench (which I "helped" carve, though the work was actually done by a woodworker called Mark). I even have photos of the poem being engraved into the bench and me standing in situ beside the finished bench back in 1997!

Unfortunately, the two benches were overhung by trees, and the dappled light disqualified most of my efforts at photographing them. This was all that remained after inspection:



Today, I know that site has been cleared, and the sun is shining. Time to have a second go, I think!

ETA: I've been back today, and here are those two magic benches (from stitched panoramas, which is why there is some distortion):





(Edited on 2013-03-04 07:27:24 by Whiteway)

How wonderful. Great tale!

I remember reading that thread, and thinking that it looked like an interesting place. In the Midlands where I grew up there were lots of forgotten corners which had become havens for wildlife. Unfortunately commercial greed has seen many of them "developed" since. It's a good thing to have these areas in towns and cities.


The original thread can't be five years ago though! 

I went back there this morning, and the area shows distinct signs of groups of people working off their ASBOs. I re-took the photographs of the benches, this time just before the sun appeared over the top of the back wall. I will send them to Marin, and maybe try again here.

2013 minus 2008 – yup, that's five!

Nice, Roger!

So cool... Thanks for sharing.

I agree, it is a great tale!

Thank you! I never thought to find out the author of those words, but the Internet is a great enabler.

Now, Marin has photographs of the benches and the surrounding area for his album; and a map that will enable him to find them, hidden away in their little retreat, if / when he visits London again.

iStock inspectors still don't like my approach to photographing these benches. I will give it one more go, later in the afternoon when the sun shifts over the back wall.