Urban furniture

12 comments

Urban furniture

Might sound a rather strange title for a blog but it’s the only name I could come up with to describe things, like benches & waste paper bins & flower tubs in our towns & cities.

I got this idea when I took some photos of various new benches around town last Friday (19th November 2021).

One piece in particular clamoured for my attention – a 22nd century bench! Well it must be because I’ve never heard of, let alone seen – a bench like this one before! It’s so futuristic you have to get up close & examine it to believe your eyes! (Or perhaps we are so far behind the times it’s from the 20th century!)

Anyway it has been placed outside our District Council Offices. I’m pretty sure they must have installed it over the last week or so before I saw it.

It’s Solar Powered! No, I don’t think it will warm our posteriors when we sit on it – though that wouldn’t be a bad idea now the weather is getting colder! It can charge up your mobile phone battery (on the circular pattern), or your laptop (if you happen to be carrying your charger) & you can even connect to the Internet! It also has several USB ports! I was able to scan the QR Code on the bench even though, as you can see, the bench was covered in raindrops or dew.

Other than that bench our council has installed at least four new benches in commemoration of Oliver Cromwell who was born in Huntingdon & the Grammar school he attended has been converted into a museum focused on his life.

There are also several waste paper bins with his name on them along the High Street.

The house where he was born is now a nursing home. But, curiously there is no statue of him in Huntingdon! The nearest statue is in St Ives, about 5 miles from Huntingdon!

While they were at it the council workers replaced the flower towers in the Market Square for some much more modern planters – complete with trees!

The small building you can see in the background of the photo is the Cromwell Museum – once his Grammar School!

25 Nov, 2021
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Comments

Anget

Interesting blog, Balcony. I hope they remember to look after the trees. It's usually 'plant and forget'. And strange idea to put Oliver's name on the waste bins... Tidy, though!

25 Nov, 2021

Janey

Yes very interesting Balc, I bet that bench will be a real favourite with the young ones! Amazing idea.. I like the idea of the trees in the new planters, we need our trees don't we.:)
I didn't know Oliver Cromwell was born in Huntingdon. I'm sure you'll be having lots more visitors with the added advertising.

25 Nov, 2021

Kate123

I found your blog interesting too, plus the history - I do love history. I didn’t realise Oliver Cromwell was born there either…love the look of the old grammar school/museum. Lovely building.

25 Nov, 2021

Sheilabub

I’m sure that’s the first blog we’ve ever had on urban furniture Balcony … and certainly the first time to see a bench where you can “charge”. Brilliant!

26 Nov, 2021

Rose1949

Well..I have seen everything now Balcony! lol
A bench that charges your phone! I wonder if other councils will do this! But the younger ones will love it!
Thanks for sharing this! It was very interesting !

26 Nov, 2021

Balcony

Thank you all for your comments! 👍😃

26 Nov, 2021

Feverfew

Interesting blog, Balcony. You might get more visitors but I guess they won't be Irish! Amazing bench with a power point, whatever next. I hope it's 100% safe & that no.one ever gets a shock from sitting there. A bench for warming the btm, now that would be really good :-)

26 Nov, 2021