The Scandal of the Bench

[Gary Marlowe]

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Does anyone know what's happening with the bench?

Over the past few weeks, wooden slats started appearing.  Then a few days ago when I walked past, rather than seeing sections of completed bench, all the slats have now been removed.

The fact we're now in June and the tourist season is on us, it seems crazy that progress on the bench is going backwards.  No one seems to know (or for that matter, care) when the bench will be completed.  

Judging by the section outside the council offices, it doesn't look like a very complex thing to put together, so one has to wonder whether there's some other problem that hasn't been made public.

[Max]

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My husband and I walk past it every night and have been astonished at how little has been done! Quite shameful really.

[Gary Marlowe]

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Today I noticed the section of bench that's been outside the council offices is no longer there. 

I can't help but wonder if it's just a coincidence that it went at the same time as the first slats fitted to the real bench were also removed. Is there a problem with the slats?

Whether there is or there isn't, there's definitely something not quite right about this whole bench project. 

Take a look at my photo story "The Scandal of the Bench" and see whether you agree http://bit.ly/a5SoJJ 

[jim]

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I meant to comment before -- I think your bench story is spot on.

I'd prefer it if you did it as HTML not slideshare though!

[cassie]

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Gary, I have to say...you are fantastic!!   

You have done a stirling job on this story, it goes to show that something is going on that we are not privy to.  I am looking forward to the next installment. Thanks for this.

[Pest Controller]

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Great photography Gary, and you are right, it is a scandal!

[jim]

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A bit of detective work (emailing the address on the longest bench website) resulted in this reply:

The launch date for the bench is the 22nd July. We hope it will be
finished a couple of weeks before that.

[Gary Marlowe]

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Jim it's interesting you found out there's a launch date.  A few weeks ago, when I asked that question at the annual Town Meeting, the Mayor had no idea when it would be completed. Based on what one can see of the build, July 22nd seems somewhat fanciful.

As well as completing the straight benches, they have to install the sections that curve around lamp posts, dip down to the floor to provide access and, most complex of all, create two sculptural shelters. Until everything is in place - and it's all joined up - there isn't a Long Bench.  Given that, I think we're looking at a much longer timeframe for completion.

Now whatever ones thoughts on the bench, it will (eventually) be a prominent part of Littlehampton. What I don't get is why there are no plans to make a big splash about it. Again, that was a question I put to the Mayor who confirmed no opening event was planned. One has to assume that those responsible for promoting Littlehampton will realise this is a huge missed opportunity and will ultimately do something. 

Right now, if you visit the Town Council's website you'll find no reference to the Bench, which is crazy given that it's the single biggest new addition to the town and something whose progress should be a headline story on the site, rather than the market or a small-time photo competition.

Speaking of the Town Council's site, you won't be surprised that I think it serves as a pretty awful advert for Littlehampton, especially for those people who might be considering coming here.  Not only is it poorly designed, but it's invariably way out of date.  Today, for example, the news section stops at March, yet we're in June!

[jim]

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I didn't specifically mention the shelters, so I wouldn't be surprised if they are not considered part of "the bench" in the context of my query. I walked past there yesterday, and they have a lot to do -- but if they crack on then I would have thought four weeks is realistic for the bench alone. Of course there was no one working on it yesterday...

[Gary Marlowe]

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Jim, the two shelters are an integral part of the bench - at least they were if you look at the original design (the one submitted to CABE for funding).

The original idea, to build the world's longest bench, obviously required for it to be continuous. That's why the design called for the bench itself to loop over (and form shelters) skirt around existing obstacles (such as lamp posts) and dip down to floor level (to provide access points).

It is only when all those elements are seamlessly connected that the now renamed 'Long Bench' will be complete.

There is of course planning permission to make it longer, but no funding in place to extend it beyond its current a-long-way-short-of-being-a-world-record length.

[Max]

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Eye opening indeed. Love your work Gary.

[Gary Marlowe]

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The slats have begun reappearing on the Bench. 

Walking past the Bench last night I noticed quite a lot of the wooden slats had been installed, with gaps presumably for the coloured slats as we saw in the mock-up that was outside the council offices.  I can't be certain, but to my eye the slats seem to be wider than they were, possibly in response to how uncomfortable many said the mock up was to sit on.

The change from the enamel slats that were originally proposed to ones made of reclaimed wood makes a huge difference to the look of the bench.  Instead of something that would have been colourful and gleaming, the wood (especially once its weathered, stained and defaced as it surely is going to be) just looks, well, like a wooden bench.  Even more so, now the slats appear to be wider.

I'm also curious about what became of the engraving concept.  If you remember, the intention was that people would pay (I think it was £60) to have a name engraved on the enamel.  This was the way of financing the extra length required to reach and beat the world record.  That raises two questions. Firstly, will the wooden slats be engraved? (The ones that are now on the bench aren't) And second, just how much money was raised or pledged through the website?

This project is scandalous in so many ways, not least because no one appears to know what's going on, or what it's ultimately going to look like or even when it's going to be completed.

[tracey]

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A length of bench (looking remarkably like the section that had been on display outside the civic centre), has now been placed in Connaught Jr playground.  What the poor kids have done to deserve that being dumped on their play area I don't know!

[tracey]

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Oh, and according to this weeks gazette, the signs are now saying 'to be completed in 2012!!!!

[Gary Marlowe]

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A brief update to The Scandal of the Bench http://bit.ly/a5SoJJ

Yesterday, I spoke with a couple of guys working on the site.  They confirmed that the new slats are indeed wider than the original square slats (one has to assume that's about making it more comfortable to sit on).  They also said the gaps are for the slats that are currently being engraved. 

As far as the coloured slats were concerned, they seemed a little unsure of what was happening.  One said it was going to be all wood, another corrected him and said there would be some that were coloured.

When asked about the completion date, I was told it would be by the end of July (the date on the sign, by the way, was just defaced).  They also said the shelters would be coming in two weeks.

I'll reserve judgement until it's more complete, but I fear the bench is not just going to end up falling well short of the world record, but also short of the design intentions of the original concept.  Replacing ice-cream coloured enamel slats with predominantly brown wooden ones was a huge change, now the slats are wider, the whole thing is looking more and more like a conventional park bench, albeit with a metal base.

Whether one liked the original or not, at least it would have looked very striking and brought some colour to the promenade.