For years we’ve walked past this bench where we’ve all dozed off in the sun. One day it was drying our boots, another it was losing a slat; its magnificent cast-iron legs deserved far better than those garish white plastic tubes, so we decided to give it a new lease of life.
With Edouard spending a few days in Kerbeleg, I’m making the most of this golden opportunity to set up an impromptu carpentry workshop and have unearthed about twenty rough-cut wooden battens that we’ll shape, round off, stain and then weatherproof to achieve a lovely ‘hazelnut’ finish… We’re taking the chance to apply a similar stain and protective treatment to the second oak bench.
Brassens was spot on (see lyrics below)
People with a narrow-minded view think that the green benches
That you see on the pavements
Are made for the infirm or the pot-bellied
But that’s nonsense, for in truth, they’re there—it’s common knowledge
To welcome budding lovers for a while(Chorus):
Lovers snogging on public benches
Park benches, park benches
Not giving a hoot about the sidelong glances of decent passers-by
Lovers snogging on park benches
Park benches, park benches
Whispering pathetic “I love yous”
Have such friendly little facesThey hold hands, talk of tomorrow, of the sky-blue paper
That will cover the walls of their bedroom
They can already picture themselves, she sewing, he smoking, in a state of secure contentment
And choose the names for their first baby(Chorus)
When the Holy Family so-and-so crosses paths with two of these ruffians
She boldly hurls venomous remarks at them
Nevertheless, the whole family
The father, the mother, the daughter, the son, the Holy Spirit
Would love to be able to behave like them from time to time(Chorus)
When the months have passed, when their beautiful, fiery dreams have been soothed
When their sky is covered with big, heavy clouds
They’ll realise, moved, that it was by chance on the streets, on one of those famous benches
That they lived the best part of their love(Chorus)
Georges Brassens.
