Remembrance

I have a theory about these benches.
Before I moved to the UK, I didn't walk anywhere, mostly because when you live in the "sticks" in america as I usually have there just is no easy way to walk down a road with large trucks whizzing by at excessive speeds.

So needless to say when I arrived to Hastings, it was a long while until I had my walking legs on, and I frequented many many many.... MANY.. benches along all of our journeys. Infact, its safe to say there may not be a bench in hastings I've not sat in, thinking I was going to die, looking up the hill towards where we are headed, praying for a taxi to stop and just pick me up, or an ambulance with oxygen in some cases...

At that time I didn't take much notice of the words on the benches, until one day in an especially rugged state of despair I read the following words as I dragged my self up the last bit of hill to the North Seat...
"In Memory of Our Father who Died here"
That totally explains it I thought!!!
All these benches are placed where some poor individual died trying to make it up some damn hill to see a few more yards of the same sea you can walk 'down' hill to the sea front and see all of!!!

So for many months, some days I still do, think to myself when I see one, "Another one!! See this walking miles can't be good for your health, look someone else has dropped dead right here!!"

I suppose the good news is that I frequent a good fewer of the benches now days, and try not to think about all the poor folks that died getting up those hills, and instead think of the families of those poor folks who have been kind enough to put benches up so others won't die trying to see the North Seat :)
Rest in Peace Jean Kennedy <3