Talking benches offer new view of park life

Are you sitting comfortably? Bench stories prove popular

Traditionally, park benches have been places to rest and read a book or a newspaper, but in Cumbria in northwest England they are telling a different story.

Benches in public places in Barrow-in-Furness have been fitted with MP3 audio players.

They are powered by solar panels in a hi-tech approach to providing art to the public.

Passers-by simply plug in standard headphones to listen to specially written plays and stories relevant to the benches location.

Tell me a story

As with all good tales there are two sides to the stories.

On the left hand side of the bench listeners can plug into episodes from the lives of a selection of imaginary Barrow residents.

The stories have appealed to young and old

On the right-hand side of the bench a second episode, in the form of a short story or poem, complements or elaborates on the theme or characters featured on the other side.

Each story lasts between five and 10 minutes.

"By forcing people to sit in a particular position for a certain length of time makes them look at their environment in a different way," said designer Mil Stricevic.

Chewing gum

The project has been so successful that the benches are being handed over to the local community to update with their own audio choices.

Despite worries from locals that the benches would be vandalised, so far the only problem has been chewing gum put over the headphone socket.

Funded by lottery money, Mr Stricevic is hoping to extend the project to other parts of the country.

There is already an Ian Dury memorial bench in Richmond Park, featuring interviews and music from the late artist and in the Lighthouse Gallery in Glasgow the public can listen to a selection of works by Scottish writers.