A casual idea born from a walk in Penllergare Valley woods in summer 2019 has evolved into a dedicated online community. What began as a joke among friends at Swansea University has become a serious hobby for a Bristol resident who now maintains an Instagram account with approximately 27,500 followers.
The concept originated when the creator sat on a bench while friends played Poohsticks nearby. He noticed flowers left on the seat and began wondering about the people who had sat there before him. He and his friends started comparing the views from different benches along the route. He joked that someone should start rating benches of the world. Within days, he created the RateThisBench account and posted reviews of benches near his family home in Bristol, primarily to amuse his friends.
The account was initially intended to be temporary. The creator planned to close it at the end of the summer. His father, Chris, however, became invested in the project. It became a joint activity where they would go for walks after dinner to assess local seating. The page gained traction unexpectedly, growing from a small personal project to a significant following.
Rating Criteria and Community Engagement
The reviewer developed a specific system for evaluating benches. Posts typically include a photo of the reviewer sitting on the seat, a description of the location, and a score out of 10. The rating depends on the location, the presence of armrests and backrests, and the quality of the base. Wooden benches receive extra marks for their aesthetic appeal. Plaques or dedications also add to the score. The lowest ratings go to metal benches in city centres with mid-bench armrests.
Requests from followers to review specific benches soon began arriving. One woman asked for a review of a bench dedicated to her brother, named Sam. She felt the reviewer resembled her brother and was thrilled when he posted a photo on the seat, despite the score not being particularly high. These interactions highlight the emotional connection people have with public seating.
The most significant interaction came from a woman named Sophie. She contacted the account when it was gaining popularity and reviewed the reviewer himself. She gave him top marks, which he found amusing. They began chatting, and since they lived near each other, he invited her to dinner. They were on their third date when he asked her to photograph him on a bench he considered excellent. She has been documenting his bench reviews ever since.
A Perfect 10 and a Wedding Venue
The reviewer has now assessed more than 300 benches. Most are located in the south-west of England, but he continues to review seats while traveling. He argues that the hobby is not boring, noting that it encourages spending time outdoors and sitting with one’s thoughts. He believes this explains why many people choose to have benches dedicated to their memory after death.
For a long time, he never awarded a perfect 10, believing there was always room for improvement. That changed in June this year. He gave a 10/10 rating to the bench he sat on after marrying Sophie. The bench is located in a churchyard a short walk from their home in Gloucestershire. The couple chose this church for their wedding partly because of the bench. They had spent hours sitting there discussing their future.
Sitting on the bench alongside his wife for the first time as a married couple was an amazing moment that merited upgrading the score from a previous 9/10. Since posting their wedding photos, the vicar reported a surge in wedding bookings at the church. The reviewer briefly considered stopping the page after the marriage, feeling it had reached a natural conclusion. However, he reviewed a bench on their honeymoon in Mexico and decided to continue. He intends to keep the project going, ensuring he never becomes too busy to enjoy five minutes sitting on a bench.
Source: The Guardian
