{"product_id":"products-billys-memorial-bench","title":"Billy's Memorial Bench — Superhero Design","description":"\u003cp\u003eBilly’s bench was made for a little boy whose mum described him in her very first email as “a little superhero” — and the bench makes that completely clear: sunflowers, lightning bolts, and the words \u003cem\u003ePOW!\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eWHAM!\u003c\/em\u003e hand-carved across the backrest in comic-book style, beneath the inscription \u003cem\u003eBILLY THE BRAVE.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eEllie Thompson, an editor at the parenting website My Baba, got in touch in May 2024 with an urgent request. Billy had died, and she wanted a bench for his school — somewhere the children who loved him would have a place to sit, to remember him, and to keep feeling the particular energy he’d brought to that building. The design came from who he was: sunflowers because he was bright and bold; lightning bolts because his spirit had that charge; and the words \u003cem\u003e“I am brave, I am strong, and I can do scary things”\u003c\/em\u003e because that had been his motto, and the school needed to keep hearing it after he was gone.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cem\u003e“The bench is fantastic; thank you so much! It is so much appreciated.”\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e— Ellie Thompson, My Baba\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eA three seater at 160cm — big enough for several children to sit together. It’s also available as a two seater. Your version would be designed around whoever you’re remembering, starting with a conversation about who they were. \u003cstrong\u003ePrices include VAT.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eKey Features\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSolid oak throughout\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBespoke design reflecting the personality and story of the person remembered\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHand-carved imagery, lettering and personalised inscription — example: sunflowers, lightning bolts, comic-style words\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eChoose your finish\u003c\/strong\u003e — supplied unvarnished as standard, or add three coats of Epifanes yacht varnish for lasting colour and sheen (+£50)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAvailable as two seater (140cm) or three seater (160cm)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSuitable for schools, gardens, churchyards and parks\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHandmade in Mid Wales\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eDimensions\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThree seater (as pictured): W160 × D60 × H120cm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTwo seater: W140 × D60 × H120cm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSeat height approx 45cm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eYour Version\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTell us who the bench is for — their name, their personality, the images and words that feel right. We’ll draw up a design and refine it with you before we begin. Schools can order on a purchase order. Typical lead time is 4–5 weeks; we can often work around ceremony and unveiling deadlines. \u003ca href=\"\/en-fr\/pages\/contact\" style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003eGet in touch to start the conversation.\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eFinish\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis piece is supplied \u003cstrong\u003eunvarnished\u003c\/strong\u003e as standard. Left natural, solid oak slowly weathers to a soft, silvery-grey — completely normal for outdoor timber, a graceful way for a piece to age, and with \u003cstrong\u003eno maintenance needed\u003c\/strong\u003e. If you’d prefer to bring out the grain and warm, honeyed tones, choose the \u003cstrong\u003evarnished\u003c\/strong\u003e option (+£50) and we’ll hand-apply three coats of Epifanes, a premium marine yacht varnish.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdetails\u003e\n\u003csummary style=\"cursor:pointer; font-weight:bold;\"\u003eMore about the two finishes\u003c\/summary\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin-top:8px;\"\u003eOutdoor furniture takes a real beating from sun and weather. Left natural, an unvarnished piece simply silvers over time and asks nothing of you. A varnished piece keeps its rich sheen for a couple of years; after that the varnish may begin to flake or patch, at which point you can simply re-coat it, or let it weather back to that natural silvery-grey. Either way, your oak is fine.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/details\u003e","brand":"FreeRangeDesigns","offers":[{"title":"Unvarnished","offer_id":53507817636215,"sku":"FRD-BEN-WD-1053","price":2310.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"Varnished (+£50)","offer_id":57222616514935,"sku":"FRD-BEN-WD-1053","price":2625.58,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0267\/7673\/1729\/files\/billys-memorial-bench-3-seater-7604623.png?v=1759411985","url":"https:\/\/freerangingdesigns.com\/en-fr\/products\/products-billys-memorial-bench","provider":"FreeRangeDesigns","version":"1.0","type":"link"}