A PLAN to put benches on Llandudno pier has won public support.
People can now buy specially dedicated benches to place on the town’s pier.
The idea was the brainchild of Llandudno pier manager Simon Mason, who hoped that the benches will benefit people in several ways.
Mr Mason, who has worked on the pier for about a decade, said: “Over the years we’ve had people say there’s not enough seating on the pier, so one of the reasons was to make the area a lot more comfortable. The pier is half a mile long and needs seating.”
David Williams, chair of the Llandudno Hospitality Association, said that Llandudno had a long tradition of people wishing to remember the holidays they shared with their husbands or wives.
He said: “I see no reason why the wishes of people who want to continue to remember their loved ones should not be part of the street scene in Llandudno.”
However, Mr Mason said that the benches, which are made by Anglesey Wood Products, would not only provide seating but also allow people to celebrate their good memories.
He said: “They’re called memorial benches but they’re not necessarily just for people who have passed away. It’s for those who have enjoyed time here, like one couple who married in Llandudno 40 years ago and loved it so much.
“There are lots of people who are having the benches because they want to visit every other weekend and see their seat.”
One innovative buyer has even used the offer as a way of promoting a charity.
The organisers of the charity, which is named after young Daisy Pritchard of Wrexham who suffered a stroke at 20 months of age after a heart operation, have put their name to a bench.
Daisy’s mother Ilene Pritchard, said: “I take Daisy to Llandudno every week. It’s ideal. She likes going to the beach. It doesn’t matter what the weather’s like, she loves to play in the sand.”
Cllr Mark Jones of the Gogarth ward, said that he had no objection as long as the plan was carried out “properly”, as he recalled complaints about damaged and old benches elsewhere in Llandudno, including the promenade.