Three friends who met in a park during the pandemic have created their very own bench to honor that time.
Through their shared interest in bridge, Pam Grainger, Annie Edmonds, and Elizabeth Groves first met.
They should meet at Eaton Park in Norwich, suggested Ms. Grainger, 82, when the Covid-19 pandemic broke out in 2020.
The friends had to submit an application to Norwich City Council in order to have the £700 bench installed. The Friends of Eaton Park supported their application.
The three friends occasionally got together as a trio but generally only met in pairs.
Ms. Grainger described how she spent her birthday during the pandemic with her two friends while they were perched on either end of the park's longest bench.
In May 2022, a new bench with their names and the phrase "lovely place to meet and chat" was put in place.
"We used to meet about once a week, and the bench we sat on was the bench at the end because we could keep our distance - we were very aware of the restrictions," said Ms. Groves, who had the idea to have the bench installed. ".
It was a small bit of normalcy in a very abnormal time, according to Ms. Edmonds.
. "
