When I first had the stroke, about 11 years ago, my occupational therapist and my rehabilitation assistant took me to Bayfield Park for a walk.
Bayfield Park is a great place to go because it is flat and beside an inlet which, if there is no wind, is a great place to go. I went for a walk and then sat on a seat which looked out over the inlet. My OT sat on the grass, and I can’t remember where my RA sat.
I have been back to Bayfield Park several times and have noticed that a second seat has been added. Upon closer inspection, I noticed there was a plaque on the seat.
It turned out that this was a memorial seat. The plaque was in memory of Da Vella Young and her dogs. She used to walk along the path and enjoy the experience. The seat was so that other people could enjoy the experience.
Straight away I looked for plaques on other seats, and I found some.
The seat I sat on when I first had the stroke, also had a plaque. The seat was in memory of Ann Chambers who was a teacher at Bayfield School.
I must have had my stroke before the plaque was put in place, because I cannot remember it. There is a seat just near the entrance to the walk so I looked at that as well.
It also had a plaque which remembered a businessman who had an interest in the city. His name was Stuart Scott, and he was a friend and benefactor of Dunedin.
I have sat in the seat many times and even had a cup of coffee in the seat.
I remembered that there was a seat near where I lived, at the north end of Dunedin. Did it also have a plaque?
The seat is at the end of Hislop St. To see it I would have to climb a hill. I have seen the seat many times: Tonie and I go for a walk along Croydon St, and we can see the seat when we get to the top of the drive.
In the end my wife took me to the seat in the car, and I wasn’t disappointed. The view from the seat was spectacular. You could see the whole city. There was a plaque on the seat. It was a memorial to Baby Mae.
Memorial seats are a good thing. I am not sure if they reach beyond Dunedin — they probably do.
They are good not just because they offer a chance to have a rest, but because someone else has been to the same place and, as you have, recognised the place as special.
— Don Ramsay is a Dunedin writer.
