A Derbyshire business creating stylish outdoor furniture from recycled plastic is seeing a hugely increased demand for its memorial benches this year from families who want long-lasting and personal tributes to their loved ones.
The award-winning TDP Ltd, which makes a wide range of furniture including benches, picnic tables and chairs from its manufacturing base in Wirksworth, is now seeing around twice as many orders for memorial benches as last year.
The company, which has so far used the equivalent of 3.2billion plastic bottles in its furniture, has also seen a big increase in demand for its unique ‘My Place and Story’ service. This involves adding a ‘QR’ code on a bench which when scanned allows a loved one’s life story to be read by anyone who sits there.
The service can also be used in parks and open spaces, allowing visitors to read about the place they are in by scanning the code. Areas of the UK which are now home to a TDP ‘My place and story’ bench include Northumberland; Pentyrch in Wales, Derbyshire and Cornwall.
Kym Barlow, commercial director at TDP, said: “Memorial benches are a core part of our service at TDP. We are very proud of how we have been able to help people grieve and remember loved ones with our benches.
“Recycled plastic is a great material for a memorial bench because it is very durable. Our customers tell us that our benches are looking as good as new year after year and this adds to the comfort we are able to provide through our products. It’s very sad for families when tributes to the memories of loved ones start to fade – whether that’s a wooden bench that’s seen better days, or a tree that doesn’t survive.
“We offer bespoke engraving on our benches as well as traditional plaques and we are seeing a remarkable rise in demand this year. We are told by customers that having a memorial bench helps with the grieving process, enabling them to sit in peace and remember the happy times they spent together.”
Andy McFazdean, of Birmingham, invested in a TDP memorial bench along with a planter to remember his parents Angus and Eileen who both passed away in 2020, aged 93 and 87.
The family have placed the bench and planter in their parents’ memory at the pretty fishing village of Portmahomack in north Scotland. It is a place close to the family’s heart as it was where they spent every summer holiday for many years.
The bench has been placed facing Portmahomack’s bay, which is famous for its sunsets as it is the only East coast village in Scotland that faces west. The area is a mecca for photographers keen to capture the spectacular views along with sightings of dolphins and the Northern Lights.
Andy said: “My parents used to go away on holiday to Portmahomack for two weeks in the summer and as kids we made a lot of friends in that area.
“My parents had a great life and Portmahomack is where they were happiest. We put their ashes amongst pebbles and compost in the planter and have added alpines, daffodils, lilies and other colourful flowers.
“I come from a recycling background and the fact that these benches are made from a waste product, that might have come from one of the companies we deal with, makes it ever so special.
“The QR code feature is a great idea. People can read my parents’ story. It’s there for generations to come and for us as a family to come back to that place.
“For me, one of the most important things is the quality of the materials, the fact they are recycled and they last a long time is just brilliant. They make a bench that is going to be durable and meant a tree didn’t have to be cut down.
“It’s a harsh environment up there with the sun, the salt, wind and rain and the fact that it still looks as good today as it did three years ago is a testament to how durable it is. It doesn’t need maintenance.”
A TDP planter placed in Portmahomack has been engraved with the village’s co-ordinates and ‘Dolphin View’, the name of the holiday cottages in the village where the family stayed.
Kym said: “Everyone at TDP is delighted that the McFazdean family are so happy with their memorial bench and planter. It’s a lovely tribute to Angus and Eileen in a beautiful corner of Scotland which will stand the test of time and be there for many years to come. Our QR code will allow many passers-by to read the story about this family’s love for Portmahomack and the many memories it holds.”
