A bench with a good story!

This bench was made by the Hughes Bolckow Shipbreaking Company of Blyth, Northumberland.

It was made using timbers taken from SS Otranto, later HMS Otranto, when it was requisitioned by the Navy during the outbreak of WW1.  In 1918, whilst acting as a troop ship, she was run aground after colliding with another ship, HMS Kashmir, during a storm off the Isle of Islay.

The garden furniture made from teak recovered from the ship was sold by Heal’s of London during the 1920’s. Examples occasionally appear at auction, but we acquired this bench, along with other exciting gardenalia, from a long-standing customer of ours who is moving home and knew Richard would be fascinated!