Written by the team behind Puzzlify. Puzzlify is our product, so weigh what follows with that in mind. We've tried to make this useful even if you never use it. We're not affiliated with any church, denomination, diocese, school, retailer, charity or community organisation.
Most churchyards have a few memorial benches: a teak or oak seat by the path or under the yew, with a small brass plaque for someone who loved sitting there. After a few winters the wood goes grey and cracked, the plaque turns green and a slat works loose. In plenty of parishes a small group of volunteers quietly brings them back: sanding, tightening, oiling and polishing, and keeping a list of whose bench is whose so the families can be told. Nobody asks them to. They just notice that a bench has become a place people avoid, and fix it. This short guide is about thanking them.
Below are a few ideas, plus an honest view of when a photo puzzle fits and when it doesn't.
What the bench restorers usually do
Every church does it differently, and the churchwardens, the church council, the insurers, any churchyard regulations and, above all, the families who gave the benches always come first, but the job often includes:
- walking the churchyard to note which benches are loose, cracked or unsafe
- finding out who gave each bench, and asking the family before any work
- tightening bolts and replacing a split slat with matching timber
- sanding back grey wood and applying teak oil or a suitable finish
- gently cleaning and polishing the brass plaques without wearing the letters
- clearing moss and leaves from around the feet, and levelling a wobbly bench
- keeping a simple record of each bench, its plaque and when it was last done
- telling the church council when a bench is beyond repair
Why a thank-you matters
A memorial bench is a small, very personal thing. For the families, a cared-for bench means someone still remembers. For everyone else it is somewhere to sit after a funeral, to eat a sandwich in the sun, or to wait for the bells. The people who restore them rarely get noticed, because the whole point is that the bench looks as if it was always fine. A short, specific thank-you tells them it mattered.
When to say it
A spring or autumn churchyard working day, the anniversary on a plaque, the annual meeting, or simply the first sunny Sunday when people sit on a freshly oiled bench are natural moments. A line in the notices or parish magazine, or a card from a family whose bench was restored, is often the most welcome thank-you of all.
Photos that work well
Please ask before photographing anyone, and be thoughtful about plaques with names on them: ask the family, or keep the inscription out of focus. Photos of the work itself are lovely:
- a freshly oiled bench under the yew in low autumn sun
- the before-and-after: grey cracked slats beside warm golden wood
- a polished brass plaque catching the light, with the letters out of focus
- a volunteer's sanding block, rag and tin of oil on the bench seat
- the bench by the path with the church tower behind it
- fallen leaves around a bench on a quiet weekday morning
If you'd like a photo of the volunteers, take it beside a bench they restored, ask everyone first, and keep it to the people who said yes.
Choosing a piece count
| Pieces | Good for |
|---|---|
| 24 | a quick puzzle on a phone |
| 48 | a few minutes with a cup of tea |
| 80 | someone who likes a gentle challenge |
| 130 | the whole churchyard with the bench, the yew and the tower |
| 252 | a long evening, best on a tablet |
Long runs of wooden slats can be hard as a puzzle, because many pieces look the same. 48 or 80 pieces suits a close-up of the plaque and the grain; 130 suits a wider shot where the grass, the headstones and the tower give the eye something to hold on to.
Note examples
- "Dad's bench looks like new. Thank you."
- "Thank you for giving us somewhere to sit again."
- "Every slat sanded by hand. Thank you."
- "You looked after the bench, and that means you looked after us. Thank you."
- "The plaque shines again. Thank you for all of it."
What it costs, plainly
The preview is free, so you can see how it looks before deciding anything. Publishing the link costs one credit (€3.99), or less per puzzle with a bundle. It's a digital puzzle, not a printed or cardboard one. The recipient doesn't need an account or an app; they open the link and your note appears when the last piece goes in. Some people would rather put the money towards oil, sandpaper or a new slat, and that's a good thank-you too. If a card is enough, it is.
Ideas that are not a puzzle
- a named thank-you in the notices or parish magazine
- a card from a family whose bench was restored
- a contribution to the churchyard fund in their name
- a good tin of teak oil or a set of brushes for the group
- offering to help at the next churchyard working day
- a flask of tea and cake on the bench when the work is done
Where Puzzlify fits
Puzzlify turns a personal photo into a private digital jigsaw that you send as a link. It isn't a printed puzzle, and it isn't a public puzzle board: only the people you send it to can open it. It's one option among many, and it works best when the photo means something to the person receiving it. Please don't confuse it with puzzlify.io, Puzzlit, Puzzly or Puzzify, which are different things.
If a photo puzzle feels right as well, choose the freshly oiled bench under the yew, the before-and-after slats or the bench with the tower behind it, pick a piece count that suits them, and write the note in your own words. You can make one here.
Written by the small team behind Puzzlify (info@puzzlify.app). Not legal, religious, churchyard regulation, woodwork, conservation, health and safety, insurance, safeguarding, privacy, photography permission or gift policy advice.