Portrait Benches: Dame Judi Dench and Dave Jackson

Two bronze portrait benches sit in York, each one a proper tribute to someone who mattered to the city. One commemorates Dame Judi Dench, the other Dave Jackson - a local radio legend who spent decades on BBC Radio York. You can actually sit on them, which is the whole point. They're not roped off or stuck behind glass.

The benches themselves are well-crafted pieces - the kind of public art that works because it's functional. You're not just looking at a portrait; you're doing what the person did, occupying the same space. For theatre enthusiasts or Radio York loyalists, it's a small but meaningful pilgrimage. Families wandering York's streets will stumble across them without much effort.

They're free to visit, obviously - they're public benches. No time commitment either. A few minutes to sit, look, take a photo if you fancy. The real value comes from knowing who these people are. If you're indifferent to Dench or Jackson, it's just two bronze seats.

If you're staying at Cawood Park, just five miles out, York itself makes an easy day trip. The benches slot neatly into a walk around the city centre. Pop in, sit for a moment, then carry on to the Minster or the city walls. They're the kind of detail that makes a place feel lived-in and connected to its own history - worth including in an afternoon mooch about town, though not a reason to make a special journey.