‘Dullest man’ sets a new ‘benchmark in boring’ with calendar
KEVIN Beresford – an entrepreneur who makes a living from the mundane – has set a new benchmark for the season by producing a calendar dedicated to... benches.
The unusual gift adds to a portfolio of business ventures by the Midland businessman that include calendars on roundabouts, car parks, cemeteries, post boxes and views from a Birmingham bus route.
His jigsaw puzzle dedicated to the calves of former Aston Villa star Jack Grealish is still flying off shelves.
But ‘Benches of Redditch (and surrounding areas)’ looks like being the 69-yearold’s most popular product to date, with orders flying in.
Bizarrely, those orders are UK wide, which suggests a healthy percentage of people enjoy staring at benches.
The retired printer, from Redditch, thinks he knows why.
“They are meditation aids,” he said. “Some people just walk past them, which is a mistake.
“I did some of my courting on benches, I’ve even slept on a few.”
The photographic calendar collection includes Mr Beresford’s favourite – the bench that nestles on the village green at the picturesque Warwickshire village of Sambourne.
“You don’t get many village greens now and it’s so tranquil,” he explained.
“But some are really gritty. There’s one with all fag ends underneath it.”
“This is what I do,” said Mr Beresford, a proud member of Britain’s Dull Men’s Club.
“I like to capture slices of English life that pass other people by. Artists have always done that.
“We all use benches, but take them for granted. That’s a mistake – everyone has a story to tell. Some memorial benches are very poignant, but I haven’t included them in the calendar. I didn’t want to upset anyone.”