Family proud to see memorial bench fitted by Roll and Scroll at Grantham Cemetery

A memorial bench has been fitted in a town’s cemetery to allow visitors to sit beside their beloved friend, mother and grandmother’s grave.

Simon Gabriel, of Grantham, decided that he wants something more than a grave to honour his mother, Penny Gabriel, who died in 2023.

The memorial bench was fitted by Roll and Scroll on May 6 at Grantham Cemetery, and was carefully designed by the family.

Simon said: “I don’t like graves, and I wanted to create a space where my children and my sister’s children could go and sit down and be next to their grandma.

“I am so happy to see it in place now, knowing that my mom’s friends and my family can be there.

“With this bench, I am currently the proudest person in Grantham.”

The bench, which is placed next to Penny’s grave, has the St Lucian flag in the background as Penny was born there, and it’s a place where the family often goes on holiday.

In front of the flag, there are engravings of Penny (in the middle) and her family.

From left to right, there are Simon’s nephews Denver and Junior Saint Marie; Simon; Penny; Simon’s daughters Leighton and Gracie Gabriel; Simon’s nephew Donte Gabriel; and Simon’s sister Toni.

On top of the bench, there is a small robin, as some cultures believe that the bird represents the spirit or presence of deceased loved ones.

Chris Kennedy, the managing director of Roll and Scroll, said: “All my benches are special, they are all carefully made and fabricated in all different styles to suit the customer’s needs.

“Simon bench’s frame number 556 - this is how many benches I’ve made in the last nine years to date.”