A unique memorial plaque on a park bench has been removed. The plaque, located on the grounds of Aberystwyth castle overlooking the town's South Beach, was dedicated to a man called Huw Davies.
A photo of the park bench memorial went viral on social media. It read: "In loving memory of Huw Davies/ Used to sit here and shout / 'F*** o**!' at the seagulls".
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On Monday afternoon, Ceredigion County Council confirmed that they were not previously aware of the plaque before it had garnered attention online, and added that the site was being inspected with "any appropriate action subsequently taken".
James Vaughan, who took the photo of the Aberystwyth bench, said that he was having a stroll with his family on Sunday when he found the bench. The photo has been shared on Twitter and has so far received over 215,000 likes, with a caption by Vaughan saying: "By some distance the best park bench memorial I’ve ever encountered."
Other users also saw the funny side of the plaque. "This is the kind of legacy I hope to leave behind too", Twitter user Stigma Later wrote. Sir Stevie Ricketts of the Rowdy Table added: "Respect to him and his friends and relatives. That is immense! And, I bet every day someone looks at it and smiles, if not, laughs? May we all achieve that level of legendary".
Although the message had garnered widespread attention online, little was known about the life of Huw Davies other than his clear dislike of a certain seabird. Twitter user, Sir Stevie Ricketts of the Rowdy Table added: "Respect to him and his friends and relatives. That is immense! And, I bet every day someone looks at it and smiles, if not, laughs? May we all achieve that level of legendary".
In response, a spokesperson for Ceredigion County Council said: "An unauthorised plaque had been placed, by an unknown person, on an existing bench within Aberystwyth Castle grounds. The plaque has been removed."
