An unlikely South Lakes celebrity has weaved his often-unnoticed magic once again to revive a historic road ornament in the blue and yellow of Ukraine.

Archie Workman, a parish lengthsman, spends much of his working time restoring drain covers, signposts, and other inanimate objects - things that he sees as 'road art' that people often miss.

He has turned his attention to an old, neglected, and broken bench on the A590 at Newlands just outside Ulverston, restoring it and painting it to show solidarity with the people of Ukraine currently suffering atrocities due to the war with Russia.

Read here about Archie's latest national TV appearance, and his passion for 'street furniture'.

Archie is well-known in South Cumbria for restoring commemorative benches and this is the second one that he has restored in Ulverston - the first being a tribute bench in The Gill in dark blue with white writing declaring 'Thank You NHS'.

The Westmorland Gazette: LENGTHSMAN: Archie Workman is a champion of the inanimateLENGTHSMAN: Archie Workman is a champion of the inanimate

Archie said he noticed the bench and felt it was a perfect project for him.

"I have just been asked by the Ulverston Town Clerk if I would restore three of the 50 Furness Railway benches situated in various locations in the town for the forthcoming Queens Platinum Jubilee celebrations," he said.

“I noticed the Town Council was flying the Ukraine Flag which gave me the idea to restore it in the same colours and hope it means something to the people who drive or walk past it each day.

"I wouldn’t be upset if people laid flowers on it or brought pebbles with words of support and place them around it.

"I worked in and out of various locations of Russia when Gorbachev was in power and took UK Trade and Investment Missions to several countries in the Baltic States and the Czech Republic so feel very sad about what is going on in that region.

"I hope people take a picture of the bench and send it to their friends that we are showing support to Ukraine.

“When I restored the NHS bench during the first lockdown I discovered it was a Chapman Bench, and am pretty sure this one is also part of many that were erected by Charles James Chapman (1870 – 1950) as a gift to the people of Ulverston in the early 1900s as he wanted to be elected to the Town Council.

"It’s a shame nobody seems to be responsible for the upkeep of these benches and in today’s financial climate there will be no funding.

"The bench also has distinctive concrete ends which look like rabbits as the bench designer was a great fan of Beatrix Potter Peter Rabbit books, so it was an honour to bring this bench back to life"