A missing pub bench has finally returned home after a two-month mystery holiday — but it didn’t come back empty-handed.
Back in May, The Stoke Arms in Exeter revealed that one of its picnic benches had disappeared from the pub grounds overnight. They explained that the bench had been put to one side as one of the seats was broken.
In a post shared on social media, the pub shared its disappointment and appealed for the bench to be returned, saying that anyone with information could simply leave it back on the front lawn if they didn’t want to show their faces.
Then, two months later, the mystery was finally solved.
The bench made its unexpected return – and according to the pub, it came back in even better condition than when it left.
Not only that – it had a handwritten apology note and a very unusual peace offering.
The note read: ‘Thank you for letting us borrow your bench; we’ve given it much love. Please accept the pope as a peace offering xxx’
The gift? A Pope’s head.
The pub said the unusual present was ‘greatly appreciated’ and thanked the mystery group who had looked after the bench during its unexpected adventure.
