Benches are usually put up in memory of dead people but in South Norwood they had a different sensible idea for a patch of wasteland.
Called the Sensible Seat, the yellow bench has been named after punk rocker Captain Sensible who officially opened the Sensible Garden on Saturday.
The 60-year-old got into the spirit of the event and signed autographs for fans of The Damned and his solo work, before playing some songs at nearby pub The Ship in the high street.
South Norwood Tourist Board came up with the idea of turning the patch of wasteland into the garden and with the help of the community and the Crystal Palace Transition Town group, transformed the area within a few weeks.
Ian Bone, from the tourist board, said: "It’s the only seat in history dedicated to a living punk.
"The garden has made everyone more positive about the area and they have met people they did not know before."
They decided to name the area after Captain Sensible because the singer, whose real name is Raymond Ian Burns, went to Stanley Technical School for Boys in South Norwood.
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