Miaow......

[DaveHarries]

Hi,

 

I note, from a book called "Cathedral Cats" that Worcester Cathedral has 3 cats (Marmaduke, PJ and Fatcat) and I note that the book informs us that Marmaduke belongs to our good friend Adrian Lucas: there is a great pic of Mamaduke on page 93 and another on page 95. In the light of this, and the fact that on a trip to Gloucester on 14th April I was scratched by Flo who is one of the resident cats of the Cathedral there, I was wondering how many parish churches local to members of this group have resident cats.

 

Anyone?

 

Dave

 

(PS: On page 66 there is a picture of Ivor, the resident cat of Portsmouth Cathedral, sitting on the organ stool supposedly pressing notes on the first manual).

[themythes]

Dave Harries’ enquiry about church cats and his reference to Worcester felines prompts me to tell a little story that may even appeal to Churchmouse. Just before the Three Choirs Festival of 2002, I had chanced to photograph Marmaduke curled up on his favourite sofa at home. He was, in his prime, a large cat, but had been involved in an accident before Adrian and his family acquired him and was tailless, a fact which probably doesn’t show up in the pictures in the book. The sight of Marmaduke fast asleep, as usual, prompted me to produce a formal photograph of him with the title “The Dream of Gerontipuss”. The Festival that year was Wulstan Atkins’ last visit before he died; he was much amused by the picture in Adrian’s front window and a copy was given him.

 

Sadly, I have to tell you that Marmaduke, too, died recently and thus is no more. He was a truly splendid animal, justly earning the sobriquet “Magnifi-cat”.

 

David Harrison