Gingerbits and the piglets

Early on, round about 1982, Mary came scuttling round saying bring your camera quick. I got my camera and followed her to the pig sty across the road. The huge sow had given birth to a neat row of piglets all suckling. In the row was a tiny ginger kitten. “She’s been thrown out of a car on the bypass by some horrible person” said Mary with feeling. I have the photo to prove it.  

The kitten was named Gingerbits. She lived to be a healthy 19.

To stay with cat stories, we later had a long loopy tom called Charlie who had a friend, Joker who lived at Forge Farm, next door. Picking up Joker felt like handling a bag full of oil, some Siamese in there I would think. Joker would wait by a small cat sized hole in the hedge for Charlie who wore a path across the lawn. They were found one day by Mary and Marlene lying together in front of Mary’s woodburner. Cosy. We wondered if they were gay.