Tag Archives: John

Shad spends a few of John’s pennies

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John went up to Felbridge Showground in East Grinstead the other day for a commercial shoot of some brand new Equihunter horse boxes.  Look how shiny!  These luxury horseboxes are nothing short of the best in the field of horseboxes, and I should know having been to Felbridge to test them out.  This involved some strenuous activities such as sitting and laying for prolonged periods in different positions in the splendid lounge/kitchenette area behind the driving cabin, as well as interviewing the horses for their opinions on comfort and safety levels.  I was tempted to go back to Felbridge to see my horsey friend who nudged me with his soft bristly nose on my last visit, but I had other plans.

 

While John was in Felbridge earning his pennies, I went to a music shop to spend them!    I’ve always had a musical ear which I’m sure John will confirm as he has heard me meow many a song while listening to the Saga-louts perform their rockin’ tunes.  So he offered to buy me a special item for my new hobby, a keyboard which I can learn to play and hopefully one day entertain him with in appreciation of the gift.  I came home with a great Roland V-Combo which has more buttons on it than the Kennedy Space Centre!  So watch this space because all I need is a few weeks to practice my arpeggios and then I’ll learn to play a proper song.   It will be so much fun.  I remember playing as a little kitten, leaping across the keys from middle C, hitting a G major scale and finishing with a basic blues.  So I’m hoping that this practice in my early years will help me have another go this time round.  Wish me luck!  I’ll keep you posted.

 

Shad supports the Saga-Louts

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Yes it’s the good old Saga Louts performing their little hearts out once again, this time at Marwell Outdoor Activity Centre near Winchester.  The Centre offers its visitors the chance to pursue lots of vigorous activities such as kayaking, abseiling and paintball against a beautiful backdrop of lush green Hampshire woodland.  The Saga Louts and another band called the Soulcatchers were invited to the Centre in support of local disabled and learning disability young adults, many of whom were in attendance dancing, singing and squealing in excitement.

 

The Soulcatchers
The Soulcatchers
The Soulcatchers
The Soulcatchers
The Soulcatchers
The Soulcatchers
The Soulcatchers
The Soulcatchers
The Soulcatchers
The Soulcatchers
The Soulcatchers
The Soulcatchers
The Soulcatchers
The Soulcatchers
The Soulcatchers
The Soulcatchers
The Soulcatchers
The Soulcatchers

 

The Saga Louts have a fantastic way of putting people at ease, creating a wonderfully relaxed and candid atmosphere where anyone can feel free to join in.  And they did!  They even let me loose on the microphone for a few seconds in the spotlight and everyone clapped and cheered.  Aren’t they nice?!  I’m sure my caterwauling set a few ear-drums on edge but in my head I mewed and purred like happy jaguar.  On the drums was Amazing Alan, bass guitar played by Bewitching Bryan, Nutty Neil on lead guitar and Crazy Colin roaring out the vocals.  John was official photographer and honorary soundman for the day.   The entertainment was fabulous and I hummed rock ballads all the way home.

Shad reveals one of John’s secret side-lines

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This entry marks the 150th article posted on Shad the Cat’s blog since John and I started it way back in 2012.  To honour the occasion, I decided to give you a little insight into one of John’s pastimes.  It’s a fascination with phone boxes.  Large or small, red or tiger print, he loves phone boxes.  When I’ve asked him why, he tells me that they are a cherished feature of his childhood and a reminder of a lost time, when he had to go out to make a phone call from the phone box just as you went out to post a letter.  People must have moved much more in those days because John says there was no remote control for the television and eating cakes involved baking them first.  If I had opposable thumbs I reckon I’d enjoy baking.  I’ve watched John tackle enough flat blueberry muffins and one ton loaf cake to know what not to do!  Although since he treated himself to the electronic bread maker, the standard of cakes in the household has taken a definite turn for the better.

The first telephone kiosks were introduced after the First World War when the telephone network was nationalised and owned by the General Post Office (a government department until 1969).  However, other services such as the Police and the Automobile Association had also been developing a network of sentry boxes to enable patrolmen to communicate with each other.  Since those humble beginnings, phone boxes have undergone a series of transformations, no doubt influenced by the privatisation of the telecommunications side of the Post Office business in the early 1980’s.  As the design of personal radio equipment improved and telephone equipment became modernised, new British Telecom branded kiosks sprang up marking the decline of the red telephone box.

This historical icon has now been made obsolete by the rise in mobile communications and many red telephone boxes have disappeared from our streets.  There are a few that remain standing, some unused and dilapidated, others declared listed buildings, or metamorphosed into cash machines, wildlife centres and even a miniature café in Brighton.  It seems that the old-fashioned red telephone box is quintessentially British and holds a place in the affections of the nation which is why I have no doubt that John will continue to take me with him on his quest to photograph as many of them as possible.  Next time you pass a telephone box, give a little smile to one of the lost symbols of our national heritage.

The Strand, London
Leica Stand Photography Show

Shad takes a trip to London

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This weekend, the Saga Louts met 5 of their music idols in the zany form of AC/DC at Wembley Stadium.  To remind you, the Saga Louts consist of 4 mature men with a talent for music and a passion for rock (not the geological kind)!  I wrote about the Saga Louts some time ago when John and I went to see them in concert.  By that I mean jammin’ it at one of their gigs in the pub!  So John and the Saga Louts invited me to London to hit the curry house and watch one of their favourite heavy metal bands performing on stage.  While we waited for the guys to meet us at Kings Cross train station, I amused myself by wondering where platform 9 ¾ might be until the sound of bears bellowing caught my attention.  The happy hollering noises came from John and his brother and pals greeting each other warmly and exclaiming their joy at the upcoming show.  I hopped back in my basket and we made our way to the hotel for a rest and refreshments.  Next stop, Wembley Stadium!

We arrived early and the place was enormous, filled with rows and rows of bandstand seating, a huge stage at one end and a floor for standing in the middle which John referred to jokingly as the ‘mosh pit’.  As time went on, more people arrived and after John explained what ‘moshing’ was, I decided this wasn’t my cup of tea, too crowded and noisy.  So John put me in a taxi back to the hotel where a nice bowl of fish flakes was waiting for me.  He arrived back in the room at 1am looking happy and sweaty!  Apparently AC/DC slammed out a relentless celebration of rock and roll while the masses heaved in delight.  Fireworks, explosions and confetti accompanied the grand slam of distorted electric guitar and thunderous drums.  Despite their age (most of the band members are in their sixties), they strutted up and down the stage, gurning and grinning with their straggly hair stuck to their wet faces, often making a wild noise that seemed to leave the crowd mesmerised.  Apparently they came to rock!

I awoke in the morning bright and breezy, unlike John and the rest of the crew who were very tired so after a hearty breakfast to fuel the fires, we headed across to Hyde Park for a leisurely walk.  Hyde Park is one of the largest parks in London, situated next to Kensington Gardens close to the main entrance to Buckingham Palace and the Horse Guards Parade in Whitehall.  Aside from a few joggers and dog walkers, we had the park to ourselves possibly due to the dark clouds and refreshing spots of rain that were starting to fall on us.  One hot cup of coffee (and a warm saucer of cat milk for me) later, more hugs and manly taps on the shoulder indicated it was time to go our separate ways.  I suspect John’s ears are still ringing from the concert but he would tell you that it was totally worth it.

Shad pays homage to ginger cats

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John and I recently bought a book called ‘Tigger – Memoirs of a Cosmopolitan Cat’ written by Tigger himself, an old chum of mine.  The book depicts the story of Tigger’s life and the adventurous years he spent in the forests and fields of America and Australia before coming to live in England’s green and pleasant land.  Tigger the tomcat was bold and brave, kind and funny, and he tells a great tale about his exploits like the day he met the kangaroos and the first time he saw snow.  Sadly Tigger is no longer with us, but his spirit lives on in the hearts of those who knew him and in the book he wrote.  Tigger was optimistic and unstoppable despite his shaky start in life and his mum describes him as clever and resourceful, a much loved member of the family.  He had a bright orange coat with a white face, chest and paws and remembering him has inspired me to talk to you about ginger cats.

 

Tigger

Tigger

Today I have decided that ginger cats rule and I have included a selection of pictures to demonstrate this!  Most ginger cats are male but not all of them are, like one of my old Cat Protection foster cat buddies who got picked up as a stray and named Garfield because she was ginger.  Everyone assumed she was a boy until a visit to the vet proved otherwise and she had a quick name change to Fluffy before being re-homed to a nice family.   Amongst the pictures are several of the ginger cats that have come through the adoption process like little princess Ellie, and 2 tiny kittens called Neelix and Marmelade who arrived to the fosterer full of worms and covered in fleas.  They were obviously given treatment and lots of love once in the care of the fosterer and have hopefully grown up to be happy healthy cats.  I only knew Mustard for a few days before she was taken to a different fosterer after she had an argument with her sister.  The fluffy one with his chest puffed out is Harry who lived in the pen last year for a few weeks before being re-homed with his brother Bertie.  Louis came into care with his sister Tilly and they were both re-homed last week to a lovely lady who has since informed Cat Protection that the cats are settling in well and getting spoilt every day.

 

Ellie
Harry & Bertie
Louis & Tilly
Mustard
Marmelade
Neelix
Harry
Garfield
Mustard

Blacks ones, blue ones, silver ones and white ones, tabby, solid, smoke or point, we cats come in a variety of shapes, sizes and colours.   Tabbies can have narrow stripes that run parallel down their sides (called mackerel tabby) or a classic tabby pattern that has big blotches or swirls of colour.  Single colour cats are generally the result of a recessive gene that suppresses the tabby markings but sometimes you might see indistinct shadows of tabby patterns even on a solid black cat like me whose coat tends to ‘rust’ in the sunlight and turn a lighter brownish shade.  Then you’ve got the ‘black and whites’ like my mate Basil who is a bi-colour (half black and half white), while a mitted cat has just white paws and a cat with a white spot on its chest has a locket.

 

Millie
Bandit
Monty
Basil
Winnie
Shadow

Contrary to popular belief, the colour of a cat’s coat is not linked to their personality traits and the perpetuation of this misconception has led to concern that feline ‘stereotyping’ is affecting adoption rates at animal shelters.  Research has shown that ginger moggies are the favourites, being perceived as friendly and loveable.  Some of my ginger mates are super affectionate like Rusty Lee who is my latest Cat Protection foster buddy (and is currently available for adoption).  On the other hand, my old chum Ginger is independent and aloof and prefers a dignified chat in the garden to rolling around on the floor gathering dust and rubbing cheeks.  Black cats are apparently still seen as mysterious and unlucky but I’m a black cat and I think I’m really rather lovely.  I’m sure John would agree although he might not have done this morning when I tried to steal his fried egg sandwich after he left it unattended!

 

RustyLee
Ginger
RustyLee
Ginger
Ginger
Ginger
NCC

Shad enjoys some of John’s work

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Every photographer has an arty side and John is no exception.  He left the house early the other morning for a solitary stroll along the sea-front to contemplate life.  It was 3°c outside which is far too cold for my little paws so I stayed at home keeping the sofa warm whilst John wrapped himself up to meet the brisk early day light.  He came back with a smile on his face and a selection of photos full of muted tones and geometric shapes.  Oh yes, it was all very ‘organic’ and a big change from the real lifes and landscapes that we often like to shoot.  Thank goodness I had a brain-boosting breakfast of mackerel fillets in tomato sauce!  Although I noted with interest that John did not have breakfast when he came home and I have a strong suspicion he went for a fry-up without brining me any tit-bits.

 

We spent a lovely morning rummaging through the arty pictures, discussing the effect of the sea on light and how the contrasting shades are enhanced by printing in black and white.  I really like the asymmetric silhouettes of the pier and how the pictures characterise the architecture of the sea-front.  The shot of the sea groyne is done in such a way that it changes the scale of the object and look at the lonely barnacle sitting patiently on its side waiting for the sea to bring its supper.  While the barnacle waits for his dinner, the birds are busy feeding in the sand amongst the pebbles.  I’m not sure if they’re eating worms, crabs or seaweed, but they seem to be enjoying themselves.

Bognor Beach – Piece of the Mulberry Harbour

Shad does the London Indoor Games

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The very definition of lean mean fighting machine, these young men and women are as you can see at the pinnacle of their fitness.  Meanwhile, John and I continue desperately trying to achieve our recommended 10,000 steps a day on the pedometer!  These guys make The Green Goddess and Mr Motivator look like couch-potatoes, so you can imagine how John and I felt!  For those of you under 40 (you lucky things), Diana Moran (nicknamed The Green Goddess) and Derrick Evans (better known as Mr Motivator) are TV fitness icons from the 1980’s.  Although I was impressed by the stamina and physiques of these young people, I was a little troubled by the grunting noises and musky odours!

 

Anyway, I digress.  These pictures were taken when John took me with him for an athletics photography course a few days ago at the Lee Valley stadium in London.  The athletes were of different ages and had clearly been preparing a very long time, judging by the heights they achieved in the pole vault and the speeds they reached in the 200 metre dash.   I wonder how many years of their lives they have spent practising their sports while their peers were out gallivanting.  Watching those long legs leaping over the hurdles made me wince each time because they came so close to knocking the obstacles over, I feared for their safety.  Then again, I’m sure these dedicated contestants have all experienced more than their fair share of twisted ankles and grazed knees.  The long jump and triple jump were particularly impressive, given that they could leap even further than me and I’m a cat.

Shad does a Selfie

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Who is this mysterious character strolling along the beach with a camera?  It’s none other than my good friend and business partner, John.  This is a rare sighting indeed because John normally prefers to be behind the camera.  But John’s daughter Natasha cleverly caught him in the frame the other day when we were at the beach on the Isle of Wight.  Twilight was fast approaching and as the sun disappeared I could feel the drop in temperature and the quiet that follows as people head home and the nourishing warmth of day is gone.  As John walked ahead, I felt proud to live and work alongside him, hard-working and honourable man that he is.  But boy does he have big feet!  I had great fun jumping in the footprints he left in the sand.

 

Check out the selfie!  I like the purple shirt John is wearing.  It’s both mine and John’s favourite colour, very chic and a purrfect match for my shiny black fur.  There have been a few cheeky comments about the similarity between us and Ernest Blofeld (the James Bond supervillain) stroking his cat in this picture!  I think it’s the way John’s hand is touching my back.  But I can assure you that John is no evil genius with aspirations of world domination.  Although I can’t promise you that I’m not a secret service agent posing as a photographer with a covert agenda to destroy the arch-enemies of the free world!

Shad & John

Shad does the Cat Protection annual summer fête

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I just love days like this, waking up to the sound of birds singing and the early morning sun warming the air, I felt an optimism that you feel when spring is just around the corner.  Overcome with an urge to share the moment with my John, I hopped on to the bed and stood on his chest as he lay there pretending to be asleep.  I started kneading the duvet and purring which is usually an effective way of getting the old fella to stir.  Failing that, a good chomp on a big toe does the trick!  Today we had plans that I was looking forward to – a hearty breakfast followed by a jaunt to Clapham Village Hall to show our support for the Cat Protection summer fête.

 

Reception
One of the three pen corridors

I had that Sunday morning feeling and was taken by the desire to appreciate the wondrous complexity of my environment.   Like the beauty of the flock of Canadian geese that flew overhead just as John was putting me in the car, the scent of the honey-suckle bush that grows underneath the lounge window, the simplicity of the life of the bumble-bee that buzzed happily across it’s flowers and the comfort of the motor vehicle that allowed us to travel several miles in a short space of time.  As I enjoyed my philosophical ponderings, I looked up at the sky and hoped that the dark clouds would clear in the time for the afternoon.

 

Bandit

By the time John and I reached the Linga Longa Café in Findon, the rain was bucketing down and we both got wet just dashing from the car to the door.  They wouldn’t let me sit at the table due to health and safety regulations (although really I think it was because there were other customers there) so I had to eat from a plate on the floor which I’m not used to.  Nevertheless, I had a delicious cooked breakfast (which consisted of a fried egg, a rasher of bacon and some baked beans) which filled my tummy up a treat.

 

Millie

As we arrived at Clapham Village Hall for the fête, there were no marquees in sight, only the vibrant green grass of the rain-soaked fields that framed the venue.   Apparently the volunteers had tried to put the tents up but the strong winds had defeated them so all the action was to be held inside.  John carried me in (as I don’t like getting my paws wet) and I was greeted by lots of smiles and friendly caresses from many of the volunteers who know me and/or John from previous events as well as our photos.  I was in my element, surrounded by cats, cat people, cat pictures, cat paraphernalia and all things cat!  There was a lovely assortment of cats looking for new homes, like Widget (a cheeky 6 month old who charmed everyone with his playfulness) and Posh (an attractive black girl who had her eye on me).

 

Incidentally, do you remember Teddy and Tinks, the kittens I told you about a few weeks ago who came into care in a poor condition?  Well you’ll be pleased to hear that they have found a great new family to look after them.  And so has Jasmine, the shy black and white lady I befriended at my mate Ginger’s house.  Since Jasmine moved on, two brothers called Harry and Bertie (the fluffy ginger and black cats pictured here) took up residence in the pen but were soon re-homed to a nice family, which left a space for a lovely cat called Milly who I am hoping to meet next weekend.  You’ll also be pleased to hear that a few hundred pounds were raised at the fête which will go towards caring for the cats and cheeky Widget found a new home that day too.  The money was raised through generous donations, sales of cakes and drinks and cat related bric-a-brac.  But it wouldn’t surprise me if a large portion of the money came from John and a fosterer called Penny who went mad on the tombola, buying tickets galore.  Penny ended up with a bag full of goodies she could hardly carry and John won 3 cuddly toys, 2 bottles of beer, 2 bottles of wine, 1 bottle of coffee liqueur, a cat calendar and a bottle of mouthwash.  I guess we all know what to expect for our birthday presents this year!!

Bertie
Harry

Shad’s big cousins on the Isle of Wight

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Regular readers will know that John and I have visited the Isle of Wight Zoo before and enjoyed taking some fab pictures of the big cats that live there.  Remember Casper the white lion and Zena the one-eyed white tiger?  Don’t get me started about the unethical practice that surrounds the breeding of white tigers!  Anyway, the Zoo on Sandown’s chalky coast is well known for its lemurs and rescued big cats, some of which come from circus and entertainment backgrounds, having been rejected by the industry once they served their purpose.
This trip was a Really Wild Photography Workshop that is offered by the Zoo and hosted by professional wildlife photographer Karen-Jane Dudley.  Karen-Jane was excited to see a domestic cat like me in the group and said the big cats would be very curious to see me.  We exchanged tips on the art of wildlife photography and she told me some stories from her experiences in South Africa where she travels every year to capture beautiful images of the animals, like the zebras, leopards and birds of prey.

The workshop included lunch (I had fish pie, one of my favourites) and ‘behind the scenes’ access to a number of specially designed photography stations so that we could view the cats close-up.  As I peered through one of the lens ports, my feline senses tingled as the stunningly striped Aysha came trotting through the water towards me.  She was very inquisitive when she picked up my scent and looked enquiringly at me with her bold black and orange eyes before deciding that the water was far more interesting and splashing off in another direction.   Aysha is a playful 16 year old currently enjoying her retirement at the Zoo along with her brother Diamond, a laid-back boy like me.

 

Lions are one of the most iconic animals in the world and they are quite sociable in comparison to many of the other big cats that roam the plains of Africa.  I tried to get a few shots of Casper but he was being quite standoffish that day so I turned my attention to Charlie Brown, a tawny lion with a gentle spirit who gazed idly towards me before turning his attention to a noise coming from across the way.  It was Aysha huffing and chuffing with joy as she scampered towards a jet of water flowing from a hosepipe.  The keepers were in the enclosure playing with the tigers who seemed to love the sound and feel of the water being splattered around.  Then it was feeding time and the keepers placed whole pieces of meat tied to various items such as a barrel or a log into the enclosure, making mealtime a bit more of a challenge for these hungry hunters and helping to keep them stimulated.

 

We also had a special treat when we got the opportunity to actually go inside one of the enclosures.  Not with the tigers though!  Probably not a good idea!  But with the ring-tailed lemurs, a good-natured bunch of primates that come from Southern Madagascar and spend most of their time in trees.  It was quite funny being in the pen and looking out at the on-lookers looking in!  One of the visitors was overheard saying that the lemurs must be a type of monkey and Michelle (one of the alpha females of the group) was not amused.  Apparently lemurs are prosimians, a sub-group of primates that include tarsiers and bushbabies.  They lack the dexterity of monkeys and apes but they do have specially adapted eyes that enhance their night vision.  They certainly considered themselves to be more evolved, but I’m not so sure.  Don’t tell Michelle!