Cat-A-Strophic

Last Saturday week I went to the Cat Show at Olympia. I enjoyed it very much and spent several hours just wandering around looking at all the various cats. There was a demonstration during the afternoon. A man was up on the balcony with a megaphone and he suddenly shouted, "Do all you cat lovers here know that one of the judges here today breeds cats specifically for vivisection". There was about a two second deathly hush, then all hell let loose, with people throwing leaflets down from the balcony and others shouting. A couple of people got kicked and there was a punch-up. It was all very exciting and interesting being right in the middle of it yet not actually a part of it. I bought myself a lovely, real leather, handbag (well, shoulder bag actually) - I saw a stall with all these handbags on, most of them with cats on the front, and went over to have a look. This was, of course, my undoing! As soon as I spotted one with `Fred' on it I was hooked. I said to the man, "I haven't got enough money to buy this bag now, but I really would like to have it so could you let me have your name and address so that when I get paid at the end of the month I can send you the money and you can post it on to me" but, to my utter surprise, the mad said "Why not take the bag now, then when you get paid just send me the money, that way you will save yourself a lot of postage". So that is what I did, but how trusting of him.

Grace Russ - 18th November 1981