If you could be a character from a book or film, who would you be? Why?

I would choose to be Mowser, the companion cat to Tom, a Cornish fisherman. The book being The Mousehole ( mau-sel) Cat. A children’s book, written in 1991 ( but first written about in 1927).

In Cornwall on the south west coast of England is a fishing village called Mousehole. It got it’s name as it has a small single point of entry for the boats. Thus a mousehole.

Tom and Mowser lived a content and tranquil life, in a little cottage overlooking the sea. Daily they would go out fishing and at tea time Tom would cook them an array of delicious meals, which they enjoyed together, before they relaxed into the evenings.

One winter the weather was particularly stormy and the villagers were all bordering on starvation. Tom bravely chose to venture, out to save the town and of course Mowser went with him.

Everyone was aware they had gone out but when they did not return they lit lanterns and put candles in their windows, to guide them home to safety.

Meanwhile during their trip the storm intensified and manifested itself as a giant Storm Cat. This is where Mowser came into her own. From her steady purring came a voice as sweet as an angel and she managed to soothe the tempest. An operatic song which lulled the Storm Cat to sleep.

They had a particularly successful catch that night and they returned to with enough of seven kinds of fish to feed the entire village, making Stargazy Pies.

*This story is from Cornish folklore and each Bawcock (Tom) Eve is celebrated in Mousehole, where the villagers raise their glasses in his honour. There are lantern lit possions, carol singing and of course Stargazy Pie for all.

** It would have been a happy life for Mowser. Who wouldn’t want to be her? **