Chepstow pub to hold wake for much-loved town cat (From Free Press Series)

Chepstow pub to hold wake for Alfie, the much-loved town cat

9:23am Thursday 14th March 2013 in News

HE WAS a fixture on the streets of Chepstow – a local character and “the most famous cat in Monmouthshire”.

So now that Alfie ‘The Chepstow Cat’ has lost all of his nine lives at the grand old age of 19, hundreds of people have been paying tribute to him, and a local publican has organised a wake in his honour.

Alfie, who was regularly seen watching the world go by outside his home in Chepstow, died peacefully in his sleep on Tuesday morning.

His owner, Caroline Gammon, of Steep Street, said he had become a much-loved character in the town and brought a smile to passers-by as he sat on the corner of the street.

Her children, Tom, Sam and Alice, set up a Facebook page for him in July last year because so many people would ring and ask how he was. The site Alfie The Chepstow Cat has had more than 3,300 ‘likes’ and 442 tributes to date, describing Alfie as a local legend.

Since his death the site has been inundated with messages.

Ms Gammon said her family has been overwhelmed by the messages, which have come from as far away as South Africa and Australia.

She said: “We got Alfie as a rescue cat when we lived in Cirencester and brought him to Chepstow nine years ago.

“People always inquired about him as he used to sit at the bottom of the street outside the chemist and became a popular character in the town.

“Everyone knew him, and within minutes of learning of his passing on his Facebook page we had hundreds of tributes.”

Among those to pay tribute through Facebook were town councillor Dale Rooke, who said: “Chepstow has lost a town mascot and local legend.”

David Cundy said Alfie, who has been buried in his owner’s garden, will be missed and remembered by everyone, while Lewis Sweet said he’s probably the most famous cat in Monmouthshire and a Chepstow legend.

Ian Meyrick, landlord of the Coach and Horses pub in Welsh Street, is organising a wake for those who want to remember Alfie.

He said: “Alfie is world famous. He would bask in the sun at the bottom of the street outside Merrick’s chemist and everyone would stop to say hello, from the elderly to bus drivers.

“He was so gentle and docile and a really lovely cat.

“Ms Gammon and her family are regular customers of mine and we all knew Alfie, so I decided to organise something where we can have a sing-song and pay tribute to him.”

People are invited to attend the wake at the pub at 3pm on Sunday.