Wake held for Alfie the Chepstow cat (From Free Press Series)

Wake held for Alfie the Chepstow cat

12:20pm Tuesday 19th March 2013 in News

FANS of Alfie the Chepstow Cat held a wake in his memory on Sunday as calls for a street corner in Chepstow to be named after the “most famous cat in Monmouthshire” were made.

Around 100 people gathered at The Coach and Horses on Welsh Street to remember the Alfie "The Chepstow Cat" who died at the age of 19 last week.

Ian Meyrick, the pub’s landlord, organised the wake for Alfie who was a local character in the town and a regular fixture on the corner of Steep Street after he died peacefully in his sleep on March 12.

His owner Caroline Gammon, of Steep Street, said he always brought a smile to passers-by.

He became the town’s mascot and attracted more than 3,000 ‘likes’ on a Facebook page dedicated to him.

Ms Gammon’s children Tom, Sam and Alice, set up the page in July last year because so many people would ring and ask how he was.

Since his death the site has been inundated with messages from more than 500 people some from as far away as South Africa and Australia, describing him as a local legend.

Mr Meyrick said the memorial on Sunday afternoon was a touching and fitting tribute to the much-loved character.

He said: "Tim Ryan read the Eulogy and had written a moving poem."

"There were people from London and the Valleys who all wanted to raise a glass to Alfie."

"One of the songs we sang was Cilla Black’s ‘What’s It All About Alfie’ which was very fitting."

Ms Gammon, who got Alfie as a rescue cat when she lived in Cirencester said her family has been overwhelmed by the tributes.

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

"Everyone knew him.

Many people are now calling for a plaque or statue to be put up in Alfie’s memory.

Mr Meyrick is leading a campaign to have the corner of Steep Street re-named Alfie’s corner.

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."

"We would like to see the corner where he used to sit re-named Alfie’s Corner."

"A plaque on the wall would be a fitting tribute to a Chepstow legend."

Among those backing the campaign are Paul Beales and Gary King who said the town should “re-incarnate Alfie in a statue and Craig Robb who said: "He was as much a Chepstow landmark as the Cenotaph.”