DOVER KENT ARCHIVES

Page Updated:- Sunday, 07 March, 2021.

PUB LIST PUBLIC HOUSES Paul Skelton

Summer 2019

(Name from)

Curious cat

Open 2020+

Canterbury Road

Herne

01227 283298

https://whatpub.com/curious-cat

Curious Cat 2019

Above photo, December 2019, kindly taken and sent by Rory Kehoe.

Curious Cat 2019

Above photo, December 2019, kindly taken and sent by Rory Kehoe.

 

Previously known as the "First and Last" this establishment first opened as a cafe for cat lovers, but by the summer of 2019 was also selling beers.

 

From the https://www.kentonline.co.uk. By Jodie Nesling, 22 June 2018.

Herne Bay: The Curious Cat Cafe opens.

Animal lovers are celebrating as the county's first cat cafe opened its doors today.

People flocked to William Street in Herne Bay to pet the furry felines who were all rescued from local charities.

Owner Christeen Norfolk, who lives in Whitstable, says the venture is a dream come true which she hopes will educate people about animal welfare and entertain cat lovers far and wide.

Bobby at the Curious Cat 2018

Bobby the kitten at the cafe (2678805)

She said: "Its a chance for people who can't keep cats at home to come and enjoy them here and it's great for Herne Bay.

"We had 200 people apply for jobs here and are very happy with the staff we have chosen. They are called the 'cat nannies' and will help customers get to know each of them and whether they like to be picked up or belly stroked."

Christeen at the Curious Cat 2018

Christeen has opened the Curious Cat Cafe (2680492)

Cream teas and homemade cakes are on offer with one of the 10 cats on hand for strokes and cuddles. The cafe has attracted attention far and wide since they first posted on social media and have taken a month to settle before the cafe was opened by MP Roger Gale. "We even have a coach from Europe booked to come over in August. Cats are very therapeutic and its a great thing for Kent," she explained.

Customer Abigail Barry will be a regular visitor and says she may start painting the animals outside the cafe - a talent she has discovered since managing two brain tumours.

Abigale Barry at the Curious Cat 2018

Abigail Barry with her artwork (2680036)

She said: "It's brilliant here and I come when I am well enough. I have three cats at home called Gary, Kevin and Rodney. I mainly paint dogs but maybe I can paint here too. I love animals."

The rescue cats range from kitten bobby to others including Simba, Kiki, pregnant Cilla, and Mr Chips. All have outside space to roam around and entrance to the cafe.

Some have questioned the animals proximity to food space but Christeen says she is not concerned. "I don't worry about that too much; dogs frequently go into cafes on their leads and there are other places to go if you do not like animals," she said.

People are obsessed with hygiene these days, especially cat hairs in food - I blame Come Dine With Me.

So the opening of the county's first cat cafe invariably attracted some faux horror of felines parading around a cream tea.

Interestingly folk I have spoken to who hold similar views are the same people who champion rolling around a cow field with a jam sandwich. You see it's fine to eat quiche dropped in badger poo as long as you are enjoying the great outdoors.

The cats in the cafe are friendly, far more friendly than badgers and there presence excuses you from having to engage in any wretched small talk. I had a cat shaped biscuit which I think was for humans and tasted very nice.

Elderly people petted the animals probably relieved they didn't have to go on a day out with Age Concern or play bridge.

The staff actually looked very happy to be there and enjoyed talking about the animals; more importantly when I asked for an Americano they had no idea what I was talking about. Pure joy.

Apparently the cafes started in Japan before the wonderful Dutch pimped the idea by hosting a load on a barge - named the rather brilliant De Poezenboot it's Amsterdam at its very best.

I'm a big fan of the cat cafe and to the naysayers, there's a perfectly good Costa down the road - they sell Americano and everything.

 

From the https://www.kentonline.co.uk By Lydia Chantler-Hicks, 9 February 2020.

Mystery of black cat stickers on road signs in Kent and Sussex.

If you've ever driven through Kent, chances are you will have seen the image of a black cat on a signpost.

The mysterious moggy stickers have been popping up across the south east for years - driving many wild with curiosity.

Cat Stickers

Another cat was spotted on a sign at the junction between the A28 and Harville Road just outside Wye.

In the shape of a silhouetted cat's face with cut-out eyes, they are are typically seen peering around road signs along major routes and rural lanes; at the entrance to towns and villages like Selsted, Fordwich and Sittingbourne, and outside major hospitals.

Occasionally, they are placed on other objects. One such sticker adorns a red telephone box outside the Royal Victoria Pavilion Wetherspoon pub in Ramsgate.

 

Yet despite their ubiquity, little is known about the cats and why they appear.

Kent County Council was unable to provide any further information when approached by KentOnline.

On the internet, there is barely any mention of them, bar a short thread on The Society for All British and Irish Road Enthusiasts's website. Members reported spotting the mysterious signs as far away as Rye and Bexley, but were unable to land on an explanation.

Cat Stickers

A cat on a telephone box outside Royal Victoria Pavilion, Ramsgate.

Cat Stickers

A black cat on the sign at the Kent and Canterbury Hospital.

So who is putting them there, and why?

Some have pointed the finger at Whitstable street artist Catman, who is known for adorning outdoor spaces with his work, and whose tag is a sunglasses-wearing cat.

But the anonymous artist says he has nothing to do with the road sign stickers.

"It's not me," he said. "I haven't seen them up close so I can't definitely say what it is, but I think they're some kind of vinyl sticker.

"I think there's probably more than one person doing it.

"I think you can buy them online. They're spread so wide - I don't think it's going to be one person doing it."

Cat Stickers

The cat was spotted on a sign in Sittingbourne.

Cat Stickers

A black cat on a sign at Orbital Park on the roundabout near McDonald's, in Ashford.

As Catman suggests, the stickers are available online - retailing on Amazon for just £3.25.

But are they being dispersed by a solitary cat lover, or by a group of like-minded feline fanatics?

Black cats have long-been associated with witchcraft. Depending on your beliefs and in which direction they cross your path, they can be considered harbingers of either good or bad luck.

Are the stickers being dispersed as a secret omen for the superstitious, or are they just a bit of harmless fun?

Some have suggested they could have something to do with Herne Bay restaurant The Curious Cat - the Facebook logo of which features a similar-looking black feline.

Cat Stickers

A black cat has appeared on a sign in Fordwich. Picture: Nikki Burnett.

Cat Stickers

A black cat on a sign at the William Harvey Hospital in Ashford.

But the restaurant has also rejected these claims, with its owner saying he had never seen them before.

Other theories suggest the stickers are put up along roads at places cats frequently cross, while some argue they could mark places where beloved pets have lost their lives.

For the time being, regardless of the reason behind them, spotting them is good fun for those out and about in Kent.

We must make peace with our curiosity - and hope it doesn't kill the cat.

 

LICENSEE LIST

 

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