Author and artist team up to publish book on famous Brightlingsea cat

Brightlingsea author Ruth Loten and Great Bentley artist Lucy Weaver have published a children’s picture book based on Max the cat.

Inspired by the antics of Max, writer Ruth - who writes under the pen-name Henrietta Edwards - jotted down verses telling his tale before asking her friend Lucy to sketch accompanying images.

Famous Feline - The front cover artwork for Max the Brightlingsea Cat.

Lucy, who runs the Great Bentley-based Pink Parrot Pottery studio, then worked with Ruth to compile the images into a book.

Lucy said: “Some of the funds from each book purchase will go to the Alresford Cat Rescue Centre.

“This charity was chosen to benefit from sales by Max’s owner, Georgie Dunt.

“When his mother died shortly after his birth, Georgie hand-reared Max and his siblings and his siblings.”

Content - A look inside the book.

Max now lives with Georgie and a host of other animals but prefers to spend his days roaming the streets of Brightlingsea.

He often makes himself comfortable in beach huts, cars and other venues in the area.

There was a slight scare when Max went missing this time last year for a whole two weeks but he was eventually found 40 miles from home playing with a giant dog.

At the time, Georgie said: “A lovely lady called Lauren Loyd happened to stumble across a post from a lady in Suffolk asking if anyone recognised a cat that had been visiting their garden and playing with her giant staffie.

“I knew from the second I saw the back of Max in the picture and his description that it was him.

“I just want to say a massive thank you to not only Lauren but also to the lady in Suffolk.

“They have both refused any reward, because they are both absolute angels, but I will, of course, be sending a token of my gratitude their way.”

Copies of the book are £6 each with £1 from each going to the Alresford Cat Rescue Centre.

To purchase a copy, contact Lucy on 07738 258131 or get in touch via facebook.com/pinkparrotpottery.