In case you missed it, 15 July marked the unveiling of the statue of Street Cat Bob in Islington Green. Why do I keep chuntering on about this in my column? Because there’s a bigger picture here that I hope to impress upon you. Let us start at the beginning, with Bob’s owner, James Bowen.
James Bowen was no one special. He spent some of his adulthood as a homeless heroin addict, busking around London to pay for his habit. It seemed unlikely that his fortunes would change, when along came a ginger tabby in need of help. Bowen was also in need of help: he was on a methadone program with no real incentive to quit altogether. But when the tabby made it clear that he’d chosen Bowen as his human, it became clear to Bowen that his life was going to have to change, and fast. Bob had wounds from a fight, and the wounds needed medical attention. Bowen spent his last twenty quid on medication for Bob, and the die was cast.
Bob joined Bowen in his busking, and turned out to be a popular draw: everyone wanted to pet the cat, take pictures of the cat, ask questions about the cat, and in the process, the tips increased exponentially. But busking had its risks, and Bowen wanted more out of life than continually being run off his pitch by transport police and the like. So he started selling the Big Issue.
The scene was much the same as it was in his busking days: everyone wanted to meet Bob. The Big Issue eventually wrote a story about Bob and Bowen. A best-selling book followed, then a film. The Duchess of Cambridge attended the premier. More books followed. It was one of those happy-ever-after stories that people love. Except that the “ever-after” part didn’t last long enough. Bob was hit by a car and killed in June of 2020.
As anyone who has lost a beloved pet knows, that devastation is a singular form of agony. You grieve deeply, but there are no rituals to mark the occasion – no church or funeral services, no family to gather round you in your time of loss. There’s just you, your unspeakable grief, and, if you’re lucky, your veterinarian might send you a sympathy card acknowledging the death. Other than that, the grief is yours alone. People try to help – Will you be getting another pet? is the usual question – but that query is manifestly not helpful. No new animal could possibly replace your lost pet, and many people decide to never get another.
Many others create a sort of ritual, or shrine, to the departed pet. I, myself, hung Tibetan prayer flags about the garden, with hand-written messages on them that the wind, according to legend, will take up to my beloved cat. Bowen put Bob’s ashes in a cat-god-looking urn, and he mentioned a small shrine in his home when I spoke with him last month. But he felt compelled to do more than that to mark Bob’s life, and that is where The Big Picture comes into play.
Bowen decided that he wanted a statue of Bob, and he chose sculptor Tanya Russell to do the job. While she was designing a life-size bronze of the cat, Bowen was busy with planning permits, obtaining permissions, and, the most important part, raising funds to pay for it all. He started a GoFundMe page (A Tribute In Memory Of Street Cat Bob), as well as a PayPal address: payments.fundraiser.jamesandbo@gmail.com, – that’s the correct spelling, and he’s still accepting donations as costs have overrun his expectations.
Bowen chose Islington Green as the location for the memorial because nearby Angel tube station was his Big Issue pitch; he and Bob spent a lot of time there. As construction began, it became clear that the memorial to Bob would be much more than just a statue. Indeed, a granite bench was installed first. As Bowen says, We spoke to 15 quarries, stone carvers and importers before making a decision. The granite selected, “Corrennie Pink” came from Aberdeenshire in Scotland. We could have gone for a cheaper imported granite but felt that this option fitted the bill perfectly. It was chosen not only for its UK origins but also for its beautiful warm colouring and unique markings – rather like Bob in fact. The specific quarry it came from is now exhausted, making it a truly special piece.
Granite is heavy. Very heavy. So much so that the low loader used to transport the elements to site on the morning of 8th July had to make two separate journeys. The two plinths, weighing a total of just under 0.6 tons, arrived first, followed around an hour later by the main piece, which weighs about a ton. Lifting gear was used to move it all into place. The concrete base it sits on had to be constructed to a sufficient depth to support it all. The bench was designed by Tanya to work as an organic whole with Bob’s statue, and she took care to see that everything was precision drilled before it arrived on site, ensuring that all the elements would fit together perfectly.*
Let’s review, shall we? Ordinary man, recovered heroin addict and former homeless busker, befriends ordinary cat in need of medical attention. They quickly form a bond the depth of which defies description. Happenstance begats magazine article, several books, and a movie. Ordinary cat (beloved by millions around the world) dies. Ordinary man decides that now-not-so-ordinary cat needs a fitting memorial. Ordinary man raises funds for a life-size bronze statue by renowned sculptor. Ordinary man gets permission to create a memorial involving tons of granite, and put it in a public green space, where it will remain as a reminder of what one ordinary man and his ordinary cat accomplished. I wonder, how many of you have done something similar?
*Text taken from James Bowen & Streetcat Bob Facebook page
Photo of James Bowen with Bob statue copyright Carmella Amaddio