Street sign installed in memory of 'well-loved' cat

A street sign has been installed next to a Nottinghamshire alleyway in memory of a "disarmingly friendly" cat who died in 2023.

George, as he was called by those who adopted him at the Beeston Business Park, was found as a stray kitten and cared for by security guards.

He became a "well-known and well-loved character" among residents, often accompanying them in an alley near Technology Drive and appearing in local pubs.

The sign was requested by a nearby neighbour, Broxtowe Borough Council confirmed.

Sharon Johnson, site manager at the business park, said she was unaware the street sign had been requested until she saw it installed.

"It's a nice surprise, it's like a lasting memory. I get people come on site that haven't been here for a couple of years and they ask me if I've still got the cat," she said.

The 49-year-old added that he had been a part of her life for 14 years while he lived with the security team.

She said: "You could set your watch by him. We used to have two cafes on site and you'd know what time of day it was by him going to get his sausage or chicken - and when the schoolchildren came out he used to make a beeline for them."

"He will never be forgotten, there are kids that have grown up with him... he's just been sort of everyone's pet."

Tamar Feast, from the Beeston and District Civic Society, described him as "famous".

"Whether it was cat people, dog people, or people with no pets, they would all stop and give him a fuss... you had no choice really, since he was so disarmingly friendly."

She said the society was not involved in putting up the sign, but described it as "terrific" nevertheless.

"What the Civic Society has been involved in is the installation of blue plaques, and obviously George wasn't a human being so he couldn't have one, so this is the next best thing really."

Brian Rorison, who requested the sign, said: "I thought why not have this alleyway, which was unnamed but sort of his territory, named after him?"

The 63-year-old said he wrote to Broxtowe Borough Council to suggest it in March 2024.

He added that the reason for a street sign, rather than a memory board, is because he was inspired by the American 1960s cartoon "Top Cat" with George's alley-loving manner.

Broxtowe Borough Council, which carried out the installation, said it should make residents smile when walking past.

"A community is made by the local people, places, and characters, and George was certainly a well-known and well-loved character in Beeston," a spokesperson said.

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