The Ladder Chair

I spend a lot of time outdoors in the summer, regardless of the temperature. Unless it's actually raining, there I am. This is my favourite chair.

It's an old Ercol chair that I found in an Antique shop a few years ago. I like the way the varnish has worn on the arms over its years of use. The patchwork cushion is one made by my Mum when she first started quilting. Normally, this chair lives in the scullery but gets to move out on to the patio at this time of year.

Unfortunately, I'm not the only one who likes sitting in this chair ...

I put the chair out, go inside to fetch my cup of tea or my knitting and there's Tolly, fast asleep and pretending he's been there for hours and can't possibly be disturbed. Short of taking out another kitchen chair specially for him - and yes, I have been known to do that - what can I do? Then I had a brainwave ... the ladder chair.

This is a small, white child's chair that has been used by several generations, including my children. Here's their Uncle Peter sitting on it in about 1960. It seems to be two colours there.

And here's my son Jack some 29 years later ... look at that hair!

Sometimes the ladder chair could be shared with a special friend ...

Jack and Big Bear waiting for a biscuit

... or a little sister ... Here's Rose in 1993 - again, look at all that hair.

One more, this time with both of them in.

All these photos were taken at out old house in Peckham. Those big doors dividing the two downstairs rooms could be folded back against the walls to make one big room which was very handy for birthday parties.

I don't know who first called it the ladder chair but, as the name suggests, it came in very handy when they couldn't reach something. On one notable occasion Rose used it to reach her pig birthday cake which I'd left out on the side in the kitchen and pulled one of the pigs' bottoms off. You'll be glad to know I managed to stick it back on before the birthday tea.

Mum made a special cushion for the ladder chair with 'Jack' on one side and 'Rose' on the other.

Nowadays, the ladder chair lives in the kitchen with Red Raggy and the first teddy bear I made sitting on it. Oh, and an old toy dog seems to have joined them for this photo.

So, back to Tolly the cat who thinks he's a human. I had the bright idea of giving him a cat sized chair in the garden.

As you can see, it worked for a while but he still prefers adult sized chairs if he can get them. Maybe he knows it's not his name on the cushion?

Meanwhile, my other cat, Linnet wouldn't demean herself to sit on such a small chair. Her favourite spot is on top of whatever jigsaw I'm currently working on. I try to get it out very, very quietly but there are velcro tabs on the puzzle board and, as soon as she hears them, she comes dashing into the room to jump up on it.

She then rolls around asking for strokes before standing up, shaking fur all over the puzzle and leaving. One day she rolled so far she fell off the edge of the board on to the floor. Luckily I managed to catch the puzzle.

The joy of sharing your life with cats.