For this episode of “Statues of Stature” we bring you an old favorite and friend, Kaspar the cat. This renowned feline is a three foot tall, beautifully carved, exquisitely drawn sculpture, commissioned from Basil Ionides in 1926 from a single piece of plane tree. For many however, their first glimpse of the elusive feline, is on the Strand where two topiary Kaspars guard the entrance to Savoy Court and The Savoy London.
For any dining group of 13 at The Savoy, Kaspar will be that lucky extra companion, sitting quietly in the background with a napkin tied around his neck, served each course as a bona fide guest. Why, you might ask, is there a need for this cure-all for a superstition? Well in 1898, the diamond magnate Woolf Joel gave a dinner party at The Savoy before he departed to South Africa. One guest cancelled at the last minute and thirteen sat down to table. The host laughed off the superstition that the earliest to leave the table would be destined to die first. A few weeks later, however, Woolf was shot dead in his office in Johannesburg.
No need to worry though – the conversation is never wooden.
Contributor & Photography: Sue Lowry
The Savoy London is managed by Fairmont Hotels & Resorts. For more information, please visit www.fairmont.com, follow them on twitter @FairmontHotels or on Facebook/Fairmont Hotels. Their community website is www.everyonesanoriginal.com. Follow The Savoy London on twitter @TheSavoyLondon and on Facebook/The Savoy.
Magellan PR is on twitter: @MagellanPR / on Facebook: MagellanPR / on Pinterest: Sue Lowry / on Google+: Sue Lowry & MagellanPR and on Flickr: Sue Lowry. For more information on our company, visit www.magellan-pr.com. Follow our other blog focussing on travel in the South of England – A3 Traveller.
The post Statues of Stature: Kaspar the Cat of The Savoy London appeared first on magellanstraits.