And introduce mew to some of the locals, and no, I don't mean the squirrels, mew met them last week on the news. I mean actual locals.
A Map of Mewton-Clawson
Obviously, we've had to change a few things to remain anonymous in the English countryside, but mew get the picture!
Yeah, we don't want an ambush if we can help it! MOL
Today, for instance, Amber's BFF, Hissy Furrton, and some of mew may remember her from last year in the Dear Prudence Saga - sorry, we don't have any links for that story at the moment. Amber realised the other day that there are no forward links in each post, so until she gets the library mice to fix that, there's no point in us sending mew to the first post because mew won't find the next one! MOL
As soon as that's done, we'll add a banner in the sidebar on the left for mew to go and read that adventure at your leisure.
Anyhoo, Hissy loves to visit Nip and Nom Tea Shoppe, halfway between Mewton-Clawson and Fuskerton, down the lane there. It's supurr popular with the locals, and they serve a wide range of deliciousness on their menu. Mew may remember these items if mew read Dear Prudence last year:
Lavender catnip tea ~ Epic chocolate brownies with catnip sprinkles ~ Catnip-infused cherry slices with lashings of sprinkles
So this week, Amber asked Hissy to tell us more about what she loves about Nip and Nom.
MEET HISSY FURRTON
Hissy's Favourite Place: The Nip and Nom Tea Shoppe
This week, Amber asked me to tell mew all about my favourite place in the village, and without a whisker of hesitation, my answer was the Nip and Nom Tea Shoppe.
Now, don't get me wrong, I do enjoy a visit to the library, and the Quarter Moon does serve a rather respectable nip sherry, according to those in the know, but there is something rather special about the Nip and Nom.
Firstly, the lavender catnip tea is simply divine, especially on a chilly morning when the mist is still lingering over the fields between Mewton-Clawson and Fuskerton.
Secondly, the cakes are legendary. The catnip brownies are worth crossing two villages for, and don't even get me started on the cherry slices with sprinkles. They're practically medicinal at my age! MOL
But if I'm being completely honest, my most favourite thing about the Nip and Nom isn't the tea or even the cakes.
It's the atmosphere.
The little tables outside sit beside the narrow country lane, surrounded by overflowing hanging baskets and flowers in every colour imaginable. Walkers stop for elevenses, cyclists pause for refreshments, and locals wander in and out throughout the day.
And because the tea shoppe sits between Mewton-Clawson and Fuskerton, everypawdy passes through sooner or later.
Mew can sit quietly with a lovely cuppa, admire the flowers, watch village life go by and occasionally overhear something utterly fascinating from the next table.
Not that I eavesdrop, obviously.
I simply absorb the local ambience.
Quite frankly, if mew want to know what's happening in the district, there's no better place to be than a window seat at the Nip and Nom with a pot of tea and a slice of cake.
Though I would recommend arriving early if Marjorie Tufts has supplied the brownies.
They have an unfortunate tendency to disappear rather quickly... MOL!
Hissy Furrton
Hot Gossip from the Nip & Nom Tea Shoppe with Hissy Furrton
Where the tea is hot, the cakes are fresh, and the secrets are fresher.
A Chat Between Amber & Hissy ~ The Quarter Moon Cat‑astrophe Edition
Amber: Hissy, dahling, mew look like mew’ve been sitting on a secret all weekend. What’s happened now?
Hissy: Oh, Amber… Friday night at The Quarter Moon was historic. Glenda Filcher, yes, that Glenda, had one too many Niptinis and decided the bar was her purrsonal stage. Up she went, tail swishing like she was headlining a cabaret.
Amber: Glenda? Dancing? On the bar?
Hissy: Not just dancing, purrforming. She tried to start a conga line. Only three cats joined, and one of them was the bartender who just wanted her to get down before she broke a hip. She announced she was “reliving her glory days,” though no one can confirm she ever had any.
Amber: I’m already exhausted.
Hissy: Oh, it gets better. She told Sabel Twinge that her new fur dye “looked like wilted spinach.” Mabel nearly fainted. I had to fan her with the drinks menu.
Amber: Mew do love this chaos.
Hissy: It’s my lifeblood. But between mew and me, I also adore the quieter things, knitting little tea‑cosies, reading in your library, sampling every cake that crosses the Nip & Nom counter. I’m practically their unofficial cake inspector.
Amber: Mew’re certainly their most dedicated one.
Hissy: Speaking of dedication, Cyril Fuddleton is building a “romantic hideaway” behind his shed. Says it’s for “special company.” Everypawdy knows he’s trying to impress Petunia Whiskerby, who pretends not to notice him but blushes every time he walks past. It’s adorable. And doomed.
Amber: This village is unbelievable.
Hissy: Oh, we’re not done. Did mew hear about Mildred Snicklet’s secret stash?
Amber: No… but I sense scandal.
Hissy: She’s been hiding imported catnip biscuits from Fuskerton, the fancy ones with the sugar‑sprinkle tops, and only sharing them with cats who agree to help her spy on her neighbour’s compost heap. She’s convinced he’s hiding “contraband root vegetables.”
Amber: I can’t breathe.
Hissy: And then there’s Trevor Whimbleton, who claims he saw a ghostly cat wandering near the ancient standing stones. Turns out it was just Mrs Purrkins in her nightgown, looking for her missing slipper. He’s still shaken.
Amber: This is too much.
Hissy: Sweetie, this is Monday in Mewton‑Clawson. Between Glenda’s bar‑dancing, Cyril’s doomed romance, Mildred’s biscuit bribery, and Mrs Purrkins’ midnight wanderings, I’ll have enough gossip to fill the Nip & Nom chalkboard twice over.
Amber: Just promise me mew won’t start a conga line in the library.
Hissy: No promises. If the cake is good enough, anything can happen.
✨ HISSY’S QUOTE OF THE DAY ✨
“Sweetie, in Mewton‑Clawson the tea is hot, the cakes are sweet, and the secrets are always louder than the gossip.”
FUN BLOG HOPS TO JOIN TODAY
Well, that's us done for today. We do hope mew liked our new feature, plus meeting Hissy, and we'll be back on Wednesday with
more Midweek News, so stop by then to catch all the latest happenings at BBHQ!
Hoping mew have a furbulous day, and remember to always...
...and utterly epic!
Wing Commander Basil & The B Team
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