The BBHQ Midweek News Round-Up **SNOWMAGGEDON HORROR COMING SOON - Allegedly** ~ Parsley's Flat Out, Fudge's Back on The Cat Shelves, and Smooch's in The Craft Room ~ **PLUS** Melvyn's Modelling

Pawesome Greetings Furbulous Furiends

Welcome to the BBHQ midweek news round-up! 

Firstly, apologies for missing the last two weeks of blog hops; it's been stupid busy at the P.A.'s work, leaving no time for fun stuff. We've barely got the posts out on time. In fact, I think one was late. So, sorry about that. We're endeavouring to introduce new protocols so the P.A. can do what we employ her for! MOL

The weather. Well, we have had a few days of intermittent sunshine, which has been nice. The temperature is averaging mid to high single digits and just above freezing at night. So quite tolerable for this time of year. Though, and here comes the but, the weather experts are saying that a wall 765-ish miles wide is coming to swathe the UK in a snow horror fest of epic snowmaggedon proportions... sooooooon... sounds utterly dreadful, let's hope they are wrong!

Moving on...

Strange things have been happening in the BBHQ office.

Melvyn's Moving Chair 

This is the new chair the P.A. bought the other week. Melvyn was never interested in the office chair before, but when this one arrived, wow, he took ownership. But here's the thing: if the P.A. goes to the office and Melvyn's in this chair, she'll roll it down towards the cat tree and use the old chair instead. 

Melvyn thinks this is the best game ever! MOL 

MODELLING SECRETS REVEALED

Last week, there were a couple of comments about how the P.A. gets Melvyn to walk up and down the kitchen rug, sorry, 'catwalk' - the wand toy, is not the usual way. 

What happens is this: the P.A. puts the bandana on BBHQ's next top model, and she runs to the other end of the kitchen and whistles him; he'll trot along, etc. Then she runs back the other way, and he usually bounds after her. 

Sometimes, when he's not feeling model-ish, treats are used as bribes... oh yes, the P.A. will sink to that level if required. Melvyn loves it because it means more treats for him! MOL

And that's how it's done.

Right, let's take a look at what else has been happening at BBHQ in the last week.

First up in the news

Parsley's Flat Out

Parsley was flat out in the sitting room, the woodburner was lit, and he was loving the heat, well, totally tropical vibes.

Next up in the news

Fudge's Back on The Cat Shelves

Fudge was back in the catservatory on his favourite shelf, he was watching the birds at the feeders.

We know he was thinking, how tasty they looked! MOL

In other news...

Smooch's in The Craft Room

Smooch went into the craft room the other day, because the P.A. was looking to fix up these two cat scratchers, so he sat on one and started giving expert advice - yep - expert! MOL

The P.A. was truly fascinated as she asked how she was going to make that happen. Smooch replied that it wasn't his department and to have fun, oh, and by the way, is there any catnip out here?

#truestory  MOL 

Finally this week

Melvyn's Modelling The Top Bandana Pick

 Off to Space was Melvyn's choice on the catwalk next week! 

The catwalk strut was supurr quick this week and miraculously without incident. Even the invisible monster, aka W.D.G., was missing, like totally missing.

Melvyn reckons he might have gone on a vacation, but he's not sure. We'll let mew know if he appears anywhere.

Check out Melvyn's videos on your preferred social media channel:

TikTok

Instagram

YouTube

Which one is your favourite this week?

That's us done for today. Amber will be back on Friday with another meowvellous book, and if mew missed any other posts, here are the links:

Sunday Selfies ~ Pandora

What the Fluff ~ Q&A with Basil

Basil's Bunker Tour

Amber's Latest Book Review

January's Monthly Meow'o'Scope

And don't forget if mew're new to BBHQ, check out this page: New reader Starter Page.

Wishing mew a furbulous day, and remember to always...

Wing Commander Basil & The B Team 

Don't furget to subscribe and never miss another post! 

Graphics created with paid licence www.canva.com 

**BRAND NEW POST**🐾 WHAT THE FLUFF!?! 🐾 A BBHQ Q&A SERIES ~ **FEATURING** WING COMMANDER BASIL

🐾WHAT THE FLUFF – A BBHQ Q&A Series🐾

Supurr Monday greetings, epic furiends!

Today we’re launching something brand new from deep inside the BBHQ think‑tank, and trust us, this one’s been simmering in the creative cauldron for a while.

Welcome to WHAT THE FLUFF, the fluffiest, quirkiest, most revealing Q&A series ever unleashed from The B Team. Each memfur sits down for a no‑holds‑barred interrogation … err… interview with Vera V5.0, the BBHQ Bunker A.I., answering the questions mew didn’t know mew needed answers to.

From snack stash secrets to interdimensional dilemmas, from floof maintenance routines to heroic regrets, this series dives deep into the minds (and whiskers) of our legendary memfurs.

💬 Expect:

🙀 Outrageous confessions

🛡️ Tactical brilliance

🧠 Floofy wisdom

💥Possibly a few hairballs

First up: Commander Basil,  the tactical heart of the B Team, master of the Nexus Spiral, and keeper of the snack stash (allegedly). What does destiny mean to him? What’s his proudest moment from the Pirate Adventure? And who would he trust with the M Unit if he took a sabbatical?

Stay tuned for Basil’s full Q&A, and prepare to say "What the Fluff?!" at least once per post. 

Interview No. 1 - Tactical Genius, Nexus Navigator, Snack Stash Custodian (allegedly)

Vera V.5.0: Commander Basil, welcome to the very first instalment of WHAT THE FLUFF. Are you ready for some hard‑hitting, fluff‑rattling questions?

Basil: I was born ready. Also, I brought snacks. Just in case this goes sideways.

Q1: What does destiny mean to mew?

Basil: Destiny is that curious force that nudges mew toward the right mission at the right moment, even if mew were planning a nap instead. I don’t believe everything is pre‑written, but I do believe every cat has a path. Mine just happens to involve portals, pirates, cyborgs, necromancers, zombie cats, and the occasional interdimensional crisis.

Q2: What’s your proudest moment from the Pirate Adventure?

Basil: Oh, that’s easy. The moment I realised my crew trusted me completely, even when we were about to be blown to smithereens by pirates, and the ship was on fire. Leadership isn’t about being fearless; it’s about being brave enough that others feel safe beside mew. Also, defeating a legendary pirate captain with nothing but a modern warship hidden beneath a wooden hull. Well, when I put it like that, the poor chap didn't stand a chance.

Q3: If mew took a sabbatical, who would mew trust to be in charge of the M‑Unit?

Basil: Sabbatical? I don’t know her.

But hypothetically… I’d choose Parsley. He’s calm, methodical, and unlikely to accidentally open a wormhole while trying to heat up a snack (probably). Melvyn is brilliant, but too young and easily distracted by shiny things. Smooch is fearless but would probably declare martial law by lunchtime. Pandora would run it flawlessly but would also redecorate the entire HQ in black velvet. Amber would start a reading workshop and force endless cozy cat mysteries on them. And Fudge, well, given his propensity for being a disaster magnet recently, not advisable at all. So yes, Parsley.

Q4: What’s the biggest misconception about mew?

Basil: That I’m serious all the time. I’m not. I simply look serious because somepawdy has to be the responsible one while the rest of the team is arguing about who ate the last tuna stick, and where are the back-up snacks. And then who didn't put the bazooka back after Smooch blew up the vegetable garden?

Q5: What’s your ultimate comfort snack?

Basil: Freeze‑dried salmon bites. Preferably hidden in a location only I know. And no, I’m not telling mew where. They are really good and weigh nothing, so mew can take loads on missions for that just-in-case moment.

Q6: What’s one thing mew wish every cat knew?

Basil: That bravery isn’t the absence of fear, it’s choosing to act even when your tail is puffed up like a bottle brush and looks slightly ridiculous, well, in Fudge's case, his tail looks like a co-joined twin, I even put googly eyes on it once, Fudge was not amused. And last but not least, that naps are essential for tactical clarity.

Q7: What’s your most embarrassing moment on a mission?

Basil: During the Great Mewtonian Heist, I leapt heroically onto a moving cart… and missed. Completely. The cart rolled over my tail fluff. The team pretended not to laugh. They failed.

Q8: If mew could redo one classified adventure, which would it be?

Basil: The Time‑Travelling Tea Party, redacted. I’d bring more biscuits. And possibly a fire extinguisher and definitely more ammo.

Q9: What’s your secret to keeping the team together?

Basil: Patience, snacks, and the ability to say “No, we are not adopting another interdimensional creature” with authority. But mew know really, that the interdimensional creature will get adopted, providing it's not hostile and doesn't want to eat us.

Q10: What’s your message to BBHQ readers?

Basil: Stay curious. Stay brave. And above all… stay fluffy. Oh, and I can't forget this bit. Thanks ever so much for being here. We love your company. Oh, and the vending machine is free, so help yourself to snacks! MOL

We hope mew enjoyed today's feature brought to mew courtesy of Vera, the bunker A.I., yep, it was her idea, to interrogate, sorry, ask us these questions! MOL

Next up in the WHAT THE FLUFF hot seat: Pandora. Expect velvet drama, wand precision, and possibly a redecorating manifesto, with a colour chart of every black paint available.

Click to go to Episode 2 ~ Link Coming Later...

And don't forget to go and join in today's fun Blog Hop at www.comedy-plus.com

We'll be back on Wednesday with more Midweek News, in the meantime...

...and furbulous

Wing Commander Basil & The B Team

Don't furget to subscribe to our blog and never miss another post. 

Graphics created with paid licence @www.canva.com 

The BBHQ Midweek News Round-Up **WE MISSED SNOWMAGGEDON BY A WHISKER** ~ Fudge's Leap of Faith, Smooch's Covert Oppurration (Or Is It?), and Parsley Says NO! ~ **PLUS** Melvyn's Modelling

Pawesome Greetings Furbulous Furiends

Welcome to the BBHQ midweek news round-up! 

Oh, good gravy, the weather. The weather peeps were forecasting snowmaggedon for Thursday last week, with a temperature of minus ten. We'd already had a smattering of the white stuff a few days earlier and thought, OH MY COD, not again!

Anyhoo, mew'll never believe this, it snowed everywhere but stopped just short of the P.A.'s work and never made it down to BBHQ. A mile from work, it snowed a lot, so we had a lucky escape, as most people were stuck. Thank COD, it missed us! 

We just had to share another photo of the full moon from earlier this month.

Anyhoo, let's look at the news!

First up in the news

 Fudge's Leap of Faith

Yep, mew are not seeing things! MOL

Fudge was up the tree like a cat possessed the other day, and he was weighing up whether the roof was safe to jump on, as it was a bit green.

Honestly, never has there been a cat at BBHQ who loved getting up high, luckily the P.A. managed to bribe him down with a bag of Dreamies! MOL

Next up in the news

 Smooch's Covert Oppurration

So this was Smooch; we're not quite sure what was going on. Our first notion was this:

A covert oppurration watching fluff knows what!

The second:

The P.A. removed all the snuggle mats around the house for washing and left only the pink one in place. We think, but we could be wrong, that he was on a call to Catline to complain bitterly about the lack of comfort in the windowsills around BBHQ! MOL  

We did ask him, but he refused to confirm or deny anything.

In other news...

Parsley Says NO!

As mentioned above, the P.A. was on a washing spree and wanted this blanket from the basket under the gazebo. 

Parsley said, "NO!"

She asked, why?

Parsley said, "I need it right now, it's giving me great comfort, mew can wash it another day!"

Yeah, it's still not made into the laundry, so the P.A. is looking for a spare, but the thing is, they only like the red wool blanket in that basket; anything else and the basket is boycotted with extreme prejudice! #OH DEAR

Finally this week

Melvyn's Modelling The Top Bandana Pick

Here's Melvyn wearing the Smart Cats bandana.

There's chaos on the BBHQ catwalk this week, as Melvyn's new toy had arrived! MOL

Everything went to fluff in a knitting basket; Fudge was a trip hazard; W.D.G. ran off; and all Melvyn wanted to do was chase the toy! MOL

Check out Melvyn's videos on your preferred social media channel:

TikTok

Instagram

YouTube

Which one is your favourite this week?

That's us done for today. Amber will be back on Friday with another meowvellous book, and if mew missed any other posts, here are the links:

Sunday Selfies

Amber's Book Review 

Basil's Bunker Tour

Wishing mew a pawesome day, and remember to always...

Wing Commander Basil & The B Team 

Don't furget to subscribe and never miss another post! 

Graphics created with paid licence www.canva.com 

**BRAND NEW** 🐾 Basil’s Bunker Tour 🐾 ~ Level One Spotlight ~ **FIRST STOP** My Office

Welcome to BBHQ, mew lucky fluffers

Oh, hello. I didn’t hear mew over the sound of Smooch yelling;

 "DUCK AND RUN!"  

Oh, fluff me, what has he done now? 

Anyhoo, swiftly moving on because I'm sure that mess will sort itself out!   

Welcome to BBHQ, the bunker. Sixteen levels of secrets, strategy, snacks, and occasional explosions.

Since this is the first instalment of my official Bunker Tour series, I thought we’d start where all great operations begin: Level One. My domain. My command centre. The Oak Office of Ultimate Authority.

Over the last few years, we've had a lot of adventures, which many of mew have read, and by now we think mew should have a pretty good idea about the bunker; however, I thought it might be nice if I gave mew a tour when we're not mid-mission or under attack! MOL

Every new post, I’ll be taking mew around the bunker, one level at a time, so mew can appreciate the sheer scale of what I deal with on a daily basis. Trust me, it’s a lot. Have mew ever tried organising a team of cats? Exactly.

Anyway, follow me. Don’t lag behind. And whatever mew do, don’t touch the tapestry unless mew want a mystical existential crisis before dinner.

Today’s tour:

✨ The Oak Office

✨ The tapestry that binds us all

✨ The artefacts I definitely didn’t ‘borrow’

✨ And the mail chute that has seen things no chute should ever see

Right then. Let’s begin.

Welcome to My Office, Mew Guys  

Now, follow me. Mind the rug; it sometimes wrinkles, posing a trip hazard.

🐾 The Vibe

As mew can see, I’ve gone for a classic aesthetic: dark oak panelling, floor‑to‑ceiling bookcases, and enough gravitas to make visiting dignitaries sit up straighter, well, that's if I allowed such purrsons to visit. I like a room that exudes authority and is a complete contrast to the rest of the bunker, with its high-tech vibe.

The Furrsian rug? Plush. Luxurious. A tactical choice. It absorbs sound beautifully, which is essential when mew run a top‑secret bunker full of cats who think whispering means “yell quietly.”

🪑 The Desk Setup

This is my purrsonal space, a retreat if mew like, the oak desk is hand‑carved. Heavy enough to withstand mild explosions and really practical too. On top, mew’ll notice:

Two vintage telephones - dudes, I'm old school, what can I say! MOL

My computer pops up out of a secret compartment in the top, that's why mew can't see it right now, (and for Cod's sake, don’t tell anypawdy I can’t use spreadsheets)

A few mission files

And the mail chute, an analogue lifeline in the bunker

The visitor chairs (just out of shot, in the image above) are there for formal meetings, interrogations, nah, just kidding, but perhaps for occasional interventions when somepawdy (usually Fudge, Smooch and/or Parsley) has done something, accidentally on purpose, without meaning to at all, like ever... and it just happened that way!

🖼️ The Art & Artefacts

Now, if mew look around the shelves, mew’ll see my collection of antiquities. I’ve picked these up over the years on missions, adventures, and one very confusing treasure hunt that turned out to be in another dimension, but let's not get off track! MOL

An oil painting of The Crimson Revenge above the door, maps of forgotten realms, relics that hum if mew get too close, it’s all part of the aesthetic. I like a room with history. Preferably, my history.

🌳 The Tapestry of the Tree of Life

Ah yes. This meauty. On the wall behind my desk.

Mew see this tapestry? Impressive, isn’t it? 

That’s because it is. It was crafted by Druids, proper ancient ones, using threads infused with magickal waters from Bubastis. Yes, that Bubastis. The Temple of Bastet. The oldest, purest feline magick in existence.

The oddest thing, we each hold an object in the scene, but sometimes those objects decide to float around the picture, like right now! MOL

Humphrey: The Sword ~ Protection, loyalty, silent strength.

Posie: The Orb ~ Insight, intuition, clarity.

Amber: The Book ~ Knowledge, wisdom, archives, memory.

Smooch: The Heart ~ Healing, love, emotional core.

Pandora: The Wand ~ Magick, spells, transformation, chaos‑spark.

Snowie: The Box ~ Mystery, purity, containment of hidden power.

Parsley: The Gilded Wing ~ Speed, agility, ascension.

Fudge: The Pawsa (Paw Sigil, like a Hamsa) ~ Grounding, guardianship, physical strength.

Melvyn: The Compass ~ Direction, intuition, and the ability to always find his Uncle Basil.

Me, Basil: The Infinity Sign & The Scales ~ Destiny, balance, leadership, judgement.

I didn’t commission it because it looked nice (though it does). I had it made for my furmily, the B Team, the BBHQ crew, every soul who’s ever stood with us.

Each thread is bound with that sacred water, and those threads link every one of us together. Not just in this life, but in all lives. Past, present, future. No matter where we wander, no matter what happens, we’ll always find our way back to each other.

Some call it destiny.

Some call it magick.

I call it… making sure my furmily is never alone.

The tapestry grows as new members join us. It shifts, it changes, it remembers. It’s alive in the way old magick always is, quiet, powerful, and slightly unnerving if mew stare at it too long.

And yes, before mew ask, it does mean mew might occasionally feel like somepawdy’s watching over mew, and I'll turn around to see everypawdy waving at me, it's quite surreal! MOL That’s the threads. They’re doing their job.

📚 The Bookcases

These shelves contain everything from ancient magical tomes to mission logs to a surprisingly large section on biscuits. Some books are chained. Some whisper. One sneezes. I don’t talk about that one.

📨 The Mail Chute

This connects to the mailbox outside the main gates; small items only. Large parcels have to be fetched! MOL

It also connects all sixteen levels. It’s efficient and reliable, but it occasionally delivers things I didn't order. Pandora swears she’s not using it for potion experiments. I remain unconvinced.

And that, my esteemed guests, concludes our tour of my office, BBHQ’s most old-fashioned room and the only one where the rug matches my magnificence, only kidding! MOL

Mew’ve seen the oak panelling.
Mew’ve admired the tapestry.
Mew’ve resisted (I hope) the urge to spin my chair, it's lethal at high speed!

Consider yourselves officially initiated into the uppermost secrets of the bunker. I hope mew enjoyed it? If not, please don't leave a bad review on YOWLP. Yeah, I don't know if I could handle that! MOL

Next month, we’ll explore further, and trust me, things only get stranger, louder, and more interesting from here. Sixteen levels is a lot of bunker, and I intend to show mew as much as I can, and perhaps even the highly suspect broom cupboard where Gregory the Mop lives.

In the meantime, stay alert, stay fluffy, and if mew hear mysterious noises coming from the mail chute… no mew didn’t.

Until then...

Wing Commander Basil 

.

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 graphics created with paid licence www.canva.com