Stourbridge Junction's station cat George honoured with beer named after him
A railway station’s beloved furry mascot thinks a new bottled beer is the cat's whiskers and couldn't wait to get his paws on it.
Stourbridge's Green Duck Brewing Company has named its 4.2 per cent strength ale George's Rail Ale in honour of six-year-old ginger tom, George, who resides at Stourbridge Junction.
The bottles also feature a cartoon image of George, who helped the station reach the final of a World Cup of Stations competition that was was run on Twitter in the autumn when Stourbridge Junction narrowly lost out to Glasgow Queen Street.
The brewery, in Rufford Road, invited suggested names for their new beer, which also included Purrfect Pale and Paws Off My Pint.
George's Rail Ale came out on top in the Twitter poll with 66.1 per cent in favour.
Station supervisor Ian Tomlinson said George had been living at the station for three years and had his own room.
"He used to live with a lady who live opposite the station and used to come to see us regularly.
"When the owner emigrated to Spain it was agreed that we would keep him and when I retire I will take him home and he will live with me," explained Ian.
"George is very popular with all the passengers. Some of them buy him tins of cat food, including our postman. His favourite is tuna loin," added Ian.
Some people who have heard about George on social media make a special point of seeing him on their visits.
"People are coming from all over the country just to see him – he's a real star," said Ian.
The bottles are on sale from the brewery bar in Rufford Road and Green Duck director Alex Hill said that the money raised once the costs of producing the beer have been covered will go to charity.
The station team has asked for the Cats Protection League to be one of the charities helped by sales of George's Rail Ale.
People on twitter voted 63.1 per cent for Stray Cat Rescue Team West Midlands, which covers Wolverhampton and Birmingham, to be another.
