The nice people at thewordhut.com selected ‘Feedback’ for the shortlist for their ‘No. 12 Short Story Writing Competition‘ (You’ll need to scroll to the bottom to see the shortlist). It didn’t win, but it’s very nice to be recognised. Here is the story:
Feedback
Firemen today rescued a cat which had been stuck up an oak tree in a public park in Farnham, Surrey, for at least nine hours. Mrs Kathleen Timkins, the cat’s owner, was distraught.
“Poor Tiddles was up there for so long. I called the firemen, but they’re so understaffed these days, what with everything that’s going on. I’m just so glad they could come and get him.”
Fire Chief Patton said, “We’re just glad to have been able to have help with this. If we had more resources we’d have been able to get to Tiddles much earlier.”
A council spokesman commented that there were plans to have the lower branches of the trees cut off in the Summer to reduce the likelihood of similar issues.
Tiddles only comment was some purring as Mrs Timkins stroked him.
Report by Tracy Gared
Comment Feed (Chronological Order):
1 – Treehouse
Is this really the basis of modern journalism? A cat in a tree. How much money was spent saving this damned cat.
2 – MuttsNuts
Somun shouldve shot horrid little thing. Would’ve saved everyun time.
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3 – PussyGalore
I like cats. What is an outrage is just how short-staffed the fire service is. When I was younger a cat wouldn’t have to wait for more than a couple of hours for rescue.
4 – SocialistWorker
It’s this bloody government. Always cutting. They don’t care about us. I bet if it had been a Tory cat it would have been saved in minutes.
6 – PurplePasty
So nice of the BBC to finally allow us to comment on something real. I’m assuming the propaganda police let this one through.
7 – ToryBoy
@SocialistWorker
You’re clearly an idiot. Farnham is a proper Conservative area. The real problem is that all our taxes are going on paying for scroungers like you, who seem to have lots of time to comment on BBC articles.
9 – TheTruthIsOutThere
what this report fails to mention is how tiddles got into the tree this is cleerly the work of aliens some form of sinister plot
12 – AverageTaxpayer
Classic BBC bias. When are you going to report fairly and accurately on these kinds of stories and not whitewash them!
15 – SocialistWorker
@ToryBoy I have a job, a shift job, which I’m about to start. I bet you’re one of those City types who only does a couple of hours before heading off to lunch or the strip club. Probably commented on your post using your smartphone, while quaffing Champagne.
@AverageTaxpayer amen to that brother.
17 – LittleEngland
When are we going to get a vote on independence from Europe? Now that we’ve ditched the Scots, let’s get rid of the real millstone around our necks, those damned bureaucrats in Brussels.
18 – CatGuardianFarnham
This is AN APPEAL TO RAISE MONEY TO BUY CAT RESCUE. Please see our website here. Remember, we get no money from the government, so are totally reliant on your donations. From just £3 a month you can make sure that no cat will have to suffer like Tiddles ever again.
21 – ToryBoy
@SocialistWorker I’m a shift worker too, and not in the City, so don’t force your ridiculous left wing sterotypes on me.
@TheTruthIsOutThere stop smoking whatever it is you’re smoking.
@AverageTaxpayer did you even read the article?
27 – SocialistWorker
@ToryBoy doesn’t matter, it’s still government cuts which created this mess.
@LittleEngland I’m sure you read one of those so-called newspapers which constantly tell you that Europe is the cause of all our problems. Maybe you should do a little research before parroting such ignorant views.
28 – ToryBoy
@SocialistWorker only because they’re dealing with the mess left by your lot. If they hadn’t overspent so much!
@CatGuardianFarnham I’ve signed up.
29 – SocialistWorker
@ToryBoy they were just making up for the chronic underinvestment from the last time your lot were in power. All you care about is making the rich richer, and damn the rest of us.
And giving £3 a month to save poor little Tiddles doesn’t absolve you of anything.
@CatGuardianFarnham I give money to the national CatGuardians, so hopefully some of that comes to you guys.
30 – ToryBoy
@SocialisWorker as much as I’d like to point out the fallacy of your comment, there is something else I’d like to mention. Have you noticed we’re the only ones left on this thread? I’ve looked and I can’t find any active thread anywhere else.
31 – SocialistWorker
@ToryBoy I assumed you were just using classic divide and rule tactics instead of arguing with me. But I think you’re right. Everything else seems to have just stopped. My twitter feed is dead too.
32 – ToryBoy
@SocialistWorker I think it might be related to this: http://bbc.com/massive-comet-expected-to-miss-today the last update seems to imply that it would hit Europe if it landed. If it did hit, that would be an extinction event on the order of the one which wiped out the dinosaurs.
33 – SocialistWorker
@ToryBoy don’t be ridiculous. If that had happened then the website would be down.
34 – ToryBoy
@SocialistWorker we’re probably looking at a mirror site somewhere else, probably a local repeater. I’m guessing you’re not in England. I’ve tried phoning people. Nothing. Try it.
35 – SocialistWorker
@ToryBoy you’re right, I can’t get hold of anyone. I’m actually in Antarctica.
36 – ToryBoy
@SocialistWorker ditto.
37- SocialistWorker
Tom? Seriously.
38 – ToryBoy
Yes. Lucy I assume. Want to get drunk?
39 – SocialistWorker
Well, I did say I’d only have a drink with you if you were the last person on Earth… so I guess, yes.