Di Francis The Cat Lady

Di Francis is a renowned expert on strange and unusual beasts such as ‘The Beast of Exmoor’ and the 'Highland Kellas Cats'. She has spent the last thirty years travelling all over the UK in search of these mysterious beasts and has written four books on the subject. She started her writing career with a different genre entirely in her first book ‘Cornish Legends’ published in 1976. This was followed in 1977 with ‘Ghosts of Cornwall’. However, it is the Big Cats that are her passion.

These are creatures that are not native to Britain and are repeatedly sighted all over the British Countryside. Reports of ‘Panthers’ and ‘Pumas, for example.

According to the natural history books, there are only two feline species living wild in the British Isles in modern times: the domestic feral cat, introduced by the Romans, surviving and breeding in frequently hostile environments in both town and country, unowned and uncared for, and the Scottish wildcat, ‘Felis Silvestris Grampia’, a magnificent and ferocious creature indigenous to Britain and remaining secretive and untamed, avoiding its traditional enemy – man. Even today the wildcat remains our least known native predator.

n 1993, Di produced evidence in her book ‘Cat Country’ to suggest that a much larger feline existed in the more remote and wild British Countryside. It was large enough to kill sheep and roughly the size of a leopard as repeatedly seen and reported. A few months after her book was published, a detachment of Royal Marine Commandos were dispatched to hunt a large catlike predator on Exmoor, but it was never found. This was not an isolated case, but it did attract the most attention.

Sightings continued all over the country and police investigated from the moorlands of Cornwall to the Highlands of Scotland. It was frequently suggested that the situation was a result of the 1976 Dangerous Wild Animals act which had come about to put a stop to the owning of wild animals. This was aimed at unusual and poorly kept creatures housed in an insecure environment. Some owners, faced with heavy fines and strict licensing laws, simply released their animals into the wild. Undoubtedly, this will account for some of the sightings over the years but that alone would not explain them all.

Could Britain actually have its very own species of ‘Big Cat’? An Ice Age survivor that has used its natural cunning to remain hidden and unknown until this century?

If you want to know the answer, you will need to find a copy of Di’s book in which she discusses the possibility, backed with a theory and biological data.

Di is also a personal friend and I caught up with her for a quick interview while she was wintering in Altinkum.

What brought you to Turkey?

Some good friends were planning an overseas trip to escape for Christmas and New Year 2009 and they asked me to join them. Their plans went slightly array when they could not find convenient flights to their intended destination of Spain but, Alanya in Turkey fit in rather nicely. I’d never been to Turkey before so I thought ‘why not’.

So what made you chose Altinkum this time?

Well, on the Alanya trip I met you! (she laughs). I found we shared common interests in both writing and a love of acheaology and artifacts and I was also rather enamoured with the Turkish climate as I'm used to spending harsh winters in Scotland. It was during our evening get-togethers in the hotel bar, it was suggested I try wintering in Altinkum the next time and here I am.

What have you been doing with yourself?

I arrived with my laptop and a couple of unfinished novels that I have managed to complete. I've also written a couple of plays from scratch, one of which was inspired by the current troubles in the Middle East.

For my sins I was also persuaded to write a small piece for the local chocolate shop here 'Didyma Patiserie'. I put pen to paper and came up with an eight page piece in the style of a radio play entitled 'Chocoholics to the rescue'.

When can we expect to see your latest novels in the shops?

Now theres a good question. Unfortunately, I have been typecast and am known by the press as ‘The Cat Lady’ (sadly that does not mean I can fit into a catsuit!). As such, publishers have been very reluctant to read any of my latest work as its comedy. They basically say ‘İts not for us’. Still, no matter, I will of course continue to write as I do it for pleasure more than anything else.

What would you say are your favourite things about Turkey?

I was amazed at how green it was; The olive groves, citrus trees and beautiful countryside are so scienic and versitile. It has a wonderfully relaxed pace of life, the people are very friendly, the markets are fit to bursting with fresh fruit and vegetables and the climate is just glorious. At home, you definitely don’t sit outside in December......well not if you want to survive! In fact for the first time in my life I have something close to a tan. I say close as its a bit of an optical illusion really, its just that my freckles have all joined up!

Is there anything you dont like?

Yes, I can’t find Cadbury’s chocolate or mint humbugs.

Will you come back do you think?

To be honest, I dont actually want to go home. I think Turkey is the perfect place for a writers retreat.

Having orignally intended on moving to Bulgaria, I bought several properties there but after sampling the delights of Turkey, I am now planning on selling the Bulgarian portfolio and will use the cash to buy myself a little piece of Turkish paradise.

Further reading