Marc West forgets his squeamishness to try his hand at the traditional – if slighty weird – art of taxidermy

On your day of rest, what’s better than enjoying a traditional Sunday lunch – roast beef, crispy potatoes, Yorkshire pudding and all the trimmings.

But, last weekend, as I pulled up a chair at noon there was in front of me on the table…a mouse!

And, it was clear my afternoon was going to be somewhat different to usual.

Welcome to the (ever so slightly) weird, yet truly wonderful world of Kate Latimer.

Obviously, I wasn’t there to actually eat the frozen rodent. This specimen was to be preserved indefinitely through the celebrated taxidermist’s traditional skills.

The mother of three started practicing the art of preparing, stuffing and mounting the skins of animals when a neighbour’s cat left a present on her doorstep and she subsequently trained in Scotland under the renowned George Jamieson – who also mentored celebrity-endorsed Polly Morgan.

In the back room of an unassuming semi on the outskirts of Witney lies Kate’s workshop – a Farrow & Ball Aladdin’s Cave that’s a veritable feast for the eyes.

As well as three living pets (including a giant tarantula), the family also live with hundreds of animals that have been brought back from the dead and crammed into every nook and cranny of the house over the last three years.

How many families could say they have an assortment of British wildlife in their freezer? Or, have an impending decision to make between buying a new car... or a baby zebra?

“I don’t think I’m too weird, but I do like to do things a bit differently”, admits Kate – as she passed me a shiny scalpel.

On that note, we began to defrost the mice in our palms before carefully slicing them open.

You need the delicate hand of a surgeon and the patience of a saint to give this work the care it deserves.

Before long, there were tiny body parts scattered everywhere, but despite being incredibly squeamish, I was so fascinated by the process I overlooked the blood on our hands.

While the mice skins are preserved in a jam jar of acetone, we break for a quintessentially British luncheon of finger sandwiches, fancy cakes and Earl Grey – surrounded by a treasure trove of curiosities and sitting on stools made from elephants’ feet.

Oxford Mail:
Angus Wotherspoon, six

It’s clear that Kate’s got a great eye and is obsessed not only by her nose-to-tail conservation work, but also with quality and craftsmanship.

So much so, it’s been passed on to the next generation already. Her six-year-old son Angus Wotherspoon has so far amassed a collection of over 1,000 mounted insects and wants to be an entomologist when he grows up – just like his hero Sir David Attenborough.

Back to work and next we have to wire the limbs and remodel the muscles with (believe it or not) car body filler to begin the process of piecing it all back together and reanimating the mice back to “life”. Needless to say, we all leave with the immense satisfaction of having created a unique memento and thoroughly relishing the memories of a day in Kate’s alternative world.

Oxford Mail:
Kate Latimer in her Witney studio

CHECK IT OUT
The next courses are on December 6 and 7. Prices start at £55 and include everything you’ll need on the day, a light lunch and tea. See katelatimer.co.uk

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