Improvising

Il gatto reale (the royal cat)

I was after a cast iron floor grille, preferably Victorian, to place in the thick wooden trap door we're installing in the spiral staircase. The idea is that air would flow through and the books on the wall to wall library downstairs will not get damp. The trouble is it was going to prove difficult finding anything of the sort on the island. Not particularly common here, so I had to widen my net and not restrict myself. After all, what was needed was a decorative grid with enough gaps to suit the purpose. It also had to be strong enough to take the weight of a person. Et voila! Car boot sale came to the rescue again - hot grille for pots with a pretty feline face with what seems like a crown!