International Cake News from APS - Jan 2012

An act of incredible kindness has seen Altrincham Preparatory School teacher Cath Webb at the centre of an international media blitz. Mother of three and English teacher at APS's Infant department, Catherine has been bombarded with media high flyers wanting to know her story.

From the lofty souls of the Times, Telegraph and BBC plus radio stations across the world including New Zealand, a raft of women's magazines and even Christian Radio, everyone wants to know Cath's story. Why, just why, is she baking a Victoria sponge cake each and every day just to make someone smile.

Cath said: "It started when I heard that my great friend Kate had been diagnosed with breast cancer and I just wanted to let her know that I was thinking of her. "

Cath added: "Her response was so heartfelt and warm that it really touched me and made me think what else could I be doing for other people. "

"Anyway, it wasn't thought through at all; it was done just on sheer impulse, but I said there and then that I was going to brighten up someone's day by baking a cake every day for the next 365 days, as it turns out 366 days, as 2012 is a leap year."

Cath added: "I didn't think about the time it would take; about the logistics about buying the ingredients or even who I might give them to, I just started and got on with it. When I have been away I have even found myself baking my cakes over the camp fire. "

Then over 200 days into her own private, personal project, Cath texted her friends to ask them to join in for one day, to bake a cake and to give it away to make someone smile. One of her friends Jan, who is a freelance journalist, texted back to ask what it was all about and also wanted to know if she could write the story. She said that it would make a lovely story for Christmas or the New Year.

Cath said: "Jan told me the Daily Mail might use it or they might not; it might make something somewhere. I was half expecting it to be in the paper before Christmas, but then they had to take more pictures and I forgot all about it. It eventually came out in the Daily Mail on January 10. From there it just went crazy. I was bombarded with calls from all over the U. K., As well as the national newspapers and Radio Five Live, radio stations in Liverpool Gloucester and Newcastle wanted to talk to me. I went on Daybreak the next day, Channel Five News and Granada Reports. "

She said: "Everyone was so nice and there wasn't a hint of anything negative, so much so that I have promised the crews and journalists their own cakes. I've still got about 80 days left so I think I can fit it all in, " Cath beamed. Her mission has not come without its costs. Over the year Cath will use 1098 eggs, 160lbs of flour, 292 packs of butter, 183 pots of jam, 74 bottles of vanilla essence, 12 pints of milk and two packets of vanilla bean sugar (just for dusting)

She added: "People have been so kind, I have been getting donations of jam and butter and flour all year round. " Cath has been keeping a diary of her year, which is due to end on her birthday on April 6. She said: "It's just full of anecdotes and memories of the people I have met by doing the cake baking project. "

However when asked if there was a book or a film to be made, Cath quickly said: "Don't make me laugh, " she said, " I am a mum from Altrincham with three boys, a husband and a job and I am really, really happy as I am. "

CAPTION: APS pupil George takes a giant bite from one of Cath's cakes