Street Cat Bob: Bestseller. Film star. Magazine editor. The famous moggy takes over The Big Issue!

In this week’s Big Issue…

Last week royalty queued up to see the most famous cat in the land. Today, we reveal the great Street Cat Bob takeover. Bob and James Bowen, once Big Issue vendors, bring exclusive behind the scenes details from the making of the movie of their life story. They also look at therapets and invaluable work other animals do in helping the mental and physical health of humans. And there is a rundown of other great cats in cinema, as chosen by Bob. Naturally, there are a lot of feline-related puns. Puur-fect…

He used to spend his week focused around making love on Wednesday. Then he went away. And now he’s back, bigger than before. Our Letter To My Younger Self is with resurgent star Craig David. Reflective and funny.

Last week we investigated the incredible cost and difficult conditions in Britain’s homeless hostels. We follow up this week looking at how they set benefits trap for residents. Unwitting or by design?

The former Big Issue office in Vauxhall is now a big, glitzy Foxtons estate agency. Oh the irony. John Bird considers the gentrification of London, how building economic revival on the back of a surging housing marketing is unsustainable and he wonders where social housing new builds will appear.

Our featured vendor is Joe O’Malley who sells outside the White Hart Pub in Bristol. Originally from Limerick, he was a chef de partie and sous chef in some celebrated kitchens before he fell on hard times. He’s a very fine chess player.

Also, seek out former astronaut Mike Massimino’s piece on astronaut training. An incredible insight into what goes into those who are made of The Right Stuff.