A Ceinws piano teacher with Parkinson’s disease will perform for the first time in 20 years next month.

Chris Dendy is breaking his 20-year struggle with the progressive movement disorder to launch his self-published children's book.

Chris woke up from a dream about his two rescued dustbin cats playing his beloved piano.

He then set about writing his dream, transforming it into six short children's stories about his black and white cats Boris and Pushkin.

After sharing some of the stories he was encouraged to create a book, with his piano pupil Mathilda Crompton doing the illustration.

What has culminated is 500 paperbacks of ‘Living with Mugwumps’ - delightful tales about his two ‘mugwumps living with a batty piano teacher’, with all proceeds going to Cats Protection, where Chris’ pair came from.

Chris, 66, said: “The idea started by wanting to give something back.

“The cats are so much a part of the kid's lessons, jumping on the keys and their laps who make a fuss of them.

“If you ask what the kids will remember about my lessons they’ll probably say the cats.

“I initially wanted something to give away for them to remember me by.”

Having taught for 52 years, Chris doesn’t remember how many pupils he has had, and despite being diagnosed with Parkinsons disease six years ago, doesn’t plan on stopping teaching anytime soon.

Though the diagnosis stopped him from playing, he will perform at the book launch-cum-concert in March to show “there’s a bit of life in the old dog yet”.

He said: “I’m very limited in what I can play, but people will have bought the book already by the time I play, so it doesn’t matter if I do badly!

“[Having to stop playing] was a huge loss but a change of medication has helped get my movement back so I thought, I’ve really got to do something with this.

“The process of practising again has been quite exhilarating really.”

The cats themselves had a rough start to life, being abandoned in a dustbin and hand-reared by a Cats Protection volunteer in Pennal.

Claire Rhydwen, a volunteer at Cats Protection Aberystwyth, said: "We're extremely grateful to Mr Dendy for thinking of us when creating the book.

“It's a difficult time for cats at present, with increasing numbers being abandoned nationwide and we're finding locally that more cats arrive in our care without having received basic levels of vet treatment, meaning every penny raised for the branch has a direct impact on the cats we re-home.

“It's wonderful that the two beautiful cats that he adopted from us have inspired the book and will help other cats.

“We can't wait to read it once it's published."

The official book launch will be on St David’s Day 1 March at 3pm at the Tabernacle in Machynlleth’s Museum of Modern Art, featuring readings, piano and refreshments.

The book will be available to buy on the day for a suggested donation of £10 as well as from Cambrian Vets in Machynlleth.