Cudworth’s House

The Cudworth’s kitchen was always lively. Tea was drunk in massive quantities and necessitated an industrial-sized dispenser which hung on the wall. You pressed a plunger and it deposited a pile of tea into a teapot. Simon Cudworth used stir his tea and then throw his teaspoon from one side of the kitchen into the sink which usually had water in it. Jack Cudworth had kept a diary when he was younger and I remember some aunt or other reading it and chuckling out loud at his antics.

Whilst doing some DIY on his house on the top floor, Jack discovered that the wall was made from turf.  He dismantled the wall and burned the fuel in the fire. The wall went back up with more traditional materials.

The Cudworth’s house was a den for us to hang out in. Jack had a darkroom inside the back door in a cubbyhole that the scouts cleared out one time on a bob-a-job week. It was very mysterious in there and had an enlarger which was like magic – watching the black and white photo appear on a piece of paper swimming around in developing fluid. Simon blew up a photo of a racing car that I snapped on my one and only visit to Mondello Park. I was thrilled with it.

‘Gaye’ by Clifford T Ward was one of the first singles that Simon Cudworth bought – and he was allowed play it on Jack’s stereo which was a big treat for us all.

Bowling

Jean Cudworth loved her bowling and used head to Stillorgan with her ball in her bag.  We used to call it Mickey Marabh.  We loved bowling and used catch the number 86 bus and bowl free on the Automat on Saturday mornings.  This consisted of bowling without the skittles but at least we didn’t pay for it.  Spanish students used to throng to the bowling alley in the summer months and it was regarded as a complete den by our parents.