Some families in the Street
Next to the Loughnanes (the steak guzzlers) was the Ainsworth house. This was one of the pre WW1 homes with no running water in the kitchen,a huge pantry and tiny bedrooms ruled over in this instaance by Mrs Ainsworth who liked cats and was a pal of mine. Mother of Archie the Maniac.
The Dougherty house was in the same style, a rambling house on a large block. There seemed to be a lot of Doughertys in there, half a dozen or so, including the twins, Bim and Fez of fire-alarm fame. Apart from summoning fire engines and blaming my four year old brother Geoffrey, they were unrelenting banjo players and their robust rendition of “You are my Sunshine” could be heard two blocks away. I’ve hated that tune all my life.
Next door to them was the House of Cummins, another rambling structure with no running water except for the tap outside of the kitchen door. Mr Cummins stood apart from the other men, he had a car! A Vanguard. The young Cumminses were unsavoury creatures, bullies the lot of them and like all bullies would collapse, wailing for their mother, when punched back. Brian used to punch me on the way home from school and when I punched him back, his mother would knock on our front door to complain. He was easily a head taller than I was, and a lot heavier. My mother would always point this out but Mrs Cummins was never mollified. Frankly, it was a relief when they moved to Bacchus Marsh
