TRIBUTE TO CHARLIE CUDMORE OF HANWORTH.

I received a phone call today from my friend, Suzanne Spratley informing me of the sad news that the outstanding Middlesex fancier, Charlie Cudmore had passed away on 23^rd October at the age of 86 after a short illness. Charlie had been in pigeons all his life and had been racing over 65 years, and said there was no pigeon racing to beat channel racing. He raced in partnership with his son, John and the Cudmore’s had been 2^nd and 3^rd open Combine many times through the years and it gave Charlie a great thrill to finally win 1^st open UBI Combine in the 2007 season. Charlie had three sons and the Cudmore’s were very much in to Rugby Union, with John being a second row forward for many years and at that time a coach for Ealing Rugby Club, who played in the National League. His brother, Mike, was full time in the sport and was director of Rugby at Ealing. Charlie and John had been outstanding pigeon fancier, racing together for many years in the Middlesex area, formally racing their birds in Chiswick. I had admired their great performances for many years and finally my ol’ mate, Brian Goodwin, bought Charlie and John to my Claygate home in the November to have their 2015 winners, two Berkshire Federation winners and UBI Combine winner photographed.

Charlie had won it all over his many years in the sport, but excelled in races from France. In recent seasons the partners had won the Federation twice, once with an old bird which also topped the UBI Combine and the other was a youngster. The young bird was a Willy Thas blue hen named, ‘Katie’, which won the Federation from Kingsdown and she was bred by Brian Goodwin from direct Belgium stock birds. She was March bred and was raced natural to the perch. Charlie had 38 young birds in 2007 and said he raced very natural and never put them on the dark system. The partner’s old bird UBI Combine winner was a Willy Thas blue chequer hen named; ‘Christine’ and she won the Combine from Fougeres in France, being sent sitting 12 day old eggs. She was also bred by Brian Goodwin and on her build up to her Combine win she had a couple of inland races, recording 2^nd club Kingsdown. Charlie and John had always raced the natural system and they told me, the birds race so well on it they would never change it. The Cudmore’s had a brother to ‘Christine’ and he had been to Bergerac (450 miles) four times with the Classic and had been home four times on the day of liberation, flown natural. The Combine winner was named after John’s wife, Christine, who helped out with the birds and he said it was very much a family participation hobby with his pigeon, with his children, John, Carl and Katie taking a big interest in the birds. Charlie and John enjoyed racing in the London & South East Classic Club and won many premier positions through the years including, 2^nd and 3^rd open Bergerac (450 miles). Charlie Cudmore a ‘legend’ in the Middlesex racing pigeon fraternity and lovely man. RIP.

Keith Mott (October 2021)