From the desk of Roland Rocchiccioli

THERE was a time in Australia when single men, women, and students lived in all-found boarding houses. They were not doss houses. They were congenial establishments offering clean, safe, affordable accommodation.

Cedar House, on the corner of Stirling Highway and Bayview Terrace, Claremont, WA, was owned and operated by Mrs. McNicol and her husband, Pop.

It was the summer of 1965. Cedar House was advertised in the West Australian newspaper. My father delivered me, paid two-weeks board, and left me to make my way in the world. In retrospect, I am not sure I comprehended the gravity of my circumstances. Fresh from the protection of a sequestered boarding school existence I was facing the rest of my life. I doubt I would have survived the ordeal were it not for the support of Mrs. McNicol and Pop. They become surrogate parents to a lost soul.

The boarding house was located in Claremont — one of Perth’s upmarket suburbs — 3-kms from Cottesloe beach; 20-minutes from Perth’s CBD — bus 72; and metres from the Swan River.

There were 20-boarders. I remember them well: Philip was a metallurgist; Lester a stockbroker; June a private secretary; Rosemary at university/teachers’ college; Lee and several others were student psychiatric nurses; Richard took Holy Orders; Patrick and Anton were motor mechanics; Alfie Bull a retired banker who wore snazzy bowties and was partial to imbibing; John and Ray were factory workers; Tom, we suspected, was on-the-game; John a truckdriver; and Mr. Chivers who used too much Old Spice. The names of three boarders I cannot recall — one middle-aged man was, it seemed, in bed with a broken leg, forever; one headed-off on his racing bike every weekend; and a sad, youngish woman was recovering from a nervous break-down.

Terrence Rattigan wrote two one act plays — Table by the Window and Table Number Seven — set in an English private hotel — a posh name for a boarding-house. Combined, the plays were made into a film — Separate Tables — starring David Niven, Deborah Kerr, Burt Lancaster, Rita Hayworth, and the Dames Gladys Cooper and Wendy Hiller. If you have seen this film — Cedar House was exactly like that!

Mrs. McNicol was a splendid cook! She served a full cooked breakfast — including the best stewed plums, ever (“bring them to the boil and let them cook in their own heat”, she explained); and a three-course meal every night. Few could match her braised chops and onions, or her apple Charlotte. Sunday midday was a traditional roast. Left-overs in the fridge were eaten by the hungry horde.

Pop McNicol cleaned our rooms ­— which included making our beds and a weekly change of linen. The communal showers and bathrooms were located at the end of the hall. We did our own washing and ironing. The laundry provided a twin-tub washing machine.

The dining room was furnished with five tables-of-four, all covered in white damask cloths. Their youngest daughter Laurene was the evening waitress. A secondary school student, her degree of civility was defined by the condition of her fabulously luxurious locks! On bad hair days you ducked-for-cover as she threw-down the meal in front of you.

Happy were the hours we spent in the sitting room spinning records on a portable player, and dancing.

Those were the days. I stayed four-years, by which time I was equipped to face reality!

Roland can be heard with Brett Macdonald radio 3BA — Monday 10.40am.

Contact: [email protected]