Memory from Andy Smees:
“I can remember seeing a video of a pantomime that Dudley was in. He was playing a villain once again. He was booed by the kids in the audience. His said to them “Shut up, you lot, or I’ll lock the toilets”. Looked like great fun.”
Memory from one of Dudley’s students:
”Hello Simon I think we met very briefly at Dudley’s funeral still seems like yesterday, so i know this is a long shot but 27 years ago i went to Dudley’s alternative drama school in borough se1 and on the Friday nights dud use to record our performances that we had rehearsed and learnt through the week and on the Saturday we all had to go to his house in crystal palace and watch them back and after gave us a talk that always turned into maths! genius of the man……..so i was wondering was you still in possession of the tapes or photos and such? if not don’t worry as i say it is a long shot?….i still think of the old boy very fondly always will anyway thanks”
Memories of Dudley’s sister Pam:
“ Ten Times Table was also at the Kings Theartre, Southsea. I was Dudleys wardrobe mistress and Irene was staying in Duncan Road with her family n friends there! He performed in quite a few productions over the years there. I remember Actor John Patrick was on his cast members too! Irene was such a lovely down to earth soul she liked her fish n chips from the local corner shop opp Kings lol xx”
Memories of Dudley’s nephew Simon Long:
“When he gained his private Pilots licence, Mum and dad wouldn’t let me go up with him. He was also a Hanglider enthusiast, you know he made and flew his own Hanglider! Made it in our garden! I wasn’t allowed on that either! I remember watching him go up in the plane with my Dad I think, were you with us then Pam at Eastern Rd airport? I remember being little and there being commotion when he had an accident. Think he broke a some bones ??! He went on his Own to the White horse and didn’t land very well!!!!!!!”
More memories from Pam:
“Oh yes after many hours spent in overtime at North Harbours IBM he raised enough money to pay for his lessons to pass his pilots licence on the eastern rd airfield before it was sold to become Anchorge Park. He had just passed and took me up in a two seater flue over where we lived and told me hold on to the dual controls and that i was actually flying the plane myself he was my hero! Xx I remember John our oldest bro getting him some ali poles from work which he constructed his homemade hanglider and kept in no 40’s sideway it was a huge beast!”
Memories from Pam about Signpost to Murder:
“It was also in Southsea as i was george sewells wardrobe mistress. I washed his shirts and hung them in my garden when i lived in St. Augustine Road, Southsea….my neighbour invited herself round so she could touch his laundry lol i cld get money from tht now ha ha xxx John Patrick actually stayed with us for the length of production! Really lovely down to earth chap made us cups of tea and washed up lol xx”
Memory from Jean & Andy Smees:
“There were only 2 people, that our dog, Ben was wary of. Dr Mike McClean & uncle Dudley Long. We are sure it’s because of their larger than life personalities. Mike was certainly a character & Dudley, we’ll many characters. On one particular visit to Fran & Dicks house, we were all in the front room, Ben included. It was Christmas & the 1st time that Andy had met Dudley. Dudley entered the front door & made his way into the living room, full of festive cheer. It was his rich voice that made Ben uneasy. He literally hugged the perimeter of the living room walls to make the maximum distance away from Dudley as possible, in order to escape his presence. Neither Mike or Dudley had ever done anything to our canine, but he could never work out who they really were. True acting skills!”
Memory from Mark Humphrey:
Chatting to Brian (Murphy), he was very proud of the series (L for Lester), starring with Amanda Barrie. He told me there was only one series written, as the writer died suddenly…He was very complimentary about Dudley’s work