My grandfather Nigel Henderson died at Landermere, of a heart attack, in May 1985, when I was eight. I remember Mum telling me when she came to collect me from the school gate. I recognised that she was very sad, but I didn’t fully realise at the time what it meant, or that such a character had completely gone. Because “Grandad” was a character, no doubt about it.
One of his favourite tricks when Lillie (two years younger than I) and I were little was to hide behind the bushes and wait for us to come close, before roaring and brandishing his terrifying devil puppet in our paths. I think Steve still has the puppet actually, and I promise I’m not scared of it any more; but at the time we would invariably scream and run for our lives. It was made of papier-mache, based I imagine on Punch; but all its joints were mobile, linked with eye bolts.
Does anyone else remember it? I’m pretty sure I remember Mum saying Grandad had terrified her and Jo in the same way when they were little. I’ll try to find a picture somewhere.
Landermere Memories 
I remember playing Ogres which was pretty exciting – a sort of hide-and-seek only more scary! There were lots of dark corners in the house. There was a game we played outside – was it Flags? – which involved people peering over hedges, but I don’t remember a devil puppet.
Ooh yes, I loved Flags – there’s definitely a post in the pipeline about that. Were you there for the first hedge cutting weekend? That was the first time I played it. I didn’t know about Ogres though, would you mind writing more about it Anna? I’ll try and get a pic of the horrible devil puppet… xx
Flags was a game originally introduced by Granny Wyn, my father Nigel’s mother when Steve and I were young. Essentially it’s a game of “It” where everyone has a “flag” – a bit of white cloth or handkerchief – and hides outdoors except the catcher or “It” person who comes to look for them after giving them a little time to hide. As soon as a person is spotted, they are caught and have to follow behind “It’. The people still hiding can release the folk who are caught; they have to wave their flag so the prisoners see it, and shout “Flag!” before It can see it and call out. The garden and orchard at the Kings Head was a really good place to play it – so many hiding places under boats, behind hedges and garden walls, up trees. One time i managed to climb out of the lavatory window onto the gully between the rooves when everyone but myself had been caught. It didn’t think to look up that high, and eventually one of the prisoners managed to spot my flag and everyone was released….
That’s the one! I remember it being tremendously exciting when I was little! Definitely one to teach the next generation when they’re old enough.