Jo has reminded me that Landermere did actually exist (!) before the advent of the Henderson era in 1954, with previous inhabitants including:

• The quay was purchased by Richard Rigby in 1781, who built Gull Cottages and the King’s Head.
• Sir William Withey Gull, physician to Queen Victoria and at one time suspected of being Jack the Ripper – the cottages are named after him, and there’s a placard on the end cottage showing that it once belonged to him. He is buried in the village churchyard.
• There was also Sir Basil Spence, architect of the rebuilt Coventry Cathedral; and Frederick Kempster, also known as the English Giant, who stood 7’9″ tall, regularly visited Landermere and in fact one of the best-known photographs of him (above) shows him shaking hands with someone at the first floor window of the King’s Head (now Steve & Lis’ bedroom!)

Thanks Jo – does anyone know of any other previous Landermereites?