Cheam, And The Gander Inn

The Gander Inn c1955
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I was born at The Gander Inn in 1954 and I lived there with my mum and dad and older brother William. My dad's name was Aubrey Lund and my mum's was June. We lived there until 1960 when we sadly had to leave as my dad died very suddenly of a heart attack. I have very fond memories of the Gander (it was great fun to live in a pub when you were little!). My brother and I played in the function room upstairs, he would also sometimes put me in the dumb waiter and send me up and down! I also remember playing on the beer crates in the back yard and I had a small swing that was attached to the door frame of what was I think the bottle shed. I remember the rag and bone man who used to come with his horse, and the shellfish stall that used to set up outside the gates. I have memories of going down some very steep steps into the cellar with my dad to check the beer barrels. The barrels then of course were all wooden and the smell of that cellar is one that I can still remember quite clearly! As I was so young when we were there I don't have a lot of memories about the area but I did start infant school before we left but I don't remember what school it was. I remember the parade of shops that ran alongside the Gander and I think there was a cafe next door run by Mrs Burton, she had a son called Ray. My mum died 10 years ago now and she never gave me much information, it was a shock to her when dad died as in those days she  wasn't allowed to take the pub on as a woman on her own and had to get out very quickly and had to find somewhere for us all to live. So if anyone has any memories of the Gander and of my dad I would love to hear them.