On This Day 150 years today on the 4th August 1870 a Village feast was held at Streatham Park attended by 2,000 people
The event was a treat for the school children of St Leonard's School and the event was held at "Streatham Park" courtesy of the owner George Phillips. This was the site of the former home of Henry and Hester Thrale where Dr Samuel Johnson was a frequent visitor between 1766-1782
Mr Phillips allowed the Park to be used each year for the feast, which although originally held as a treat for the school children soon involved the whole village with many visitors from neighboroughing areas also attending
In 1870 over 2,000 took part and the Parish magazine records that "preparations on a vast scale had to be made for their entertainment. In a clear space amongst the umbrageous trees, marked out by with flags and enclosed with ropes, tables were spread for tea....whilst a short distance, deeper in the copse. a kitchen had been extemporised for the manufacture of the tea."

( Tony Pizzoferro and John Brown)

On This Day 25 years ago on 3 August 1995 Hollywood actress Ida Lupin died.

Ida was a member of the acting Lupino dynasty. She was born in Herne Hill and the family lived at 152 Leigham Court Road. Ida attended St Helena's School in Streatham
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She is also celebrated as a pioneering female filmmaker, being the only female director and producer working within the conservative and male dominated 1950’s Hollywood studio system, as well as the first woman to direct a film noir – The Hitch-hiker (1953). (Source Jazziz)

On This Day 3 August 1944 a V1 Bomb fell on Pendle Road, Streatham.

12 fatalities at 3am 3 August 1944. The bomb fell at the rear of the houses on to the shelters where most were killed.
The picture shows a mobile canteen serving WVS and Naval personnel
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(Loobey and Mills)

Streatham's 41 available to purchase and the story is available to watch on our YouTube channel 

​On This Day 2 August 1881 Ethel Savage was born in Streatham

Ethel May Dell Savage (2 August 1881 – 19 September 1939) was a British writer, known by her pen name, Ethel M. Dell, of over 30 popular romance novels and several short stories from 1911 to 1939. She died leaving an estate valued at £32k.

She was born at "Ferndale" in Polworth Road, Streatham to Vincent, a Clerk in an Assurance Company and Irene and had two siblings Irene and Reginald. The household included 2 servants.(Census 1891)

She was taught at home by her mother and then attended the Streatham College for Girls where she wrote stories for her classmates. Her first novel, "The Way of an Eagle" was rejected 13 times by publishers.

After numerous redrafts it was published and became an instant bestseller. She published 35 more books as well as collections of short stories and poems. Her novels invariably had happy endings.

The form of her novels followed popular social ideals with marriage reigning supreme and her heros and heroines rarely indulging in sex before marriage.

In 1922 she married Lieutenant-Colonel Gerald Savage and they retired to the country. She continued to write books and published her last novel in 1939, the year of her death.

(The Oxford Guide to British Women Writers)

​On This Day 1 August 1974 tennis player Cyril Eames died

Cyril Gladstone Eames lived at Beclands, a mansion in Tooting Bec Gardens, Streatham after it was converted to flats on 1929. He also lived at 42 Westwell Road
Cyril was a member of the British Davis Cup Team in 1928 and in 1925 he coached the Duke of York. He was a member of the Telford Park Tennis Club.
Image of Cyril Eames courtesy of National Portait Gallery

On This Day 31 July 1912 Peter Stephens was born

Peter John Stephens (31 July 1912 in Chalfont St Peter, Buckinghamshire – 11 June 2002) is known for writing his historical fiction books for teens and three children’s books. He was also a poet, a lyricist for operas and musicals, and a playwright.
His play, A Power of Dreams, was produced off-Broadway with Anne Meara of Stiller and Meara starred.
He was the brother of Richard Waring, the US-based actor, and son of Thomas E. Stephens, whose portrait of Dwight D. Eisenhower hangs in the Smithsonian Gallery of Presidents and Evelyn Mary Waring. Retaining his British citizenship, Peter John wrote articles for the British Information Service, Rockefeller Center, New York City.
Image 2 portrait of Peter Stephens by his father
He was briefly married to the novelist, Henrietta Buckmaster, before Marcia Nichols Holden, a foster daughter of Harry Sidney Nichols, was a poet and editor. Her son from a previous marriage was Anton Holden
He died of prostate cancer at home in Streatham.

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This postcard shows the view along Thrale Road looking north  from the junction with Penwortham Road. The estate agency run by Charles Tinniswood can be clearly seen on the northern side of the junction. Thrale Road was developed on the western edge of the Streatham Park Estate which was the home of the Thrale family after whom the road is named. In the latter half of the 18th century

Streatham Park became a fashionable centre for society and here Henry Thrale and his wife, Hester, entertained the leading luminaries of the day, including David Garrick, Edmund Burke, Oliver Goldsmith,  Sir Joshua Reynolds, and Dr. Samuel Johnson. The estate was sold in 1863 and the fine old mansion was demolished and land given over for development. Thrale Road, formerly known as Green Lane, was laid out in 1888 and a number of large, impressive Victorian houses were erected here.
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(John Brown and Photo Courtesy Frances Partridge Collection)

​On This Day 29 July 1911 The Law Lord Leslie Scarman was born in Streatham

Leslie George Scarman, Baron Scarman OBE PC QC (29 July 1911 – 8 December 2004) was an English judge and barrister, who served as a Law Lord until his retirement in 1986.

He was born in Streatham at "Westerfield", 5 Telford Avenue but grew up on the border of Sussex and Surrey. He won scholarships to Radley College and then Brasenose College, Oxford, as a Classical Scholar, graduating in 1932 with a first.

He was appointed head of the Law Commission from 1965 to 1973, during which time 27 Commission-inspired statutes were made law.

As a judge, Scarman's career had some controversial decisions. Although widely regarded as a liberal, he upheld the blasphemy conviction of Gay News (1979), punctured the GLC's Fares Fair low-cost public transport policy (1981), and supported the banning of trade unions at GCHQ (1985).

He is best known for chairing the public inquiry on the causes of the race riots in Brixton in 1981. He also chaired inquiries into the Northern Ireland riots of August 1969 (1969–1972), the Red Lion Sq
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Photos ©National Portrait Gallery