On This Day 26 September 1938 Lucette Aldous was born. On the 4th December 1961 the Ballet Rambert performed at the Streatham Hill Theatre and the New Zealand-born ballet dancer, starred in the performance at the theatre and later became a partner to Rudolf Nureyev

Aldous was born in New Zealand, and moved to Sydney as a child, where she began her ballet training. She won a scholarship to London’s Royal Ballet School, and was mentored by star dancer and choreographer Robert Helpmann, who introduced her to Margot Fonteyn at The Royal Ballet.
However, Aldous began her career in Ballet Rambert (then Rambert Dance Company), which she joined in 1957.

She remained as a member of Rambert Dance Company until 1963, appearing in ballets including Giselle, La Sylphide (in the title role), The Lilac Garden, Night Shadow, Façade and Don Quixote, in which she performed Kitri. She also danced with London Festival Ballet. 

Aldous danced periodically with The Royal Ballet in the 1950s and 60s, including acclaimed performances as the Lilac Fairy in The Sleeping Beauty (1959), the title role in Massine’s Mam’zelle Angot and on tour in Ashton’s Monotones I (1968), the Tempter in Geoffrey Cauley’s In the Beginning (1969, on tour to Stratford-upon-Avon) and as the Sugar Plum Fairy alongside Rudolf Nureyev on a European tour of The Nutcracker. 

Aldous also appeared with The Royal Opera as the Girl Dancer in Tippett’s The Midsummer Marriage in 1968.

Aldous returned to Australia in 1970, where Rudolf Nureyev invited her to dance Kitri to his Basilio in his production of Don Quixote for Australian Ballet, which was subsequently filmed. 
She became a Resident Principal Dancer with Australian Ballet (where her many roles included the title roles in Roland Petit’s Carmen and Ashton’s Cinderella) and remained with the company until 1976. After her retirement, she taught at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts and the Perth School of Ballet. Her daughter, Floeur Alder, also had a career as a dancer. Aldous was made a Companion of the Order of Australia in the Australia Day Honours List (January 2018).
(Royal Opera House) 

This appeared in the Illustrated Daily News On This Day 25th September 1869 Image

© THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.


New Life boats funded by Streatham residents:

Mrs Remington- Sidmouth life boat
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Mr and Mrs Richard Thornton West (also of Exeter)- Port Isaac Life boat , previously funding the life boat station at West Wittering

Zeppelin air raid On This Day Saturday 23rd /24th September 1916, ‘The terrifying thunder of incendiary and explosive bombs aroused the inhabitants of Streatham, and then followed the terrible results of one of the most remarkable raids of the series – at all events as far as South London was concerned.’

The Raids on Lambeth and Wandsworth, that the L31 zeppelin, commanded by Heinrich Mathy, was flying ‘unusually high and fast’ at an estimated 12,000 feet, crossing London from south to north and then making its escape.

It is thought that Mathy directed the L31 zeppelin towards London by following the railway line from Eastbourne to London. After Mathy’s flares had dazzled the gunners at Croydon, the airship made its way towards Streatham Common station, dropping bombs on Mr. Tomlin’s vegetable garden at 30 Ellison Road along the way. Some of the railway tracks were then hit, followed by houses on Estreham Road opposite the station.

A shop on Greyhound Lane had its windows blown in by an incendiary bomb which left a small crater in the pavement outside. Special Constables rushed to the scene and with the help of local residents began rescuing trapped and injured occupants of the bomb damaged buildings.

The Red Cross treated nine casualties who were taken to Streatham Common station, where an emergency first aid post had been set up.
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The zeppelin inflicted further damage along Gleneagle Road and Leigham Court Road, but according to at least one source ‘the worst incident of the raid occurred outside Streatham Hill Station.’ Streatham Hill Modern School stood on the junction of Streatham Hill and Sternhold Avenue, next to the station.

A bomb exploded in the school’s garden, the blast from which killed four men outright who were on board a tramcar standing outside the station at the time. Another passenger died later from his wounds.

The booking office and waiting rooms at Streatham Hill Station were damaged, as well as surrounding properties. Later, as morning dawned it was discovered that there was an unexploded bomb on the roof of Sainsbury’s opposite the station, which had to be removed to safety.

Further explosions erupted further along Streatham Hill, in Pendennis Road, Tierney Road and Telford Avenue, as the zeppelin progressed towards Brixton and on towards Central London.

John W. Brown reports in his book Zeppelins Over Streatham: ‘During a period of less than 15 minutes, Heinrich Mathy had dropped a total of 32 bombs on Streatham, comprising 10 explosive and 22 incendiary devices. He had killed seven people and had seriously injured a further 27 in what was the worst night of destruction Streatham had ever known.’Heinrich Mathy received military honours from the Kaiser for his efforts in penetrating London’s defences, but the L31’s reign was not to last.
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Images:
Kapitanleutnant Heinrich Mathy / Imperial War Museums Collection / © IWM (Q 58566)
Streatham Hill c.1910 / Wandsworth Heritage Service Postcards collection
Bomb damage to a girls’ school near Streatham Hill station following the Zeppelin raid on the night of 23 – 24 September 1916 / Imperial War Museums Collections / © IWM (HO 99)
(Wandsworth Heritage Services) https://wandswortharchives.wordpress.com/.../zepp-raid.../

Ronald Albert Ernest Tindall was born On This Day 23 September 1935 in Streatham. He was an English footballer who played as a striker. He was also an accomplished cricketer, playing for Surrey
He was born in Streatham and is recorded living at 8 Kingscourt Road in the late 50s, early 60s
Tindall established himself in the Chelsea first team and he struck up a prolific strike partnership with the emerging Jimmy Greaves. In the 1960–61 season, they scored 59 goals between them (16 for Tindall, 43 for Greaves)
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On signing for Chelsea, Tindall negotiated a special arrangement with the club, whereby he was allowed to miss the first and last months of the football season to play cricket for Surrey. Tindall was an all-rounder, a right-handed middle order batsman and a right-arm off-break bowler.

On This Day 23 September 1949 Baroness Floella Benjamin was born

Baroness Floella Benjamin, OBE, DL a Trinidadian-British actress, author, television presenter, singer, businesswoman and politician. She is known as presenter of children's programmes such as Play School, Play Away and Fast Forward.
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Baroness Floella Benjamin, a longtime resident of Streatham, was the Chancellor of Exeter University from 2006-16

South London Liberal Synagogue, 1 Prentis Road, Streatham. (SLLS)
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The synagogue at 1 Prentis Road was formed on this day 21 September 1929 by Samuel Morris Rich and several of his friends who realised the potential for a congregation in South London. The congregation was one of the first Liberal congregations in the UK.