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 and where he had an appartment 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."
(Source: Tony Pizzoferro and John Brown: St Leonard's Church of England Primary School, A Proud Heritage 1813-2013
The book is available to purchase https://www.streathamsociety.org.uk/places.html )
