Introducing... Streatham Action

Streatham Community Forum has been reborn as Streatham Action

Bookmark Streatham Action's new website:

http://www.streathamaction.org/

Cymbeline in the Rookery

This year's Shakespeare in the Rookery production will be Cymbeline, which will be performed at 4pm on Sunday 12th July.

A wicked stepmother, the queen of King Cymbeline whose sons have long ago been abducted and whose daughter, Imogen, has secretly married Posthumous, a man he disapproves of; a Roman tricking his way into Imogen's bedroom to win an improper bet; plots to kill Imogen; a brutish Roman army on the threshold; visionary dreams and voices from Heaven, all these make an exciting story whose happy outcome brings many joyous surprises.

Written in the magical Celtic tradition, this action-packed romantic comedy thrills and draws us into the lives of ancient Britons and Romans and the legends surrounding them. Rarely performed because seldom understood, this production is informed by research which lightens and clarifies this wonderful play thus giving audiences the opportunity to enjoy this rich gem of Shakespeare's late career.

The Friends of Streatham Common took up the mantle of ensuring that annual theatre productions continued in The Rookery when Lambeth Council cut all funding for arts in parks back in the early 1990s. It is great that Theatre Set-up continue to include Streatham on their annual tour, alongside venues which have included Elsinore Castle and chateaux of the Loire.

Notes on the plot for those of us who need to "brush up their Shakespeare"

Streatham Festival Programme now available

The programme is back from the printers. Copies are now available in Streatham Library and will be delivered to over 20,000 households in the four Streatham wards of Lambeth with the next edition of Lambeth Life.

Dunraven School's new hall - one of Britain's best public buildings of 2009.

Travellers along Leigham Court Road over the winter months were intrigued by the arrival of a a large number of sea containers on the Dunraven School site.

The containers have been re-used ingeniously as the giant building blocks for the school's new sports hall.

The project at Dunraven has now been nominated as one of the 24 buildings on the shortlist for the Prime Minister's Better Public Building Award. (The website misspells the name of the architects!)

There is a recent article on the school hall (with better pictures of the exterior that I'm not stealing for this blog) in Building Design Magazine. This gives a comprehensive overwiew, although with phrases like...

The blank wall of polycarbonate, the cartoonish mirrored opening and the majestic trees stake out different positions on a sliding scale from abstraction to figuration rather like the improbably co-existing parts of an early David Hockney painting.

... it might perhaps be a candidate for Pseud's Corner

You can see the time-lapse photography of the sports hall construction at BBC Education News

Silent Screen at the British Home - Friday July 10th

One of Streatham's best kept secrets is the splendour of the concert hall at the British Home at Crown Point. It contains what is probably Streatham's finest piano - a Steinway grand no less.

For the last couple of years the Streatham Festival has brought regular National Film Theatre/BFI Southbank pianist John Sweeney to Streatham to provide the live accompaniment to a classic of the silver screen.

This year sees another King Vidor comedy, The Patsy, starring Marion Davies.

Silent Screening

Fri Jul 10 7:30pm

Venue: The British Home
Crown Point, Crown Lane, SW16 3JB

Enter the Expo - Streatham's "Big Tent"

More news from our friends at the Streatham Festival...

Local community groups and organisations are invited to join in the Streatham Expo.

A brand new feature on July 4th will be theStreatham Expo, an opportunity for local organisations, services and groups to let people know what they are up to. We putting up a huge tent to accommodate them all and will be urging visitors and residents to be there and to find out what's going on.

The tent is rapidly filling up, but If your group or organisation has somehow managed to miss the earlier publicity and would in interested in a free stall or exhibition in this market place, get in touch with Sarah Coyte on 07852 916199 or via scoyte@lambeth.gov.uk. [Places are now strictly subject to availability]

Spectemur Agendo!

At the most recent meeting of Streatham Community Forum's committee, there was unanimity that the Forum has to be demonstrably more than a talking shop if it is to make a difference for local people.

We will be relaunching under a new name that gives a better idea of the forum's independence from Lambeth Council and our campaigning, proactive approach.

Watch this space!

On the subject of rebranding, this blog has had a quick makeover.

If anyone knows the author of the image at the top, which I snaffled some seven years and two PCs ago back in the days when webpages were webpages, please get in touch and I'll be happy to include a credit.

Streatham Festival 2009

It's Festival 2009!

Saturday July 4th - Sunday July 12th.

Starting with the sensational Splash for families and friends on Saturday July 4th at the Top of the Common - with music, art, stalls, storytelling, stalls, dance and much more, all completely free. The theme for the day is WATER. Find out about our watery heritage, see the carnival Parade of the Giant River Beasts and have lots of soggy fun.

It's followed by a week of 50 events - workshops, talks and concerts - something for everyone, including a fabulous World Music concert at St Leonard's Church on Saturday July 11th.

For full details of the programme, and details of how you and your family can get involved with workshops, performances and/or as a volunteer, visit the Festival website

The Earl Ferrers - one of London's Top Ten Pubs

Belated congratulations to the team at the Earl Ferrers for their nomination by Fancy a Pint as one of the top ten London pubs in that great website for beer fans' April review list.

My only concern is that the Ferrers will no longer be a hidden gem, if too many people get to hear about them!

• Earl Ferrers review on the Fancy a Pint website
  
• The Earl Ferrers own website

For a complete digresssion... see here

Thanks to everyone who came to this afternoon's events

We had a steady stream of interest in the Forum's "Shed" on the corner of the High Road as hundreds of local people visited the Gracefield Gardens Centre for the Food Festival launch event.

Many thanks to Patricia Sauer, Mel Larsen and all the team from the Streatham Festival who made the day such a success.

Don't forget, festival events continue this evening, with discounts and other special offers in the participating restaurants.

A big welcome to everyone reaching us from today's e-mail

I've opened this separate "thread" so that people who have been directed to our new blog from the message from Lambeth about this weekend's events can leave comments on any topic.

If you already regularly use Blogger or some other tool for reading blogs, don't forget to "bookmark" or "follow" the Streatham Forum Blog.


Robert

Streatham Food Festival - Saturday 9th May

The Streatham Festival in conjunction with Lambeth Council is promoting the

1st Streatham Food Festival

this Saturday May 9th

For full details see the food festival website:

http://www.streathamfoodfestival.com/

Make sure that you pick up a brochure with full details of the discounts available in your local Streatham restaurants.

UPDATED TO ADD:

There will be an extra large Farmers Market outside the Stretham Odeon all day

There will be events for all the family at Gracefield Gardens Centre, 1 - 4pm.
Come and enjoy:
A FREE cup of tea/coffee
Face painter for the kids
Relaxing Massage by Frank Isaac of Magic Touch

The fabulous Great Gustos Choir (at 2.15pm)

• The Great Streatham Food Festival Quiz: prizes include £20 Sainsburys voucher (Download the questions from the website or collect a form at the Launch. Winners announced after 3.30pm)

Stalls with FREE food samples:
• Sainsburys (free food samples and 'bags for life') • Odeon (free popcorn plus chance to win a 'Film Feast') • Oxfam Fair Tade • Mighty Veg Delights (yummy vegan food and drink) • The Moorish Lounge (Moroccan food) • Polish Specialities • Dos Santos Foods (delicious portuguese sausages) • Derin Bepo (Raw Food Master- its tastier than you might think)
Information on Healthy Eating and Growing Your Own:
• Food Up Front
• Health Promotion Specialists

DIRECTIONS:
Gracefield Gardens Health & Social Care Centre, 2 - 8 Gracefield Gardens, SW16 2ST, just off Streatham High Road on the road between Kiwk Fit and the Odeon cinema.

Welcome to our blog

We've set up this blog to allow Streathamites to exchange views on our town and the challenges facing it.

Robert Doyle
Acting Chair
Streatham Community Forum