Save Streatham Hill Theatre from change of use to a church

We are sad to hear that the Crown & Sceptre pub, a short way up Streatham Hill from the Theatre is at risk after a closure date of 22 May 2022 was announced.

The pub has contributed to Streatham’s creative scene over many years, including:

• As home to Normal Hartnell, costumier to the Queen
• Referred to in a song by The Clash
• As home to the parents of Glenn Cornick, founder member and bass guitarist of Jethro Tull and later Wild Turkey

Hopefully the pub won’t be lost!

Update: the pub has reopened!

Sir Norman Bishop Hartnell, KCVO (12 June 1901 – 8 June 1979) was a leading British fashion designer, best known for his work for the ladies of the Royal Family. Hartnell gained the Royal Warrant as Dressmaker to Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother in 1940; and Royal Warrant as Dressmaker to Queen Elizabeth II in 1957.

Born to an upwardly mobile family in Streatham, in southwest London, his parents were then publicans and owners of the prophetically named Crown & Sceptre, at the top of Streatham Hill.

Hartnell’s early interest lay in performing in, and designing for, productions at Cambridge University, and first came to fashion after designing for the university’s Footlights performances whilst an undergraduate. In 1923, Hartnell opened his own business at 10 Bruton Street, Mayfair [Wikipedia].

The Historic England Archive allows you to explore over 400,000 digitised photos taken from aerial photo collections of over 6 million photographs. Here are some showing Streatham Hill Theatre, with many being RAF survey photos showing WW2 bomb damage – you can see the big hole in the theatre and the recovered roof beam on open ground nearby.

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Streatham Hill, Streatham, 1934. This image has been produced from a damaged negative. Historic England Photograph: EPW045426 flown 01/07/1934: Historic England Photograph: RAF_106G_UK_1271_V_5109 flown 23/03/1946: Historic England Photograph: RAF_106G_UK_1271_V_5110 flown 23/03/1946: Historic England Photograph: RAF_106G_UK_1356_FV_7058 flown 02/04/1946: Historic England Photograph: RAF_106G_UK_1356_FV_7059 flown 02/04/1946: Historic England Photograph: RAF_106G_UK_1356_FV_7060 flown 02/04/1946: Historic England Photograph: RAF_CPE_UK_2053_V_5078 flown 07/05/1947: Historic England Photograph: RAF_CPE_UK_2053_V_5079 flown 07/05/1947: Historic England Photograph: RAF_CPE_UK_2053_V_5080 flown 07/05/1947: Historic England Photograph: RAF_CPE_UK_2053_V_5081 flown 07/05/1947: Historic England Photograph: RAF_CPE_UK_2112_V_5172 flown 29/05/1947: Historic England Photograph: RAF_CPE_UK_2112_V_5261 flown 29/05/1947: Historic England Photograph: RAF_CPE_UK_2112_V_5262 flown 29/05/1947: Historic England Photograph: RAF_CPE_UK_2112_V_5328 flown 29/05/1947: Historic England Photograph: RAF_CPE_UK_2112_V_5329 flown 29/05/1947: Historic England Photograph: RAF_CPE_UK_2112_V_5377 flown 29/05/1947: Historic England Photograph: RAF_CPE_UK_2112_V_5378 flown 29/05/1947: These images are copyrighted – see terms and conditions