Creating a map from scratch is easy. If you’ve never done it before then just follow these simple instructions. Sign up for a Google account. If you’ve already got a Gmail address then you’ve already got an account. When you’ve signed in, go to Google Maps. At the top of the left sidebar click on the ‘My Maps’ link and then click ‘create a new map’. Give it a name and then use the tools in the top left corner of the map to add placemarks & draw lines or shapes. You can add descriptions, pictures, videos, links. You can also change the colour of your placemark icons or upload your own pictures to use instead. When you’re happy with your map click ‘Link’ in the top right corner and paste the link then submit it using the comments section below. The best maps will be added to the mash-up. Good luck and get mapping.

Click here to view The Great Streatham Map Mash-Up.

Having attended last years Streatham Food Festival, and enjoying all of the very generous and delicious free tastings on offer, I can happily recommend you all pay a visit to this years event. Here’s what the organisers say about it.

“Savour Streatham… From Saturday 15th May – Saturday 22nd May the Streatham Food Festival is back for a second great year with a week of delicious delights and entertainment to really get those taste buds tingling! It’s a celebration of the best food and foodie things to be found in the neighbourhood, with restaurants, pubs and bars, retailers, cooks and great events firmly at its heart. A fantastic Food Fair starts the festival on Sat 15th with the ground floor of Gracefield Gardens Centre taken over by local restaurants and producers to tempt you with free tasters from around the world. With demonstrations on cake making, pasta and pizza workshops, crafty ways with fruit, a children’s art club, a fabulous food quiz, Fairtrade and much more. For the week following, an exclusive Taste Trail will showcase many restaurants, cafés, pubs and bars across SW16 with fun events and fantastic special offers. So for a truly tasty 2010, tuck in to the Streatham Food Festival. Check out the full programme on www.streathamfoodfestival.com”

You can also visit their Facebook page, where you can see photos from last years event.

There are links on the right where you can click to follow Streatham Pulse on Twitter or to join the Streatham Pulse Network if you want to chat or upload photos or videos to the site. Also on the right there is a feed bringing in all the posts from Twitter where Streatham is mentioned. Below that is a feed bringing in photos from Flickr which have the Streatham tag. These feeds are great ways to keep track of what people are saying about Streatham or what’s happening in our area.

Let me know if there is anything else you think I should add to the site. And please spread the word.

Thanks

I’ve set up a social network for Streatham Residents to get in touch with each other and celebrate Streatham online. You can use it to upload your photos and videos to this site too.

Streatham Action has published this video on their website, in which Streatham residents give their opinions on what Streatham needs to improve.

Let us know what you think Streatham needs.

Cllr Mark Bennett has posted this film on Twitter of the London to Brighton veteran cars passing through Streatham this morning.

In Calvin Harris’ latest tweet he hails Streatham High Road as the best high street in Britain. Well said Calvin. I have a new found respect for you.

It’s come a long way from since it was voted worst high street in Britain several years ago.

You can buy music by Calvin Harris here on

GALLERY ONE – Streatham High Road, Streatham Hill, London SW2 4RS

“Lambeth’s original borough wide showcase for creative talent. Following the huge success of the Lambeth Open studios event at the beginning of October 2009 we are trialling a series of Gallery spaces across the borough. The aim is to use otherwise empty buildings and shops as exhibition areas to further showcase the creative talent so abundant in this part of South London.

We have been kindly lent the old Chinese Herbalist Shop by Ludgate Land Limited for the months of November and December. For full details of who will be showing and when click on the link”.

Here’s a good photo blog called ‘From The Upper Deck’. It features photos of London taken from the top of a double decker bus, including a couple on Streatham buses like this one, The 319 to Streatham Hill.

http://www.ftud.net/

Mannequin in Perfect Plend on Streatham High Road. Photo c/o Ronald Hackston’s photo stream on Flickr

We, the undersigned, call on Tesco, owner of the Streatham Ice Rink, to ensure the continuity of Streatham’s ice rink provision pending the development of the Streatham Hub Scheme.

An African Parrot goes missing in Streatham. Could this be the start of a Parrot population to rival London’s Parakeet population?

http://www.streathamguardian.co.uk/news/4654346.Parrot_goes_missing_while_looking_for_love/

Bizarre video about Andrew Cairns from the band Therapy? – remember them? – and the time when he claims to have spotted Elvis in Streatham.

You can buy music by ‘Therapy?’ here on

A painting depicting an old 159 Routemaster bus on Streatham High Road, outside The Odeon. The 159 to Streatham was the last Routemaster to run on a non tourist route before they were scrapped, making Streatham bus depot its final resting place.

The picture is by Ray Jackson. Ray specialises in capturing the liveries and colours of buses from a bygone age and has undertaken many commissions, as well as producing his trademark heritage pictures of vehicles in local scenes.

http://rayjacksonart.co.uk/

Part of Perfect Blend’s advertising.

Created by Dave Cross, a Balham resident who has also created Planet Balham, Planet, Clapham, Planet Tooting, and others.

Photos from Flickr c/o

John~C, jennie.f, Ronald Hackston, ppaces, Yersinia, R i c h a r d, frintonpark/robbie, susanne hakuba, ppaces, dusashenka

A mural of “Where The Wild Things Are” on a building at the bottom of Leigham Court Road.

Photo from .mouse’s photostream on Flickr