~a storm at the Ladies Pond~

As you can all imagine, the news that the Corporation of London was thinking to close one, two or all of the ponds on Hampstead Heath has been met with a storm of protest. It is obvious that the people who are in charge of the Heath have no idea of the depth of feeling about access to free swimming - a tradition that has been experienced by at least the last three or four generations of Londoners. Even if people do not use the ponds daily, the experience of going to swim in fresh water ponds in the height of summer has been something that is hugely important to many people throughout London itself and from much wider areas. We always assumed that when the Corporation took over the running of the Heath, they were determined to keep the access to all its facilities available and the announcement that they no longer had the money to sustain the ponds was met with both horror and - quite frankly - disbelief.

We still face a series of meetings in which vital decisions will be made. There is a meeting of the Hampstead Heath Management Committee on 14th January and then in February a meeting of the Open Spaces Committee, when the decisions on the future of the ponds will be made. Until that date we have to continue to press the Corporation and all our elected representatives, whether MPs, Councillors or GLA representatives, that the Heath and its ponds must be kept for the use by the people of London.

On Christmas Day there will be the traditional Christmas Day swim at the Men’s Pond. At the Ladies pond we will be having the New Year’s Day celebration at midday - all women swimmers and women supporters of the Ladies Pond are very welcome to come and celebrate the most beautiful place to swim in the whole of the London area, if not within a far wider region.

There will also be a public meeting called by the Corporation of London which will be held to hear the opinions of the people about their proposals about the future of the ponds. They will be calling that meeting early in the New Year.

Whatever happens it is clear that the members of the Kenwood Ladies Pond Association wish, and will campaign for, all three ponds to remain open and free as at present.

Jane Shallice
President,
Kenwood Ladies Pond Association

• The Petition, please print out, fill out, and return to Margaret Hepburn 68 Parliament Hill London NW3 2TJ
  
• Management Committee and Consultative Committee members (also a list of other organisations/people to write to???)
  
• Buy the Ladies Pond pocket diary 2005, profits divided between our campaign and the Save London Pools Campaign

• The Guardian Online, Friday 10th December 2004

• London Pools Campaign
  
• River and Lake Swimming Association
  
• Some info about Hampstead Heath and the Ponds

• Greater London Authority, Press Release, 6th December 2004
  
• Corporation of London, Pro’s and Con’s for the closing of the ponds