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sw2guy

A report from the City of London Corporation in response to calls to enlarge the men’s nude sunbathing area on Hampstead Heath will reportedly crush naturist hopes for room to swing a sunbed at the men’s bathing pond. The report will be presented today at the management committee’s meeting and campaigners are urging supporters to attend and pooh pooh the anticipated decision that will keep nude sunbathers squished together in the 13m by 8m concrete enclosure, surrounded by metal sheets. Lead campaigner Michael Peacock say it’s ‘akin to being in a microwave on a hot day’. The Corporation argues the ponds are primarily for swimming. After wide consultation with swimming groups, they are recommending that the expansion not be approved.

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(CLICK HERE FOR MORE -> Londonist No More Room For Hampstead Naturists: .)

An exhibition of photographs by Ruth Corney Lauderdale House, N6; 15th-27th January 2008

A new photographic exhibition showing Hampstead Heath through the eyes of its visitors opens to the public next month.

Taking The Plunge: An exhibition of photographs by Ruth Corney features around 50 images of the Heath – focussing particularly on the lido and bathing ponds – which capture the changing seasons. These include a summer downpour at the Ladies’ pond, a deserted, snow-covered lido and the Christmas Day race at the Men’s bathing pond.

Ruth said: “I try to capture the Heath as it appears to all those who use it – the architecture and wonderful reflective qualities of the water at the lido, the unique stillness of the Ladies’ bathing pond and the different atmospheres at the lido and the ponds.” Further information at www.ruthcorney.com

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“A couple of years ago, the City of London authority, supported by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, tried to stop people swimming here on winter mornings. The swimmers brought a judicial review and triumphed against the risk-averse killjoys. Since then, the City, which assumed responsibility for the Heath after the Greater London Council was abolished, has installed a ticket machine charging £2 per swim that the rank and file have scrupulously ignored. They’re quite right. Buying a ticket to swim in a pond is like paying to climb a mountain, walk through the woods or lie on a beach – the patenting of our natural highs.

For when you emerge dripping and glowing from the Men’s Pond you are not only alive, you have slaughtered your woolly mammoth. In a flash, our atomised existence of email, mobile, iPod and BlackBerry is buried under an avalanche of endorphins.”

???. “Gonadal contraction is the answer, then, to winter blues. Just don’t go telling the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents.

(Via New Statesman – Cold water, hot blood: .)

Well spotted Pooling Resources.
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“HEATH bosses have been left counting the cost of the summer washout as open air swimmers refuse to take the plunge. The number of bathers braving Parliament Hill lido has plummeted after one of the wettest summers on record”

(Via Ham and High Express Bad weather sees Parliament Hill lido’s profits plummet: .)

• This item has comments in the Manila discussion archive.

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“A WOMAN’S dip in Hampstead Heath ladies bathing pond turned into a horror movie scene when she had the fright of her life on Saturday morning. The woman was enjoying her swim when she saw a disembodied hand coming up through the water towards her”

(Via Ham and High Express Fears come to the surface for Pond swimmer: .)

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The Ham & High:

SWIMMING groups are gearing up for another battle after figures revealed that cash raised from charging at the bathing ponds is set to fall well short of targets.

“I think if this starts again they will find a high level of resistance and the whole caboodle will start again.”
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Kenwood Ladies Pond Association set out in a bus to take part in this year’s Golden Goggles award for lidos and outdoor pools. The ten strong team covered 6 lidos in the day. Mary Cane from the KLPA said “We had a brilliant day??? I had the best ice cream ever at Tooting Bec. Much fun was had by all”

London Pools Campaign’s Golden Goggles award this year focuses on outdoor swimming and aims to highlight that London has lost 58 lidos – and has just 11 left. There is still time to take part either by swimming in one of the lidos and ponds and filling in a questionnaire for us, or come along to the award ceremony which will be on July 20th at Parliament Hill lido.

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Hamstead and Highgate Express 7th July reports

THOUSANDS of swimmers took a dip in the Heath ponds for free after the ticket machine broke down again.

Bathers could not pay the £2 voluntary charge which was controversially introduced last summer.
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“HEATH bosses have sunk swimmers’ hopes that they could have a say in the management of the ponds. Regular pond user Harry Eyres, a Financial Times columnist, writer and poet has been refused membership of the Hampstead Heath sports committee. The 48-y”

(Via Ham and High Express Swimmer locked out of Heath sports group: .)

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We recently were asked to desist from reporting local campaigners’ fears that the Hampstead Ponds were ‘under threat’. The corporation have assured readers that closure of the ponds is not an option that exists. The local paper though has run an article this week that sets out the possible reasons for some local concerns.

“Cash-strapped Heath bosses have asked the public to dip into their pockets to help pay for the running of Hampstead Heath. But why is a multimillion pound corporation in need of financial help? Marc Mullen investigates???”

(Via Ham and High Express A 16-year reign that has bled coffers dry: .)

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