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

Taking the Plunge:

15th-27th January 2008

Lauderdale House, Highgate Hill

Waterlow Park

London N6 5HG

Opening hours: Tue-Fri 11am-4pm, Sat 11.30-5pm (subject to private bookings), Sun 12-5pm.

Free.

...more ---> ...

| Hampstead Heath | 5 January 2008; 9:28:43 PM |# | | Discuss |

"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. ...more ---> ...

| Hampstead Heath | 16 November 2007; 10:29:54 AM |# | | Discuss |

"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: .)

...more ---> ...

| Hampstead Heath | 30 July 2007; 4:08:00 PM |# | | Discuss (1 response) |

"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: .)

...more ---> ...

| Hampstead Heath | 18 May 2007; 11:28:50 PM |# | | Discuss |

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.

The City of London Corporation introduced the controversial £2 voluntary charges at the three bathing ponds on Hampstead Heath on July 1 last year.

With one month left to the end of the swimming season, Heath bosses have collected just £33,619 - a long way below the £80,000 target.

In autumn, the corporation will review all the original options for bathing on the Heath, which included closing the ponds to swimmers.

Sally Taylor, chairwoman of the Mixed Pond Action Group, said: "I think they will either make paying compulsory or cut the hours the ponds are open.

"I think if this starts again they will find a high level of resistance and the whole caboodle will start again." ...more ---> ...

| Hampstead Heath | 21 August 2006; 7:45:11 PM |# | | Discuss |

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.

...more ---> ...

| Hampstead Heath | 13 July 2006; 12:10:53 PM |# | | Discuss |

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.

As temperatures soared to 32 degrees on Sunday, about 4,000 bathers cooled off in Hampstead Heath's mixed bathing pond.

Bathers could not pay the £2 voluntary charge which was controversially introduced last summer. ...more ---> ...

| Hampstead Heath | 10 July 2006; 11:15:00 AM |# | | Discuss |

"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: .)

...more ---> ...

| Hampstead Heath | 2 May 2006; 9:43:06 AM |# | | Discuss |

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: .)

...more ---> ...

| Hampstead Heath | 15 February 2006; 10:59:49 PM |# | | Discuss |

The London Pools Campaign is an umbrella organisation that works to give a voice on the web to groups of concerned swimmers around London and beyond. Groups inform us about what is happening on their patch and we will publicise it.

Mary Cane from the Kenwood Ladies Pond Association said today "At the last swimmers' forum we were told by the Corporation of London, as I understand it, that the income from the ponds was around £8000 when they had expected £80,000, and that the whole charging system would be under review this year. And then in September, if there is not sufficient income all the options will be under review again, including closures".

The Corporation of London today told the BBC "closure is not an option".

The Corporation of London describes the thinking behind "the introduction of a self policing charge (not a voluntary donation) at the ponds" HERE. This is one concern of the users of the water facilities on the Heath who saw the FREE early swim at the Lido end in 2005 after being enjoyed for decades.

This old sign lying in a storeroom at Hampstead Heath Lido still has the familiar words "all year free swimming 07.00 - 09.30" ...more ---> ...

| Hampstead Heath | 3 February 2006; 6:14:19 PM |# | | Discuss |