Photographer and Ladies’ Pond swimmer Ruth Corney’s new book celebrating 20 years of the pond from 2000-2020 is now available to order from her website. Check it out at https://www.awtf.org/ruth to see many familiar faces and views:
Also available is Two Metres, the book about lockdown in Camden that Ruth has produced with CNJ journalist Dan Carrier.
The proceeds from both books will go to the Alexandra Wylie Tower foundation (www.awtf.org) a charity dedicated to supporting young people in London.
Swan Sanctuary volunteer and KLPA member Louisa Green, who told us the moving story of the swans on Highgate Number One Pond earlier this year, has sent us this less happy update and appeal for witnesses.
It is with great sadness that I can confirm that Mrs Newbie, the former widow swan on Hampstead Heath who recently found love at The Swan Sanctuary in March, was attacked by a dog at around 4.30pm on Monday 13 July 2020. She has sustained a very serious injury to her left wing and is currently undergoing treatment at The Swan Sanctuary. The incident was witnessed and the relevant details have been passed on to the City of London Corporation Hampstead Heath, who are conducting their own investigation and appealing for further witnesses. Can I please request that anyone with information please contact hampstead.heath@cityoflondon.gov.uk, lgreen2891@gmail.com or Crime Stoppers if you prefer.
Across ten stressful hours over Monday and Tuesday evening with three swan ambulances, seven rescuers from two organisations and three kayaks, Mrs Newbie was finally caught by Steve from Swan Support. This was incredibly distressing for all involved, as ultimately she was gently chased around the pond for the best part of an hour until she was too tired to carry on any longer. This was the only remaining tactic we could deploy, as by this point her injury was 24 hours old and we simply had to do anything we could to catch her. Her and Wallace were calling to each other from across the pond throughout, and the cygnets were frantically scattering before retreating to the safety of their nest.
Once caught, Gill Walker and I took Mrs Newbie to The Swan Sanctuary where her wound was examined and she received antibiotics and pain relief. Once her wound had been dressed and she was placed in a pen, she immediately called for Wallace. We are hopeful that she will recover but it is too soon to make a prediction at this stage and as with all dog bites, our main worry is infection. Her mate Wallace remains in Hampstead at this time and is currently looking after their seven cygnets. I am keeping a close eye on them all, but Wallace is no doubt eagerly awaiting her return and the cygnets are undoubtedly wondering where their Mum is.
Mrs Newbie had been alone on Hampstead Heath since the tragic death of her mate in 2016. Following the arrival of a new swan pair to the Heath this Spring, she left her pond and landed on a neighbouring roof which overlooks the block of flats that Mr Newbie crashed into and died four years ago. She was taken to The Swan Sanctuary for 36 hours of recuperation where she met Wallace, who was recovering from surgery to remove two fishing hooks back in January. After knocking back every potential suitor for four years, something about him must have caught her eye and the pair have been inseparable ever since. Ten weeks after they were brought to her pond in Hampstead, they welcomed seven cygnets and is it therefore heartbreaking that she is now spending time away from her new family.
A devastating interlude to what has been a national and heart-warming story from day one.
Thank you for your feedback at the Swimming Forum meeting on Tuesday evening. Following a review after the meeting and taking account of the feedback we have received during the test events; we have put new online booking arrangements in place. We believe the new system is more user friendly, resilient and addresses the majority of the concerns raised by swimmers.
Therefore, I can confirm that from Saturday 18 July the Bathing Ponds and the Parliament Hill Fields Lido will reopen. Swimming session tickets will be available for purchase at 11am on Friday 17 July at www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/hampsteadheathswimming
Swimmers will be able to book a Session seven days in advance
Tickets will go live at 11am on Friday 17 July and more tickets will be released at midday each day and will be available for purchase until 15 minutes before the session starts (pending availability)
Each individual swimmer will only be able to book a maximum of three swims in seven days and measures are in place to prevent abuse of the booking system.
Nobody under the age of 16 is permitted to swim in the Bathing Ponds at this time but there will be family sessions available at the Lido.
There is a phone booking system available for those with additional access requirements or who cannot book online or via the smartphone app. If you know of anyone who requires this service, please ask them to speak to the lifeguards or to email HH-swimming@cityoflondon.gov.uk and we will provide further information to assist them with making their bookings.
Bob Warnock Superintendent of Hampstead Heath,Highgate Wood, Keats House and Queen’s Park
The Hampstead Heath Swimming Forum met virtually earlier this week. The regular meeting, which involves Hampstead Heath management and elected representatives of the swimmers’ associations, would usually have a public gallery. This facility was refused by the City of London for the online meeting and our request for the meeting to be recorded, so that members might view it later, was also refused.
The Chair of the Hampstead Heath Management Committee, Anne Fairweather, and the Heath Superintendent, Bob Warnock attempted to reassure members that improvements would be made to the online booking platform. This had been suspended on 13 July 2020 following a chaotic weekend of website crashes.
It is anticipated that the City of London’s booking platform will re-open on Friday 17 July 2020 at 11a.m. to book swimming slots at the Ladies’ Pond from 18 July 2020 onwards. We were informed it will be possible to make up to three bookings per week for the dates released at that time, and there are expected to be seven swimming sessions per day.
When it re-opens, the booking platform can be accessed via the link on the City of London’s webpage here. Please note that the KLPA does not manage the booking platform and has no special access to it.
At the Forum the following points were also raised:
The promised Hardship Fund still does not exist.
An Equalities Impact Assessment for the new procedures still has not been produced despite being a legal requirement.
There is still no provision for off-line booking which excludes many long term swimmers from being able to book sessions.
Season tickets will not be reactivated until at least September 2020.
Hampstead Heath managers have been receiving a huge number of emails from dissatisfied (would-be) swimmers, with 1,300 arriving on 13 July 2020 alone. The swimmers’ associations were asked to discourage their members from sending so many emails. Clearly this is an individual decision for each member to make.
The decision to enforce compulsory and increased charges at the ponds long term was taken on 11 March 2020 by a committee of 18 people sitting in the Guildhall many miles from Hampstead Heath. Those Hampstead Heath Management Committee members comprise 12 people “elected” to the City of London Corporation and six co-optees. This is democracy City of London style!
Thank you to all KLPA members for their patience in trying to book a swim at the Ladies’ Pond since the City of London’s new platform went live last Friday afternoon. Thank you also to all those members who have emailed the City of London with accounts of the utterly shambolic state of that booking system. We have seen copies of many of your emails and your feedback has been focused and pertinent.
This platform is the responsibility of the City of London and many of the potential. problems were highlighted in advance by the swimmers’ associations. There has been at least four months to put such systems in place, much of which could still have been done via remote working, but this weekend we have seen the impact of a lack of adequate preparation. Significant groups of swimmers remain excluded for financial and technological reasons.
The City of London is also not keeping the swimmers’ associations adequately informed, instead announcing changes on Twitter, which is discourteous given the efforts we have all put into trying to help get these systems right. We first became aware via Twitter this afternoon that the booking platform is now suspended and unlikely to be available to book sessions before Saturday 18 July.
The continuing situation has been covered in the local press:
The swimmers’ associations are due to attend a regular meeting with Heath Management on-line on Tuesday 14 July, but no provision has been made for an on-line public gallery, which is also disappointing. We will be raising all of the issues our members have been experiencing over the last few days as well as revisiting the iniquitous decision to enforce and increase compulsory charges. The latter decision was justified last March with reference to season tickets, free swims for certain groups and a “Hardship Fund”, none of which is currently in place.
We have repeatedly asked the City of London to suspend its new charging regime during a continuing public health emergency, but these requests have been ignored. Please add your voice to these requests and also continue to send your wider observations and objections to:
Following yesterday’s government announcement that outdoor swimming “pools” can re-open with effect from 11 July 2020, the City of London plans to open the Ladies’ Pond tomorrow, Saturday 11 July 2020, for 2 separate one hour sessions, from 7-8 am and 8.30-9.30 am, with cleaning taking place between sessions. We understand that the same pattern is likely to be followed on Sunday 12 July.
A maximum of 30 swimmers per session will be permitted and safe-distancing measures will be in place.
Tickets must be purchased on line from the Hampstead Heath website in order to swim, there will be no admission to anyone who has not booked a ticket.
Please note it is the City of London that is managing the booking process and platform NOT the KLPA.
We will forward links to the booking system for further dates to all members as soon as we receive them BUT tickets to the trial sessions sold out within minutes and we don’t know in advance when we will be notified.
For this reason we advise you to keep checking the City of London website for release of the booking system rather than waiting for our email.
Your comments to the City of London about these procedures can be sent to HH-Swimming@cityoflondon.gov.uk but please copy to klpamailbox@gmail.com. In particular please let the City know if you experience any difficulties due to problems booking on line or additional access needs.
We understand the need to put in place safe-distancing measures as the ponds re-open. However, we also appreciate that many swimmers who have waited patiently for the re-opening will be disappointed by the limited number of tickets available, the enforced payment mechanisms which have been introduced, and the timing of the release of booking information.
Thank you to all KLPA members and swimmers from other ponds who turned out on Sunday afternoon for a safe-distanced protest at the Ladies’ Pond, and to everyone who helped with stewarding. About 200 of us were able to form a protective ring around the boundaries of the Ladies’ Pond from gate to gate via the Stock Pond path. We hope this has sent a clear message to the City of London about how much we care for our pond.
We would also like to say a heartfelt thank you to Nicky Mayhew who has just stood down as KLPA Chair, after making enormous efforts on behalf of KLPA members during a very challenging period at the Ladies’ Pond. We aim to carry on the good work and live up to her standards.
There is now a new ‘Swim for Victory’ section on this website under ‘Campaigns’ and KLPA members are encouraged to keep campaigning against the new enforced charging regime at the Hampstead Heath bathing ponds. We have produced some briefing notes to assist with further emailing which can be seen here. Please make use of these to assist in correspondence with your elected representatives and letters to the press, as well as continuing to write to the decision-makers at the City of London.
The KLPA believes firmly that:
The swimming ponds are world-famous as an integral and historic part of Hampstead Heath. The methods required to ‘enforce’ payment will destroy their unique atmosphere.
Swimming provides a community lifeline and is vital to the physical and mental health of many local people.
The culture of the ponds is one where everyone is equal. There are many swimmers for whom £4.00 and £2.40 will be unaffordable, but there are others who would be willing to donate more IF they could be confident the money would be spent wisely.
During the consultation the City ‘benchmarked’ charges for the ponds against swimming ‘facilities’ such as the Royal Docks, West Reservoir and the Serpentine which cater for swimmers engaged in athletic training. This is not the way in which most people swim in the ponds. Many of the women who visit the Ladies’ Pond do not necessarily swim but come to seek solace and inspiration in a safe, accessible place.
Thank you again for all your support and efforts – together we are strong.
Recent months have been tough for most of us. In addition to the threat of Covid-19 and the pressures of lockdown, we have had to contend with closure of all the ponds during the pandemic and the unwelcome prospect of the City changing the atmosphere of the Ladies’ Pond for ever.
We can’t wave a magic wand and make it all go away, but some of our creative fellow swimmers have been focusing on the positives of pond life to celebrate our extraordinary community. Take a look at the latest additions to the Lockdown Gallery for photographs, films and a new book in aid of charity by Ruth Corney featuring twenty years of photographs of Ladies’ Pond swimmers, together with ‘Pond Postcards’ curated by Highgate Festival Director Alicia Pivaro, and two galleries of her own photographs from KLPA archivist Sarah Saunders.
While you’re there, scroll up for more recent films, images and words from pond swimmers, and a tribute to a much loved and now sadly lost canine visitor.
Many of you will have seen the Highgate Festival’s pink plaques celebrating the achievements of women and ‘reclaiming pink and the past’. We are delighted and honoured to find that this year’s Festival has awarded a pink plaque to celebrate us, the swimmers and lifeguards of the Kenwood Ladies’ Pond. The plaque will be erected in September (Covid-19 restrictions permitting), proving again that we are not just another ‘swimming facility’.
