Some of you have been fortunate enough to book a swim, and we hope you have enjoyed this. Many who would like to return to the Ladies’ Pond cannot do so. Numbers have been limited in the initial “post-Covid” recovery period for reasons which are understandable. However, the current booking system is excluding many swimmers who have been part of the Ladies’ Pond community for years.
Please remember these excluded swimmers, some of whom fear that they may never be able to return to what was once an inclusive sanctuary. If you are lucky enough to get a ticket please do make sure you use it as we are hearing about significant numbers of no-shows each day. Also if you are using social media to tell friends about your recent swim at the Ladies’ Pond please be tactful and consider those who are desperate for a swim,
In another piece of good news we have also been informed that the blue-green algae levels are currently low, which should make that swim even more pleasant.
City of London fact – the decision to increase and enforce charges was taken by a sub-committee of the City of London Corporation on 11 March 2020. Twelve of its 18 members are “elected” directly in Ward elections by the tiny electorate of the Square Mile. A further six committee members are not elected but co-opted from other organisations. How is this committee accountable to the thousands of people who use Hampstead Heath regularly during the year?
Action against compulsory charging this Sunday, 26 July KLPA members are invited to join other swimmers in supporting the Forum ’71 campaign against compulsory charges.
Sunday’s event aims to further raise awareness of the situation by handing out explanatory flyers to Heath users.
To get a sense of the history of the the City of London Corporation’s past dealings with Heath swimmers, we recommend watching City Swimmers, a film directed by swimmer and KLPA life member Margaret Dickinson.
In 2005 the KLPA went into battle with the City of London when there was an attempt to close the Mixed Pond entirely and impose entrance charges at the remaining two bathing ponds. An earlier generation of KLPA members campaigned to stop this happening and they are our inspiration now in 2020. A vigorous campaign by those swimmers succeeded in keeping all the ponds open but, in spite of opposition, the Corporation did introduce charges in 2005, with assurances that they would remain modest and be lightly enforced.
This balance was destroyed earlier this year. In March 2020, the unprecedented decision of the Hampstead Heath Management Committee to disregard the recommendation of its own Consultative Committee and introduce strictly enforced charges at double the previous rate launched a new era of controversy and protest. A summary of the recent background can be read here.
Details of our campaign to oppose the most recent charging decisions can be seen here and recent news items can be found by scrolling down here.
We hope you will watch this film and be inspired by the women who saw off the threats posed by the City of London Corporation in 2005.
Swan Rescue volunteer Louisa Green reports that the severely injured mother swan from Highgate Number One Pond is recovering well (she can be seen second from the right with a green tag). She is now in an outdoor pen with a pool (known as an en suite!) while Wallace, her mate, continues to care for their cygnets.
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:
