At the Pond: Swimming at the Hampstead Ladies' Pond

I loved this book. I swim at our local pond daily from May thru September. I am jealous their pond is open all year round. One story in particular captured the magic I also feel in my pond but I loved them all. I purchased several more to give to my Pond Friends.

A really unusual collection of short reminiscences of a swimming pond in the midst of busy London. Stories from life you never dreamed existed.

I enjoyed the first couple of stories but very repetitious. Would be interesting to hear a bit more about the history or something a bit more mixed takes.

Not a book by Margaret Drabble. She is just one of 14 authors who contributed an essay to this collection.

Quite possibly one of the loveliest books I have read this year. A series of 14 essays written by women including Margaret Drabble and Esther Freud, among others, about the Kenwood Ladies’ Bathing Pond, not quite a secret, yet not widely known. Tucked away on the Hampstead Heath, the pond is surrounded by tall grass and wildflowers, and while it sounds positively dreamy, it is not known for having luxurious changing accommodations. Of course not. That is not why people flock to this gem of a locale. It’s all about the pond. The water is said to be therapeutic, which is why swimmers come year-round, yes, even in frigid temps. This mystical setting seems to have jumped right out of a fairy tale. This is Margaret Drabble’s AT THE POND: SWIMMING AT THE HAMPSTEAD LADIES’ POND. Prepare to be enchanted. Each essay in the book is a dip into the serene waters in the midst of London, where some never-before swimmers and now dedicated swimmers, only women allowed, ages eight and up, come every day of the week, from before sunrise to sunset, with bathing suits and some without, to soothe their souls, become invigorated by the water, some in regular groups, others in solitude, and some meet fellow bathers who become pals. Not only is the pond itself fascinating, but the rituals of getting in and out of the water, the seasonal swimmers versus the die-hard year-rounders, the blend of youth and elderly, the changing room etiquette, the volunteer lifeguards, the no cell phone policy, and how devotees swear it’s so much better than all of the other ponds. An anachronism, perhaps, that has caught on with so many and is somehow able to remain a haven where the rules are respected without question. AT THE POND is delightful. The essays read as if straight from your most trustworthy friends who want you to visit a beloved place. A bit other-worldly, where grass grows tall, the trickle of water seems to dance in the background, kindness abounds, and there isn’t the slightest urge to check your phone. A photograph of the pond isn’t necessary. The essays will provide you with all that you need to conjure the scene in your mind.

Lovely gift for a lifelong Hampstead Heath resident

I love those stories about swimming in a pond. I do it myself, everyday, and it always makes the day better. Never worse. And it makes you feel beautiful - no matter how old you are. Also saw the Netflix documentation. Very good too. Bring the book to Germany!

Lovely collection of stories about a much loved swimming pool. Helps when you understand the attraction of swimming outside through winter. Don’t know if I could manage an English winter, Sydney is testing enough however really enjoyed these ladies lovely accounts. Great writing.

I ordered this on a whim and it was better than I thought. Some great writing and ideas. I didn't know there are creatures in the pond. ew.

A book of essays where each contributor relates to the reader their own experiences of swimming in the Hampstead Ladies' Pond, a stretch of water hidden by trees on the edge of Hampstead Heath in the middle of London. And we read of how after (or instead of) swimming, visitors to the pond sit, read, picnic or sunbathe (topless if that is their preference) in the meadow adjoining, watched by the vigilant lifeguards who ensure everyone keeps safe and behaves in the appropriate manner. So, in this slim volume, we hear from writers such as: Esther Freud (who shares with us the benefits of immersing oneself in cold water and swimming past waterlilies and nesting ducks); Margaret Drabble (who tells us that from 1968 to the mid-1990s, she spent the happiest years of her life in Hampstead, within walking distance of Kenwood Bathing Pond which she used only in the warmer weather); Lou Stoppard (who tells us about winter swimming when "the pond seems wilder [and] the trees sag and shake, depositing snow drops"); Deborah Moggach (who moved to Hampstead when she was in her fifties and, after biking home from her allotment, would drop off at the pond for a swim during the summer and early autumn); Jessica J Lee (whose book 'Turning: Lessons from Swimming Berlin's Lakes' I have on my TBR and who talks about swimming in the pond alongside dendrochronology [dating trees by their rings]); Eli Goldstone (who reveals a lot more about her life than her time spent swimming in the pond); and several other authors - some whom focus on the benefits of swimming at Hampstead Ladies' Pond, and others who use the pond as a backdrop to discuss other aspects of their lives - there is even a piece written by Nell Frizzell, one of the lifeguards, who shares with us thoughts from her yellow canoe. As with many collections, some of these essays are better than others, but they are all interesting and enjoyable to read and this book is a perfect bedtime companion and one to dip in and out of as the feeling takes one. 4 Stars.