Out In The Open

I ’m lucky enough to live near Hampstead Heath, an ancient and truly magnificent 320-hectare park, which offers open grassland, woods, streams, ponds, a fabulous 17th-century English Heritage house, Kenwood, which also has a top-notch cafe, and amazing views across the city from one of the highest points in the capital. I’ve spent more happy hours there walking, picnicking, relaxing and exploring than I can possibly count. But for the purposes of this letter, the aspect I want to sing the praises of is the joyous wonder that is their swimming ponds. There are three of them, one only for men, one just for women (see pic left) and one mixed one.

I’ve written before about my enjoyment of swimming, but aside from lovely forays into the sea during holidays here and abroad, I hadn’t done any open-water swimming until two years ago.

I have no idea why it took me so long to discover just how wonderful it is to swim immersed in fresh, chemical-free water, surrounded by trees. I make no excuses for being a fair-weather swimmer – I haven’t yet reached the hardy heights of the robust regulars who plunge into the water all year round (including Deputy Editor Geoff) – but in case you couldn’t tell, I can’t think of anything more glorious or invigorating to do on a bright, warm day. Yes, the water can be, let’s say invigorating (!), but your body adjusts pretty quickly. And the tingling rush you feel when you get out is like nothing else, never mind the deep joy of watching the clouds, or the wind rustling through the trees, or the birds and ducks who share the space with you, as you swim. I share my enthusiasm for open-water swimming with the women in our feature on page 10. Can we persuade you to join us?

Diane Kenwood, Editor