What can we say...apart from maybe "Thanks God that's over with"?
The Hampstead Heath Winter Swimming Club have finally won their case to use the ponds in the winter (although, why they couldn't have just changed the name of the club to Hampstead Heath Summer Swimming Club and saved everyone a lot of time we're not sure).
The club's High Court challenge against the Corporation of London finally ended today when the Judge ruled that the corporation's "refusal to allow club swimmers to bathe when lifeguards were not present at the pond was based on a misapprehension of the law."
In short, swimmers who use the ponds unsupervised will not be in breach of any health and safety laws, which (according to, Mary Cane, the chair of the winter swimming club) has "wide implications for all open water swimming in England and represents another successful attack by ordinary citizens on the 'nanny state' and the government-sponsored cult of 'health and safety'."
If you want to read more about the subject may we suggest you read Mary's account of 'naked winter sea swimming', which can be found here (or, if you're male, you might want to view the episode of Seinfeld titled The Hamptons, you have been warned).
