Four years ago, when I lived on the Gospel Oak side of Hampstead Heath, I used to swim in the Ladies' Pond once a week. I saw plenty of things during my time at the ponds: boobs, genitals, famous people, ducks, body hair, people with one boob, people with no boobs, the odd crayfish, more ducks. What I never saw, once, was someone making other people uncomfortable due to their perceived gender.
The ponds are a distinctly peaceful, unjudgmental and welcoming place. There are unwritten rules and codes of conduct that mean everyone behaves as they should, to protect the sanctity of the ponds. If they didn’t, I’m sure they’d be ejected by the brilliant-yet-firm lifeguards and stewards who police the ponds and maintain order.
