|
|
 |
| |
Nudists go stark raving mad over their lack of space at Men’s Pond
Tempers flare in soaring temperatures as long-running debate makes another mighty splash
TRUNKS ON or trunks off? That is the question gripping visitors to the Men’s Pond this week.
As the summer temperatures soar and the pond attracts bumper crowds, a long-running argument over the amount of space given over to naked sunbathing has erupted again.
The campaign for more space, run by naturist Michael Peacock and backed by comedian Julian Clary and civil rights activist Peter Tatchell, has garnered more than 1,000 signatures.
Mr Peacock will be handing it over today (Thursday) to Michael Wellbank, the new chairman of the Heath.
The Men’s Pond boasts a simple changing compound and currently there is a section screened off where men can be naked. The other section has a strict “costumes on” rule.
But Mr Peacock believes the set-up is fundamentally unfair.
He said that he was moved to collect the signatures after seeing how many naked men were being crammed into the nude section.
He said: “I love the place – it is wonderful. But the frustration is when the partition went up, it was ill-conceived. It reduced in one fell swoop the area for naked sunbathing by two-thirds and it gets extremely crowded.
“I have seen people turn away in frustration because there are so many people in there. We need more space. In Germany public parks have a naturist area, yet this small patch of concrete is the only place in the whole of London where you can be naked.
“It is simply not big enough.”
The screen was first put up in the 1990s. A barrister who swam regularly at the pond complained he was uncomfortable taking his young son because of people sunbathing in the nude. He threatened to take legal action unless Heath managers the City of London acted – and their response was to put up a modesty screen to spare the blushes of those who simply came to the ponds for a swim, rather than to lounge around naked.
But not everyone believes any change is necessary.
Chris Rocco of the Highgate Lifebouys swimming club based at the pond said he and his members were against increasing the naked space.
He said: “We are all definitely against it. Already half the area is for nude sunbathing. You get dads up there with their kids. I am personally used to seeing people naked but others are not.
“It works at the moment – if they want to sunbathe naked, they can be on one side, while the rest of us can be on the other.”
But Mr Peacock says expanding the naked area could be the catalyst for a renovation plan for the whole compound.
He added: “At the Ladies Pond they have a very nice grass bank over-looking the pond. Here we have a concrete and metal box which is like a microwave.
“It would be nice to have a view made over the ponds, with a few shrubs to stop the binocular brigade having a peek.”
A spokeswoman from the City of London Corporation said: “The petition will have to go through the due consultation process and will be considered by the Consultative Committee and then the Management Committee before a decision can be made.
“As always on the Heath, different needs and interests need to be considered in the appropriate way before a decision is made.” |
 |
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
