Frosty Mornings at Hampstead Ponds

Last night, London experienced some serious frosts, dipping down to -4°C.

This morning, I took a stroll to visit the birds in Hampstead — one of the ponds was completely frozen over. A lonely swan wandered awkwardly across the ice before taking flight.

The luckiest of all are the residents of the Men's Pond. There, a group of determined individuals has joined forces to keep the water from freezing, braving the cold without a stitch of clothing! They'll have to coexist in close quarters for a while.

As far as I know, the Men's Pond is kept open intentionally; I read about this in a book on ponds. The Mixed Pond doesn’t operate in winter. If the Women’s Pond freezes over, the ladies are invited to join the men for the duration of the severe cold.