#hampstead women's pond

[larrylimericks]

27Dec23

Some boys be like, “I know a place...” Then take you to s̶t̶u̶n̶t̶ swim in a lake In water quite frigid And swim trunks quite fitted, Hitties free, beanie locked into place.

[twopoppies]

I'm going with my sister to London soon so of course I'm in charge of planning this trip.

This is going to be our first time going there and my sister is sooo impressed with my knowledge of everything London and UK related and I always tell her that I just google everything or that I saw it on TikTok.

The truth is I absolutely CAN'T tell her that 95% of the things I know is because I'm obsessed with the guys and I read fics that can be pretty descriptive.

And it's not because I'm ashamed, she definitely knows of my love for them and whatever but I'm not gonna tell her that I know Hampstead has a designated pond for women and another one for men because Harry loves to swim there or that I know where Mayfair is because Harry and Louis met there in my favourite fic or that my english vocabulary is mostly british because even though I learned american english in school I have read so many fics that it comes naturally to me to say rubbish, loo, trousers and so on.

I found the whole situation very funny, never thought that reading Larry fics would be actually useful

HAHAHA! That reminds me that I have an I LEARNED IT FROM FIC tag

I hope you guys have a wonderful trip!

[so-idialed-9]

Harry's secret visit to women's only Hampstead Ladies Pond

This is the most Harry thing to do - go to the Ladies Only Pond with his favorite mug and some breakfast food to share. Did the mug have a pun on it? Did he tell everyone he used to be a baker? What did he make? I love that this is what he wanted to do with his time - swim and potluck with the ladies.

"Swimmers at the Hampstead Ladies’ Pond were thrilled to find a surprise guest at their breakfast on Sunday: superstar Harry Styles.

The singer popped down secretly from his home nearby for breakfast and a quick dip. The event, a “Shared Breakfast at the Ladies Pond”, was offering free drinks and croissants, but asked guests to bring their own mug, as well as food to share. The ladies pond is not usually open to men, though Harry’s a very special case." Evening Standard, Oct 11 2023

To be fair, the pond was open to men for the day, but I prefer the wording that Harry's a special case and is one of the girls.

[alarrytale]

New pic of Harry and TR at the Mens Pond on Hampstead Heath. That pond is only open to women on Christmas Day so Louis and Harry both spent Xmas Day stunting instead of with each other 😥

Ohhh Harry spent Christmas with Taylor, that's so beautiful. They are such a cute couple. And Louis spent his with his Son and his family. What a way to end the year!🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Hi, anons!

Is this your first stunt? L and H stunting through Christmas is something we should be used to by now... I know it's disappointing, but after years of this shouldn't you have developed a little 'i know it's going to happen, but idgaf'-energy by now? I'm not fazed by any of this at all.

First of all, there is no way to tell when that picture was taken. They are not actually in the pond so it could be taken a month ago for all we know. If it's actually recent, then it's par for the course. It's nothing new.

Second of all, you do know that stunting during holidays and during times when people expect them to spend time with loved ones (aka Christmas, weddings, birthdays etc.) is the easiest way to sell a stunt? Surely L wouldn't be spending his family time stunting with F? Surely they wouldn't fly F across the ocean to spend Christmas with strangers? Surely TR wouldn't be across the ocean stunting during Christmas? So it must be real!

They are both closeted and contractually obligated to stunt. Stunting during Christmas is low effort for high rewards. They are both all about low effort, even if that means sacrificing their holidays. It's just how things are. If you're not used to it by now you should start to expect it. It's probably going to happen next Christmas too (if not by some miracle they're out by then...).

[majhee]

Top 10 Colposcopy Clinics in London: Ensuring the Best Care

When it comes to women's health, choosing the right clinic for specialized procedures like colposcopy is crucial. Colposcopy is an essential diagnostic tool for detecting cervical abnormalities, and having it done at a reputable clinic ensures you receive the highest quality care. Here’s a comprehensive guide to the top 10 colposcopy clinics in London, each known for their exceptional services, experienced staff, and patient-focused care.

1. Grosvenor Gardens Healthcare

Location: 7-10 Grosvenor Gardens, Belgravia, SW1W 0DH Website: Grosvenor Gardens Healthcare

Grosvenor Gardens Healthcare provides comprehensive women's health services in a modern facility. The clinic is known for its personalized care and experienced medical professionals.

2. Harley Street Gynaecology

Location: 113-115 Harley Street, Marylebone, W1G 6AP Website: Harley Street Gynaecology

Harley Street Gynaecology offers top-notch colposcopy services with a team of expert gynecologists. The clinic prides itself on providing personalized care in a comfortable and professional setting.

3. The London Clinic

Location: 20 Devonshire Place, Marylebone, W1G 6BW Website: The London Clinic

The London Clinic is renowned for its high standards and comprehensive medical services. With advanced diagnostic technology and expert gynecologists, patients receive precise and compassionate care.

4. Harley Street Clinic

Location: 35 Weymouth Street, Marylebone, W1G 8BJ Website: Harley Street Clinic

Known for its elite medical services, Harley Street Clinic offers personalized treatment plans from top specialists. The clinic is famous for its patient comfort and state-of-the-art facilities.

5. Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital

Location: Great Maze Pond, SE1 9RT Website: Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital

This esteemed NHS hospital provides extensive women's health services. The colposcopy clinic is staffed by highly skilled professionals and offers comprehensive diagnostic and treatment options.

6. The Portland Hospital

Location: 205-209 Great Portland Street, Marylebone, W1W 5AH Website: The Portland Hospital

Specializing in women’s health and maternity care, The Portland Hospital is part of HCA Healthcare UK. The clinic uses the latest diagnostic tools and offers care from experienced gynecologists.

7. Chelsea and Westminster Hospital

Location: 369 Fulham Road, SW10 9NH Website: Chelsea and Westminster Hospital

Chelsea and Westminster Hospital is dedicated to patient-centered care, delivering excellent clinical outcomes. It features a professional healthcare team and advanced medical technology.

8. University College Hospital (UCH)

Location: 235 Euston Road, NW1 2BU Website: University College Hospital

Part of the University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, UCH is known for its research-based approach and superior patient care. The colposcopy clinic uses advanced diagnostic tools for effective treatment.

9. Royal Free Hospital

Location: Pond Street, Hampstead, NW3 2QG Website: Royal Free Hospital

Royal Free Hospital emphasizes patient safety and comfort. The gynecology department offers high-quality colposcopy services with advanced equipment and specialized professionals.

10. King’s College Hospital

Location: Denmark Hill, SE5 9RS Website: King’s College Hospital

King’s College Hospital provides comprehensive healthcare services. The colposcopy clinic is known for its supportive environment, experienced gynecologists, and cutting-edge technology.

[wellthatwasaletdown]

That article goes hard. It looks to me like someone was commissioned to write a puff piece and decided to put the boot in while acknowledging Harry is rich and successful and seems nice. Which I guess he was told to include.

-Harry looks hot swimming

-btw the Hampstead Men’s Pond was a popular cruising area and he’s made millions from his sexual ambiguity

-Harry is very rich and apparently unpresuming

-exclusive sources (lol) say he’s ready to be away from the spotlight

-hasn’t dated Taylor long but ready to start a family

-quote about starting a family which I’m sure I read in the DM last week

-no new projects soon

-career is tailor-made to appeal to TikTok generation that subverts stereotypes (again, lol, knowing how many 40-something cash-rich mothers he appeals to)

-Harry is rich and successful

-Harry has expensive property

-Harry came from humble roots

-Harry was a cute kid

-One Direction

-“a temporary hiatus became a permanent split when Harry” did xyz - controversial!

-his bandmates have flopped - controversial!

-Harry is rich and successful

-Harry’s clothes, hmm

-the dress Vogue cover controversy

-queerbaiting!

-but he has never confirmed or denied

-he’s only ever dated women, in italics in the article lol

-Caroline Flack committed suicide

-“perhaps ill-advised forays into acting” pmsl

-quotes from critics, oh dear

-DWD descent into farce

-Florence Pugh reportedly furious

-shit film, promo gossip

-Harry seems normal though

-old quote from Anne repackaged

-“one wonders if Anne’s little boy has finally grown up” excuse me while I vomit

If his people gave a quote for this, I hope they’re furious at what’s been done with it 😂

Why are they dragging what happened to Caroline Flack into his mess? They dated for 5 minutes.

[dogsliampaynedoesntinstagram]

New pic of Harry and TR at the Men's Pond on Hampstead Heath. That pond is only open to women on Christmas Day so Louis and Harry both spent Xmas Day stunting instead of with each other 😥

I'm sorry if that makes you sad anon (at least that's what the emoji suggests.

I think perhaps the fact that you're thinking of their life as 'stunting' and 'not stunting' might add to your misery.

I don't think Louis spent Christmas 'stunting'. He was with his family doing family things. Freddie wouldn't be part of Louis' family Christmas if that wasn't what Louis wants.

Harry seems to really love the men's ponds. I think it's a big leap to assume that if he was going there with someone he was pretending to date it would be a 'stunt'. Maybe he's just going somewhere

I think rather than thinking of particular moments as stunts (particularly when there's zero publicity involved) - it's useful to think that they're really living their lives and really forming relationships with people. And that is shaped by their fame and it may be shaped by stories they're telling us that are not true. But they are the people navigating this set of circumstances and making decisions about their own lives.

[queercovens]

Hampstead Ponds are very special to me. I grew up coming here with my mum. She would tell me stories about my grandma coming here when she'd just moved to London from Demark in the 60s. I trapsed here on many sweltering summer days throughout my teens with my best friends. And I now continue coming here, mostly on the grey days, mostly on my own. Everyone that comes here knows it's special. Maybe just because this muddy duck pond is the best we can hope for in the way of swimming spots as Londoners. Or maybe there truly is a tangible low level buzz of energy that draws people in. If we all believe something to be true, then it is, right?   The space is not without its criticisms, with a loud minority of people aiming to exclude trans women from enjoying this peaceful and joyful place. So far they have, thank goddess, been unsuccessful in their plight to exclude, bar and barricade out members of the ponds community. Creating these harmful divisions would, of course, strip the beauty from the ponds, the low level buzz that keeps us all coming back, to be part of something, to be accepted and celebrated.  

[cherubthefish]

He told me he worked for an Oligarch.

L: His house is up by the pond in Hampstead. Next to the roundabout, where the pub is on the corner.

At the top before you dip down to Golders Green?

L: Not Hampstead, sorry. Highgate.

Pond square?

L: Not pond square. Right, okay. So if you’re at pond square, you go down the road by the school and you get to the roundabout.

Sure, I say. (I didn’t)

L: Where the pub is on the corner.

Sure, I say again.

L: He’s got gold everything! Gold taps, gold cutlery, everything.

Gold toilet?

L: I'm telling you gold everything!

Were you allowed to use it?

L: Yeah. He’s a really nice guy.

He paused.

L: I worked on his house, when I first started out. Must have been 28 at the time, something like that, when I did my first job there.

He paused again.

L: I met both his daughters. No, I wasn’t with my wife then. Or was I? Actually I might have been. They were both 18/19, couldn’t have been much older. Bear in mind I would’ve been ten years older than them.

L: They were beautiful. I mean still today the most beautiful women I’ve ever seen. They came down the stairs and said hello to me and really, they were just stunning.

L: You know, I met one of them again years later? I said to her ‘You have a sister, don’t you?’ I met you before. She didn’t remember! I was surprised she didn't remember. "I’m suprised you don’t remember." I said to her. "You came down the stairs and said hello to me." I didn't tell her of course.

No you can’t.

L: But even at 35, she was the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.

[thedraught]

my year in reading | 2022

My books this year were filled with water. Whether their contents overflowed into my life and made me crave the liquid pools of wet more than ever, or whether my summer spent in lakes made me seek them out I may never know. There was a lot of wildness in my reading this year, contemporary writers and many women accidentally. I peered through the cracks of sentences and letters into the lives of others in memoirs and truly felt as though a part of everything I read tethered and centred me this year, teaching me to find a way into my body.

I wrote a lot, for work, and my own writing came too short, as did my reading. And yet, when I look back, I see so much light and airiness that this year has sent my way, no matter the hardships I experienced or the tears I may have shed, that I cannot bear to discount this year. I learned in every conceivable way and I am hopeful that I can apply the lessons I have picked up on further down my path as I continue to move through words and imagery and make sense of what I see.

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This year has given me much joy, my body suspended in bodies of water, hugs and love and so much more music than ever. So I can overlook my failings in the reading department and will continue to call this year visual and social without any regrets. It is a strange yet rewarding feeling to piece the year I had back together through books and photos on my camera roll. So much can happen in so little time, even though I did not experience an actual displacement this year for once, and it is difficult to imagine where I might be this time around 12 months from now, less than 48 hours before the turning over into another year. It is a surreal and scary but also an exciting feeling that I have not yet managed to grasp. So all I can suggest you do, if you feel even remotely the same, is to

Blink three times when you feel it kicking in.

And to look back at all the countless highlights you likely experienced.

My first full year in Berlin began not in Berlin at all, but on a balcony in Rudolstadt, screaming Total Eclipse of the Heart and All Too Well (10 Minute Version) into the newly born January night. I only read one book this cold and grey, grey month, The Written World, while navigating through my new life, receiving visitors and waiting for the heating to get fixed.

February was calm. I saw my grandmother and breathlessly followed the news, battled the winds on Tempelhofer Feld and read inconclusive Japanese fiction (The Factory). I revisited Seanen McGuire’s magical lands in Where the Drowned Girls Go and stayed in the realm of water - the major reading theme this year - with At the Pond, a charming and inspiring anthology about swimming at the Hampstead Ladies Pond.

The highlight of this month (and maybe of this year?) was Doireann Ní Ghríofa’s exquisitely crafted A Ghost in the Throat that made me long for writing and had me seek out many more memoirs for the rest of the year.

I injured my leg running to a yoga class in March, spent a weekend in blissful regency London with J and concocted a violet drink brewed from the arguably worst beverages there are: Dos Mas & ISO. The only book I read this month was The Language of Birds and there’s not much to say about that.

J and me returned to the Bridgerton-realm this April and read the entire Smythe-Smith Quartet, a stark disappointment in contract to the original series. I went to a Bachelorette party as well as a wedding this month and got drunk, drunk, drunk on Hugo of all things. I was successful in not throwing up in the car and read The Houseguest and my first Didion with The Year of Magical Thinking. A Taylor Swift string quartet rounded off the month with a perfect visit from J and lots of vegan food.

I only read four books in May, despite finally catching Covid and spending the first really hot days of the year confined inside. I did tackle the magical and exquisitely crafted Drive your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead, was deeply stressed about apartment searching and read two contemporary novels: Nightbitch and Everyone in this Room Will Someday Be Dead, the latter of which was disappointing despite its enticing title. I celebrated M’s birthday, watched trees greening and found a new apartment two days before the end of the month.

Summer entered with a bang and I spent a portion of my June sitting amidst boxes and boxes of my stuff, planning and sorting. I read The House of Mirth and thoroughly enjoyed it, flew through Mona Awad’s All’s Well and read parts of Snuff on K, M’s and my 9€-ticket trip to the Sächsische Schweiz. Sunshine, heat and Lorde’s Solar Power tour made for the magical beginning of a glorious summer - beaming and glittering all around.

July (and very much the rest of my year) was water based. I swam in many different waters and began my journey through many more books centred around cool liquid lakes and oceans, among them this month The Pisces, another contemporary novel. I swam with the company during a canoeing adventure in the Spree, visited many lakes, took friends out on boats and swam in the Badeschiff. We ran through the fountain in the park during lunch breaks and S sprayed us with his spray bottle in the stuffy office.

August continued with its blessed weather and I frequented lake after lake after lake. With M, with B, sometimes alone even, traipsing through the woods and following Jessica J. Lees footsteps through Berlin in Turning. I finally read Where the Crawdads Sing (another watery story) and was touched by Solnit’s The Faraway Nearby. On a birthday trip to eastern France with my family I found my perfect farmhouse table and lounged in a farmhouse in the perfect overalls and by candlelight.

I read nothing in September, busy with a social week at work, drinks and laughs and rooftops and flowers from good friends. I tried to go to a party - and failed, I hosted M and met old friends amidst entering an emotionally turbulent time that now, looking back, taught me many things I needed to feel.

October continued my highly social drive. I carved pumpkins, sewed costumes and had my mum visit for a lovely trip. October saw the release of Taylor Swift’s Midnights and had me host a release party for J, M, M, A and A at my table that finally made it over to me from France. The books I read were all a throwback re-read from the Jette Weingärtner series by Monika Feth that re-entered my mind after a fun day of ice skating together with T at home.

F visited me in November and through him I made a new (and talented!) friend T who sings with me. I met J and brought her a specially made cake and crafted an advent calendar together with N whilst watching the worst Christmas movie ever made. I continued my path through Monika Feth’s series and met Joan Didion once more, as I immersed myself in her Blue Nights before embarking on the final month of the year…

In this poor reading year, I saw myself in a final reading frenzy in December. Broken by Backman’s The Winners - and actually watching a real ice hockey match - filled to the brim again with water in four gorgeous books: Saltwater, Summerwater, Pond and Turning that each moved me in a different way. I went home, engrossed in Die Wand (which was mentioned in Pond) and devastated all the same. I am not sure how (or if) I will ever get over the passing of Luchs or Benji for that matter.

Now, 9 books richer over Christmas, a new diary to fill and excitement overflowing all my edges, I cannot wait for what’s to come. A more succinct Year in Reading, perhaps. A diary filled with words more than pictures. A year of new beginnings, of Taylor (likely), friends and calm.

P.S. My year - at least the atmosphere, feeling and mindset - is probably best summed up through my Spotify wrapped this year: glitter, pink and girly happiness.

[camdensedimenta]

#PondsSoWhite

by Karla La Pond Antoinette

Hampstead Village Voice submission APRIL 2019 (unpublished & unabridged)

This New Year, a phenomenal surge of new winter swimmers unexpectedly followed the launch of 'The Ponds' film (2019), aided no doubt by that weirdly atypical February heatwave. Whatever the arguable merits and demerits of this popular feature length documentary, it's Oh-So-White profiling of all three Hampstead Heath swimming ponds, is an inescapable complexion which director Patrick McLelland cannot deny, try as he does. A local Indian woman approached him to interview her informal swimming group of NW5 habituees, the self-styled 'Kenwood Slappers'. All had their voices heard except she, the only B.A.M.E member.

The film makers' repeated defence that the Kenwood Ladies' Pond Association (KLPA) only sanctioned limited filming access does not embolden their argument. Our segment conveyed a sufficient sense of women's spiritual and playful political solidarity (excluding that nonsensical trans joke) with just four days' worth of footage. Yet our pond is a terrific tapestry of London's variously-melanated females.

To my knowledge, in 30 years, race has never overtly provoked anyone there. Class, gender, sex and even sexual activity, certainly have - though rarely. Swimsuits, for the most part, are a great leveller.

Photographer Ruth Corney being interviewed for The Ponds film (2019) ­Laser Guided Prods Ltd.

This film portrays the swimmers as mostly middle aged, middle class and oh-so-white. That may play in to a romanticised image of Hampstead and Highgate as an olde worlde Anglo-Saxon idyll replete with charming home county types, yet Blacks, Indians and Jews have lived locally for generations even at Kenwood House. For women, the pond is a refugia. A theatre of their sanctity - bodily, spiritual and sexual. The coalitions are sensed inwardly, while the men's are more outwardly. Many feel the Ladies' Pond should remain hidden and inaccessible to preserve its' power. The photography ban at our pond primarily protects religious women's privacy (Jewish and Muslim). But in truth, the rest of us feel like Gwyneth Paltrow's daughter these days. Instagram be damned! Lately, unwanted male ingressions both adult and little boys with their entitled mothers are an increasing annoyance. A sign of the impolite times? Or the felling of former tree cover by The City for their damned Dams Project in 2016? Too much publicity whatever. Dunno what happens at the mixed - apart from two hetero lifeguards meeting and marrying there last year. Lovely.

RELATED LOCAL EVENTS

Until mid-August Burgh House has a wonderful exhibition of the bathing ponds through history; includes vintage home photography, articles, books and stills from the film. www.burghhouse.org.u

On June 20th 2019, Daunt Books launch an anthology of women's pond stories by established writers such as Esther Freud, Margaret Drabble & Deborah Moggach. Our review out in the next issue.

June 2019 - 'City Swimmers' (2006) KLPA's film made with Margaret Dickinson will be re-screened at Highgate's 'Fair on the Square' in tandem with 'The Ponds' film. It documents swimmers' protest against The City's then threat to shut all ponds.  www.klpa.uk

Summer 2019, KLPA's material heritage (photos, articles, artwork & letters from Jeremy Corbyn, Glenda Jackson, Roger Deakin et al) will go to The City Of London's Bishopsgate Archive for all to access.

Visitor at Burgh House's 'Bathing Ponds of Hampstead' exhibition 2019

Addendum:

The film does work on several levels albeit bland ones.

The title is: 'Hampstead Heath: 350 hectares of forest and parkland.' Error number 1. Geologically, it is, in fact, ancient heathland with a managed woodland. Since Saxon times until the 1950's it was an agro-industrial landscape. My father, born locally in 1926 was once a Hampstead Councillor. He remembered walking idly amongst the dozy sheep and I'm not referring to his electorate - at least not knowingly!

There were female breasts on display in the film but no male butts for balance - unless one includes out of focus shots in the background at the nude sunbathing area in the men's changing rooms. No mention of gays at the ladies yet there was at the mens - mostly by straight guys, it seemed. That trans joke was idiotic and shouldn't have been included. (N.B. The BBC TV edit did cut it)

Why did no salaried female lifeguards want to be filmed - they know better.

Also, the music was ghastly. This is Camden! We have a reputation.

[stylesunchained]

No offense but you’re being incredibly biphobic, as someone who is bisexual. Harry can sing his heart out about eating pussy and also be sucking whoever’s dick because as he has said in a song, he likes it both ways. Also why would random gay men make up fake rumors about him at the ponds? Men who aren’t even his fans or care enough to make up fake stories. It sounds like you just don’t want him to be attracted to men which is on the other end of the spectrum of the harries who don’t want him to be attracted to women. Both of you are wrong. Trust me Harry likes both men and women and you denying that won’t change anything. The way Harry expresses his attraction for men will never be as public or blatant as his attraction for women because he’s the biggest male pop star in the world and sadly (judging by your thoughts and asks) homophobia is still extremely prevalent in today’s society. Hope you understand how offensive you’re coming across instead of automatically denying it and going into defensive mode.

Just because you think I’m wrong doesn’t automatically mean you’re right. And I think it’s funny you’re saying I’m being offensive when you’re the one forcing a sexuality onto Harry when he himself hasn’t claimed as his. A song - that fans interpreted themselves it’s about him being bi and HE hasn’t said that it is about him or about his sexuality and that fans also immediately changed the lyrics to fit into this narrative that you created on your minds - also doesn’t mean he’s bi.

And here’s the thing: if he were bi, I wouldn’t have a problem with it. I never did lmao My problem is with people who continuously go against what he says and does because THEY want him to be gay or bi or everything else people say he is. The choice is his and my problem is with the people who insistently, like you’re doing right now, project onto him and say something is certain when Harry himself hasn’t been vocal about it. I tend to believe what he says and shows me instead of picking a sexuality for him according to what I think or according to lyrics that people make up in their heads to fit a narrative.

And about men making up rumors… they themselves admitted they did it for clout. And the fact people think Harry, who is a very private person, would go out on a limb and have sex in plain sight in Hampstead Heath… y’all are just acting dumb at this point. If he has been with men - which I don’t know and can’t say for sure because I’m not him and I’m not privy to that information - he’d most certainly do it in private, just like he does with women.

Hope you understand how offensive you’re coming across by pushing a sexuality onto him he hasn’t said himself is his instead of automatically denying it and going into defensive mode.

[majhee]

Top 10 Private Maternity Hospitals in London

Choosing a private maternity hospital in London is an important decision to make. With so many great facilities, narrowing your choices might take time and effort. Here's a look at ten of London's best private maternity hospitals, each with its strengths and specialties.

1. Grosvenor Gardens Healthcare is a highly reputable private maternity hospital in London. Grosvenor Gardens Healthcare provides a beautiful delivery experience centered on customized care. They have a staff of highly qualified consultants who give excellent treatment to both moms and babies.

Website: Grosvenor Gardens Healthcare

Location: 2 Grosvenor Gardens, London, SW1W 0DH (Belgravia) and 17 Croxted Road, London, SE21 8SZ (Dulwich)

2. The Lindo Wing in St. Mary's Hospital: The Lindo Wing, which is internationally famous, is popular among celebrities. It is part of St. Mary's Hospital and provides a quiet and peaceful birthing experience with access to the hospital's world-class professionals.

Website: The Lindo Wing at St. Mary’s Hospital

Location: South Wharf Road, London W2 1BL

3. The Portland Hospital for Women & Children is one of the UK's top private maternity hospitals. They provide a broad range of maternity services, including antenatal care, birth, and postnatal care. They are known for their cutting-edge facilities and stellar reputation.

Website: The Portland Hospital for Women & Children

Location: 205-209 Great Portland Street, London, W1W 5AH, United Kingdom

4. The Kensington Wing at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital: The Kensington Wing provides a personalized approach to maternity care in a luxurious setting. They have a team of highly skilled consultants and midwives who offer a full range of maternity services.

Website: The Kensington Wing at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital

Location:  369 Fulham Road, London, SW10 9NH, United Kingdom

5. Queen Charlotte’s and Chelsea Hospital: Part of the Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, Queen Charlotte’s and Chelsea Hospital is a world-renowned center for women’s health. They offer a full range of maternity services, including care for high-risk pregnancies.

Website: Queen Charlotte’s and Chelsea Hospital

Location: Du Cane Road, London, W12 0HS, United Kingdom

Additional Options to Consider:

6. The Royal Free Hospital: Renowned for its neonatal intensive care unit, The Royal Free offers a comprehensive maternity service with a focus on high-risk pregnancies.

Website: The Royal Free Hospital

Location: Pond Street, Hampstead, London, NW3 2QG, United Kingdom

7. University College London Hospital (UCLH): UCLH offers a modern maternity unit with a focus on family-centered care. They have a team of experienced consultants and midwives who provide care for both straightforward and complex pregnancies.

Website: University College London Hospital (UCLH)

Location: 235 Euston Road, London, NW1 2BU, United Kingdom

8. King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust: King’s College Hospital offers a high standard of maternity care, with a focus on innovation and research. They have a team of specialists who can care for complex pregnancies.

Website: King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Location: Denmark Hill, London, SE5 9RS, United Kingdom

9. Spire Bushey Hospital: Spire Bushey Hospital is a private hospital located in north London. They offer a range of maternity services, including antenatal care, delivery, and postnatal support.

Website: https://www.spirehealthcare.com/spire-bushey-hospital/

Location: Heathbourne Road, Bushey, Hertfordshire, WD23 1RD, United Kingdom

10. The HCA Healthcare London Clinic: The London Clinic offers a personalized approach to maternity care in a comfortable and discreet setting. They have a team of experienced consultants and midwives who can care for both straightforward and complex pregnancies.

Website: The HCA Healthcare London Clinic

Location:  35 Weymouth Street, Marylebone, London, W1G 8BJ, United Kingdom

This list is just a starting point, and the best private maternity hospital for you will depend on your individual needs and preferences. Be sure to research each hospital carefully and take a tour of the facilities before making your decision.

Read More:

Private Maternity Hospital in London

Private GP in London

Private Gynaecologist in London

[strangenewfriends]

Omg your anon about Harry not being able to go places alone because he’s in a relationship? Maybe he wanted to get out and knew he’d feel comfortable there lollll who knows. I never heard this story!

What the anon is referring to is where Harry met the man who interviewed him for Vogue, Hamish Bowles, for his interview. It’s talked about at the beginning of the article. I will post the relevant bits (the .... is where I removed some in the interest of brevity, but I’m linking to the whole article):

“ THE MEN’S BATHING POND in London’s Hampstead Heath at daybreak on a gloomy September morning seemed such an unlikely locale for my first meeting with Harry Styles, music’s legendarily charm-heavy style czar, that I wondered perhaps if something had been lost in translation. But then there is Styles, cheerily gung ho, hidden behind a festive yellow bandana mask and a sweatshirt of his own design, surprisingly printed with three portraits of his intellectual pinup, the author Alain de Botton. “I love his writing,” says Styles. “I just think he’s brilliant. I saw him give a talk about the keys to happiness, and how one of the keys is living among friends, and how real friendship stems from being vulnerable with someone.” ...... “ That sweatshirt and the Columbia Records tracksuit bottoms are removed in the quaint wooden open-air changing room, with its Swallows and Amazons vibe. A handful of intrepid fellow patrons in various states of undress are blissfully unaware of the 26-year-old supernova in their midst, although I must admit I’m finding it rather difficult to take my eyes off him, try as I might.”.....”We take the piratical gangplank that juts into the water and dive in. Let me tell you, this is not the Aegean. The glacial water is a cloudy phlegm green beneath the surface, and clammy reeds slap one’s ankles. Styles, who admits he will try any fad, has recently had a couple of cryotherapy sessions and is evidently less susceptible to the cold. By the time we have swum a full circuit, however, body temperatures have adjusted, and the ice, you might say, has been broken. Duly invigorated, we are ready to face the day. Styles has thoughtfully brought a canister of coffee and some bottles of water in his backpack, and we sit at either end of a park bench for a socially distanced chat.”

From what I have read, it’s an open air swimming pond in Hampstead Heath, where there are a series of swimming ponds. There’s two “single sex” bathing ponds--one for men, which it seems Harry was swimming in, and one for women--and a mixed bathing pond for all genders. It’s for “competent swimmers only” and kids only allowed with supervision. It’s open to everyone but has a history and importance in the gay community and is known as gay friendly.

[sqwintyisleek-blog]

Women’s pond. (at Hampstead Heath) https://www.instagram.com/p/B4AzkdPnUdV/?igshid=1x3x3h5gp5ur