Swimming in the Finchley Park pond

Finchley Park, many happy memories of long summer holidays spent on the swings, I seem to remember they were low to the ground and took some getting up in the air. The pump which was like a bigger version of a see-saw that hung on arms on a metal frame. One person stood either end and pumped it up, there was room for about six, god it frightened the life out of you if it went too high. Now you’ve all said that about drains draining into the pool there, it’s a bit scary. Lots of us from our grove used to take our swimming things round there on a hot day and swim in the pond. The park is nothing like it was then, none of the trees or the shrubbery or landscaping. Percy just liked to keep order and didn’t like cheeky kids. There was a big shelter just by the exit to Finchley Road, I think it had three or four sides with benches where you could sit and talk. The park was great for us kids.