Benoit When did you first start coming to the Ponds?
I started off at Crouch End Lido, which is heated to about 20 but I mean, I just wanted that cold buzz right? So, one guy at Crouch End, who’s a veteran here (Hampstead Heath Ponds) said “What you doing man, get down to Hampstead Ponds-it’s got wildlife, its open”, and I like wildlife. I’m very much into my nature so I thought I’d give it a go. I must admit, I started in the winter and this is my fifth season now… I love it, I really do.
How do you think the cold water helps you?
I go year-round and I'm missing the winter now to be honest. It’s about 19 now and that's way high. A nice temperature for me is when I put my gloves and my booties on which is about seven/eight, but I like it when it drops because then it becomes a challenge. I think the coldest it was this year was two degrees and the lifeguards break up the ice… the psychology of that and I’m thinking, ‘boy I’m almost doing what they do in Scandinavian countries’, yeah. That's part of the mental challenge that I think really helps me.
You know, I’m trying to introduce some more Afro Caribbean people because of what it’s done for me. It's really sparked me. I was… I was a semi-pro basketball player. Yeah, knees are shot out but this did it for me. It was like a comeback after retiring, especially the cold water. I've done a few lidos, but this is the home for me. Hampstead Men's Pond is home.
How do you enjoy the community aspect of the Ponds?
It’s a little sanctuary with a lot of different guys from different walks of life. I've had chats with lots of people because that's me. I was a teacher and lecturer and I just like engaging with people… find out what they're doing. So that side for me, it's nice anyway because I meet different people and they know me. I chat about what life is saying. I’m at that stage in life, you know, I can help them, give them a few contacts. Because, you know, I've done a lot, seen a lot. We help each other, like, self-therapeutic counselling, you know? You can definitely get that from the Men’s Pond, you know, if you're a little bit more open. There are some guys that come in and are very quiet, do their swim and they’re gone, but the community… I like that.
I came over here sort of Windrush generation with mum and dad, six brothers, one sister. A big family. Tough, tough, tough. You know, there's lots of examples of how tough it was in London. We moved to Islington when I was about five or six. I was very young. I can remember Dominica where I'm from… I can remember that. You know the little things. Me and my brother were in Dominica. Mum and dad came over to England with the two oldest and we were left with my grandma or auntie, something like that for a couple of years… I was raised by them. When I was coming over, I remember thinking “what am I doing, people are taking me away from my home”. Mum and dad had my other siblings, another three. Then we're all together which was good, you know, because with a big family, it was nice growing up.
During those early years, what were your experiences of masculinity?
Sport… that sort of pushed me one way, the tension and the winning element. The basketball team I played for… we were national champions, but we did have a good girls team and they played with us. I liked that bit where, you know, we did have to link up with the girls so when you say ‘masculinity’ you just think that is, sort of part of life you know? What dad did is take us out, the boys all out together, bike riding, wrestling in the park.
I was brought up in a tough Hackney school comprehensive and I became a youth leader when was about 14. Yeah, I've been involved in community work since then. Yeah, man I love it.
Tell me about your community work?
I have been a basketball coach for 40 years… getting young people involved. The whole idea is communication, to get them on the right track. I do this in London Borough of hard knuckle Tottenham… a lot of gun and knife crime. I'm trying to deter them away from the gang life, if we can, the success rate is good. You know, the ones that were virgin, maybe going into gangs, we get them into sports, talk about their academics and life. Nowadays, I don't only call myself a basketball coach but a life coach.
What do you think it adds for the kids?
The communication is good and obviously you're talking to a senior. I just try to direct them the right way if they are going the wrong way. Not all of them are going the wrong way. You know, the majority of them are studying but sometimes they still need to talk about that. There's a lot of demand.
Do you have a favourite memory at the Ponds?
When my son came with me… he came, and he's never been back. (Laughter) He came at Christmas, and he did quite literally five strokes and he started cursing me out. Yeah, I’m that kind of dad so I said, “don’t go to the car straight away they have hot showers” (laughter) and he was screaming and swearing in the shower. He went shivering to the car, but he did thank me saying “dad it is good, it is good”. That was one of the best for me. He’s never been back but he will, even if it isn’t with me but it’s with his kids. I know he will be back.