The Drowning Place - Beckenham Place Park

[John H]

Just had a look on the link and I am surprised there are no life preserver rings. Though I imagine, after a few months you will begin to notice litter, cigarette ends, plastic bottles and other rubbish dumped in there. I bet if you give it a year, you will find a supermarket trolley or an old fridge freezer!
Fingers crossed and hope for the best that nobody drowns in it. ...or gets injured. I hope kids don't try walking over it when it freezes. Wouldn't want to imagine anyone falling through the ice into such deep cold water.
Could the council not 'think' of anything else to waste money on? How about fitting (& maintaining) new decent sized swings, slides, witches hat, etc, etc. The council would have needed to think about that one.

A very long way for anyone to carry a fridge freezer. Unless they put it in the trolley I suppose.

It was mainly lottery money and I'm sure a lot of thought went into it. There's also a new play area and many other facilities.

Despite all the negativity, the number of people using the park has already shot up. While you're sitting at home moaning about it, hundreds of people are out there enjoying it.

It is not negativity to raise safety concerns. It is reprehensible of you to seek to justify Lewisham's deliberate construction of an unsafe facility.

[monkeyarms]

These safety concerns apply to any unattended body of water though, and the same points can be made about a bathtub. You could make the same points about any lake or pond in the UK. Yes, a kid could drown at Beckenham Place Park, just as they could if they ran into the Thames if they were out mudlarking, or on a stretch of Kent coastline, or in a garden pond. Parents know this and pay attention to their kids. How the lake slopes is in this respect neither here nor there.

[Holaquease]

These safety concerns apply to any unattended body of water though, and the same points can be made about a bathtub. You could make the same points about any lake or pond in the UK. Yes, a kid could drown at Beckenham Place Park, just as they could if they ran into the Thames if they were out mudlarking, or on a stretch of Kent coastline, or in a garden pond. Parents know this and pay attention to their kids. How the lake slopes is in this respect neither here nor there.

It's nice that you care, John. It really is.

(Although I suspect that you don't really, you just want to complain).

But I'm way more worried about my kids getting run over on the way to the park, bullied at school, kidnapped, struck down MRSA/Zika/Ebola, losing a load of opportunity because of Brexit, having Boris as prime minister, getting drowned by the melting icecaps, or getting stabbed, than I am by them having access to the new leisure activities available at BPP.

Did anyone make it today? How was it?

[admin]

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid ... ater&ifg=1

Some photos of the park on it's official opening, including the London mayor and Lewisham mayor. Lots of people swimming too!

[stone-penge]

Any drownings yet at the drowning lake.?
No.
It's not living up to the hype is it?

[John H]

Any drownings yet at the drowning lake.?
No.
It's not living up to the hype is it?

Early days yet. There will be.

Then what will the sneering classes find to peer down their noses at?

[TWalks]

In case you can’t access the link:

Beckenham Place Park roped off lake splash zone, be extra careful!
We went to the lake today and it was a lovely vibe BUT... My 10yo got out of his depth and panicked in the splash zone and my husband had to stage a dramatic (and thankfully timely) rescue. The website for the lake says this area has a maximum depth of 1.2m but my 6ft husband says he couldn't reach the bottom with his feet at the point where he got to our son (still within roped area). I suspect the rope shifted through the day but it is worth being very wary of if you are planning a visit.

https://m.facebook.com/story/graphql_pe ... YyOTA4NjUx

[sparticus]

As in Swallows and Amazons- “Better drowned than duffers; if not duffers won’t drown!”

[John H]

In case you can’t access the link:

Beckenham Place Park roped off lake splash zone, be extra careful!
We went to the lake today and it was a lovely vibe BUT... My 10yo got out of his depth and panicked in the splash zone and my husband had to stage a dramatic (and thankfully timely) rescue. The website for the lake says this area has a maximum depth of 1.2m but my 6ft husband says he couldn't reach the bottom with his feet at the point where he got to our son (still within roped area). I suspect the rope shifted through the day but it is worth being very wary of if you are planning a visit.

https://m.facebook.com/story/graphql_pe ... YyOTA4NjUx

My worst fears are realised! I watched this lake being built. I know every inch of the land on which it has been constructed. I suspect the website is talking about the section they deem to be a paddling area... There is no way to see where that ends and the base plummets steeply down. The original blurb on posters in the park boasted about the very considerable depth of the proposed lake.

I am so pleased your child was rescued. Perhaps now the clever sneering clogs will take note.

As a matter of interest... Did you see any lifeguards?

For those who sneer at my warnings I should advise you I am qualified in "Safety of Life at Sea". I was also trained to be able to swim fully clothed and trained in lifesaving. A long time ago.

[westy1980]

What a marvellous asset to our local area this new swimming lake could be! I went on Saturday, and saw lots of families having a fantastic time.
Obviously, safety is paramount, but it seems that this thread is a bit overly negative.

While there have been concerns about the way Beckenham Place Park is changing, engaging with that change and helping to shape what is turning into a fantastic and popular public space is surely a better way to go about things?

I for one love the way the park, mansion house and surrounding buildings are being developed. I understand that change inevitably means loss of how things were, but this new iteration of Beckenham Place Park seems to be much more usable for many more people than previously.

I hope they come up with something good for the club house in the woods. I hear a pub may be on the cards?

[simon]

It would appear that John H may have a point: https://www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/1778 ... ref=twtrec

[Holaquease]

It would appear that John H may have a point: https://www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/1778 ... ref=twtrec

It would, wouldn't it...

[TWalks]

“I am so pleased your child was rescued. Perhaps now the clever sneering clogs will take note.

As a matter of interest... Did you see any lifeguards?”

This was not my child but posted by another local mum on a Forest Hill Facebook page. She later commented that she’d written to the council and various authorities about the incident.

[Ghlpc]

I was there yesterday, very busy.

There seemed to be a tent with a few staff and also a lifeguard on a small raft patrolling the water.

We had 3 kids in the roped area, who are all good swimmers, and we didn't have any issues, except it did get suddenly deeper as you approached the rope. But we had eyes on them at all times, firstly because its parental common sense (surely!), and secondly because I was aware of this thread and the warnings from John H.

But the roped area gives the impression that its a safe depth when it clearly isn't.

I'm sure the council will take any 'near misses' seriously and take any appropriate action needed.

Parents should treat the lake as they would the beach and sea.

We had a great time by the way, and the park is fantastic and look forward to many more days there.

[hotterthanurex]

Grew up near a quarry that was used for swimming and sadly a few children died. The danger is when it gets deep suddenly. Yes, very worrying. I'll go, but it's good to be aware that we should take extra care. Thanks for flagging.

[JGD]

Where i was brought up there were small farm reservoirs - very difficult to clamber out of - and some river pools that on certain days were shockingly cold and could catch out the unwary.

There were fatalities and it is wise to be wary.

Appropriate safety equipment and lifeguards where possible are always advisable. So perfectly pertinent questions about whether they were present or not.

Perhaps people could lighten up on those expressing concern - for whatever reason.

If I read it right there have been two reported "panic" incidents with children finding themselves in deeper water than they thought and being unable to stand on the bottom.

[John H]

Where i was brought up there were small farm reservoirs - very difficult to clamber out of - and some river pools that on certain days were shockingly cold and could catch out the unwary.

There were fatalities and it is wise to be wary.

Appropriate safety equipment and lifeguards where possible are always advisable. So perfectly pertinent questions about whether they were present or not.

Perhaps people could lighten up on those expressing concern - for whatever reason.

If I read it right there have been two reported "panic" incidents with children finding themselves in deeper water than they thought and being unable to stand on the bottom.

A case a day it seems.

[Rachael]

It seems to me the problem is this is a new body of water in a public park and people are assuming it has designed to be completely safe for children and that they don’t need to take the same amount of care that they would in bodies of water not purpose designed for swimming. Personally I think the splash zone and beach area are a bad idea because they reinforce this false idea. I suspect it won’t be too long before use of the lake is restricted to adults and older children who can prove their swimming competency.

[John H]

It seems to me the problem is this is a new body of water in a public park and people are assuming it has designed to be completely safe for children and that they don’t need to take the same amount of care that they would in bodies of water not purpose designed for swimming. Personally I think the splash zone and beach area are a bad idea because they reinforce this false idea. I suspect it won’t be too long before use of the lake is restricted to adults and older children who can prove their swimming competency.

and how will that be enforced? Lewisham closed down its swimming baths because it was unwilling to provide the necessary safeguards (too expensive). Lewisham will not be prepared to provide the necessary 12 lifeguards to protect the public. Lewisham has not even provided buoyancy aids at intervals around the pond.

Interestingly.... the wetlands idea seems to have been scrapped.

[Rachael]

Is there updated information on the wetlands? It was always scheduled to happen after the lake was complete.