Women free to swim without fear of arrest: from the archive, 24 July 1930

For the first time women have been allowed to swim openly and without fear of arrest in the holy waters of the Serpentine. Hundreds have availed themselves of the privilege

We have celebrated this summer the opening of “Lansbury’s Lido,” and for the first time women have been allowed to swim openly and without fear of arrest in the holy waters of the Serpentine. Hundreds have availed themselves of the privilege, and thousands more have discovered a cheap and amusing outdoor show.

Few realise the hard work that their mothers and grandmothers have had to get the taboo removed from fresh-water swimming for women. I remember how bitter it was in our childhood to be told, when we saw our brothers going joyously out to swim in any river or pond handy: “Little ladies may only bathe in the sea; God made the canals and rivers for boys. You are very rude girls to want to go.”

Continue reading...











from Health & wellbeing | The Guardian http://ift.tt/1VDtfFx
via health