The Pond (drained) 1987
This photo and the following article were copied from the 1987 College Magazine

As many of the more observant inhabitants of Wymondham College will have noticed, several weeks into the Easter Term, strange things started happening to the pond. The club responsible for the transformation is known as the 'Conservation Club.'  They have often been seen picking up litter and cleaning out the pond in their free time like a troop of voluntary caretakers.

The aim of the project was 'to landscape the area, and make the pond into a healthy showpiece for the school.'  This is especially important as the new dining hall [at the right - Ed.] will make the pond the centre of the school.  The first step was to pump out all the water, an operation which took about five days. Despite months of planning it was not easy. As Ernest Panks told me, "the pump decided to eat through four shear (safety) pins in one and a half hours". This resulted in delay, but three pumps later everything was back on schedule. At one point improvisation was called for when they realised their piping was not long enough to reach the drain. Although the club ordered the largest skip possible, they only received an 8 ton skip to put all the rubbish in which could not be used. All this and the fact that the road was rendered unusable made it seem that they were jinxed, but they blundered on undeterred.

Any future archaeologist would have been understandably confused by the debris found lurking in the pond's murky depths:

half a bottle of cider
1 sponge
2 plimsolls
2 hockey sticks
1 golf ball
1 mug
some model boat/aircraft remains
pens
CDT projects
cutlery
school cuppery

I asked why they thought it necessary to disturb the peaceful life of the ducks to clean the pond. It appears that, apart from improving the appearance of the site, they cut down the population of an over-populated pond. The seven ducks, which have since disappeared, have not ended up in the school freezers, but were taken to a lake in Hingham. The fish collected were mostly diseased and had to be treated before being released into the sports field's pond.

Many boulders and earth taken from the pond will be used for landscaping and building up the banks. Wood which was cut from some of the trees has been sold as firewood to try to recover some of the cost of hiring the skip, digger and pump.  Despite the smell, the club managed to attract several Lincoln Sixth-formers and lots of Second years, kindly donated by Mr. Sayer. The group are also salvaging a 29-year-old boat under the enthusiastic supervision of Mr. Welsh.

Richard Walton

Contents The Gallery Topography - exteriors 80's & Onwards The Pond (drained) 1987