Pond Life

Amphibians and Human

What is going on in this prosperous neighbourhood known as Hampstead Heath? Here you will find a rare corner of the London metropolis still retaining its village and leafy atmosphere. Even the small detached and semi-detached houses ran into a ton of money and apartments achieved millions. Just when you thought the property prices spiked; up they would Blooming go again. Quaintness and tranquility attracts and areas such as Wimbledon, Barnes, Dulwich, Greenwich, Richmond, and the like were no competition for Hampstead Heath; they were knocked into a cocked-hat when it came to the wealth department. Hampstead was in a league of its own. Here pockets of affluence abound; a small area of London which arguably boasts some of the most expensive houses in the world. A picturesque semi- rural district steeped in history and peppered with grand mansions occupied by wealthy Widows, bankers, Jewellers, stuck up pompous fat cats and Arab owned Mansions rarely occupied; and they are rich, filthy rich. Ornate Huge Wrought iron gates, intricate facades and security systems ruled the architectural eye. Amidst this rural jewel in London’s crown various ponds were scattered around and one stood out, a large pond commonly known as Hampstead Pond. The Pond held no pretentiousness and the rich and poor locals of the Hampstead community thrived in its tranquil atmosphere. Sunday, often described as the proverbial day of rest, and to some their only day off. That’s the preferred day they would come and enjoy the activities the pond afforded. One such family are the Jones’s, this particular family occupied without doubt the largest house in Hampstead, built on the largest plot and without doubt boasting the largest price tag and incidentally the Jones’s attracted the largest amount of curiosity. The Joneses are not ya typical family, quirky, weird unique? I’ll leave it up to you to decide; let you be the judge so to speak. The Jones extraordinary twins Johnny and Jennifer had special abilities and were maturing rapidly, far more rapidly than your average teenager. They were approaching their seventeenth birthday, that’s when mysterious forces kicked in and put a whole new meaning to the term coming of age. There is a certain intrigue about the Jones's; people accused them of flaunting and showing off, but they definitely were not. The father Jack Jones has passed on genes of a weird and wonderful kind. The twins brain capacity far exceeded those of a similar age. For this reason, they were exempt from school and studied at home. They are a rough and ready family, Jack is a staunch Atheist and blasphemed, this habit rubbed off onto the rest of his family which in turn rubbed off onto those who mixed in their circles; including animals. Money is no object and there was no room for political correctness in the Jones household. Yes, they cursed with the best of them, blatantly unaware that they attracted puzzled looks and stares where ever they went. Strangely enough everyone wanted to become friendly with the Joneses, but frightened off by false rumours, accusations and gossip; the few friends they had were pleasantly surprised when discovering their secrets.