The annual New Year’s Day swim took place at Whitley Bay, Tyne & Wear today. Around 150 swimmers, some in fancy dress, braved the shockingly cold North Sea for a fun dip and to see the new year in and blow the cobwebs away from the old one.

Organisd by the Panama Swimming Club, based in Whitley Bay, a cup of tea and a mince pie awaited those brave (?) enough to go in.

Luckily the temperatures in the North East have risen since Boxing day from the artic sub-zero weather we had been having for more than a month so coming out of the water wasn’t quite as bad as those at Seaburn a week earlier.

New Year's Day Swim 2011 Whitley Bay

More pictures here