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Swimmers take a Christmas Day dip in Blackroot Pool at Sutton Park, in Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham (Jacob King/PA)
PA Wire/PA Images - Jacob King
Chilly temperatures failed to deter swimmers from going for a festive dip on Christmas Day morning.
Dozens of people donned swimsuits and fancy dress as they gathered for an annual festive tradition in London. Members of the Serpentine Swimming Club take part in the Peter Pan Cup race, which is held every Christmas Day at the Serpentine, in Hyde Park.
Members of the Serpentine Swimming Club prepare to take the plunge (Lucy North/PA)PA Wire/PA Images - Lucy North
A Christmas Day dip has become an annual tradition for many (Lucy North/PA)PA Wire/PA Images - Lucy North
Swimmers race over a 100-yard course as they compete to win the Peter Pan Cup. The Christmas Day race has been held every year since 1864 and is the oldest continuously swam race in the world, according to the club’s website.
Many swimmers don fancy dress for the occasion (Lucy North/PA)PA Wire/PA Images - Lucy North
Swimmers emerging from the water after the Peter Pan Cup race (Lucy North/PA)PA Wire/PA Images - Lucy North
The tradition has taken hold all over the UK. These swimmers were up bright and early at Cullercoats Bay in North Tyneside for a Christmas dip.
Swimmers take a Christmas Day dip at Cullercoats Bay in North Tyneside (Owen Humphreys/PA)PA Wire/PA Images - Owen Humphreys
The cold weather failed to put off these festive swimmers (Owen Humphreys/PA)PA Wire/PA Images - Owen Humphreys
Scores of people descended on Blackroot Pool at Sutton Park, in Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, for a morning swim.
Swimmers prepare to take part before the Christmas Day dip in Blackroot Pool (Jacob King/PA)PA Wire/PA Images - Jacob King
Swimmers perched on the edge of Blackroot Pool at Sutton Park getting ready to dive in (Jacob King/PA)PA Wire/PA Images - Jacob King
People embraced the cold water as they jumped into Birmingham’s Blackroot Pool (Jacob King/PA)PA Wire/PA Images - Jacob King
Even Father Christmas and Rudolph decided to take a plunge after what must have been an exhausting night’s work.
A svelte looking Santa took a dip (Jacob King/PA)PA Wire/PA Images - Jacob King
A woman wearing toy reindeer antlers smiling while swimming in the water (Jacob King/PA)PA Wire/PA Images - Jacob King
Others, like this little doggy, preferred to watch from the sidelines (Jacob King/PA)PA Wire/PA Images - Jacob King
Meanwhile, out of the water, people in Sandringham waited for a glimpse of the royal family attending a Christmas Day church service.
Members of the public queue up for the Christmas Day morning service attended by members of the royal family at St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham, Norfolk (Aaron Chown/PA)PA Wire/PA Images - Aaron Chown
A dog wearing a festive Christmas coat in Sandringham (Aaron Chown/PA)PA Wire/PA Images - Aaron Chown
The Princess of Wales and Princess Charlotte attending the Christmas Day morning church service (Aaron Chown/PA)PA Wire/PA Images - Aaron Chown
The King and Queen waving as people take photographs (Aaron Chown/PA)PA Wire/PA Images - Aaron Chown
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