Welcome to the 42nd Tenby Boxing Day Swim
Tenby Boxing Day Swim started in 1970 and has snowballed into Tenby's main Christmas attraction. With around 600 swimmers and thousands of onlookers each year, this fantastic spectacle is not to be missed. With everyone swimming for charity, Boxing Day in Tenby is a surefire way to carry on the fun at Christmas. A roaring bonfire greets the emerging swimmers and everyone of them receives a medal for their bravery. As the swim goes from strength to strength each year, the event grows with canoes, raft racing and much more before the great immersion at 11.30am. Come and meet your friends on the North Beach this Boxing Day, give generously to the local charities and enjoy all the fun of the beach.
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The 41st Tenby Boxing Day Swim - Courtesy of WALES ONLINE
A RECORD number of bathers, many in fancy dress, took part in the annual Boxing Day swim in Tenby yesterday.
The traditional event, now in its 41st year, has snowballed into one of Wales’ festive highlights, attracting hundreds of bathers annually. Even in the depths of last year’s chilling sub-zero winter, up to 350 bathers dashed across the town’s snow-strewn beaches to take the plunge. But yesterday’s much milder weather saw more than 650 swimmers take part, raising thousands of pounds for charity. Tenby hotelier Chris Osborne, chairman of the Tenby Sea Swimming Association and one of the event’s organisers, said: “It was definitely a record entry this year. It’s not only the mild weather – it’s the fact the Boxing Day swim here has been getting more and more popular over the years. Last year the snow put people off travelling and it was rather cold.” The fancy dress element are now dubbed “Tenby on TV” after their antics in the annual swim were featured in a television advert by Tesco which re-created traditional events across the UK for its Christmas advertising campaign.Mr Osborne, who runs the Fourcroft Hotel in Tenby, said: “Tenby has never had such good television coverage in the space of a few months. As well as this advert, we’ve had Grand Designs, Ironman Wales, Don’t Tell the Bride and Mayday Mayday filmed here. The event not only attracts swimmers, it’s become part of Tenby tradition now to get out to the North Beach on Boxing Day and see what’s going on and meet your friends. As a result it provides a boost for the town centre and the filming of television programmes and movies in Pembrokeshire has given the place a big lift. I think all the publicity should mean a good year for Tenby in 2012.”
Charities which will benefit from this year’s swim include Pembrokeshire Cancer Support, Cruse Bereavement Care, Hafan Cymru and the Tinker’s Hill Bird of Prey and Swan Rescue Centre at nearby Amroth.
Mr Osborne said: “Thankfully the weather was fairly kind to us this year. It was drizzly at the start but generally it stayed dry for us and was one of the mildest Boxing Day swims we have ever had.”
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The chairman and members of the Tenby Sea Swimming Association would like to thank everyone, individuals and organisations, who contributed in any way to making this year’s Boxing Day Swim such a resounding, record-breaking success. The huge number of swimmers made for an impressive spectacle, but mention must be made also of the intrepid rafters who, this year, had to run as far as they rafted, and of the canoeists of the Pembrokeshire Paddlers Club who turn out every year, whatever the weather. Thanks, too, to the Harbourmaster, to the St. John Ambulance, the coastguards, the Surf Lifesavers, and the RNLI for ensuring the safety and well-being of the participants in the 41st Swim. It was good to welcome the Mayor of Tenby, Clr. Trevor Hallett, and his Mayoress, Maureen Crockford, together with mace bearer Robin Scanlon, to judge the fancy dress competition - a tough task this year - and to give out the well-deserved medals. We thank them for giving so generously of their time.
We are, as always, grateful to the Lions for their warming hot soup, and to Steve Briers and DJs for commentary and sound system. The bucket collectors, this year were amazing, and thanks go to all those who collected and those who contributed to the final total of over £1,800. We are able to divide all of this, plus Swim sponsor money between our chosen charities thanks to the generosity of our sponsors, FBM, Celvac, Trefloyne and Jago’s.
There are many individuals who come along to help on Boxing Day morning, and we say thank you to you all, but particular mention must be made of photographer Gareth Davies who ensures that the local press have great shots of this unique occasion, something the Western Mail dubbed an iconic part of Tenby’s Christmas celebrations. It certainly was heartening to see the town’s cafés and pubs fill up as spectators and participants alike streamed up from the beach. Our last thank you must go to all those crazy individuals who dashed into the sea. Well done! We look forward to seeing you next year, and don’t forget to hand in your sponsor money, or let us know how much you collected for your own charity.
Chris Osborne.
Chairman,
TSSA,
Video courtesy of "Pemdock"
