Winter swimmers take the plunge

There have been days when the Leigh Mid-winter Swim has been held under balmy, cloudless skies, when the sea has been clear, calm and inviting.

Sunday, June 25 was not one of those days.

While the rain did hold off, Matheson Bay was like an angry cauldron where the muddy water churned and roiled.

Not that that bothered the 80 or so hardy souls who abandoned scarves and woolly jumpers for skimpy togs and board shorts, and ploughed into the waves with screams of delight … or shock.

The swimmers were aged from three years to octogenarians.

For some, it was just a quick dip to say they’d done it, while others made a bigger effort to look like they were enjoying themselves and swam out to one of the nearby buoys.

Due to the weather, the community displays, which would normally have been held at the beach, were transferred to the Leigh Hall.