Fleetwood's New Year's Day dip cancelled for third year running
A popular New Year tradition which has attracted brave souls to the sea off Fleetwood every year will not be taking place for the third year in a row.
The charity New Year's Day dip has been staged in the town for almost 30 years, with participants wearing fancy dress costumes and braving the chilly waters of the Irish Sea.
Over the years, the event has raised thousands of pounds for a string of good causes.
But factors outside the organisers’ control have conspired to halt the spectacle for three consecutive years.
This time, coordinators say have been undone by the tide, which will be at the right point much too early in the morning or too late in the evening.
Last year the event couldn’t be held because the RNLI/Coastguards were unable to support the event due to Covid restrictions, meaning safety and insurance plans couldn’t be met.
The year before that, New Year’s Day 2021, another set of Covid rules caused the event to be pulled altogether.
Phil Gibson, who has been running his version of the event via Fleetwood Kite Club for almost a decade, said: “It is disappointing, I was hoping we could get back to normal this year and run it again.
“The dip is a lot of fun for local people and it helps raise money for good causes.
"But unfortunately, the tides are all wrong, they’re at 5.30am and 5.30pm and there’s nothing we can do about it.
"I’m hopeful we can finally get it on again next year!”
Back in the 1990s the first New Year's Day dip was predominantly a fundraiser for Red Marsh School in Thornton.
On New Year's Day in 2007 there were even two separate organised dips, one by Fleetwood Gym and the other by Fleetwood Rugby Club.
Over the years the event has raised funds for causes such as the North West Ambulance, Fleetwood RNLI, the Miscarriage Association and Brian House children's hospice, as well as junior sports teams in the town.
For some hardy souls in Fleetwood, the perfect way to blow away the cobwebs after New Year’s Eve celebrations was a bracing dip in that chilly water.
Now it is just hoped that New Year’s Day 2024 will mark the event’ long-awaited return.