In Pictures: Hardy swimmers and royal watchers brave cold Christmas Day
Press Association photographers snapped festive revellers enjoying a Christmas swim and fans who flocked to see the royal family attend church.
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.
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.
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.
Scores of people descended on Blackroot Pool at Sutton Park, in Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, for a morning swim.
Even Father Christmas and Rudolph decided to take a plunge after what must have been an exhausting night’s work.
In Dublin, Ireland, thousands thronged to the Forty Foot promontory in Sandycove as people pulled on Santa hats to take part in the festive dip despite bitterly cold conditions.
Meanwhile, out of the water, people in Sandringham waited for a glimpse of the royal family attending a Christmas Day church service.