A shower of hail and overarching rainbow set the stage for more than 500 fancy dressed Walrus Dippers at Cefn Sidan’s annual Boxing Day festive seaside party.
They were cheered on by an estimated 2,000-strong crowd of family supporters and onlookers who lined their route to the surf thrashing incoming sea.
There were Nuns on the Run and convicts, a bevy of bikini clad beauties were chased into the freezing sea by jolly Santa’s aplenty.
There were lobsters and prawns, elves, penguins and a Brazilian lifeguard, Josh from Seaside.
The youngest dipper was Sadie just a month short of her second birthday who shooed her Mum Marie into the sea before joining her in her arms raising funds for breast cancer.
The children cancer LATCH dippers were out in for dressed in gift wrapping with Alison Williams from Kidwelly all boxed up and tied with a ribbon. Over the 32 years of the dip this intrepid group have raised more than £1000’s from their Walrus Dips for the Latch inspired by Helen Gravell following the tragic loss of her son Paul.
The Nuns on the Run Julie Amos, Claire and Megan Larkin and Hannah Rees – all members of Llanelli Ramblers, were bravely baptising themselves in the icy sea to raise money for Air ambulance Wales.
One of the oldest involuntary dippers, 60-something Doug Simpson from Caroline Street, Seaside, was so carried away filming his grandson he had his trainers swallowed up by the inrushing surf ignoring the panto cries of “Watch out behind you!”
The Llanelli ladies singing sensational choir Cor Curiad were a crowd of daffodils in the sea including Rachael Thomas, Carol Jones and Andrea Matthews. They were all raising funds in the next year for Marie Curie with one of the 70-something-year-olds Pat Hodgson now planning a wing walk to dry out. “You never know what is coming next from this daring-do gang of Calendar Girls,” said Andrea
Carmarthenshire County Council Chairman Irfon Jones, who was accompanied to the event by his granddaughter Jemma said he had heard of the Walrus Dip from past county chairs but had never realised it was so much fun.
“It was astonishing to see so many people gleefully running into the sea to wash away the trials and strife of Christmas and raising so much money too.
“I am grateful to the staff and rangers who give of their time and the invaluable help of The RNLI for their guardianship on the waves and the St Johns Ambulance on the sands.
“It is a wonderful team effort so much appreciated by all those taking part.”
