Brilliant photos of swimmers braving an icy New Year's dip in Salford Quays

This morning, while most of us were still cozy in bed, some adventurous folks took the plunge in Salford Quays for the annual New Year’s Day swim, hosted by USwim since 2010. Despite the water being a brisk 6 degrees, the atmosphere was lively, with Europop blasting and participants donning an array of festive costumes and quirky headgear for the “best dressed hat competition.” Notable mentions included a man in a turkey hat and a family in matching Viking helmets, but the standout was a swimmer with a cardboard lobster on his head. As they triumphantly emerged from the icy water, organisers celebrated their bravery, cheering, “If you can do something like this on the first day of 2026, you can do anything!” It was a fantastic way to ring in the New Year, complete with plenty of laughter and a sense of camaraderie.

Read the full article at Manchester Evening News