I took myself out of my comfort zone to take part in a Boxing Day tradition in the waters of Chasewater

It was one of those ideas that had seemed like a good one at the time.

I had been stood at the side of the water at Chasewater Watersports Centre on Boxing Day last year, watching a large group of hardy people running into and taking a swim in the water, when someone said that someone from the Express & Star should do this next year.

I allowed the comment to stay inside my head throughout 2025 and thought "Well, why not?", as it was for a worthy cause and I thought it would make a good story about the experience of doing something which has become a ritual for so many people.

However, what seems like a good idea at the time becomes a bit more like a crazier idea when you think about how cold the water was going to be, but as it's for a good cause in Dementia UK, I was never going to back out of doing it.

I arrived at Chasewater Watersports Centre at 10.15am, 45 minutes before the event started and immediately began to feel the cold, with a stiff and sharp breeze coming in and the water looking just a bit choppy.

It was also getting busier around the entrance to the centre, with plenty of cars parked on the road nearby and more and more people walking into the cafe located near the jetty and the slipway near the water.

I met with Tim Thursfield, the chief photographer for Express & Star and Shropshire Star, to talk about what I was doing, although I could tell by the look on his face that I'd made his Christmas as he was grinning and laughing at my discomfort at the task ahead.

That said, the atmosphere was full of fun and laughter, with friends and families mingling and chatting about Christmas and comparing notes on how long they were going to be in the water as well.