Hardy swimmers, including many in fancy dress, started Christmas Day around the UK and Ireland with an outdoor swim.
Although Wednesday was forecast to be “dry and cloudy” with no snow or frost likely, temperatures from locations including the Dorset and Norfolk coasts, the Serpentine pond in London and a Dublin yacht club meant it was a bracing dip for those who took to the water.
Swimmers take part in an early Christmas Day dip on Boscombe beach in Dorset (Andrew Matthews/PA)
Some members of the Serpentine Swimming Club were in fancy dress for the Peter Pan Cup race, which is held every Christmas Day in Hyde Park, central London (Yui Mok/PA)
People take part in the Clontarf Yacht and Boat Club annual charity Christmas swim in Dublin in aid of the RNLI (Brian Lawless/PA)
People take part in a Christmas Day dip at Hunstanton in Norfolk (Joe Giddens/PA)
Out of the water, running, cycling and other modes of exercise were popular before people settled down for Christmas dinner.
Runners on the start line at the Christmas Day Parkrun on the Stormont Estate in Belfast as the event broke its attendance record with 788 finishers (David Young/PA)
A woman rollerblades through central London (Yui Mok/PA)
The King and Queen attend the Christmas Day service in Sandringham with the Princess of Wales, Prince Louis, Princess Charlotte, the Prince of Wales and Prince George walking behind them (Aaron Chown/PA)
Pomeranians Peanut and Coco were waiting to see the royal family at Sandringham (Aaron Chown/PA)
