Sir,

The letter about the Tenby Boxing Day Swim, which is coming up for its 40th anniversary, has led me to write a history and account of how it has evolved.

Its very first origins date back to the early years of the last century. In 1910, my grandfather, Arthur Dickinson, Quaker, lay preacher, artist and keen swimmer, brought his family from Yorkshire to live in Ruabon House, South Parade. An all year round swimmer - family legend has it that he was the first person to swim to Caldey and was given a medal by Captain Webb.

He was particularly upset with the death of some children drowned from the beach and decided to give swimming lessons to anyone interested and made a harness to support the child.

We discovered it and it was later on show in T.P.'s window. Several well known people, including Sidney Hughes, son of T. P. (Harrods of Tenby) and Seth Williams, archetypal village bobby, told me they had learnt to swim with the apparatus. A photograph exists of Phoebe Sanders on the beach with my grandfather with the harness. An opportunity to list all the people who had used it was missed by us. I believe the harness is now in the Tenby Museum.

Later, his son-in-law, Ossie Morgan, arrived in this area courtesy of King George V following that incident in Sarajevo in July 1914. Following his appointment as headmaster of the Council School, he decided to carry on the family tradition of teaching youngsters to swim.

On glorious, sunny summer days, an announcement was made at the end of the morning lessons - "Swimming today, bring costumes and towels to school this afternoon." There were no school dinners in those days, everyone went home for lunch. Swimming was particularly popular as it meant that school finished half-an-hour early at 3.30 pm.

Everyone traipsed down on to the North Beach, boys to the Goscar side of Sunny Cove, girls to the other side. When everyone was ready, small ones to the front, big ones behind, a starting pistol was fired and a lemming-like charge to the sea occurred - first one in and under was awarded a lead pencil.

Two or three staff for a whole school in the surf - think of Health and Safety nowadays! It was then up to the senior pupils to teach the non-swimmers.

When my father retired, this tradition died away, until his offspring decided to get non-swimmers swimming. We four, Idris, Gly, Osborne, Ray Lowe and I (plus spouses) formed the Tenby Sea Swimming Association, sponsoring and accommodating some instructors from Atlantic College during the summer, finishing with a modest swimming gala.

A couple of years later, when the Swimming Pool opened, there was a better environment, warm and calm water for swimming instruction.

The association was about to disband when, in 1970, Tenby's enterprising publicity officer, John Evans, suggested a sponsored Boxing Day Swim to put Tenby on the map and raise money for charity. A much larger committee was formed - John Evans, Tom Hughes, Tony Marks, Doug Harris, Bobby King, Denzil Thomas and others and so, 39 years ago, the first Swim occurred.

The Town Band, under Eileen Hodgson, offered to appear, the RNLI, under coxswain Josh Richards, launched the lifeboat, the Sea Cadets built the bonfire, yachts sailed from the Tenby Sailing Club, under Blake Shaw, and the much-loved Sandy Buttle from Pembroke Dock brought his canoe class. The commandant at Brawdy fulfilled his obligatory once-a-year exercise walking on water, albeit supported by a helicopter.

Medals were awarded to all swimmers and Brass Monkey awards went to the sponsored groups. The fancy dress competition was arranged, sweatshirts with the TSSA logo were distributed to committee members, some dignitary or other was invited to judge the fancy dress and then, at the appointed hour, all swimmers were lined up. A mass rush to the sea signalled by a maroon followed.

This tradition has remained more or less the same all these years. The lifeboat is brought in close, the ILB is in attendance, the canoeists from Pembroke and Pembroke Dock still come and there are now raft races etc. to add to the spectacle. This year, the police helicopter put on a good show.

Your correspondent, the Scarlet Swim-pernel of Tenby, was urging Tenby to do more. Perhaps he could suggest something original which could be tried. If he can think of anything, give the idea to the great-great-grandchildren of Arthur Dickinson, Chris Osborne or Andrew Lowe, or to anyone else on the committee.

If any other swim wishes to copy such an idea, it will again demonstrate that imitation is, indeed, the sincerest form of flattery. Anyway, who cares. If more money is raised for charity, so be it.

Alun Morgan

(founder vice-chairman TSSA, now long retired),

Nyth Aderyn,

North Cliffe,

Tenby.