Saundersfoot Beach was the place to be to welcome the New Year in in style.

A record 2,119 swimmers and thousands of spectators braved the icy waters for the 35th annual Saundersfoot New Year’s Day Swim.

The charitable event just gets bigger and better - and as the gathered masses prepared for the plunge they were entertained by the dancers from Cast and Crew Performing Arts School who provided the warm-up, whilst the crowd provided a powerful rendition of ‘Delilah’.

The swim countdown was initiated by Wales and British Lions rugby star Jonathan Davies, who also participated, and at 12.30 pm the swimmers were sent down the sands by a firework launch courtesy of Westcoast Fireworks.

The swimmers did not disappoint on the fancy dress front. This year’s theme was anything ‘yellow’ in celebration of Geraint Thomas’s fantastic Tour De France win. In amongst the sea of bananas, were a yellow brick road, a yellow submarine and a group of Sesame Street ‘Big Birds’.

Saundersfoot Festivities chairman, Martyn Williams, said: “The village and wider community have done us proud again. We could not have perceived 35 years ago we would be here now hosting such a major event. Our driving force, as always, is the huge number of fantastic causes that benefit. Thirty-five years on and this event is getting bigger and better, with thousands of pounds being raised for charity. The people from Saundersfoot, the surrounding areas and even further afield have come out in force to support this marvellous event despite the weather.”

Fancy Dress Results

Group: 1st place - ‘Yellow Brick Road’ - Taylor family from Hereford; 2nd place - ‘The Big Birds’ - Stepaside Coachworks; 3rd place – ‘Yellow Submarine’ - Jackson family from Pembroke.

Individual: 1st place - ‘The Grand Pianist’ - Mike Booth raising funds for St. Issell’s Church; 2nd place - ‘The Happy Bumblebee’ - Kate Varallo from Saundersfoot; 3rd place - ‘Naughty Elf’ - John Camp from the Wirral.

NYDS 2019 Swim Sponsors

Powells Cottage Holidays, Harbour Wealth Independent Financial Planners, Scaffold 2000, Sunnyvale Holiday Park, Broughton Leisure Ltd, Tees R Us,  Princes Gate Spring Water, Elston Construction, Folly Farm, Taf Valley Coaches, Sue’s Pantry, Saundersfoot Pleasure Boats, 1 Formula Fitness, Little and Large Lite Bites, Tenby Glass, Synter MINI, Lewis, Lewis and Co Ltd, Mike Wealleans PVCu Specialist, Neil Finlay Cars, NBSM, Saundersfoot Pharmacy and Pembrokeshire Tyres and MOT.

• For further information about the swim, please visit www.saundersfootnyds.co.uk, or follow Charlie Shivers on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram @CharlieShivers