MORE people than ever before threw aside New Year hangovers to see brave swimmers dive into the River Wharfe at Otley.

And there was no shortage of hardy souls at Ilkley where many residents took the icy plunge into the White Wells spa bath.

At Otley, dozens of people lined the waters' edge on both sides of the river at Wharfemeadows Park to see 15 men and women take part in the annual dip organised by the Aireborough Lifesaving Club.

And despite the strength of the river stopping the swimmers from going out too far, the dip was declared one of the best yet.

Joe Town, 74, a stalwart of the New Year event for many years, said he was both surprised and delighted to see so many people supporting the swimmers.

"I was surprised. We've never had so many people watching. Fifteen people went in and it was a tremendous show. We couldn't go out too far because the river was running too fast and the current started dragging you to the weir, but it was lovely and warm and we couldn't have asked for a better turnout."

He added: " What I always say is where there's no sense, there's no feeling."

Mr Town added he would like to thank all the people who donated to the collection which would be used to buy new equipment for the club.

Many Ilkley residents will have icy memories of the new millennium as they submerged themselves in freezing water - all in the name of fun.

The traditional New Year's Day plunge at White Wells cottage on Ilkley moor is a magnet for the brave and foolish looking to rid themselves of that serious hangover.

The famous spa pool is filled with the chilly water which runs off the moor. Those taking part have to prepare themselves for quite a shock. The water rarely rises above six degrees centigrade and it is particularly chilly at this time of year.

Not everyone jumps straight in and out however. The current record for time spent in the famous spa pool (without a break) stands at more than half an hour. The gentleman concerned lived to tell the tale.

Others try and set records for mass participation. One group managed to cram 15 of its members into the pool last year.

The first person to take the plunge in 2000 was Ilkley pensioner June Ward. She was closely followed by 21-year-old Robert Mynett and his brother Chris, 19, of Ilkley.

Then in went Dr Peter Harnett, the man behind the Darwin Gardens Millennium Project.

"It was very refreshing," was his verdict, before he dashed off to continue his work on the gardens tree planting dedication.

Bradford Council countryside officer Dave Parsons,, who opened up the baths for the traditional dip, said staff had been working non-stop trying to cope with the number of visitors.

He said: "It's been the most successful New Year so far. We've never seen it so busy for such a prolonged period. We've been amazed at the numbers of people. It's been unbelievable."

The New Year's Day plunge had grown in popularity during the tenancy of Derek and Christine Arnold. The couple said goodbye to the cottage last year and the council is currently in the process of finding new tenants for the cottage.

Mr Parsons said potential new tenants were being interviewed and the successful applicants should be selected by the end of January.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.