DARING swimmers have been taking to the icy cold coastal waters in Clacton for a Christmas Day dip for more than 120 years. In recent years, hundreds of hardy daredevils have taken the plunge into the North Sea for the town’s teeth-chattering tradition. Hundreds of people line the seafront in front of Trafalgar Road before dashing into the sea at 10am on Christmas Day, while up to 500 spectators watch from the safety of the promenade. The annual tradition was started by a group of friends from Clacton Swimming Club, but the Christmas Day dip has roots stretching back as far as 1899.