Last Time It was for Art...

Many years ago (actually, 2005), someone put mine and a friend's names forward, without our knowledge, to take part in the Spencer Tunick art installation at the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art in Gateshead.

We umm-ed and ahh-ed about it for a bit, then decided to give it a go anyway; after all, it's not every day you get to walk around the Newcastle and Gateshead Quaysides without any clothes on (stag parties excepted).

We never found out who "volunteered" us to take part, but whoever it was, we'd like to thank them because it was a great experience which I'd happily repeat.

Thanks to the perfect weather that weekend, I'd spent the previous day in my shorts in the garden, leading to a bit of a comedy tan, thus being quite obvious in a certain photo on the centre pages of the Evening Chronicle, which was laid out on the bar when we walked into the pub... that was my fifteen minutes of fame.

... This Time It's for Charity.

I've somehow been persuaded to take part in something similar, but definitely different. This time, it's probably not going to be perfect weather, there definitely won't be a comedy tan, and there won't just be a bit of a draft up the Tyne (oo-er), it'll be the cold, cold wind blowing in off the North Sea.

The general plan is to head to Druridge Bay before sunrise on the day of the Autumn Equinox (22nd September), strip off our clothes, and run towards the rising sun and into the North Sea (a.k.a. "doing a Reggie Perrin").

If we get enough people - 414 or more - then there's a chance that we could break the world record for a mass skinny dip, which would need everyone to be at least waist-deep for ten minutes; I think I'll be swimming to stay warm!

Donations

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

So please dig deep and donate now.

Related links

Facebook: North East Skinny Dip

BBC Tyne & Wear: Druridge Bay skinny dippers set to attempt world record

The Northerner Blog, Guardian: Naked sea dash needs more skinny dippers

Sky Tyne & Wear: Druridge Bay Skinny Dippers Attempt World Record