The Kalkan New Year's Day Looney Dook was a great success yesterday.

This is the second year that organiser Robert Ferguson, has persuaded a number of perfectly rational people to jump into the sea on New Year's Day.

We reckon that at least 36 people took to the water, and as you can see from the photos below, they made quite a splash.  Fancy dress was optional, but quite a few people entered into the spirit of the event.

Whilst there wasn't a prize for best fancy dress outfit, Kalkan Turkish Local News would have to say that Pete & Bev (aka Fred & Wilma) were our pick of the bunch, on the day.

Last year, a sum of 600TL was raised for local good causes.  This year, we are pleased to report that a total of 1,018.40TL was donated by participants and onlookers.

The intention is to give this sum to the Kalkander Association, with a request that they give 50% to the Kalkan Rehabilitation Centre (Özel Kalkan Özel Eğitim Rehabilitasyon Merkezi), with the rest distributed to local elderly people, who may need a little help.  The Kalkander Association is well placed to identify the right people.

Kalkan Turkish Local News applauds this magnificent initiative, which we hope will become a regular feature in the Kalkan winter calendar.  Well done to Robert and everyone who took part.

Below: Participants and onlookers gather before noon on New Year's Day.

Below: Bev & Pete or is it Wilma and Fred Flintsone.  Yabadabadoo!!!

Below: Jim, Clive and John modelling the latest fashion in designer hats.  (Nice tights Clive).

Below: What's the collective term for a group of winter swimmers?  A shiver of Looney Dookers perhaps?

Organiser Robert Ferguson, (blue and white stripes), takes a moment to relax before taking to the water.

Below: And in they go......

Below: The expressions tell you what the water temperature was like.

Below: It's not so bad, when you get used to it.

Below: Here we see 27 out of the 36 swimmers, bobbing about in Kalkan Bay.

Below: Last shot of the swimmers before they came in.  We have decided not to publish photos of people getting out of the sea, as there doesn't appear to be an elegant way of getting back on to Kalkan Beach.

Below: Cheers!  The Looney Dookers take a wee nip of the hard stuff to stop their shivering.