This web site was last updated on 02/02/2007 - 7:20pm
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This web site was last updated on 02/02/2007 - 7:20pm |
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The Loony Dook History
The event was conceived over a casual conversation at the bar of The Moorings during the Christmas break in 1986 when Andy Kerr said to his pal Jim Kilcullen, “How about doing something different to celebrate the New Year?” Jim replied, “Ach, let’s jump in the Forth on New Year’s Day, maybe it’ll clear the hangovers!”. Andy immediately agreed, saying, “If you will, I will!”. Some of the other local worthies also agreed to join in and so the event was born. Sadly, Andy is no longer with us: many of us remember him fondly, especially at this time of year. From that very small beginning, with only a handful of “dookers”, we now welcome up to 500 participants and approaching 3000 spectators from literally all over the world. In addition we have raised, mainly through donations and sponsorship, over £60000 for local charities, not to mention the money which many raise for their own particular charities. As for the actual taking part, as one who has been daft enough to have done so on a couple of occasions, it is quite a shock to the system, hitting the freezing waters of the Forth but, believe it or not, it’s much worse coming out into the freezing cold air, although the fantastic camaraderie of people from places like South Africa, Australia, Canada, Germany, USA, Malayasia, etc., makes it all so much easier to bear. Fortunately nowadays, the “dookers” are given hot toddies and soup to revive them, served up in The Moorings. It’s a far cry from the early days when our very own “Soup Dragon”, Bob “Bomber” Myles used to bring a piping hot cauldron of soup down to the foreshore for the “dookers” as they emerged from the water. The great attraction of the event is the fun of the occasion, people dress in outrageous costumes: we’ve had fairies, footballers, nurses and clowns. We even had a guy in a full three piece suit, shirt, tie, shoes, the lot! The parade with our pipe band prior to the dook is also an important and enjoyable spectacle for the day, as was seen on world-wide television at the Millennium. People just love to do crazy things, and there can’t be anything crazier, but at the same time any more appealing and exhilarating, than jumping into the Forth with the Rail Bridge in the background. The event is now overseen by a small committee chaired by local Councillor George Grubb. Organisers David Steel, Elaine and John Kennedy (Moorings proprietors) and Pete Jackson make up the remainder of the committee.
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This
world-famous event, organised from The Moorings Lounge in South Queensferry and
which first took place on 1 January 1987, involves what is now a huge number of
people, many in fancy dress, aged from 8 to 80 taking a plunge in the River
Forth in the shadow of the famous Bridges.