What it entails is a load of hungover Monkey Hangers congregating on Seaton Beach before shedding most of their clothing and heading full speed into the North Sea for an impromptu swim shortly before been hauled out by the St. Johns Ambulance suffering from hypothermia and the after effects of 20 pints of dodgy lager the night before. The Hartlepool Mail headlines on the 27th with a story about the Boxing Day Dip. A handful of sad individuals freeze their nuts off on the terraces at the Victoria Ground watching the Boxing Day Footie match. The period between Boxing Day and New Years Eve is traditionally quiet in Hartlepool. I usually meet up with Neil who is over from the States for Christmas and to get his passport stamped so despite his new found Yankie status, can still call himself a Monkey Hanger with a clear conscience.
Mother continues to serve offcuts of mouldy turkey for breakfast, dinner and tea.
The lads spend every afternoon down the pub in a continual state of inebriation. Working Men's clubs in Hartlepool offer beer deals over Xmas. Chits are bought for about 40p each and are redeemable at the bar for pints and are a great Christmas present. Sounds like a good deal but in order to encourage responsible drinking, the number of chits allocated to any one person never exceeds 50. A black market in unwanted chits thrives in the clubs of the town.