Whilst all across London, children are eagerly waiting to unwrap their presents, the members of the “Serpentine Swimming Club” who have met in London’s Hyde Park, winter and summer since 1864 are preparing, some decked out in Santa hats, to swim their traditional 100 yards annual Christmas day swim.  The Serpentine Swimming Club is one of the oldest swimming clubs in the country, and the first race was won by H.Coulter.  He streaked home to win a gold medal, which became customary to award to the winner.  This changed in 1904 when Sir James Barrie, the novelist, immortalised the race by presenting the first “Peter Pan Cup”; like the boy that never grew up, the race has taken on a similarly legendary appeal.