UK increasingly shuns sofa for outdoor activities during 'Twixtmas'

Period between Christmas and New Year is utilised for activities from ice-cold swimming to birdwatching

When Christmas is over and you are getting ready for the dawn of the new year, it can be tempting to hibernate indoors, watching Home Alone on repeat and eating endless boxes of chocolates. But an increasing number are shunning the sofa and instead taking part in the many activities planned between Christmas and New Year.

For providers of a stream of unusual activities over the limbo period sometimes dubbed "Twixtmas", the period is characterised by getting out and about. On Christmas Day itself options included a walking tour, icy cold swims, and even a trip to the cinema. In Birmingham, brave souls gathered on Christmas morning to jump into Blackroot pool in Sutton Park. Other activities from Boxing Day on include a tree maze in Edinburgh and the Bibury duck race, one of Gloucestershire's more unusual traditions.