CHRIS Heywood and Joanna Kitchen quite literally made a dive for the New Year.

While most were nursing a hangover, the two went for their first dive of the year in High Rid reservoir in Bolton.

The two are members of De-Havilland dive club, which is a branch of the British Sub Aqua Club (BSAC).

Chris, aged 50, who lives in Salford, said: "It was a way of blowing away the cobwebs and excesses of Christmas.

"The water was a balmy zero degrees centigrade with a fresh wind blowing!"

The two enjoyed Gaelic coffees after their dive.

Chris has been diving for the past four years, and Joanna, who lives in Bolton, is his dive partner and has been taking part in the sport for ten years.

Chris added: "The new year's dive isn't a tradition for our club but who knows, it may become one."

The club meets on Thursday nights at Turton Leisure Centre for an hour from 8.30pm. The club's practice water is High Rid Reservoir.

De Havilland dive club was originally formed by employees of the De-Havilland company in Bolton in the 1960s.

Though De Havilland is only a small club with about 15 divers, as members of BSAC they have the resources of the largest dive club in the world.

In the past year some of the club members have been diving in The Red Sea, Malta, The Canaries, as well as various dive sites in this country.