Those Crazy Victorians From David Carpenter's 'Ilkley:The Victorian Era', a visitor to Ilkley's White Wells describes the experience......"The shock of plunging into the Ilkey bath is excessive, and an irresistible urge to escape from its influence is the first sensation produced." I'd have to agree with that, on my annual plunge into White Wells my first thought is always "Great, now I can get out again." The visitor continues...."The plunge is immediately succeeded by shivering - the extremities grow numb and pale - there is a contraction of the living fibre; the diameter of the superficial vessels is lessened and the blood is driven from the surface to internal parts..." Yes, my living fibre certainly suffered some contraction. "On emerging from the bath, the phenomena just enumerated are speedily followed by a very different series....the cold is now gradually succeeded by an equally universal sense of warmth and the weight in the head is almost instantaneously relieved. The bather feels invigorated....the vigour of the muscles is increased, and there is an aptitude for action...." My aptitude for action was to get a pint of hot coffee and a bacon butty inside me. "In short, the whole body is in a glow, every function appears to be carried on with increased alacrity - and all this is accompanied with great cheerfulness and a buoyancy of the spirits" Well, that sounds more or less like our experiences.