http://www.bn.org.uk/articles.php/_/activities/big-days-out/nudefest/ Wed, 22 Feb 2012 15:40:06 +0000 43200 http://www.bn.org.uk/articles.php/_/activities/big-days-out/nudefest/nudefest-2011-summer-spectacular-hits-the-hei-r75 Martin Warrillow looks back on an unforgettable seven days for BN members at Newperran.

Nudefest 2011 had everything – near-permanent cloud from Thursday lunchtime onwards, almost constant rain for the last four days, regular gales, the odd bit of sun at the start of the week, the occasional storm, Andrew Welch almost being silenced by a sore throat. . . .

It also had the most events ever offered at Nudefest, the biggest attendance at approximately 350 people, the most laughs and the best atmosphere. Sometimes, naturist events don’t need wall-to-wall sunshine to be a triumph.

When it was announced that British Naturism and Newperran Holiday Park were turning BN’s summer spectacular from a three-night into a seven-night event, it seemed a big risk. Would people commit to a week in Cornwall outside the school holidays? Could we find enough venues and events to keep the early starters going, while saving enough in the locker for those arriving closer to the weekend?

In the event, we needn’t have worried; The early events proved a huge success and I’m sure those of us who were unable to manage the full seven days are already checking our diaries for 2012. It was that good.

After a gentle start on the Sunday, as those who had been at various World Naked Bike Ride events 24 hours earlier settled in, the action really got underway on the Monday with the debut of nude archery, as well as an eight-mile walk on Bodmin Moor. There was more rain in the 24 hours leading up to the walk than had landed on Cornwall in the previous two months, but 18 members enjoyed a dry, mostly cloudy 8.5 mile walk around East Moor in good walking conditions. They visited rocky tors and ancient remains, including a stone circle. Some nude walking was possible and, in slightly better weather, the whole route could be completed nude. The event finished off with a drink at the Jamaica Inn made famous by Daphne de Maurier.

Meanwhile, for the more adventurous and, possibly, slightly mad, Monday also featured a trip to Adrenalin Quarry. Sixteen brave naked souls headed for this huge old water-filled quarry near Liskeard, which has been totally transformed to feature a giant three-person swing and the UK’s longest zip-ride. Intrepid nudists sailed along a steel wire, fully 50ft in the air, for an experience that some said can’t be beaten but which others described as ‘incredibly scary.’ The staff were completely unruffled by nudity, even when making sure riders were strapped into their waist harnesses; it looks sure that future Nudefests will take us back to Adrenalin Quarry. I think I’ll stay safely on the caravan park,thank you. . . .

The highlight of Tuesday was surely a world first. The Blue Reef aquarium in Newquay, having closed its doors to the public for the day, then reopened them to welcome over 100 naturists. Visitors spent more than two hours touring the aquarium, enjoying some spectacular exhibits and listening to four excellent talks from staff. If you’ve ever wondered how to feed an octopus, this was the place to be. As well as proving a great experience, the trip also delivered some fantastic pictures, courtesy of BN photographer Steve Betts, including the one chosen for the front cover of the autumn edition of the magazine.

On Wednesday, it was down to Perran Sands naturist beach to make the best of what remained of the fine weather. A total of 25 members enjoyed mixed conditions. There was sun on the 2.5 mile walk across the dunes as the walkers visited interesting sites associated with Cornwall’s St Piran on the way. The walk takes an hour, but it is not challenging and superb sands and the impressive 100m cliffs easily make it worthwhile. A few people had a sea dip but the best place was a warm stream that emerged from the base of the cliffs.

Unfortunately, a couple of heavy showers cut the trip a little short but the walkers returned in sunshine. With better weather, it would be great to see 100 people on the beach next year.

That evening saw another world’s first with a visit to Newquay Zoo. Again, the totally nude trip took place after the park had closed to the public for the day and around 100 people toured the 13-acre site, giving the animal residents possibly their first view of clothes-free (and fur-free!) humans. It was a great experience all round, with the staff some of the friendliest and most helpful that BN has ever come across – growing proof of how naturism and events such as this are becoming more and more accepted.

Other highlights of the early part of the week included line-dancing tuition, a Country & Western entertainer, a karaoke session and singer Geri, who had delighted visitors to the 2010 Nudefest.

Thursday morning saw the main influx of guests for later in the week, with your editor travelling through 40 different sorts of weather on the train journey down from the West Midlands. You could already see it was going to be a wild few days. No matter, Nudefest favourites such as MiTunes, a Zumba dance class, yoga, kite lying and face-painting all kept everyone occupied while our first-ever MiBeer session, run by Mike Houlsby, gave the real ale-lovers among us the chance to sample different bottled brews from around the country.

Whoever was responsible for what proved an inspired idea should be congratulated – I’m already looking forward to a bigger, better version next year.

We forgot the increasingly grey weather as the evening drew on, singer Geoff Taylor heading the evening entertainment in fine style.

Friday dawned grey and windy and went downhill from there (literally, unfortunately, in the case of a few of the flimsier tents). o with outdoor sunshine and nudity abandoned, the action became increasingly focused on the marquee and Newperran’s newly-enlarged pub, where Cornwall’s finest St Austell Tribute ale kept plenty of us warm.

This was a day for serious business, with workshops on dealing with the media, child afeguarding, photography and Malcolm Boura’s always important and interesting work on campaigning. Unfortunately, an early-evening treasure hunt which, it was hoped, would have us all dashing around the park in search of cryptic clues to ‘The Hidden Gold of Perran Gulch’ was reluctantly abandoned due to the wet and windy weather. he intention is now to make it one of the first things on the programme for 2012.

The sorry weather couldn’t detract from the great evening atmosphere inside the pub, however; Soul singer Jay Washington got the crowd up and dancing and singing as well as ever and everyone finished the day in great spirits.

Despite a promise from the weatherman that Saturday would be better, a fierce wind blowing across the hills made sunbathing impossible, so guest speaker Henry Hemming had a good audience as he spoke about his book Together. i t’s an examination of the recent revival of clubs, societies and amateur groups throughout Britain — from book clubs and protest groups all the way through to naturism. His talk certainly gave the audience food for thought and Together is now on sale from the BN shop. Henry and his wife clearly enjoyed their first naturist experience, even posing nude for pictures and if you subscribe to the website of ,The Times, you can find a follow-up piece he wrote for the newspaper – simply log on to the site and search for ‘Henry Hemming – my naked ambition’.

Malcolm Boura’s second campaigning workshop of the week, the centrepiece of Saturday afternoon, has hopefully inspired plenty of people to get involved in helping Malcolm with an essential part of BN’s work;

it was followed on a lighter note by Nudefest’s first-ever MiHols session, an opportunity for the travellers among us to share information about naturist resorts around the world. I listened in and was certainly impressed by the huge range of venues discussed – this looks another certainty to return on next year’s programme.

After a great week, which everyone agreed not even the weather could spoil, the Saturday night finale was great fun, as always. The singalong around the piano is becoming unmissable; I must give a mention to Cath Bromley, whose operatic tones were a highlight of the Last Night of the Proms section; we really need to talk to the BBC about having a nude Prom at some stage during its’ summer season. . . .

Then, it was on to Jim Russell’s disco, which sported more sparkle, glitz and glam than I can remember in a while, as well as some great surprises. You had to be there, honestly. . . .

My sympathies go out to those who lost their tents as the weather took a turn for the (even) worse late on Saturday night and my congratulations go to those who stuck it out for the traditional Sunday morning group photo; I’m afraid I bottled out of stripping off in weather that was chilly, to say the least.

Finally, I must thank those who attended the Christian Naturist Fellowship service on Sunday morning. Those of us involved in arranging it were most grateful that so many came along in the circumstances.

Overall, then? Nudefest 2011 can’t be described as anything other than a huge success. It took a tremendous amount of work to put on and, as always, the more willing hands we have to help out, the easier it is to organise.

If you’d like to play your part in 2012 (look out in the winter issue of this magazine for the details), let us know now.



Many thanks to all advertisers, sponsors, exhibitors and prize donors for their support of Nudefest2011, which contributes greatly to our costs of putting it on. They are:

Chalfont Holidays - www.chalfontholidays.co.uk - 0845 045 0987

Clover Spa and Hotel - www.cloverspa.eu - 0121 350 6836

Croft Country Club - www.croftcountryclub.co.uk - bookings@croftcountryclub.co.uk

Infiniti - www. inifinitinaturist.co.uk or www. inifinitivillas.co.uk - 01548 561289

Naked Dragons - www.nakeddragons.co.uk

The Naturist Foundation - www.naturistfoundation.org - 01689 871200

Parasol Holidays - www.parasolholidays.co.uk - 01604 863300

Peng Travel - www.pengtravel.co.uk - 0800 171 2153

Suntreckers - www.suntreckers.org.uk - 01234 303850

Vera Naturist - www.veranaturist.com - 077808 50392]]> Sat, 07 Jan 2012 12:05:14 +0000 82161242827b703e6acf9c726942a1e4 http://www.bn.org.uk/articles.php/_/activities/big-days-out/nudefest/nudefest-2010-serves-up-the-perfect-recipe-for-r74
As a first-timer at Nudefest and a confirmed non-camper, I should say the guests played their part, creating a memorable camaraderie which made me proud to be among such a great group of people. But don’t take my word for it; as editor of British Naturism, I suppose I would say I enjoyed myself. Rather, if you weren’t there (and even if you were), look at the feedback (below) from those who did attend and who posted their best moments of the weekend on the members’ forum section of the BN website.

And as for me? I haven’t slept in a tent for 30 years but stepping out naked into the field on a sunlit West Country morning after a surprisingly good night’s sleep is something I will remember for a while.

For anyone new to BN, this was our fourth annual Nudefest event. In 2007, we helped gift experience company Red Letter Days organise “The Garden of Eden”, a naturist night at Cornwall’s Eden Project, and decided to put on an event/accommodation nearby the same weekend to encourage a good turnout. We found the textile Newperran Holiday Park near Newquay, turned it into a naturist resort for the weekend and had a blast. “The Garden of Eden” turned out to be a one-off, but Nudefest has continued and is now one of the “must-do” events in the naturist calendar. Keith and Christine have become our good friends and great ambassadors for naturism, often telling us how well we compare with their other guests and always looking forward to – and telling their other guests about – our annual visit. It is more than likely that Nudefest 2011 will run for a week – keep an eye out for details as they are announced. We hope that it will encourage those of you who feel that Cornwall is too far to go for a weekend and we’ll make sure there is plenty of time to do the “tourist bit” as well as put on some activities that we currently can’t squeeze into the three-day event.

As always, the 2010 timetable was packed. During the days, guests could join in classes in yoga, tai chi, juggling, lifecoaching, belly-dancing, soca dancing, circle dancing, lifedrawing and cribbage; play games and sports such as the early-morning jog around the park, volleyball, the pétanque tournament, wargaming, Nintendo Wii, board games and bingo; learn more about BN’s activities through workshops and presentations on child safeguarding, campaigning, dealing with the media, our charity the Marine Conservation Society and the new Three Year Plan; listening to their favourite music and that of other guests at the MiTunes sessions which this year had sessions dedicated to Jazz & Blues, contemporary and the memorable chill-out classical, which was run at the same time as “Picnic in the Park” – a communal lunch on the awn by the marquee. There were also sessions devoted to building our archive of photographs for the media, Amanda’s massage and therapy tent, face- and bodypainting and the “NEC” (Naturist Exhibition Centre) with stalls manned by holiday resorts, clubs, regions and more. The BN shop did a roaring trade – especially with the new Nudefest T-shirt for men and strappy-top for women. Although all activities are well supported, there’s no pressure to get involved and many people
chilled out with friends, enjoyed a drink from the bar in the sun, swam in or lazed by the fabulous pool or took off to explore the local area.

If the days are great, the nights are unbelievable. Newperran’s onsite bar is really a large pub and we certainly made the most of it. If you had told me a month earlier that I would find myself hosting a pub quiz, naked and completely bodypainted as a tiger, I may not have believed you. In the end, it was one of the great experiences of my life. That was followed by Gerri, a local singer who was truly superb and got everyone dancing – not that much encouragement was needed! If you’ve not been to Nudefest, I can only try to make you imagine the tangible excitement and spirit that descends in the bar in the evenings when the music starts…it’s always roasting, so no one wears a stitch and it’s fantastic being among likeminded people having so much fun. Friday saw an interactive “pamper” session and many watched England’s World Cup effort against Algeria – the gloom afterwards was palpable but soon forgotten when The Roosters played. Three hours later, people were having to be dragged off to bed after a naked conga through the bar and out into the garden. Only happy naturists could do that. Those that weren’t sleepy gathered in the marquee to watch and join in with the sing-a-long version of Grease. The surprise hit of the weekend was Saturday night’s piano sing-a-long session. Christine’s piano teacher Martin selected a variety of songs – wartime, musical theatre, Beatles and more – printed out the words for us and played and guided us through a fantastic session that no-one wanted to end. A “free mike” spot was offered and a few people sang solo to thunderous applause. Anyone for a talent show next year? Holiday prizes were given away in the raffle and we ended the evening with Jim’s disco – perhaps more frenetic than ever. It was no surprise when “last orders” was delayed, though sadly, not indefinitely!

Is it time for the programme to be changed, or do you like it exactly as it is? If you have any ideas for new activities, please step forward and let us know, as some people already have.

Even better, why not offer to help organise an activity? Much of what was done this year only happened because members offered their time and effort. As is said many times, British Naturism only has a very few hard-working volunteer officers and even fewer paid staff so we need all the help we can from members to make events like Nudefest work. We’re even turning a small profit now, extra money that we can put back into doing all the good work we do – for everyone.

Next stop – our winter equivalent – AltonTowers…!

Martin Warrillow

Members views of a great weekend

“Where else had so much energy, love and light the last few days? It’s wonderful the way the event has developed – the staff did a wonderful job, so friendly and happy and willing to go along with the atmosphere”

“I loved the singing in the bar on the last night before the disco – what lovely voices and genuine enjoyment. We should definitely have a nude choir!”

“The warm and friendly people – some I already knew but I met a whole lot more.”

“I loved the excellent Christmas dinner (yes, it’s true, a whole section of the park was dedicated to mid-winter with Xmas decorations and more – Ed.) that Brian, Mike and Fred prepared for 16 guests in a touring caravan. I also loved the live shows and the naked disco. It was great the way everybody joined in and partied the night away.”

“My best moment was lying on the grass in the sun at the ‘Picnic in the Park’ in a state of bliss as Vaughan-Williams’ ‘Lark’ ascended. It was one of those moments you don’t want to end.”

“The singalong was my favourite moment. My daughter dragged me along to it. I didn’t think it would be my sort of thing at all, but I ended up thoroughly enjoying myself and bellowing along with everyone else! Discovering that Keith had restocked the bar with bottles of Tribute was also a definite highlight.”

“We had a brilliant time on this, our first visit to Nudefest and will definitely go again. The best moments have got to be the dancing and the complete ease with which we as naturists interacted with the clothed owners and bar and cafe staff. What fantastic people, all of them.”

“The ladies and gents from Abigails cafe were a delight. Anyone who has a bad word should be reminded that the staff are all new and normally only used to the odd single customer at any one time. Who cares if you had to wait a while to get fed? Where and why were you in a rush to get anywhere else? I never left the place without a smile on my face and a very full belly.”

Many thanks to all those who supported Nudefest by taking advertising space in the programme, provided brochures for distribution, sponsored an activity, exhibited and/or donated a prize. They are:

Sunseekers Holidays: Telephone: 01691 898193; Website: www.sunseekerholidays.com

Chalfont Holidays: Telephone: 0845 045 0987; Website: www.chalfontholidays.co.uk

Fig Leaf Villas: Telephone: 00306 9824 53437; Website: www.figleafvillas.co.uk

Shaun and Julia, Torremar Natura, Vera Playa: Telephone: 0034 610 234666; Website: www.naturallyvera.com Email: shaunandjulia@hotmail.com

Martin and Jennifer Yallop, Stone Cottage, Cyprus: Telephone: 0033 6 3183 46 91; Website: www.martinyallop.com; Email: martin.yallop@orange.fr

Peng Travel: Telephone: 0845 34583465; Website: www.pengtravel.co.uk

The Naturist Foundation: Telephone: 01689 871200; Website: www.naturistfoundation.org; Email: natfound@hotmail.co.uk

Telford Naturist Club: Telephone: 01952 610873; Website: www.telfordnaturistclub.com ; Email: t-n-c@btconnect.com

Bodycast: Telephone: 07760 823555; Website: www.ernestobodycast.com; Email: info@ernestbodycast.com

Kalo-Kairi: Telephone: +306995384682; Email: info@ kalo-kairi.com

Camping Relax-Nat: Telephone: +34 972 300818;Website: www.campingrelaxnat.com; Email: info@campingrelaxnat.com

No Prudes: Website: www.noprudes.co.uk

Freebird Campers: Website: www. freebirdcampers.co.uk; Email: info@freebirdcampers.co.uk

Cambium: Website: www. cambiumbene.com

Heritage Club: Telephone: 01344 775032; Email: info@heritageclub.org ]]> Sat, 07 Jan 2012 12:03:38 +0000 bf8229696f7a3bb4700cfddef19fa23f http://www.bn.org.uk/articles.php/_/activities/big-days-out/nudefest/nudefest2009-r73 Here comes the sun
What a weekend! Previous Nudefest events have badly affected by dreadful weather - although that hasn’t stopped them being any less than thoroughly enjoyable – but this year the weather played ball and, other than a cold wind from time to time, all events and activities arranged went ahead, and outside where appropriate. Around 200 guests - BN members, some of whom had recently joined to take advantage of the members’ ticket price, and non-members - had a great time over the three days, meeting old friends and making new ones, and dipping in and out of the packed activity timetable. Nudity is permitted anywhere, anytime at Nudefest and many of us didn’t dress the whole time we were there.

History
For anyone new to BN, this was our third annual Nudefest event. In 2007, we helped gift experience company Red Letter Days organise “The Garden of Eden”, a naturist night at Cornwall’s Eden Project, and decided to put on an event/accommodation nearby the same weekend to encourage a good turnout. We found the textile Newperran Holiday Park near Newquay, owned and operated by Keith and Christine Brewer, turned it into a naturist resort for the weekend and had a blast. “The Garden of Eden” turned out to be a one-off, but Nudefest has continued and is now one of the “must-do” events in the naturist calendar. Keith and Christine have become our good friends and great ambassadors for naturism, often telling us how well we compare with their other guests. They have made a camping field or two available for naturist use in the week leading up to and after the Nudefest weekend for the last two years and - ***STOP PRESS*** - will be making that same arrangement from Easter to October from now on, excluding the school holiday period in July and August. Fantastic!

Let’s get this party started
Many people, including a contingent of Suntreckers, had been at Newperran for a few days by the time the event began on Thursday lunchtime, the time for the much-awaited “kit off”. The “NEC” (Naturist Exhibition Centre) marquee was the centre of operations with the BN shop and many other stalls, with holiday-related resorts and companies, BN SIGs, clubs and regions, the Marine Conservation Society and others displaying their wares, plus the popular body-painting and crafts tables and a Wii games machine with giant screen running endless 10-pin bowling and other competitions. The BN photo display boards allowed a look back to previous events, and photos that were taken during the weekend were projected for all to see. The on-site pub, shop and café did a roaring trade, all being open most of the time, as was the swimming-pool with its large and sheltered sunbathing area. There were new staff behind the bar, Gary – a naturist himself – and Diane, with help from Christine when it got busy (often!), giving us excellent service and enjoying the atmosphere. Thursday night was Diane’s very first time serving behind a bar and also her first time in a naturist environment, and she joked at the end of the weekend that serving clothed people was going to be more of a challenge! Local therapist Amanda Phillips set up for massage and other treatments in the bright orange BN gazebo (you certainly couldn’t miss it!) and was busy the entire time, into the evenings and beyond the end of Nudefest on Sunday. She joined in with some of our activities when she could and is likely to return – and even travel to other BN events – next year. Feedback was that her treatments were excellent and that, although guests paid for them, they were a welcome addition to the weekend’s activities.

Busy doing nothing
One of the great things about events like Nudefest is that guests can choose to take part in the activities, or laze around and enjoy the atmosphere and company. Doing the activities is somehow relaxing, too. This year’s activity timetable included popular favourites such as yoga, the Cherokee dance of creation, life-coaching, t’ai chi, bingo, photography workshops, running, juggling, belly- and soca-dancing, pub quiz and organised sports sessions. New activities this year included an introduction to war-gaming, a presentation about the work of the Marine Conservation Society and a couple of excellent feedback sessions on BN and naturism.

“MiTunes” saw guests bringing their favourite piece of music – classical one day, and contemporary the next – to talk about and play to others, and wafting across the sun-filled lawn we enjoyed music from Elgar to Ry Cooder and Stravinsky to Sigur Ros. Certainly an activity we plan to repeat. The Treasure of the Old Penwarren “wide game” that was postponed from 2008 saw teams of players of all ages criss-crossing the Park in search of pirates and clues. We can’t mention everyone who ran an activity or helped (in so many ways), but thanks to you all. A nice “extra” is that guests came forward to offer to run activities not on the printed timetable, and many additional items were also added to the list of raffle prizes as the weekend progressed.

Rhythm of the night
Though Nudefest is great by day, it’s perhaps even better by night when guests gather in the pub. Many people arrive dressed, but it’s not long before everyone strips off as the room warms up. We had two live music sets this year, starting with Stars in their Eyes finalist Jay Washington, a soul singer with a repertoire including classics from the likes of Lionel Richie, The Drifters and Wilson Pickett. There was a great atmosphere, with a packed dance-floor. He posed with his new and naked fans for a photo, which we’ve sent to him as a memento of the evening. Hopefully, it won’t be his last Nudefest. On Friday night we welcomed our old friends, 1970’s chart-toppers Edison Lighthouse, who also played classic cover versions to a packed house. When it ended, people were still buzzing and not wanting to go to bed so, using the giant screen, we decided to show a movie in the marquee. (How many people can say they have watched a film, naked, at 1 in the morning, in a field?) Jim’s eagerly anticipated disco on Saturday night did not disappoint and was the highlight for many. A wide range of styles of music was played and kept dancers from the ages of 10 to 60-plus entertained into the early hours. Only in naturism…

We're all in this together
Most of Sunday was devoted to enjoying the last of the sunshine, but we all gathered for the group photos in a few locations around the site. Keith, Christine and Jean (our lovely lady from the shop) joined us for one or two. We took some more “publicity-anywhere” pictures for use when we get requests for images – once again, great to see so many people unafraid to take part. Ten non-members joined BN over the weekend, including a textile couple who were caravanning at the site for a fortnight (they had been made aware of Nudefest falling in the middle of their stay) - they were present (clothed) at one of our activities one evening and by the end of the week were stripped off with the rest of us. A warm welcome to you both. It shows once again that, whatever the preconceptions, once people see a naturist environment at first hand they realise what a lovely, safe and friendly place it is. I hope you will all agree that these events do so much good for BN, its members and naturism in so many ways.

Nudefest2009 sponsors
Many thanks to all those who supported Nudefest2009 by taking advertising space, provided brochures for distribution, sponsored an activity, exhibited and/or donated a prize. We couldn’t have run the event without you. They are:

Broadlands:telephone 01508-492907; website www.broadlandsun.co.uk

Chalfont Holidays: telephone 0845-045 0987; website www.chalfontholidays.co.uk

Fig Leaf Villas: telephone 00306 9824 53437; website www.figleafvillas.co.uk

Infiniti: telephone 01548-561289; website www. infinitinaturist.co.uk

Parasol Holidays:telephone 01604-863300; website www.parasolholidays.co.uk

Suntreckers: telephone 01474-410416; website www.suntreckers.org.uk

Peng Travel: telephone 0845-34583465; website: www.pengtravel.co.uk

David Hornsby: telephone 0116-3321201; mobile 07877710840; website www. dhlifecoach .co.uk

Maguez, Lanzarote:telephone 0034928 835233; website www.cottageinlanzarote.com

Mobile Homes Abroad: telephone 07939 123345 or 0844-840 2345; email martin@caravansinthesun.com]]> Sat, 07 Jan 2012 12:00:56 +0000 f7e6c85504ce6e82442c770f7c8606f0 http://www.bn.org.uk/articles.php/_/activities/big-days-out/nudefest/nudefest-2008-r72 Cold, wet and windy, but did that matter? Emphatically not, says Andrew Welch.

In the printed colour programme that was given to every guest – and, of course, written a week or two in advance - I said, “We’ve ordered good weather, but the beauty of Newperran is that we can still have a lot of fun if it gets lost en route!” Well, it was true, but I wish it hadn’t been quite as accurate! The weather was truly appalling – high winds with that constant drizzle that gets into every nook and cranny, overcast skies and a temperature that made many of us wish we had brought overcoats. But we did still have “a lot of fun” - it was another truly wonderful British Naturism event.

Newperran Holiday Park’s owners, Keith and Christine Brewer, delighted to be entertaining naturist guests once again, had dedicated two of their camping fields to naturist use for the week leading up to the event and the week after. Many people took advantage of this, extending their holiday time and getting out to see all that beautiful Cornwall has to offer. They enjoyed some good weather, too, and began the important business of having a good time with other naturists before the majority of guests arrived. As we discovered at Alton Towers the second time around, word had spread and we greeted plenty of people who had not been to Nudefest before - some of whom were also attending their very first naturist event - and most people had also made the effort to arrive early and not miss out on any of the fun. Therefore the “Cottage Inn”, Newperran’s excellent onsite pub, was already pretty full with (clothed) Nudefest guests on Wednesday night, and many of them helped with the set-up on Thursday morning. Thanks to you all. The marquee we hired had been erected earlier in the week, and exhibitors and activity organisers got busy making ready, including filling the welcome bag that each guest received with information inside about the weekend plus brochures and leaflets from naturist businesses.

Noon soon arrived and it was off with the clothes at last. The weather was pretty good at this time and we looked forward to activity-packed, fun-filled days. Nudity is permitted everywhere and anywhere at Newperran during the days of Nudefest and, as we experience at all our big events, there was already a kind of euphoria in the air, with people, excited the event had finally arrived, being able to wander naked at will and in the company of like-minded people. Since Nudefest2007, the swimming-pool at Newperran has been completely revamped and it was an instant hit.

Plenty of activities took place that first afternoon including: a “CAMEO” (Come And Meet Each Other – neat, huh?) session, organised by Judith Stinchcombe, in which participants were given a sheet of questions that they could use to help open conversations with fellow-guests; a life-drawing class run by Chris Roberts and June Bentley; a craft session (Judith, again) where materials were made available to all to make a variety of items; Graham’s beginners’ yoga class; and a game of volleyball run by Jim Russell.

The marquee was full of people most of the time over the weekend, browsing and buying goods and information at the BN shop, looking at the photo-boards of our previous events, finding out about naturist holidays from Peng Travel and Canarian/Caribbean Dreams, changing their perspective on life at David and Emma’s life coaching stand, or getting a free massage from Dave Thompson. There was also a kids’ craft table, but in the event not many children were present and they found plenty to occupy them at the swimming- pool or play areas.

Plenty of people found the pub a great place to chill out from 11 a.m. to (very) late all weekend, and Newperran’s Abigail’s Café was open from morning to night, busy serving a variety of meals, snacks and drinks. The Newperran shop was also open for many hours and, as in all good “corner shops”, you could get pretty much whatever you needed – including the all-important morning newspaper.

Thursday night saw a gathering in the pub with some welcoming words from BN officials and was swiftly followed by the main event, 70s pop sensation Edison Lighthouse playing live. It was packed, and everyone danced and sang the night away nude. The bar staff were clearly enjoying themselves and we received praise from them all weekend (once again) for being such a pleasure to have. An example of this is that the clean-up of the bar area the following morning took a tenth of the time it usually does, since at other times their guests leave litter, sprinkle peanuts on the floor and generally leave someone else to clean up their mess! Great to hear, though we are not surprised, eh?

I won’t keep on about the weather - it was dismal all day Friday and Saturday - but guests were bright and cheerful and we all tried as hard as possible not to get fully dressed. Friday got off to an energetic start with a jog around the site (Graham), followed by Angela Russell’s belly-dancing class, yoga (this time for more advanced yog-ees), John Thompson’s talk on BN’s new exemption certificate, made possible for us through the good work of the Camping and caravanning SIG, a general session on photography (Richard Daniels and Steve Betts), more yoga, a life coaching session from David Hornsby which really hit the spot for many participants and a fiercely contested bingo session refereed by Steve Pleasants. Another great thing about events is how guests offer to run ad hoc activities – Chris and June also added another life-drawing session, and though Dave’s massages were not on the timetable initially, being a local man he went home to collect his equipment when he discovered massage was not on the agenda! Tim Rickards put together an introduction to juggling session; life coaches Emma and David performed some Indian head massages; and Wendy and Gerry O’Flaherty produced some amazing body painting, with guests - and later, themselves - as canvasses.

We were pleased to raise the profile of naturism through the attention of the media again right across the weekend. Without the Eden Project event and the (free) help we had from Red Letter Days’ expensive London PR agency in 2007, it was always expected to be less, but we were able to help a naturist film-maker, a news photographer and local TV and radio stations. Some of the radio spots were live, with the interview taking place in the marquee whilst people listened to the broadcast down in the pub! I’d like to thank the many of you who agreed to being photographed, interviewed or filmed. Christine and Keith also played their part in the media work and presented brilliantly on our behalf.

The café closed on Friday evening, but the staff decamped outside to put on a BBQ which was very well attended, although we all ended up eating inside the café anyway! BN President John Paine’s quiz was the main event of the evening and many teams exercised their grey matter. Dancing to the music playing in the bar followed and continued late into the night.

On Saturday, early birds caught Nick Palmer’s t’ai chi session and the day included talks by Mike Houlsby and Barry Knell of the Eastney Beach Campaign on their progress, with information and advice on how to set up such a group; BN’s Research and Liaison Officer, Malcolm Boura on the work he and his team are doing on behalf of all naturists (sponsored by SCW Productions); and a repeat of the BN exemption certificate talk from Friday for those who missed it. There was Angela Russell’s fab Soca dancing session, with intoxicating Caribbean rhythms; more adult crafts; and further CAMEO, life-drawing and yoga; a walk; photography and bingo sessions; and a chance to put questions to – and hear the answers from – BN officers about many aspects of British Naturism. Sadly, the weather caused the Peng Travel-sponsored The Treasure of Old Penwarren team game - which would have seen treasure-hunters, quiz-fans and those with a keen eye for observation exploring the site in search of clues - to be abandoned, but it’s the sort of thing, that with some changes, can be used at a future event elsewhere. Thanks to Peter Knight for putting it together.

The highlight for many last year was Jim Russell’s disco and we were not disappointed with its return. There were more people in the bar than I’ve ever seen before, and almost 100% were fully naked. Although they didn’t quite join in as “properly” as we would have hoped, some of the bar staff did wear less than usual – stripping off to loud cheers. Owner Keith also treated us to a little turn, ending up wearing only a pair of comedy boxer shorts… Even though it was gone 2 a.m. by the time the evening finished, it was over far too soon.

Sunday lived up to its name and there was not a cloud to be seen - must be time to go home soon then! It was still cold, but after t’ai chi and jogging sessions the vast majority of guests gathered in three places around the site for group photographs. We’re indebted to Steve Betts and Richard Daniels, plus other people from the photography sessions, for spending time scouting for the best places to take them, planning how the shots would look and marshalling the 250 or so of us into the right spots. Our group shots are often the best pictures and a perfect representation of happy, smiling naturists enjoying an event, but we don’t use them outside of this magazine, since it’s impossible to ensure that everyone has given their permission. With this in mind, we set up some shots that we made clear to everyone could be made available for use anywhere – our website, other websites, media articles, brochures, etc. – and are delighted with the results. Thanks to all who agreed to this – to our surprise, given the concerns we often hear from people about “coming out” - a very healthy number of guests got involved. That’s brilliant, and great for the positive promotion of our world.

The Grand Prize Draw and auction for items donated (thanks!) wrapped things up, and sadly it was time for most people to leave. Lots of guests had booked extra nights, taking advantage of those “naturist weeks” at Newperran and carried on having fun. I expect they did go home, eventually…

So it was a great weekend with lots of fun, a few days away from the daily grind, with opportunities to meet and socialise with other naturists, take part in activities, help promote naturism, and show off British Naturism and all it does for members and naturists everywhere. The weather was disappointing, but I was told by one happy guest that in a way it made it better because it brought us all together more. Had the weather been good, guests would have spent time alone or in their existing groups lazing in the sun around the site, missing out on activities and the communal spirit.

You’ll find lots of comments about the event, before and after, in the “Events” section of the BN members’ forum. There’s even a discussion started about Nudefest2009…

Thanks…
There are too many people to mention by name, but thanks to anyone who organised an activity or helped with the smooth running of the event. We also received a very generous cash donation over the weekend that the donor asked us to put towards our events. Very many thanks for that. Keith and Christine and all the onsite staff were terrific and couldn’t do enough for us – the guests loved that, and it makes running the event from an organiser’s point of view not only pleasant, but easier. The companies who promoted themselves and thus helped the event financially were:

Peng Travel: Tel: 0845 345 8345, www.pengtravel.co.uk
SCW Productions: Postbus 33, B-1980, Zemst, Belgium
Broadlands Sun Association: Tel: 01508 492907, www.broadlandsun.co.uk
Heritage Club: Tel: 01344-775032, www.heritageclub.org
Naturist Property Direct: Tel: 01206-384087, www.naturistproperty.com
Firefly Beach Cottages: Tel: 001 876 957 435, www.jamaicalink.com
Dainti Jewellery: Tel: 07941-004279
Chalfont Holidays: Tel: 0845-045 0987, www.chalfontholidays.co.uk
Infiniti: Tel: 01548-561289, www.infinitivillas.co.uk
It's Natural: Tel: 01354-661511, www.its-natural.net
Portugal Naturally - Visit their website: www.portugalnaturally.com
Le Colombage: Tel: 0033-385 477978, www.lecolombage.com
Suntreckers: Tel: 01473-410416, www.suntreckers.org.uk
DH Life Coaching Services: Tel: 0116-3321201, www.dhlifecoach.co.uk
Canarian Dreams: Tel: 0800-988 3346, www.naturistholidays.com]]> Sat, 07 Jan 2012 11:57:36 +0000 1ff8a7b5dc7a7d1f0ed65aaa29c04b1e http://www.bn.org.uk/articles.php/_/activities/big-days-out/nudefest/nudefest2007-and-the-garden-of-eden-r71 A wonderful time had by all at the landmark events of the 2007 naturist calendar.


Cornwall was the naturist place to be over the weekend immediately following the summer solstice this year. As with the report of the BN Alton Towers naturist weekend in November, 2006 it is difficult to put into words the enjoyment, community spirit, and euphoria in being naked in traditionally textile places, but I’ll try and capture it for you. If you were there, you’ll know, and if you weren’t, there’s always next year...


Nudefest2007
Being Brits, we ought to talk about the weather first. Being the same weekend as the Glastonbury music festival it was awful, that is, everywhere but at Newperran Holiday Park! Sure, we had our share of downpours and it was grey and drizzly both mornings, but most people were naked most of the time in bright, hot sunshine. In fact, at the close of the weekend at midday on the Sunday, a large number of people were stretched out in the sun around the swimming-pool urging the owners to extend the naked time.


There was plenty going on all over the weekend. Some people had arrived early (some staying at Newperran Holiday Park all week), so at midday on Friday, when the weekend officially started (i.e. clothes off), there were already plenty of naked people on site. BN had provided a marquee as the centre of operations and the BN shop did brisk business, in particular selling the unique "Nudefest2007" T-shirt at the bargain price of £5. A stall selling beautiful jewellery and handicrafts was provided by Mexican Citlali Romano who was spending a week in the UK at festivals and learned of our event on the internet.


The event got off to a proper start on the Friday night in the large on-site pub (Have you ever seen a queue for the bar that goes out of the door? And with naked people in it?) with some introductions and thanks, followed by live music from 1970’s chart-topping pop group Edison Lighthouse, who rocked the joint with plenty of cover versions to dance to and/or sing along to, ending with their signature hit Love Grows (where my Rosemary Goes). They were delighted to be presented with their own Nudefest2007 T-shirts and pronounced the audience one of the best they’d played for. Any nerves they may have had about playing in front of a partially naked audience quickly faded – but we knew they would, hey? The bar did good business and closed (under protest) at 1 a.m.


Saturday dawned rather grey and wet, but that didn’t last long. We had various workshops and activities planned, but it was great to have so many guests come up to us and offer to run something themselves to add to it. Whilst it’s great to simply be able to chill out with friends, a weekend like this thrives on people having plenty to do and it’s often been our wish to have a list of BN members who can be available to run activities at different events – that’s begun now (and don’t hesitate to add your own offer if you are reading this and being inspired…). So, in and around the marquee and in the bar we hosted workshops (many thanks to the volunteers that ran them, names in brackets - in t’ai chi (Nick Palmer), massage (Jan Randall), life drawing (Chris Roberts and June Bentley), world dance - and specifically the "Cherokee Dance of Creation" - (Allyn Edwards), belly-dancing with Angela Russell, Research and Liaison Officer Malcolm Boura on campaigning issues, with a focus on beaches and setting up user-groups, and a "drop-in" craft session for the children, many of them being run more than once to cope with demand. Sadly, the body-painter was held up in weather-induced traffic and didn’t make it. On the sporting side we had volleyball, pétanque (Robert Plumb), plus a swimming gala and "silly sports" (see the feature on the INF Youth Rally for pictures of some of them), both run by YBN, that were especially enjoyed by the younger children who also had two play areas to lose themselves in.


Further stalls had arrived in the marquee and our thanks to Peng Travel, Acorns B&B (see feature elsewhere in this issue) and Lifestyle Press for helping us to make a great weekend. The BN shop did great business with the usual books, DVDs, videos, branded items and more sales of the "Nudefest2007" T-shirt (some still available – see the BN shop page later in this issue) and the wonderfully varied BN photographic display, with plenty of pictures showcasing the events and activities we get up to.


The heated outdoor swimming-pool was open throughout and people certainly made the most of that, and there were people sunbathing around the large grounds, or enjoying a drink with friends old and new at the pub. The well-stocked on-site "corner shop" was open for whatever you needed and Jean and Penny would even arrange to bring in things they didn’t stock! (They got the drawing pads and pencils for the life drawing workshops, for example). Sue and Steve in "Abigail’s Café" were worked hard by us all weekend, serving excellent breakfasts, dinners and evening meals.


On Saturday evening, most of us went off to the Eden Project – see below – but on our return at around midnight it wasn’t time to crawl into bed just yet since the most fantastic disco you will ever have been to (run by our own master of the turntables, Jim Russell) was under way. Being midnight in the UK it started as a clothed affair with a strong breeze blowing through the open pub door. As at Alton Towers, people wanted to dance naked, though, and after we persuaded owner Keith to close the pub door that’s exactly what happened! Newperran’s "pub" is a super place and, despite being an on-site venue for holidaymakers, is a real pub, the bar, seating and decoration being indistinguishable from a pub anywhere in the country (nicer bar staff, though), so even the most hardened naturist could not have pretended that the sight of people casually undressing as the place heated up wasn’t slightly surreal – magic! We’d arranged for the pub to be open later than normal, but it still wasn’t long enough!


Sunday started as Saturday had, but again the good weather was not far behind. Many of the workshops were run again, the marquee being packed with people enjoying them or taking the last opportunity to buy something or to plan holidays. Mike Charles and Nick Mayhew-Smith from Lifestyle Press were on hand to sign copies of their new book, The World’s Best Nude Beaches and Resorts (see the BN shop page for details on how to buy your copy at the special BN price), which they had officially launched the previous evening at Eden. The draw was made for the raffle, prizes included a holiday to Hotel Zum Walde in Germany, books – including copies of The World’s Best Nude Beaches and Resorts, DVDs, videos, wine donated by Peng Travel and much more. Sadly, though, things were winding down and at midday we had to say goodbye to Newperran Holiday Park.


Owners Keith and Christine Brewer who have run the 400-pitch park for the last five years were the perfect hosts and a pleasure to deal with. They handled all the bookings from the 300-plus guests and couldn’t have made them and the BN officials more welcome, both before and during the weekend. There was not the faintest eyebrow raised when I first spoke to them when searching for a location at the end of last year, and they pronounced us among the nicest, most relaxed and respectful group of guests they’ve had. "We’d recommend you to anyone", said Keith, and Christine inveigled her way into an interview on BBC Radio Cornwall on the following Monday to put a stop to the presenter’s misinformed and childish views about the weekend. They also provided Edison Lighthouse – who often entertain Newperran guests during the summer - at no cost to us. Testament to all this is their intention to dedicate one of their camping fields to naturism – watch out for details. We’d certainly return to Newperran and although we have been approached since by other venues (not all in Cornwall) they are of course top of our list for a repeat of Nudefest – surely the UK’s premier naturist weekend.


The Garden of Eden
The Garden of Eden event at the world-famous Eden Project, organised by Red Letter Days, was the jewel in the crown of the weekend and the reason why Nudefest2007 happened. It is a very special venue and to be able to enjoy it without clothes was just brilliant - there was wide-eyed wonder from guests that we were being allowed, nay, encouraged to do so! We had been approached by travel company Explore South West with an offer of a large discount to transport people from Newperran to Eden and back, but such was the take-up that they hired an old London double-decker bus!


Red Letter Days did a fantastic job and there was not a dull moment at Eden. Quite a crowd had gathered in reception before the official opening time, so everyone was treated to a proper "Garden of Eden" welcome when a box of apples was handed round – quite a nice touch!


At 7 o’clock the first "batch" of guests was released into the Project, collecting their goody-bag on the way through the check-in desks. It was a very nice surprise to find of copy of Bare Britain inside, along with a map and a list of activities, some chocolates from Acorns B&B, a "Nakid" muesli bar and a bin- bag - the use of which was to be revealed very shortly. Everyone had a paper band attached to their wrist on which a lucky raffle number was printed and then made their way down to the Core Building, where the changing-area was located. Clothes were placed in the bin-bag (remembering to retain something to sit on), the bags tied up, labelled and placed into storage. It was all organised very efficiently and clothes were located and handed back very promptly at the end of the evening.


Visitors were then dispatched in groups of about 10 or 12 as that was all the lift would hold and there appeared to be no other way down. It all added to the excitement and anticipation, though! Most people headed for the delicious and plentiful food and drink included in the ticket price first of all before heading off to explore. Anyone who added their name to the guided tour list had a label stuck on to their wrist band. This idea seemed good, but for the last tour of the evening what started out as a group of about 20 practically doubled as they picked up people on the way round!


The whole site was open, but the evening was a little chilly and so the 600 or so guests tended to stay in the biomes and restaurant area - remember that you would usually be squeezed in with up to 15,000 people on an average day at Eden. What an experience it was to wander the biomes without clothes! Actually, this was a sensible option in the tropical zone where an outstanding guided tour of the biome was conducted by the Eden Project's Chief Pollinator, Rich – it was inspirational, eloquent and funny. Everyone was drawn in by his storytelling and by his passion and enthusiasm. It was truly an uplifting experience, well done, Rich! He also broke new ground by conducting the tour in the nude. In the temperate zone, live harp music filled the air and local wine and cheese producers ran tasting sessions. In the restaurant, an African band played throughout the evening, inspiring naked dancers to take to the floor. Red Letter Days' partners were there offering free massages, a chance to pose with a bird of prey, and other treats. BN also had a stand, as did Peng Travel, Lifestyle Press, Citlali Romano and other naturist businesses. Everyone stood by expectantly when the prize draw for Red Letter Days gift vouchers and other valuable items was drawn - I don't know how many prizes there were, but the draw and announcements must have taken 45 minutes! To finish everything off everyone was offered a little tree, as a memento of a fantastic evening. And if all that were not enough, many guests also went back to the Eden Project using their Garden of Eden ticket to gain free entry the following day.


A word about events...
I hear and read from time to time that there are people - some members of BN, some not - who think we should scrap all our events, calling them "fun and games" that divert us from our main purpose of campaigning for naturism. I think that misses the point. Not counting the days and weeks that led up to the weekend, I did around 20 radio interviews at Nudefest2007, spoke to umpteen journalists (mostly national papers – in fact Tom Chesshyre from the Mail on Sunday stayed at Nudefest2007) and participated in the Red Letter Days press call at Eden. We signed up 50 or so new members over both events and had ex-members renew. We took money through the shop and raffle. We were given the opportunity to show more textiles – including some regular Newperran holidaymakers that didn’t cancel their existing bookings when our weekend was announced (some of whom we spent time with in the pub) - that we are nice normal people. I know that many spoke to Eden Project, Red Letter Days and Newperran staff who could not praise us enough, told us that we'd changed their perception of naturists and that they'd had one of the nicest and most enjoyable times being with us - in fact, they didn't want it to end, either! You can be sure they will all spread the good word. As mentioned, Keith and Christine would like to encourage naturism at their site more widely. Being able to point to these events and the relationships we have built with well known companies such as Red Letter Days, the Eden Project and Alton Towers shows the outside world that we are growing and have moved into the mainstream. The fact that Nudefest2007 was taking place less than three miles from the naturist beach at Perran Sands where we are experiencing problems gave us a lot of positives in our campaign there and we received a letter from local MP Matthew Taylor wishing us well for the event, having met him in conjunction with the beach issues some weeks earlier. Both events gave us at BN the chance to meet members, show them what we do and inspire them to help us and provide opportunities for naturists to find out more about our wonderful world, including holiday choices through the exhibition hall. Guests who attended had a great time and have no doubt that their BN membership is valuable. Volunteers came forward to help us make a great weekend. Many guests were attending their first naturist event, some had joined BN being inspired by the chance to get involved in such great events, but contrary to what is often said about our "closed" society, it was not a requirement to be a BN member. Plenty of guests will be telling non-members and non-naturist friends what they missed. Merely fun and games? I don't think so.


Finally, look out for details of Nudefest2008 – we’re working on it already...


Andrew Welch


Newperran Holiday Park, Rejerrah, Newquay, Cornwall, TR8 5QJ
Tel: 0845 166 8407
www.newperran.co.uk


The Eden Project, Bodelva, Cornwall PL24 2SG
Tel: 01726 811911
www.edenproject.com


Red Letter Days, 77, Muswell Hill, London, N10 3RE
Tel: 0845 640 8000
www.redletterdays.co.uk]]> Sat, 07 Jan 2012 11:55:55 +0000 a4a042cf4fd6bfb47701cbc8a1653ada