Women in Focus

Helen speaks to Amanda Foster from Pretoria, South Africa. She’s 65 years old, mother of 3 adult children and has 4 grandchildren. She lives with her naturist partner, Lofty. Q: What got you into naturism/nudism? A: My ex-husband introduced me to naturism 25 years ago, but I was often naked as a child. Q: Is there a difference between the two labels? A: Naturism is about living nude in nature whereas nudism is about going nude anywhere (especially parties). Nudism is well known but the

Helen Berriman talks to BN's Amanda Lee Q: What got you into naturism/nudism? A: A year of saying yes to everything! Fancy coming to a naked beach-yes! I then discovered the British Naturism community and never looked back. A lot of events in the beginning involved spas and coffee and cake? My favourite things! Q: Is there a difference between the two labels? A: To me not really, if I had to, naturism would be more respectful to nature and the world around us, nudism is someone who

Andee Rodgers is the Women In Nude Recreation (WINR) Chair for the American Association for Nude Recreation (AANR) and founder of the Women One Word (WoW) campaign, which promotes body positivity and self-acceptance. Based near Estacada, Oregon, she also serves as the AANR Northwest President. Q: What got you into naturism/nudism? A: I wanted to surprise my husband with a visit to a naturist resort. At the time, I had no experience with naturism and was actually very uncomfortable with my

Angela De la Cruz is 32 years old from Guadalajara, Mexico and has been promoting nudism for the last three years. She travels around Mexico to learn about the nudist communities and the natural spaces that nudists can find to enjoy. She is a qualified teacher and provides clothing optional classes in English and Spanish on-line. She is an ambassador for naturism and creates content to normalise nudity on social media. Q: What got you into naturism/nudism? A: A friend of mine invited me t

Helen talks to Anna Woodings, co-founder of ‘A Naturist World’ Anna, mid forties has been a naturist for the last 15 years. She is married to Steve with two boys, 12 and 9 that have been brought up as naturists. In 2020 they launched the website A Naturist World. They lived in Spain for 6 years and moved back to Cornwall for the start of 2021. Anna also writes regularly for TAN and H&E magazines.  Q: What got you into naturism/nudism? A: I think most people get into naturism in o

Anne Nisbet is an enthusiastic BN volunteer and at time of writing is standing for the position of BN International Director. Q: What got you into naturism/nudism? A: Other than naked swimming while on family holidays, there was one particular work trip to Finland in March 2001, when I stumbled upon a municipal sauna devoted to a naked ladies-only evening. I observed a traditional ‘birch branch beating’ in the sauna and participated in a steam room session and several laps of the swimming

Helen speaks to Carol McLean, a 49 year old admin assistant from Aberdeen. Q: What got you into naturism? A: A combination of my boyfriend and the TV show Steph’s Packed Lunch! My boyfriend was interested in trying naturism and I wanted to support him in this. I saw a naturist spa hotel featured on Steph’s Packed Lunch, which intrigued me because I didn’t think such things would exist in the UK. So we booked a room there; perfect timing, during the heatwave; and that was it, our first natur

Helen talks to Di Barton Di Barton is 61 years old from Merseyside and has been embracing naturism for the last 4 years. Q: What got you into naturism? A: I've always been intrigued and had a fascination with the lifestyle. I remember as a young girl watching any TV shows with articles about naked people and thinking. "Oh, I wish I was confident enough to try that", but up to the age of 40, I was so painfully shy, I wasn't even confident with my family, never mind strangers. Fast for

Donna Dodd is a 48 year old single mum of 3 humans, 2 huskies, and 5 cats. She is a Nursing Associate, has previously enjoyed a career in law and has even been a croupier. Q: What got you into naturism/nudism? A: A friend introduced me to naturism just before the global covid pandemic. I have always enjoyed skinny dipping and being naked at home and in my garden but hearing that they were organised swims and club events was a bonus. Q: Is there a difference between the two labels?

Vian is a 55 year old mum of 4 grown up children, and one cockapoo. She is a consultant gynaecologist and certified psychosexual counsellor, originally from the Middle East living and working in the United Kingdom since 2010. Q: What got you into naturism/nudism? A: Following my postgraduate study of a professional certificate in psychosexual counselling in 2022, I started talking about body positivity and sexuality. I got many followers from the Arabic world on multiple platforms to talk

Dugie Eyton-Hughes is 73 years old, originally from the United States and now living near Chester. She is a journalist and shares her writing skills with BN. Q: What got you into naturism/nudism? A: I can’t pinpoint a specific event. Years and years ago, when I was still living in the States, I went with my then-husband to a nudist beach in California. I don’t think I stripped off but I also don’t remember being shocked by the fact that others were naked. And that was it for many, many ye

Emma Farrell is 41 years old and works in a secondary school as a Science Technician. She has twin daughters who are 11, and a 5-year son. She lives with her husband, Stephen, in Nottinghamshire, UK. Q. What got you into naturism/nudism? A. It was probably the experience of childbirth that quite suddenly and forcefully made me drop any hang-ups that I had about being seen unclothed. Amongst many other things about that particular morning in August 2012, I remember a midwife trying to pres

Helen talks to Fiona Discombe from 'Naked Travels' Q:  What got you into naturism/nudism? A:  I found naturism 20 years ago in Greece. The textile beach was very crowded, so we both walked a bit further and found a beautiful cove with only a few people who were naked. At first I was a little hesitant.  My husband, Michael had already stripped off and after a few minutes I realised that no one was looking at me so decided to join him in the buff!! It felt great, especially swimming naked i

Helen meets Helen Smith, a nude life model, personal trainer, dog lover and normalising nudity campaigner from the Midlands. Q: What got you into naturism/nudism? A: I went to a naturist beach in France by accident with a previous boyfriend. Neither of us realised it was naturist until we got there, but as it was a new relationship neither of us wanted to lose face and we both stripped off as if we'd been doing it for years. I quickly realised it was a nice way to be. Q: Is there a dif

Janet Cooper is 79, married to Steven, and lives in Blackheath, London. She enjoys writing short stories, poetry and sketches and says her claim to fame is having one of her sketches performed on The News Huddlines on Radio Two. She enjoys card making and doing crosswords and in her spare time she loves to go walking through the woods naked. Q: What got you into naturism/nudism? A: My husband has always been a naturist and as soon as he comes home, the clothes come off. Nudity has never b

Helen talks to long-standing naturist Jenny Budden Q: What got you into naturism/nudism? A: I became a naturist many years ago in the 1970s, the summer of 1976 was very hot and my husband and I, then my boyfriend, regularly went to Studland beach as textiles, we always went well away from the crowded beach and that year as a result of the hot weather naturists were coming out of the dunes to swim etc. My husband and I were both born in Poole and there was lots of gossip about a nudist colon

Jooles is a vibrant & passionate woman dedicated to embracing the naturist lifestyle. At 42 years of age, Jooles resides in a small marina in a village by the banks of the river Soar near Nottingham. She has to live by water! Jooles wears many hats, mum to 2 children, 13 and 9, naked fitness instructor for BN, AirBnB host, and project manager for her ocean rowing campaign. Q: What got you into naturism/nudism? A: My best friends Jenny and Mark Bass (President of BN), and close friend

Karie Jane, 56, is a single mother of a young adult and is the proud owner of BHH Naturist Resort Fuerteventura. Previously she enjoyed a career working for The Prince’s Trust as Regional Director, and then fifteen years as a Theatre Producer in the UK and throughout Europe. She likes sailing, yoga and Padel Tennis and enjoys daily walks on the beach with her labradoodle, Milo. Q: What got you into naturism/nudism? A: I got into naturism when I started coming to Fuerteventura in the late

Helen talks to transgender female naturist Leah Crowley Q: What got you into naturism/nudism? A: During weekends I would go to stay at my grandparents caravan in Worcestershire and the surrounding area was outstanding natural beauty. I was about seven years old and I would wander into the nearby fields and woodland. I felt an inner peace and comfort. This would be my escape on a regular basis. The weather was surprisingly warm at this time and it just felt natural to unclothe and lay on the

A new series where Women in Naturism Campaign Co-ordinator, Helen Berriman meets other Naturist Women in our community. Welcoming Linda Weber, Nude Recreation – Coordinator for the Western Region of AANR. Q:  What got you interested in Naturism? A:  I became conscious that I did not feel comfortable in clothes in my early teens. I felt they hid my true self, and I realised people unfairly judged each other by their apparel. I started sleeping nude, and then it transitioned into comi

Helen talks to Lins from 'Naked Wanderings' Lins, and her partner Nick a 30-something naturist couple who full time travel around the world in search of the best places to get naked and to learn more about naturism and nudism. Q: What got you into naturism/nudism? A: My parents were not naturists or didn't do anything socially nude (that I know of), but nudity was very common in our home. The bathroom door was always open and I was raised not to have any shame about my body. But the

Maja Penko is 50 years old and is a Tour Leader and Tourist Guide in her hometown of Ljubljana in Slovenia. She has also worked for the INF and is now the President of the Slovenian naturist federation. Q: What got you into naturism/nudism? A: I was born without clothes and shoes.  Then raised in a normal (=naturist) family. Dad and Mum and my brother were always (when we wanted) naked. Our parents never taught us to »cover up« or to »feel ashamed« of our bodies or parts of our bodies.

Martha is 27 years old, from Somerset, and lives with her partner and 3 cats. She is a dreadmaker (a hairdresser for dreadlocks) and has been doing this for the last 7 years. She owns a patch of land in Dorset and is currently working on plans to relocate there, the ultimate goal of being ‘off grid’ and being as self reliant as possible. Martha is a body positivity campaigner and recently appeared as one of the brigade in the Channel 4 series Naked Education. Q: What got you into naturism/n

Helen meets Sadie Tann, conservation student and forager. Part of 'The Freewilders' group who recently rode tandems naked from John O'Groats to Lands End in aid of charity. Q: What got you into naturism/nudism? A: I've always felt more comfortable naked, and have been naked in nature from my early teens. Public nudity is more recent. Colin and I started to go to pubs and cycle through very populated areas then eventually the bike ride! Q: Is there a difference between the two labels? A