The only thing better than curling up with a good book is discussing it with your friends. And how much better it would be to discuss it with your Naturist friends!
We're pleased to announce a new online session - the BN Book Club, which will meet (virtually) every other Tuesday. There is no set book, but we will be discussing whatever novels, non-fiction, or graphic novels you have enjoyed recently and share recommendations.
It starts next week, June 23rd. Please make sure you book your place. It's free to BN and INF members. (Not a member? Care to join us?)
Don't forget to check out all the other events you can join in!
Who's got the perfect body?
a) everyone?
b) no-one?
Both answers are correct! Whatever our own hang-ups, lumps and bumps and worries about what we look like, we're all normal human beings. Being in the company of naked people allows you to see that we're all different and improves how you feel about yourself. Recent scientific research even confirms it.
A lack of body confidence and the resulting low self-esteem is a big problem for the world at large, with people spending fortunes on 'improving' their looks or even suffering from poor mental health because of it.
This Thursday, 18 June, we're hosting a discussion about the subject. Please come and join us and share your views and experiences.
Find out how to book and details of all the other online events currently available from British Naturism, over on our events website.
Our exciting and popular Monday night discussion/interview/presentation sessions continues next week and I'm delighted to announce that our guest on Monday 15 June will be Hector Martinez.
In 2016, Hector and his girlfriend started NNG, one of the largest and fastest growing Naturist communities in Mexico.
In 2017, he created content to promote naturism on YouTube which was taken down by YouTube in May this year despite having 1.3 million subscribers and over 200 million views.
He was until early June the President of the FedNudMex and the first president of the Confederation of Latin American Nudist (CLANUD) 2018-2019.
I'm sure we will learn a great deal! Please make sure you book your place. The Forum Live is one of the free online events available to BN members.
Regular readers will know of the ground-breaking work done by Dr Keon West of Goldsmith's University and how his research showed that being naked boosts self-esteem, happiness and life satisfaction.
Last summer, with administrative assistance and some funding from British Naturism, Dr Keon hosted part II of the work and tested whether similar results could be achieved with people who weren't attending a specific nude event or gathering.
The results have now been peer reviewed and published in full. They are in an academic journal and currently behind a paywall, but BN member Nick Mayhew-Smith has looked through the article, and has produced a short summary of the experiment and the positive conclusions it reached, copied in below:
Nick writes:
So for the first time it was possible to test whether communal naked activity leads to rather than merely accompanies improvements in body image (Body Appreciation). And body image was measured before and after the trial took place.
In total 51 participants arrived for the experiment, half of whom spent 45 minutes socialising with clothes on (the control group), the other half doing the same naked. The sexes were roughly balanced (27 men, 24 women) and also each of the two groups (control and naked) had approximately the same proportion of women and men. The participants were told in advance that the experience had a potential for experiencing communal nudity, which could introduce a slight bias in the findings but this was offset by the fact that they were non-naturist identified and also that they were split into two randomized groups following their recruitment for the study.
The experiment also measured Relative Perceived Attractiveness of Others and Social Physique Anxiety, partly in order to determine where the effect of changes in body image might have been mediated.
Dr Keon used the same body appreciation scale described in his 2018 paper, and measurements before and after the experiment showed a clear and significant difference between the naked group and the clothed group. For the clothed group, 45 minutes spent socialising with clothes on made no statistical difference to their levels of body appreciation, but it was measurably higher (on the scale used roughly 3.3 to 3.8) in the naked group.
The second measure Relative Perceived Attractiveness of Others demonstrated that nakedness had no effect, but as might be expected Social Physique Anxiety was significantly reduced in the naked group. A reduction in Social Physique Anxiety was therefore determined as a possible explanation for why naked socialising has a positive effect on Body Appreciation. In other words, improvement in body image could not simply be produced by seeing other people naked in a non-participatory way.
The participants were all happy to engage in the experiment once they were given their instructions, whether naked or clothed. And there were no differences in the responses between men and women or between different age ranges. A total of 90% of the participants were white, the others South Asian (2%), East Asian (2%), Middle Eastern (2%) or mixed ethnicity (4%).
Anyone who uses the internet regularly will know that you can't get away from people and companies trying to sell you things. There are some sites that feel like 99% advertising and 1% actual content.
We also feature advertisements (although amongst some great content...) across the range of BN platforms and we want to encourage you to check them out. Advertising space is taken by Naturists for Naturists. Many are holiday resorts whose owners and managers have had a torrid time during the pandemic with empty hotels, campgrounds and swimming pools. We're crossing our fingers for our wonderful, global community that they all re-open, and soon. Our friends will really appreciate you clicking on their adverts on this site and visiting their websites. We know they are all ready, willing and able to handle your enquiries about the holidays you may take in the future.
Thanks to all of them for the financial support they give us which helps us in the furtherance of Naturism in the UK.
If you are a potential advertiser, here are the details of how to advertise.
The Irish Tourist Board have been doing a grand job promoting nearly 2,000 miles of rugged Atlantic coastline of County Cork. Dubbed “The Wild Atlantic
Way” (WAW), it's one of the longest defined coastal routes in the world and it brings in a lot of money from tourism.
Along the route are a number of Naturist beaches that Stephen Bolton, from the Irish Naturist Association, believes it’s under exploited. For some time now, Stephen has been trying to get the beaches officially recognised and signposted for the benefit of visiting Naturists.
Naturism is no longer illegal in Ireland. It was liberated by the 2017 changes in legislation that mirror those in the UK. In an interview with The Southern Star, Stephen said: “I have been down to Clonakilty three or four times over the past number of years. They are traditional Naturist beaches and have been for decades, and it’s all locally known.”
“We are trying to piggyback on the WAW – which has been a masterclass in marketing – and if we could get a couple of pinpoint markers on their online interaction maps showing people where to go, it would be great. All we are looking for are signposts to say there is a traditional Naturist bathing area here. If people are easily offended, they can turn around.”
INA’s Leticia Medina told BN, ‘We constantly review our beach list and intend to extend it since all remote locations are suitable for naturism. We get regular feedback from our members and other naturists about beaches where naturism can be practised without offending other people.
irishnaturism.org/map
Get ready for one of our occasional online event specials - Life Drawing For Fun, tomorrow afternoon, Saturday 6th June.
Join artists David Armitage & Skye Bompas for an afternoon of life drawing & modelling.
Our first session with David and Skye was incredibly popular and members can see the resulting drawings here (log in required)
It's open to all and so get booking and check out all the other great events coming up.
On Monday 8 June, we'll be hosting a session in which we will combine presentation, discussion and your questions on the subject of volunteering in British Naturism. The panel will include members of the policies and procedures working group.
It follows the publication to members of our Volunteering Strategy Consultation. (Log in required).
It promises to be another interesting session - educational and inspiring!
There is no charge for the Forum Live sessions. Visit our events website to book your place now.
Thanks to everyone who sent in their ‘lockdown’ images for our Summer 2020 issue. We’ve put together a big feature and crammed in as many as we can. So many of you told us it was a goal of yours to be pictured in BN magazine - glad to oblige! There are a large number of terrific features this time - covering the Solstice, discovering Naturism and BN, taking family to events and on holiday, Naturism as the solution to body-confidence, the legality of sunbathing in the garden, naked walking and more. President Mark Bass reports on BN’s acquisition of the Sunfolk site and lays out some of our plans, and also tells us about his TV appearance - naked on the sofa. We also introduce our new Vice Chairman, Jon Williams and you’ll find details of forthcoming events (cross your fingers that they can happen…)
Our travel section is different this time as our usual crop of holiday reports didn’t materialise (no surprise) and so we’ve brought you a variety of pieces.
As usual, there’s loads of interesting news from the nude and not-so-nude world and our Directory provides details and contact information for clubs, swims, other venues and our key people.
BN224 is available for our members to download right now, and will soon be landing on the doormats of those who opt to receive it by post.
Our quarterly magazine is just one of the many benefits a BN membership provides, so if you’re not a member yet, why not make today the day you join us?
BN’s International Officer, Edwin Kilby talks about the story behind his alter-ego…originally published in July 2019
I first heard about Naturism in the Greek Islands sometime in the early 1980s. It was completely beyond my experience at the time, but my interest was piqued – both in the Islands and in Naturism. A while afterwards I joined a Naturist club in Bricket Wood.
It was some years before I had a chance to try naturism in Greece. During a memorable holiday on Skopelos with my (then relatively new) partner Judith, we headed off to the busy, textile, Stafilos Beach. I had done my homework and marched my unsuspecting and protesting companion the length of the shoreline towards the path to the next beach, Velanio. As I expected, practically everyone on Velanio was nude. I wasn’t sure how Judith would react, but I needn’t have worried; she was out of her clothes before me. We spent much of the rest of that all-too-short holiday there.
Velanio is a lovely beach of fine shingle (okay to walk on barefoot) and the sea is beautifully clear. It’s been a good few years since we last visited, but reports say it’s still well-used by naturists and has been designated by the municipal authority as the island’s official naturist beach.
We love the islands and have been back many times. In 1996 I decided to start collecting information about naturist beaches in Greece and publish it on a website called Cap’n Barefoot’s Naturist Guide to the Greek Islands (www.barefoot.info), which is still online today. I invited people to email beach reports for the site. This proved much more popular than I had foreseen, and I quickly got badly behind with updates. In the end I created a linked website – www.capnbarefoot.info – in the form of a “wiki” which anyone can edit, a little like Wikipedia. That works a lot better for me, and volunteer administrators help keep the site tidy. It still includes a lot of very old information, though. If you’re interested in helping edit the site, please get in touch!
Sadly, Cap’n Barefoot has seen numerous famous once-nude beaches become lost to the textile hordes. I think of Banana beach on Skiathos, and its neighbour Little Banana, a firm favourite among British-based nudists, which was recently taken over by a hotel complex. Mykonos was once one of the nudest islands in the Cyclades is now (in my experience) an overcrowded and overpriced tourist trap where it’s hard to find anywhere to enjoy naturism peacefully.
The situation is better on many of the other islands, although it can vary according to season. To have the best chance of being able to enjoy nude sunning and swimming it’s advisable to travel out of peak season. June and September are delightful months to visit Greece, and the season can extend into October too.
Here’s a short, wholly subjective, list of some of my other favourite Greek beaches. You will find lots more on Cap’n Barefoot – just remember to scroll to the bottom of each entry and look for the latest reports.
Lageri, on Paros – near Naoussa. A lovely long strip of sand, well-established as a nudist beach.
The Official Nudist Beach on Antiparos. Just 10 minutes’ walk from the main quay, it’s a piece of sandy land that projects into a narrow channel. The proportion of Naturists does vary. It’s possible to swim or wade across to the small islands of Diplo and Kavouras and enjoy a nude walk – but do take flip-flops and a hat.
Plaka beach on Naxos. Served by buses from the main town. A long sandy beach well-used by naturists, though the dividing line seems to move south every year.
Kendros beach on Donoussa – attracts free campers as well as swimmers – a mix of textile and nude. The journey from Naxos Town to tiny Donoussa on the “legendary” (according to TripAdvisor) Express Skopelitis ferry can be … interesting.
Plakias Bay beach in southern Crete – The eastern end of the stunningly scenic sandy beach is firmly naturist. Southern Crete is well supplied with naturist beaches and is a good bet for a multi-centre holiday.
Regular readers will know that Kat Harbourne and Jenny Eells from BBC Radio Sheffield are the women behind 'The Naked Podcast', a series of interviews, in which they strip off to interview an also naked guest. The show is now back for its third series and we received the following article from Jenny.
Three people. All naked. Huddled closely round two microphones. This may sound like some COVID-19 era nightmare but as The Naked Podcast returns for its third series, we give you an assurance that all our recordings took place in a time B.C. - Before Coronavirus!
The Naked Podcast is a series of conversations, all recorded in the buff with one simple mission: to get folks feeling better about what's underneath our clothes. We are proud to be representing the north on an international stage – our dulcet Yorkshire tones are listened to all over the world!
Kat and I started recording more than three years ago. As our podcasts began to take shape, we quickly realised that without any clothes on our conversational barriers were broken down. We were all more open, outspoken and quite literally more revealing.
Fast forward to 2020 and it’s almost unthinkable how far we’ve come since that first nervous chat in my flat; naked in front of each other for the first time. We’ve since been on telly, numerous radio stations, written articles for national newspapers and spoken to more than forty fearless females from across the UK about every aspect of our minds and bodies. Along the way there’ve been men’s specials, a skinny dip in the North Sea and we’ve even penned a vagina song (check it out it’s super catchy!).
As part of this season’s naked escapades we’ve witnessed a “Neon Naked Life Drawing” workshop hosted by artist Sue Kreitzman; walked the catwalk with a domanatrix who runs strutting workshops for women; and chewed the fat with childhood burn survivor Sylvia Mac who endured third and fourth degree burns across her body as a result of falling in boiling water when she was just three years old. We’ve stripped off to speak to BBC One presenter Keeley Donovan to talk about her pregnancy and had a right laugh with singer Anastasia Walker from the band Bang Bang Romeo who’ve recently toured with P!nk.
We’ve also spoken to The University of Cambridge academic Dr Victoria Bateman about using her body as a means of protest against economic policies that adversely affect women.
Our podcasts also follow our own personal journeys. Series three follows Kat’s training for the London Marathon and making a documentary about the life-changing decision on whether to take the test which will reveal if she has the hereditary gene that causes Huntington's disease; the illness which killed her mum Jeanette when she was 54.
My relationship with my body has changed significantly since becoming a mother and giving birth to my son last year. I must confess it's not always been the smoothest of rides. But what I love about The Naked Podcast is that it gives us the space to talk openly about our bodies and explore our feelings both positive and negative. Through our discussions and shared experiences I am able to be more understanding and forgiving as I come to terms with the "new me".
For far too long women have been judged by their looks, their bodies and what they choose to do with their lives in a world run by men. We hold a space for women to speak openly and freely about their lives. Our frank conversations offer a unique insight into the experience of 'nakedness' and although we’ve still not fully embraced a clothes-free way, in the spirit of 'Great British Take Off' recently we support any inclination to listen with your kit off!
The Naked Podcast Series Three – OUT NOW!
Subscribe via BBC Sounds or your favourite podcast app.
Tweet: @TheNakedPodcast
Instagram: The Naked Podcast
Email: nakedpodcast@bbc.co.uk
Never mind the Invisible Man, Trina Merry, a New York body-painter can make anything disappear. Houdini did it, David Copperfield (the magician) did it but none of them did it as beautifully as Trina. It doesn't take a breach of the magician's code to reveal the trick because there isn't one. It’s all about skill and art and the right angle and the results are truly stunning. Take a naked model, position them up against a work of art, get the colours
just right and and apply them to the skin until the model disappears into the canvas.
Trina's artistic skills were honed whilst recovering from a lightning strike whilst working in Hollywood. The lightning struck her car which she says was suddenly filled with a bright white light and an odd buzzing sound as what she described as an “incredible ache” shot through her bones!
Best of all, when the Daily Mail ran an illustrated feature about it they made no attempt to pixellate or blur those pesky nipples.
We got in touch with Trina to ask for an image we could reproduce and she told us:
'Absolutely! I'm very aligned with naturism and body positivity. Let me know when it posts and we will share it with my fans!'
www.trinamerry.com
Zut alors! My guest for The Forum Live next Monday 1st June will be Laurent Luft.
Laurent is the president of the Association des Naturistes de Paris (ANP) (who also have a You Tube channel) and in charge of international relations for the FFN (Fédération Française de Naturisme). The ANP are an active group and from time to time we've featured information about their activities - including a naked visit to a well-known Parisian art gallery - in BN magazine.
We'll be talking amongst the things about the state of Naturism in Paris and France, and what the future holds.
Laurent would also like to encourage everyone to pour a glass of French wine!
Please remember that the Forum Live is a free session and open to BN and INF members only.
Regular readers will be aware from our various stories, social media posts and newsletters that BN's online events have been the toast of the Naturist world, leading to huge media coverage and an increase in new members. Brought in as a response to the fact that we could not run actual events, the feedback has been that they successfully filled lockdown time and gave us all something to entertain and keep us fit. They've also helped to strengthen our community and allowed people to be in touch with other members they may otherwise have never met.
So...it's a no-brainer that we have decided to continue providing them into the future even when those actual events are back on and are delighted to announce the new schedule today!
There are some changes with a couple of regular events moving their day/time slot and new additions. Please also expect the programme to keep evolving and look out for announcements of new and special events from time to time.
We're also dividing the schedule into two separate parts:
Community events - these will be free to BN and INF members. They will include sessions such as the coffee morning and pub, discussions and aerobics
Lifestyle events - including yoga, fitness and meditation which will now attract a charge per session, with a 40% discount for BN and INF members,
It's all live and open for booking now! Please visit (and bookmark, and share!) www.bnevents.co.uk/online
At British Naturism, despite the unusual circumstances, we're having a great time and we want everyone to come and be part of it!
Online events
We've launched a programme of online events with something that you can be involved in every day from the comfort of your own home - or wherever you may be! They include yoga, fitness, aerobics, a cooking workshop, meditation, discussions, guest interviews and brilliant gatherings like the weekly coffee morning and Naked pub where you can meet and chat with other Naturists. We've hosted special events such as afternoon tea, life drawing and a drum festival, with plenty more to come. They will also continue when the lockdown ends - look out for an announcement next week!
Membership increases
The popularity of the online events has also led to the number of new members joining doubling since the beginning of lockdown. There's also been an increase in the number of people renewing AND a number of ex-members returning. Spotting the great opportunities we are providing to the Naturist community, many of those new members are people from overseas.
The Great British Take Off
We launched a new event in May - The Great British Take Off - aimed at encouraging people to experience the wonderful feeling of being naked. It was a busy day and great success with loads of media coverage bringing social nudity to the masses in a very positive way. We also raised over £3000 for our Charity of the Year, British Heart Foundation.
Hitting the Headlines
Hot on the heels of many articles and interviews (including prime time TV) in connection with our submission to the Hate Crime commission, Naturism and Naturists have benefited TWICE since and have had the press beating a path to our door - and finding us very willing to tell the world. Firstly, the news that our membership was rising during the pandemic and then the Great British Take Off. We were on prime time TV (again) and reported in many national newspapers - including the banner headline one day in the Daily Star. We've lost count of the radio interviews we've done and the number of countries we reached. Find all the links on our members' forum (log in required)
Acquiring our own site
In March, the land belonging to The Sun-Folk Society just north of London became the property of British Naturism and we have big plans which will benefit members and Naturism in the UK.
Campaigns
Our ongoing campaigns including Women in Naturism, the Great British Skinny Dip and Just One Person are all helping to spread the word and helping Naturists to feel more comfortable about telling other people and inviting them to try.
Keeping busy with BN
We been working hard to provide resources, entertainment, information and activity:
Read over one hundred articles on our news pages about a wide variety of Naturist and Naturist-related subjects, added to almost every day. There are also Inspiring, first-person stories from Women in Naturism
Follow us on social media - we're active on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter
The members' side of our website is chock-full of interesting stuff. Naturists are currently discussing and debating a variety of topics - not all related to Naturism - and finding information, viewing images from events and elsewhere, reading blogs and more. It also contains a variety of interesting and useful downloads including full copies of BN Magazine back to 2004! It all comes free as part of a British Naturism annual subscription.
Not using the members' are of this website? Here's a guide on how to log in and use the member's section of the website and a new Quickstart Guide to help you find your way around...
Summer magazine
BN224 is at the printers and will be sent to members soon. There are a large number of terrific features - covering the Solstice, discovering Naturism and BN, taking family to events and on holiday, Naturism as the solution to body-confidence, the legality of sunbathing in the garden, naked walking, plus news and listings of all that is going on.
Naturism Guide
If you haven’t already, download our new 2020 Guide which contains masses of information…
If you are a member of British Naturism, then thank you. We hope you are getting a lot out of your membership.
If you're not a member, then there's never been a better time to join. It costs less than £4 a month.
‘I've always been one to strip off and jump into water, and have found myself more comfortable with the less I had to wear. Last Summer, more than any before, I found myself on a mission to swim naked in the sea as often, and for as long as into the year, as possible,’ says Ged Deignan
It really became a thing with the onset of the long, glorious, hot summer we experienced. I had been able to swim for most of the summer. A friend had joined me on holiday in Essex, and at midnight on the first night we walked along the shore at Frinton-on-Sea, up past the higgledy piggledy village of small white holiday huts, and on up the ‘Naze’, as locals called it. It was a warm moonlit night and we found ourselves on a deserted stretch of beach, with no buildings or any sign of life in sight. Although not strictly a Naturist spot, the gently folding waves upon the pebbled beach, were calling to us. We soon found ourselves stripped off in sea water that held the warmth from the intense summer sun. The feeling of being one with nature was magnified under the spotlight of a full moon. We spent a long time in the water, swimming back and forth, talking about life the universe and everything. It was like dancing a gentle waltz with nature.
The actual naturist beach is further along the coast from there, south of Clacton-on-Sea at St. Osyth. It is a shingle beach with sand-dunes and beyond that marshland, rich with wildlife. The far end of the beach is fenced off by a Nature Reserve. It can be accessed from a nearby holiday park, and then a long walk along the shingle beach, which can be hard going after a while. Alternatively, follow the seawall along, and as the tarmac path is replaced by sand, cut across the dunes which will take you out near the start of the naturist section. We spent most of the holiday swimming there.
I've been back a few more times since, whilst working in the area. One stormy day in Clacton, I had decided that after work I would just drive home to Southampton, without going for a swim. After all, the sea would be just too rough. When it came time to leave, the storm was blowing itself out and the rain had stopped. I thought I'd see what it was like on the beach one last time. As I had expected and hoped for, it was completely deserted. The sea was still very rough, the wind was blowing a gale, yet still it was warm and not unpleasant. As a swim was out of the question, I settled for a brisk walk. I stripped off, and headed for the waters edge and then along the shore. With the angry, white waves grabbing at my ankles, the wind blowing me about, the energy needed to move forward whilst completely naked, was not something I'd experienced before, and I found very invigorating.
Eastney beach in Portsmouth is not the most pretty to look at. Although there is a splendid view out across the water towards the Isle of Wight, the beach itself is overlooked by a decaying abandoned military installation. This does not take away from its popularity with the local naturist population - I found it to be more crowded through the summer than the rest of the long curving beach down to the south pier.
So for a quieter time, I headed towards Hill Head and Meon beach, south of Titchfield. This long stretch of beautiful coastline, sits at the foot of tall eroding cliffs. Here I soon got to know the regular naturist folk, who had their own spots dotted along the shore. One lady known to everyone who frequents the beach, was kind enough to invite me to join her social network of naturists.
As an ex-competitive swimmer herself, she sometimes seemed disappointed at my lack of stamina in the water. My amateur status was also shown by my tendency to just run into the sea and start swimming. I was quickly pulled up for this, and told the correct procedure was to enter the water slowly, then to just stay still, allowing the body to acclimatise, before using my muscles.
I am an author and my idea of finding somewhere to write, was only partially achieved. Little writing was done, as we spent long hours in interesting and varied conversations, in between bursts of swimming in the sea. It is ironic that most of the writing was done at the noisier, busier, Eastney beach. As the summer gave way to autumn, the swims became weekly at best, but I was pleased to still be in the sea through October and into November.
To see me through the winter, I joined a couple of clubs, the Halcyon and Barton naturist swims. I’ve met some great people and enlarged still further my network of naturist friends. The weather now being against me, I was happy to keep up the exercise that I had become accustomed to, indoors.
My friend with whom I enjoyed the midnight swim in Essex, invited me to join her on a short break and walking holiday in Cornwall. We arrived in the little picturesque fishing village of Polperro at night, in the middle of a raging storm. Although the weather was still blustery, the next day we were able to follow the little acorn symbols that indicated the coastal path. From a cliff top just outside the entrance to the cove, we looked down upon a large rock pool, that the locals described as being a popular natural swimming pool. I immediately wanted to strip off and go in. At first, the way down was not obvious, but we then came across a stairway that had been carved out of the rock itself, clearly many, many years ago. This haphazard descent was broken with a landing, half way down the cliff face. Here we met a couple of people, stood taking in the spectacular view. Having joined them in conversation for a while, I grew impatient, and so announced my intention to strip off and go into the pool. I carefully made my way down and picked a pathway across the rocks to the pool. The advice I had been given about how to enter cold water, and about staying still, came to mind. And so I entered. Then came straight back out again. It was cold, as in really cold! Nature did not feel so friendly, and was a reminder of the total respect that she deserves. I turned and tried again. This time It didn’t feel so cold as my body had begun to acclimatise, and I was able to go right in. I spent some time in the pool swimming back and forth, I climbed out on the seaward side, and explored the rocks that were out of sight from the cliff path. The November sun was still strong enough for this to be a pleasant experience, and at times I felt too warm more than anything.
And so my year was complete. Just one more date I had an eye on, and that was New Years day. Having set a new record for how cold I can go, I was confident that I would be able to do this. I posted a message on the BN forum, inviting people to join me for a New Years swim in Portsmouth. I received a few kind messages of support, and one other person turned up on the day. Being on January the 1st, I’ve now started a whole new Skinny Dipping Year…
Friday 13th of March 2020 proved to be an unusually auspicious day for naturism. In a major new undertaking for British Naturism, we took over The Sun-Folk Society and its land and property. This unprecedented move will secure the future of the Sunfolk site and its character, and will present opportunities which we expect will form a central tool in the advancement of naturism in the years ahead. The property will in future be known as “British Naturism: Sunfolk”, and we aim to make the property into a modern naturist leisure and event space and set the gold standard for naturist locations in the UK.
The Sunfolk site is situated at How Wood in Hertfordshire, between St Albans and Watford, at the junction of the M1 and the M25. It is one of three naturist sites in the area and sits adjacent to Spielplatz. As well as setting the standard for naturist experiences, our aim is that the site will be at the forefront of environmental facilities, and we are already consulting other large environmental groups on how to make the site eco-friendly. This will be helped by the fact that Sunfolk is only a 15 minute walk from the nearest railway station. The close link to public transport not only reduces the impact of visitors on the carbon footprint but means that the site will be accessible to everybody. It is often lamented that naturist facilities are so remote that they are unavailable to those without cars, and avoiding that limitation was a key factor in our decision making.
The Sun-Folk Society itself is one of the oldest clubs in the UK, founded in 1931. Arguably it is the perfect representation of the origins of UK naturism. It’s a beautiful site, bordered by a spinney of woodland, featuring sizeable lawns, a camping area and a modern covered swimming pool, alongside a timber clubhouse full of character. The longevity of UK naturism is a powerful campaigning tool, it demonstrates that naturism should be taken seriously and is not a passing fad. The fact that our facility will be underwritten by nearly 90 years of history will prove that. The design and development of the site will celebrate and showcase the legacy we have inherited. That means that as the site is brought up to modern standards, those features will blend seamlessly into the natural environment. This is not about building a functional eyesore, we envisage a location where naturists can escape to enjoy nature and good company.
We had grand plans for a spectacular opening about now, but COVID-19 has rather limited that option, so full access is not likely to be achieved until 2021. However, we are not easily discouraged and have used the enforced closure as an opportunity to press ahead with some heavy redevelopment and safety work that would have stretched over a few years in normal circumstances. The site will be improved in a number of phases, so we expect it to be great when we open but it will get even better over time.
The question that people will be asking is “How and when can I visit?”. Precise details are still being worked out, and all aspects are likely to evolve over the next few years as the site develops, but we can give you a glimpse of the future now. British Naturism: Sunfolk won’t be a club, it will be a naturist location. You won’t join Sunfolk, you’ll join British Naturism, and Sunfolk will be accessible to all of our members, and members of other Naturist federations. We envisage that day and overnight passes will be available to members with competitive pricing that ensures that the site will be financially self-sustaining. Your guests will also be welcome, and we are looking at the best way to allow people who are curious about naturism to come and give it a try. Such a move would raise attendance levels, and therefore help keep the entry price for our own members down, so there are benefits for us as individuals and for naturism at large. We would hope to have the site open and accessible continually throughout the summer months and will have small-scale events such as workshops and family days throughout the year. There is a lot of detail here and things will be introduced in phases and adapt over time, but you can already see that we are thinking ambitiously.
The self-sustaining business plan is important. Sunfolk will be a tremendous asset but we must make sure it does not unduly divert effort or resources from our other activities, such as our national events or campaigns program. Campaigning in particular is an area that we expect to benefit from Sunfolk. The proximity of the site to London and the excellent transport links can make the site a campaigning hub. If we are meeting influencers and policy makers, we will be able to host the talks on our site, so delegates are surrounded by naturists in a stunning environment. A first-hand experience of how great naturism really can be will have a huge impact on the perceptions of those we want to persuade. When we open up the site to first time naturists, Sunfolk will shape the community around it as people join in, and that is really what campaigning is about.
So that is our vision. Sunfolk is, and always will be, a great location for naturism, and a hugely important asset for British Naturism. It will be a place that we can be proud of.
Our programme of online events continues to stimulate, to attract new members (and new naturists) and to bring the media to our door. There's great news coming that they will continue after lockdown - look out for the announcement and further details.
Earlier this week I was delighted to welcome Pat and Leticia from the Irish Naturist Association which attracted the largest audience yet for the Monday night Forum Live session.
Next Monday, I'm talking to BN's events manager Mark Walsh, the power behind our events both actual and online. Since Mark's arrival on the BN scene, the event programme has grown in volume and quality, thanks to his energy and experience. I'll be asking him about how our events are created, from venue choice, through booking bands and entertainment and the less glamorous though crucial aspects like the work involved in running an efficient and professional ticket sales website! We'll have a good chat about the online events too - and look into the future of them. I hope you will join me.
...but you don't have to wait until Monday to be part of this new and exciting (and popular) online event community.
Tonight (Wednesday) there is Naked Laughter Yoga with Eva plus a conventional yoga session that, unlike most sessions, is open to everyone.
On Thursday you can join Katharine for calming meditation, and Roy who will put you through your paces in a fitness class.
On Friday we make our weekly visit to or very own watering hole, The Bare Arms, aka the Naked Pub
On Saturday work up a sweat with Sheryn's aerobics
On Sunday - another yoga session with Georgia
And to kick off the new week with a Coffee Morning (Starbutts? Café Zero-Clothes?) and a catch up with like-minded people.
The Great British Take Off, held on Saturday 16th May, immediately established itself as an instant classic and one that will surely become an annual event.
We ran a number of online sessions and were pleased to welcome hundreds of people who between them attended a naked fitness class, a naked yoga session and our special event, ‘Pimms On the Lawn’.
Many of the attendees were brand new to British Naturism membership and in some cases, new to Naturism too. Some were inspired to join us having heard about the event from the huge media attention that we reported last week. Since the beginning of lockdown we've seen over a 150% increase in the number of new members in 2020. A warm welcome if you are one of them!
Many people happily embraced the charitable angle to the event and found it made it easier to tell friends and family. Fees paid to BN by attendees to the online events will be added to the donations and so at the time of writing we have raised over £3000 for the British Heart Foundation and the figure keeps rising. Thank you to everyone who took part.
Thanks also to everyone who sent their pictures in showing how they were celebrating The Great British Take Off. It's not to late to submit yours - take one today if you can!
But it is not game over. If you missed the GBTO or joined in and are keen to do more, then please feel free. You will find a large number of resources and a friendly welcoming community on this website. It is also easy to join us or sign up for our Newsletter to get more.
We're delighted to announce that our guests for the Forum Live discussions session on Monday 18 May will be Pat Gallagher, President, and Leticia Medina, Events Co-ordinator from the Irish Naturist Association. The session will start with a slideshow presentation and follow with the opportunity to ask questions.
https://irishnaturism.org
I'm looking forward to it and to welcoming you all - please make sure you book for this session and all those happening this week!
I’ve got nothing on today, how about you?
#greatbritishtakeoff
And so the day arrives! Today’s the day that we encourage everyone to strip down to nothing to enjoy the liberated and exhilarating feeling that comes from being naked.
If you can do it in the fresh air and sunshine then that’s great. If not, whack up the heating and do it indoors…
We’ve loved the attention! The British media have not hesitated to promote this event far and wide. We’ve appeared on TV, contributed to stories in national newspapers The Sun, Mail Online, iNews and The Daily Star, helped many regional and local newspapers and websites to feature the details and it’s been mentioned to millions by Philip Schofield and Steve Wright. There’s more to come too…
Here’s a reminder of what it’s all about:
And by the way, it’s perfectly legal. By all means tell the neighbours, but there is no need to warn them even if you are overlooked. So long as you are not revealing yourself with the intention of upsetting people, it's fine. We’ve been hearing this week from our members that neighbours are thinking of joining in….
It's also for Charity. BN are supporting British Heart Foundation in 2020 and you can be sponsored to 'Take Off' or make a donation. Maybe this will help you if you are taking that first nude step outside, or to encourage people to join in with you.
We’ve launched some additional online events for today with the event hosts donating their time for free to raise money for BHF. IN addition to the usual Saturday programme, there’s fitness, yoga, and ‘Pimms on the lawn’.
In between times, here’s a few ideas of what you could get up to (all in the buff, of course…):
Sunbathe, read, sit in the hot tub, take afternoon tea (or something stronger), have BBQ, do some weeding or watering, paint a fence, clear out the shed, play games, kick a ball around, throw a frisbee, do a jigsaw puzzle, hang out the washing, wash windows, listen to a podcast or audio book, do the housework…
We’d love to hear what you are doing today. Please let us know on any (or all!) of the following sites:
BN Facebook
BN on Twitter
BN's Instagram page
and send any photos to this address
And the fun goes on…
It will still be legal tomorrow, and the day after…so keep the momentum going and check out bn.org.uk for everything else that we do. Hopefully, it won’t be long before we can gather together again - being a Naturist with other people is even better than doing it alone. You can even join us, sign up for news and become part of a vibrant community.
Only three days to go until The Great British Take Off on Saturday 16th May 2020, an initiative from British Naturism which will see people all around the country stripping down to nothing to enjoy the liberated and rewarding feeling that comes from being naked in the fresh air and sunshine.
GBTO in the news
It didn’t take long for the Great British Take Off to take off itself. Our press release was sent to our media contacts on Monday and there have already been a number of newspaper features, with plenty more attention to come including local radio interviews. Website ‘The Resident’ decided that it was the No.1 activity this weekend! You can read it here, together with the others - and the list will surely grow (log in required).
We also took the step of sending the press release and an explanatory note to the press offices for police forces nationwide, making absolutely sure they know about the Police College guidelines.
NEW online events
We’ve launched some additional online events for Saturday with the event hosts donating their time for free to raise money for The British Heart Foundation, the BN Charity of the Year. There’s fitness, yoga, and ‘Pimms on the lawn’. Find all the existing online events here - there's something every day!
Daily dose
We’re reading that vitamin D might help with the Covid-19 virus. We’re also reading there has been a run on vitamin D in the shops. But that’s nonsense! Vitamin D comes free from the sun - protect yourself: strip off and boost your vitamin D!
#worknakedwednesday
…and finally, don’t forget that today is #worknakedwednesday, so if you aren’t celebrating already, then please feel free to join in…you have nothing to lose but your clothes...
I’ve been asked to write a few words to ‘introduce’ myself to readers following my recent appointment as vice chairman. This role has been vacant for some time, so I have been able to step into this position without being formally elected, but I look forward to standing for election in line with our constitution in 2021
I’m proud to have been a member of British Naturism since the beginning of 2018. In this time, I’ve been lucky enough to meet and speak with many other members who have given me far more confidence as a naturist, and helped me to understand why naturism is such an important part of my life
I’ve had some great experiences as a British Naturism member over this time – skinny dipping in the Lake District, climbing mountains with other members in the Scottish Highlands, competing at the INF swimming gala in Paris and samba dancing at Nudefest - to mention just a few of the highlights.
I enjoy naturism in lots of different ways, but especially in the great outdoors – you’ll often find me participating in naturist walks with NatRam and other groups, or seeking out remote beaches, lakes and rivers for a spot of wild swimming
I’m originally from the Isle of Purbeck in Dorset (Studland was my local beach as a child), but I now live in Central London with my partner Shaun. Shaun is also a naturist, so I’m lucky to be able to share many of my experiences with him.
Outside of naturism, I work in a management role for a major national retailer and sing classical music for a number of different choirs in London and across the South of England – you might even see me popping up on TV for the Last Night of the Proms every now and again!
Although I work in the private sector, there is long history of public service in my family, so it is important to me to be able to make contribute to those organisations that are significant for me. As such, I was keen to get more involved in helping to manage British Naturism when the opportunity came up
In my role as vice chairman, I’ll be supporting members of the British Naturism Executive Committee to ensure that our organisation is effectively and efficiently managed, that it takes decisions that are consistent with its objective to promote naturism in the UK and that it grasps opportunities to become more successful and relevant to existing and future generations of naturists
A lot of my work as vice chairman will be ‘behind the scenes’, but I’ll also be helping out with a couple of higher profile projects such as the development of the British Naturism Sunfolk site and the relaunch of the British Naturism shop. I look forward to meeting and hearing from even more members in my new role, but if you’d like to know any more about me or my role or to share your thought with me, you’d be most welcome to get in touch.
Jon Williams
jon.williams@bn.org.uk.
News and updates are coming thick and fast these days from British Naturism and with all our various channels it can be difficult to keep up...
Did you know that we issue a regular newsletter that comes straight to your inbox, which contains everything you need to know? During lockdown we're issuing it about once a week.
Anyone can subscribe (and easily unsubscribe if you decide to later) and make sure you don't miss out on what's happening...
Visit our newsletter sign up page to find out more and also access an archive of our previous newsletters.
Amid all the uncertainty about the future, you can be sure of a stimulating programme from British Naturism. As I write, we're enjoying a full weekend of online activities including yoga, naked pub, a drum festival and aerobics and can look forward to more this week...
Already confirmed:
Monday - Coffee Morning and The Forum Live discussion - The History of Nudity (well, the one the school books don't tell you about...)
Tuesday - Fitness, drum meditation and a special talk on rowing the Atlantic - naked of course!
Wednesday - Naked Kitchen, laughter yoga and a yoga class open to all
Thursday - Meditation and fitness
Friday - The Naked Pub. There's also a member-run quiz night.
Saturday - aerobics
Saturday is also the day of The Great British Take Off with our online event, 'Pimms on the lawn', with more still being arranged...
Do keeping checking back as we're adding more events all the time...
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