News and Articles

A Great Night Out at Waterworld

A Great Night Out at Waterworld

Saturday, 13th April saw British Naturism return to one of its most popular swimming venues, Waterworld in Stoke.  Naturists have been visiting Waterworld for over 20 years, and it is easy to see why. Waterworld is one of the best water parks in the UK and are always fantastic hosts. The staff are friendly and the café open for when people need a brief break from the many, exciting slides.
It is a sign of how naturism in the UK is growing right now, that this weekend welcomed the largest number of members that the event has seen in quite a number of visits. It was particularly pleasing to see so many new members, many of them young couples, who are discovering that naturism can provide a break from the humdrum of everyday life.
One young woman, Hannah, having recently joined with her husband, commented that they were looking for a new distraction that they could enjoy together.  Their first experience at Waterworld was so positive that they are already looking at what other British Naturism events are coming up over the summer so they can become more involved.
Meanwhile Mary, having been introduced to Naturism by her daughter, explained that their family had never been particularly concerned about nudity growing up. Mary credited this open approach as being responsible for the confidence that her own children had achieved and their success now that they are themselves adults. She observed that the naturist environment promotes a level of respectful conversation that many people are missing from their lives and would encourage people to try it.
With summer ahead of us, now is definitely the time to look at trying a naturist event.  Afterwards, you will probably wonder why you have not always been doing it.
Mark Bass
 

Purity, Towel Rituals and Pesto: YBN’s weekend in Amsterdam

Purity, Towel Rituals and Pesto: YBN’s weekend in Amsterdam

I’m sitting on the tarmac at Schiphol airport, waiting for the conga line of passengers to hurry up and take their seats. There’s a younger man to the left of me, clowning about on his phone. To the right of me, there is a joker, cracking puns to his friend and giving off a strong aroma of the local horticulture. I’m stuck in the middle of the usual pre-flight scuffles with the sad reality of going back to work after a sublime weekend with some of the YBN at Zuiver Spa in Amsterdam (“Zuiver” means “pure” in Dutch). This was a jointly organised by BN and Chalfont Holidays and was the first trip exclusively for YBN. About 20 people came, including several familiar faces, and some that had chosen this trip as their first foray into social Naturism.
The weekend began with a light dusting of snow in Aberdeen and a few inches elsewhere in the UK. Luckily, my flight was only delayed by an hour, and the power of Chalfont Holidays meant that their emergency helpline came in very useful for some of us that were rerouted due to the bad weather. Zuiver Spa is a short taxi ride from the airport. The complex has a a spa and hotel, and gym and tennis club. The complex is not Naturist, but nudity is mandatory within the spa itself and wearing only a dressing gown and flip flops in the hotel is acceptable. The room I shared was perhaps a little basic, but perfectly comfortable for the two nights and had everything we needed. The focus at Zuiver is very much on the spa: in the UK, Zuiver’s equivalent would be a big hotel with luxurious rooms, a fancy steak restaurant, a pool and maybe a small steam room. Zuiver realigns this balance somewhat.
Friday afternoon was spent in the spa while waiting for the others to arrive. I arrived with Thomas and Alan, and quickly lost them as we all went off to explore - it’s huge! The spa has a large heated pool that extends outside. On the inside, there are many saunas, a steam room, steam baths, a caldarium, showers, and the restaurant. Upstairs is a bar and lots of comfy chairs if you want to take a break from the heat! There's a sunbathing lawn with plenty loungers outside (not a popular choice given the time of year), a big jacuzzi tub that had room for all of us and even more sauna rooms. The saunas all have a defining characteristic. The Finnish sauna is the warmest at 80 degrees, and you can experience the löyly ritual, where steam is released as water is sprayed onto the hot stones in the centre of the room. The music sauna has ... you can guess. I was expecting an angelic choir to help me relax in there but I got a Daft Punk CD instead. The colour therapy sauna has lights that make it feel like a disco in very slow motion, and the infrared sauna is like sitting on a wooden bench and pointing heaters at your naked body. The whole spa has mandatory nudity, except the bar and the restaurant, where you must be wearing a dressing gown and flip flops. There was a noticeable spectrum of ages, genders and nationalities. Zuiver attracts a much younger crowd than is typically found at Naturist events in the UK, and sometimes the women outnumber the men. Being close to the airport, it's no surprise that a mix of nationalities are present, including a Japanese woman that could outlast any of us in the Finnish sauna, French couples enjoying a romantic weekend away, and an angry German that objected to the jacuzzi tub being still for too long. You get the feeling that nudity is not a new experience for most visitors to Zuiver. Everybody seems totally at ease, nudity is just part and parcel of being at a spa, whereas for many British Naturists, nudity can be the primary reason for being at an event, swim or club.
The group had all arrived by evening, and leaders Mark and Pam had organised a meal at a nearby restaurant, which helped to break the ice. We enjoyed our food and the restaurant’s own pesto, which, despite appearances, did not have hallucinogenic properties.
Clearly the spa had already had good effects on me, as I managed to sleep in until after 9am on Saturday morning. Breakfast was continental style - don't expect a fry up here! We spent all day in the spa. I enjoyed a massage that was much more thorough than I was used to - my masseuse became well acquainted with my vertebra and I left feeling much less tense and slightly dizzy. At a UK leisure centre, you might be served a damp chicken burger, fries and Diet Coke for £7.99. At Zuiver, wellbeing is a focus, and the restaurant served a salad and deli meat buffet. Even paying for your food is relaxing: there's a clever wristband that you use to enter the spa, which is scanned whenever you buy food and drink – no need to carry cash! In the afternoon, some of us went to a towel ritual (Aufguss) in the Finnish sauna, which was the defining moment for Zuiver. A towel master poured water and oils (peppermint, almond, eucalyptus) and then wafted the hot air around the room with a towel in a series of well-practiced moves. It's like watching the ribbon dancers at the Olympics. The room got progressively hotter. Half way through, everybody got honey to rub over their body before returning for another round of towel waving to sweat off the sticky stuff. You'll have to take my word that it's more pleasant than it sounds, and this ritual became a highlight for the YBN. Later in the afternoon, we enjoyed the more serene ritual of listening to singing bowls in the colour therapy sauna. This time, the sauna master used a mallet to strike metallic bowls that vibrated and produced a humming sound. The combined noise and the lights made for an unusual but very calming experience. We filled the rest of the afternoon in the spa. I found myself daydreaming even more than I usually do. Time is easily lost in Zuiver and every effort is made to ensure that visitors leave as relaxed as possible!
We went into Amsterdam to explore on Saturday evening. We were joined for dinner by two members of the Dutch YBN equivalent. Chatting to them revealed that the two young Naturist groups face similar problems, and I'm hopeful that in the post-Brexit UK (whatever the outcome) the YBN will be able to join forces with European groups to promote Naturism in young people. After dinner we went for an eye-opening wander around Amsterdam. Some of the streets are like walking past a lot of Ann Summers shops with live mannequins! We landed in a bar filled with arcade machines and enjoyed a bit of Pacman and drinks. After another wander (more mannequins), we found another bar and commandeered a sofa. Naturism is something that brings a sense of identity and close association with other people. Our clothes had been reluctantly put on back at Zuiver, but underneath we were the people that enjoy the unique positive benefits of social nudity.
 Sunday morning was predictably late. The sun was out, and we spent a lot more time in the big outdoor jacuzzi in between visits to the warmer rooms inside. We said our goodbyes concluding that the first YBN trip to Zuiver had been a success and that we should have another trip later in the year! I’m really excited to see more people join YBN through trips, watch them build friendships and become more confident in sharing the delights of Naturism.
Ed Shearer
Photo supplied by Spa Zuiver
There is another opportunity to join a group and travel to Spa Zuiver in Amsterdam, from 20th to 23rd September.  For details of this fabulous trip and other BN Events, click here
 
 

Family Values and Safety in Naturism

Family Values and Safety in Naturism

British Naturism has existed for over 50 years, and organised naturism in the UK for double that.  For all that time, naturism has been based on the family values of respect, inclusivity and friendship.  A recent internal survey of what people value most about naturism revealed friendship to be the clear winner, with nudity featuring surprisingly low down the list.
A culture of respect, inclusivity and friendship does not occur purely by chance.  British Naturism works continuously to promote the family values that make people feel at home, and it is often said by newcomers just how relaxed everyone is in a nude environment.  A question often asked by those who have not tried naturism is whether it is appropriate for children.  The answer is a clear yes.  Young children don’t differentiate between clothed and unclothed.  Our 2016 “Children Deserve Better” report (http://www.bn.org.uk/children) identified a host of emotional, cultural and physical challenges that we face through our lives.  Many are a direct consequence of modern culture, and the report summarises evidence that the wholesome body attitude learned as a naturist can help us become more rounded and respectful people as we grow so we enjoy greater confidence and health through our lives.
A second common question from adults tempted to try naturism is whether they themselves will feel safe and be treated well.  The question is understandable, we all fear the unknown, and trying naturism for the first time might be intimidating.  But there is nothing to fear.  The family values and community spirit of British Naturism means we watch out for each other, especially newcomers, to make sure everybody feels comfortable.
We must also concern ourselves with the safety of vulnerable adults.  In the same way we wouldn’t want to exclude young families, we must accommodate and protect members who, whether through age or for other reasons, need extra help.  Health or personal issues can leave individuals vulnerable at any time in our lives, and we as a community are committed to both welcoming and supporting them.
Collectively, this means that British Naturism prioritises ensuring the safety of all who participate, especially children and the vulnerable, so we can benefit from naturism throughout our lives.  The question is: How do we achieve safety?
Safeguarding Procedures
Like all family organisations, British Naturism makes safety the highest priority.  Achieving safety means first recognising risk and then acting to minimise it.  Our Safeguarding Procedures are amongst the best there are.  Our Procedures are reviewed annually and subject to a major revision when new challenges arise.  The world changes and a policy that was effective five years ago might be inadequate now due to new circumstances.  Vigilance is key.  Our Safeguarding Procedures are prepared with the assistance of consultants from police child-safeguarding backgrounds, align with best practice of safeguarding authorities and we consult agencies such as the NSPCC and the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) to ensure our Procedures are the best they can possibly be.  We are currently undertaking a major review to replace our existing Child Safeguarding Policy with a more expansive policy that properly encompasses vulnerable adults and bullying so we have thorough procedures to safeguard members throughout their lives.
Verification of Members
Our ability to check members is what sets us above nearly every other organisation.  As a paid membership organisation, we are able to ensure that individuals with a record of historical misconduct are not admitted.  Our checking procedures are multi-layered and go on behind the scenes, so although you will not see them taking place, new members can be assured that they are joining a safe environment.  Even events that allow individuals who are not already members to attend require proof of identity and advance notice of participation to allow checks to be made.  Our rigorous commitment to safety makes our events unique compared to nearly any other park, or beach, or swim in a local pool where people can attend anonymously.  It means British Naturism events are arguably the safest places you and your family can be.
Stewarding of Events
Although background checks can pick up past misconduct, a good question is what happens if somebody misbehaves for the first time?  The answer is simple: Stewards.  All British Naturism events have stewards on hand who can be easily recognised by their orange BN lanyards with name badges.  These volunteers are members of long standing, who have been reference-checked to show they are reliable at what they do.   The most common activity of stewards is to make new members feel welcome and ensure everybody has a good time.  But they are also the people to turn to if there is a problem, and they provide eyes on the ground to make sure everybody is safe.  On top of our own stewards and venue staff, we work with local police forces so they know that our events are taking place and can react quickly if we need assistance.  It is not uncommon to see officers drop by our outdoor events, much as you would at other festivals, such is the strength of the relationship we build with local police.
Working with Venues
Most British Naturism events use public venues, which will of course have their own safeguarding procedures.  Rather than replace the venue policy, our policy is applied on top, meaning that there is a double lock on safety procedures, backed up by risk assessments tailored to individual events.  It is no coincidence that venues welcome British Naturism events.  There are venues that we have been using for over 27 years without incident, demonstrating how keen venues are to welcome us back as friendly and responsible customers. 
Photographic Documentation
All people like to take photographs of their holidays and days out, but this is where naturism differs from most social activities.  Partly due to mutual respect, partly for safety, but partly because naturism encourages a simpler life, personal photography is not allowed at any of our events.  We have a trained and vetted British Naturism photography team to document the atmosphere of our events.  The BN photographers are bound by very strict rules meaning that they need permission to include people in an image, and British Naturism requires expressed permission from any recognisable individual before publishing an image.  More importantly, any image featuring a child must have written, parental consent obtained in advance, and not contain anything that could be even close to being considered indecent.  We want people to relax and enjoy naturism, and our procedures make it so.
Naturism is a Participation Activity
A final misconception is that some individuals might attend naturist events because they want to look at naked people.  The reality of naturism is rather different, and not something that people understand until they try it.  Firstly, we should say that British Naturism has never allowed spectators at its events: you are either involved or not there, the only exception being an associated family member at a competitive sporting event.  But the bigger truth is that when you join the naturist community, the body matters less.  Eroticism in nudity is driven by tease and taboo, the temptation of what is hinted at.  Once we are stripped bare, that vanishes.  Everybody expects their first naturist experience to be awkward because they think when they are naked people might stare at them.  In fact, nobody does, and within seconds you forget that you are naked.  You engage people by looking them in the eye, and you relate to their character, rather than musing on their fashion choices.  This is the simple joy of naturism, why there is so much respect and why it just does not work as a spectator event.
So, in summary, naturist events are a low-risk environment - our places are far safer for children than many other places they go.  If you are unsure about naturism, you should just try it.  You will never be given more respect for you as a person, you and your family will never feel safer and you will have a great, relaxing time.

• safeguarding

It started with a kiss.... can Naturists do better?

It started with a kiss.... can Naturists do better?

French sculptor Augustine Rodin was a naturist! Well that's my guess anyway after reading one of his quotes and seeing his masterpiece “The Kiss”. Rodin said, “Man's naked form belongs to no particular moment in history; it is eternal, and can be looked upon with joy by all the people of all ages”. He had a great way to describe his art..... “I choose a block of marble and cut off whatever I don't need”.
BN Eastern Region's Nigel, Baz and Wendy heard about the Kiss and Tell Exhibition in Ipswich and then negotiated and organised our visit. The four-ton slab of marble that makes up The Kiss is certainly a wonderful centrepiece but there was far more to our sell out visit than that. The exhibition is in the magnificent Christchurch Mansion in the centre of Ipswich. It's a 500 year old Tudor building which contains a permanent art exhibition including paintings by Gainsborough and Constable. We were able to wander around the huge building with surprises around every corner in terms of history and art. Some rooms recreated different times in history with costumes, furniture and artefacts. There were some excellent examples of intricately carved Tudor panelling in other rooms.
On arrival we were split into two groups of 30. Whilst one group explored, the other were given a tour and talk by curator Emma. Her pride in the exhibition and passion for her subject was inspiring. She gave us real insight into not only the background of the sculpture but also of Rodin and how a small museum managed to loan such a prestigious piece. The Kiss was commissioned in 1904 by an American who lived in Lewes called Edward Warren. He stipulated that the man's genitals must be complete! For several years it was kept in his stables. Then in 1914 it was loaned to the council for display in the Town Hall. A local head mistress, Miss Fowler-Tutt, was appalled and successfully campaigned to have it covered from public view. She thought that it might be too sexually exciting for soldiers billeted in the area. Naturists today recognise that sort of puritanism still exists. Later during the evening a number of us tried to recreate “The Kiss” for a photograph. It wasn't as easy as I thought and maybe some of us chaps did lack a little in physique compared to the original!
Both Emma and Saskia (the museum events organiser) were lovely hosts and clearly not concerned at having 60 naturists on site. Happily, they didn't feel the need to erect elaborate screening and put up curtains, even though we were in the middle of a public park with a footpath just outside one window.  Baz and Wendy helped the day go well by laying on refreshments and arranging for Springwood Naturist Club in Colchester to have an Open Day to coincide with the visit.
The two subjects, Francesca and Paulo, portrayed in “The Kiss” are from Dante's Inferno. Francesca's husband Giovanni caught his wife with his younger brother Paulo and killed them both. 
We spoke to many BN members at the time and all were delighted with the evening. Wandering round the rooms lends itself to a different kind of social interaction unlike when we have dining events and mainly speak to those around us. It is rare for a naturist event to be held in a British museum /gallery. Hopefully other museums will open their doors to us in future.
Andy Wyman
 
Thanks to Pauline and Stephen Skippins for the photos

Naturist Canal Boat Trip

Naturist Canal Boat Trip

Forty Naturists are looking forward to a fish and chip cruise on canal boat from Norbury Wharf on Thursday 4th April. It’s the first trip of its kind in BN’s North West region.
As with many of our more unusual events, it sold out quickly proving again that modern Naturism is definitely not all about sunbathing by the pool!. Most guests are local but we expect plenty of people from further afield to take advantage of the opportunity.
It has been a pleasure to deal with the people from Norbury Wharf who gave a positive response to the request for our booking - it’s what we’re finding with most venues these days!
We’re looking forward to a great evening!

English and French unite in Austria

English and French unite in Austria

21 of us, British and French in almost equal number, gathered together in the dining room of Landhaus Lührmann in Austria for the The BN Winter Activity Group Holiday. There was the hum of two languages and another Parliamentary Brexit deal looming in the air, but we were standing and chatting, united by naturism. 
Outside the snow came down hard during the week, perfect for the skiers and we were also blessed with bright Spring sunshine.  This year half our party chose downhill skiing, while the rest experienced a mixture of cross-country skiing, walking,  the spectacular mountain scenery, the picturesque village of Schladming, the fresh air, company of like-minded people, entertainment and, of course, the sauna, steam room and pool in the hotel’s own spa.
The hotel was completely naturist for the whole week - any activity could be done naked, including dining. Every day the group came together for the sumptuous breakfast buffet before getting ‘kitted up’ and being transported to the slopes; competent skiers took off, others took lessons, some went into Kulm to join the cross-country tracks, or to Schladming to shop, or stayed at base to relax in the facilities of the spa.  A few even went for the ‘snow shoe’ option a couple of mornings for a snow hike.  Later in the week, five of us ventured out to Therme Amadé spa 45 minutes away at Altermarkt where we immersed ourselves in hot tubs, pools and 10 different sauna infusions.  A further group of us went again one evening to ‘spa under the stars’, as some of the heated pools are outside. This was a delightful and restful experience, calming minds and soothing aching muscles.
During the week we enjoyed the fun of a horse and sleigh ride, two wine tastings in the Lührmann family’s own cellar with specially chosen wine, hosted by the family son, Hans Georg.  Granny Lührmann, Rosina, cooked three course dinners of high quality traditional Austrian fare every evening, which was gratefully received by the hungry ensemble who gathered to eat and discuss their day as well as planning for the next.  Many attended Sheryn’s aquaerobics and stretch sessions in the late afternoons, so popular that additional sessions were added. Others relaxed in the sauna and steam rooms, and all joined Andrew’s after dinner evening quizzes, as well as other entertainment including an impromptu life drawing session run by one of our party, Jim.  On the final night a music intro quiz led by Andrew fuelled frenetic singing and dancing, everyone joined in as much as they felt able to, the women took to the floor demonstrating a wonderful rendition of ‘YMCA’ whilst French and English partnered up to ‘rock around the clock’.  All in all it was an exuberant way to finish our week.
It was difficult to believe that many of us had not even met just eight days before.  Language barriers had been overcome, shared activities had been enjoyed and naturism had united us all. 
Find all the other BN Members' holidays for 2019 here

BN219 - Spring 2019

BN219 - Spring 2019

Welcome to BN219! The first edition of the year and – wait a minute! Something’s different. The magazine looks super slick! That’s right, we’ve given the pages a makeover and, as (we hope) you’ll see, they look much better.
It’s a new look for a new year*.
*Definitely something to let your non-subscribing friends know about…  
 
Highlights of this spruced-up Spring edition of the BN Magazine include:
A packed news section including - Beating Brexit Blues by making a stand…in the nude; We all know it, but just in case you don’t: GBSD is racing towards a new date; Illustrated reports of events including Nudefest and Alton Towers Say it Loud, Say it Clear – an update on the BN Strategy; Women in Naturism – Mel discovers a whole new world; An update from with a rebrand for Young British Naturism Club Birthdays: Getting older but ever-young at heart; The joys of volunteering; Event Roundup:  BN’s gatherings discussed - and there’s loads of them! The rewards of working together; Living a life of leisure: focus on Spain ...and much, much more besides, all richly illustrated in full colour!
BN Magazine is available to members only and issued four times a year as part of the annual subscription. If you are not a member, you can join us and get your own copy through the post and as a download and other benefits as well.

British Naturism at Kiss and Tell

British Naturism at Kiss and Tell

The Eastern Region has arranged a private viewing of a special art event at the beautiful Christchurch Mansion in the centre of Ipswich in Suffolk.
Saturday 23rd March 2019
This spring, join us in Ipswich for what will be East Anglia's once in a lifetime exhibition. Discover the tale behind the lovers in Auguste Rodin's life-size marble sculptureThe Kiss and the work of literature that inspired it. This monumental artwork, on loan from the Tate, is a significant piece in the history of sculpture.
Several of Rodin's sculptures on loan from the Tate and East Anglian museums and galleries will be displayed in this major exhibition, including portrait sculptures of French novelist Honoré de Balzac and two more of Rodin's sculptures inspired by movement and dance.
Discover depictions of the body in its natural state and in movement, through sculptures and life drawings from the Ipswich collection, including works by Pre-Raphaelite sculptor Thomas Woolner, Ellen Mary Rope, Maggi Hambling and Elisabeth Frink.
https://cimuseums.org.uk/event/kiss-and-tell-rodin-and-suffolk-sculpture/
We have a 2-hour slot on a Saturday afternoon which will include a talk from the museum's art expert Emma Roodhouse, time to browse the exhibits and refreshments. The event will be naturist throughout.
The event will cost only £5 per person to cover the cost of the hire and refreshments.
Tickets available from the events website: https://www.bnevents.co.uk/museum-visits
 
Naturism, according to the International Naturist Federation, is ".. a way of life in harmony with nature characterised by the practice of communal nudity with the intention of encouraging self-respect, respect for others and for the environment". It started in most countries in Europe around the start of the 20th century. British Naturism (BN) is the INF's affiliate in the UK and offers support to around 100 naturist clubs and 9000 members.
Naturism is traditionally practised in clubs, on beaches and on holidays abroad to one of the many resorts, and BN supports and helps provide these. More recently, BN has been promoting events in other suitable places such as gardens, hotels and water parks.
Many see Naturism as a healthful movement. Discarding clothing changes the way the body is seen. Many of us are defined by our clothes, not only uniforms and rank but also the daily choice to conform or challenge. When clothes are discarded there is a relaxation of stress, an acceptance of what we are. There is also a more matter-of-fact view of the body, naturists will not be the people who put off going to the doctor with worries about testicular or breast cancer. Many people find naturism de-stressing and an antidote to the pressure of modern living. The absence of clothing, especially in the outdoors, produces a feeling of vulnerability, a connection to nature, which is often lost within multiple layers of cloth. Most naturist clubs and resorts are in wooded areas and provide peaceful natural places to walk, swim, sunbathe or play sport.
British Naturism has over the years helped to establish the difference in law between nudity and sexual conduct, the two are often confused. Most people find it takes only a few minutes or maybe just an hour in a naturist environment to be clear that a body is just a body, and in fact the absence of any clothing removes the distinction between one part and another. Naturism is also fun. In any collection of naturists you will find more activity and more working together than almost anywhere else.
One of our members living in the Eastern Region visited the "Kiss and Tell" exhibition at Christchurch Mansion and realised that it was a good fit for our view of the world, and that many of our local members would appreciate a chance to meet and to see the exhibition. And thus, "British Naturism at Kiss and Tell" was born. See you there.
British Naturism Eastern Region

Naked Dining - Chinese Style

Naked Dining - Chinese Style

I thought maybe the naked dining trend would be one that would fizzle out. It seems I am probably wrong, with Eastern Region once again quickly selling out the latest event at the Three Horseshoes pub in Hertfordshire. With two more dining events lined up over the next few months, naked dining seems more popular than ever.
The evening was held in “The Forge” function room, above the pub, a lovely warm room, packed with forty naturists. Organisers, Robert and Pauline, provided quiz sheets on the tables as a great way to get people mixing and talking. The theme of the meal was “Chinese” and was in buffet form. Fortune cookies and prawn crackers on the tables were followed by soup, then half a dozen main dishes, and finally a variety of desserts. Apart from the spring rolls (why does everyone grab the vegetarian option?) there was plentiful food and I certainly enjoyed it. The manager was extremely friendly and commented that she often used naturist beaches in the Canaries so was not at all concerned with us as a naturist group.
I thought for this meal I'd let you see a range of quotes from some of the diners.
“Well worth driving from Plymouth for” Andrew
“Yet another wonderful evening organised by Robert and Pauline. We will not forget the tipsy man from the bar downstairs stumbling in saying Oh F... before beating a retreat” William and Chrissy
“A very relaxed and enjoyable evening with good food and efficient service with a pleasant and interesting group of people.” Julian
“A good selection of tasty food, wonderful company.  The staff were amenable and friendly” Pauline and Peter
“A bit of a squeeze but we coped well... warm and friendly venue with great staff.” Steve and Pauline
“A great chance to meet real, genuine people for friendly intelligent chats and a chance to relax and eat good food.” Corrine
“Good variety of food and company … a wonderful evening with lovely people. Good meeting new people... great food too.” Jim and Yvonne
Bristol may have started this trend for naturist dining but Hertfordshire is fast catching up! The next event is a meal at a pub in Earls Colne, followed by a Moroccan/Mediterranean meal at Cakes R Us in Hertfordshire. This is a lovely quirky venue that was very friendly and welcoming last time. As we move into summer, we have something very different with a luxury buffet meal on the narrow boat Elizabeth of Glamis cruising through the Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire countryside. There's plenty more going on as well as naked dining with a visit to the Rodin Kiss and Tell exhibition in Ipswich.
Once again thanks Robert and Pauline for a great night. Long may these events continue.
 
Article and image by Andy Wyman

A statement from British Naturism

A statement from British Naturism

British Naturism members may be aware of complaints that we have received, followed by a specific incident, over the last few days in connection with the fact that children were being allowed to attend our BN Blackpool weekend swim at The Sandcastle waterpark.
‘Anti-grooming’ groups who purport to protect children from harm, voiced their disgust at the event and roused their many supporters to post similar comments online, many on BN promotional pages and to send us direct messages. Many of the messages were aggressive, foul mouthed and ignorant. A small group of protesters attended the beginning of the swim and hassled the queue of waiting people. The groups appear to be planning similar protests at other Naturist swims and there is a petition at change.org aiming to ban children from all Naturist events. A cyber attack was also threatened and so we decided to make the BN website members only temporarily.
We’ve attended a meeting with the Police and are currently working on how to action their advice. They have stated categorically that they have no issue with Naturist events, nor children attending and are fully supportive of our organisation.
Here is a statement that we issued to media sources last week:
British Naturism is an organisation that has been in existence for over 50 years with many of our clubs being even older. We have a membership of 9,000 over 18s. Naturist family swimming has been in existence for decades in the UK and there are Naturist families into their third generation.
We take our safeguarding and health and safety responsibility seriously and review and adapt our practices in advance of every event we run. We have a robust child and vulnerable adults safeguarding policy. It was developed in conjunction with the NSPCC and is reviewed annually.
We also have a strict ‘no cameras’ rule with any photographs taken to record the event being taken by our official photographer, who follows certain guidelines about what images can be captured.
Children are safer in Naturist environments as they are never allowed to attend unaccompanied and are always supervised by parents or guardians, unlike schools, churches, scouts, play areas and other venues where parents often opt to leave their children in the care of others.
Most Naturist swims are in public venues hired for the purpose and have been run for many decades and new venues are being added all the time. The Sandcastle session is not an isolated event - Naturist swims are being successfully - and safely - run all around the country throughout the year.
A Naturist environment inspires freedom, body positivity and has been proven to make people happier, improving mental health and well being. It is a positive family lifestyle.
We’ll keep everyone posted. In the meantime, tempting as it is, please try not to engage with any of the people making the comments. However reasonable, logical and sensible your comments may be, they do not appear to be interested in anything other than having a platform for their views.
It’s not all bad news - earlier in the day, also in Blackpool, we hosted an extremely successful naked rollercoaster ride and we believe we have broken the world record for the number of naked people riding. It attracted many enthusiastic newcomers. The rollercoaster event - and the BN weekend in general - has gained us some positive and high-profile media attention.

Naked Rollercoaster record broken by British Naturism!

Naked Rollercoaster record broken by British Naturism!

195 naked people rode the famous Grand National rollercoaster at Blackpool’s Pleasure Beach on Saturday 2nd March, smashing the previous record of 102 people set in Southend in by an incredible 93 naked bodies!
The event was organised by the UK’s national Naturist organisation, British Naturism. Riders included members of British Naturism and members of the public who signed up for the ride of their life.
British Naturism would like to thank Blackpool Pleasure Beach for their amazing help and support.
BN’s events manager and organiser of the record attempt, Mark Walsh said:
‘The vibe was incredible! A couple of hundred people getting together, losing their inhibitions and having a huge amount of fun. All the riders - which included many people experiencing their first time naked in public - were euphoric with the achievement!

 

The Naked Professor’s Body Manifesto

The Naked Professor’s Body Manifesto

We live in a society where body shaming is a legitimate cause for concern and a surprisingly common occurrence within it. If you’ve been keeping abreast of the press these last weeks you’ll have become familiar with Dr. Victoria Bateman and her striking commitment to, and faith in, a really rather simple, fundamental perspective: gender equality is a real, genuine problem; and, in opposition to the generally forward progression of society, becoming increasingly more prevalent.  
 The Naked Professor, as Dr. Bateman is also known as, is protesting against this, as well as Brexit, by using her body to amplify the message: ‘my body, my choice’.  
 Her position (and everybody else’s) on Brexit aside, late last week The Body Manifesto emerged as a public petition and a quick glance through the 10 items on it might make you do a double take. After all, those 10 points would not look out of place pinned up on the wall of any naturist club/venue and they certainly do not demand anything unreasonable. Why would it seem so outrageous to expect to be permitted to lose all worries about one’s own body? In fact, one might find their natural inclination questioning why a manifesto is needed in the first place. 
 Observe…
1.      Every person can feel valued and confident in their own skin
2.      Nobody is made to feel ashamed about their body
3.      We value the whole variety of body shapes, ages, ethnicities, and genders – as opposed to a single, mythical, fabricated ideal driven by profit
4.      No body is considered “flawed”
5.      No person’s value is held to fundamentally rest on their body, appearance, or “virginity” 
6.      No person’s worth depends on what that person chooses to cover or uncover of their body
7.      No person is instructed by any state or society to “cover up” or “uncover”
8.      Every person can make different body choices and feel their own choices are respected: a world of “my body, my choice”
9.      Every person has full agency to determine for themselves how their body is valued, where it lives, where it goes, and what it does
10.   We call upon the media to cease digitally manipulating photos of people, which distorts our view and causes unhealthy behaviours. We call for a first media outlet to lead the way by refusing to edit human photos, and we call on consumers to support this
The manifesto begins by highlighting the restrictions women have faced throughout history: ‘For centuries, society has restricted what women can do with their bodies and with their brains, and whilst we have made much progress in terms of women’s ability to do what they want with their brains, the same cannot be said of their bodies.’ The manifesto calls into question the ways in which women are still finding themselves subjected to a prescription: the female body can be viewed, commodified and objectified freely.
What The Body Manifesto is doing is championing that which we, the Naturists and the open-minded alike, almost take for granted: nudity is normal. Nudity is healthy. Nudity is all-inclusive and free-of prejudice. But more than this the manifesto is raising the profile of this ideology and by using her own profile (currently boosted by her Brexit-focussed performance) to turn up the volume so that more people can tune in, Bateman is forcing us to give those stale old attitudes a little more thought. 
It’s a welcome, high-profile move in favour of Naturism and its fundamental values of equality. The petition currently has 233 signatures and whilst it may appear to be a little uncertain as to what exactly Dr. Bateman, and her co-author Susanna Cerasuolo, are trying to prove with it the petition is ultimately a fight for basic human rights – human rights so basic it’s a concern that they need fighting for in the first place! 
The manifesto is not a demand to engage in society sans-clothes but rather a call to recalibrate our attitudes to the naked body, and the individual choices to embrace it without bias, evaluation or, crucially, shame. 
Dr Victoria Bateman, we’re proud to stand with you.
 
Taylor Boxall

The Great British Skinny Dip - moving to July

The Great British Skinny Dip - moving to July

5 Months to Go…
It’s always difficult, isn’t it, when an annual event comes and goes and we’re left having to wait an entire 12 months until it rolls round again? Like Christmas, Pancake Day or the Wimbledon finals it feels only natural to wish for 12 months to become, say, 10, or nine. Did you feel that way about The Great British Skinny Dip? Did you wish hard? Someone must have because even though it was four months ago there are only 5 months left before it’s back again. GBSD is moving to July.
There are a few reasons for the rejigged schedule. Our first three years proved that GBSD was/is popular but we realised that there may still be people out there dissuaded by the cooling temperatures of September. So, pulling the event right into the middle of summer seems like a fair experiment to make! However, ironically, even though the July air temperature will be an average of three degrees warmer than September’s, the water temperature will likely be half a degree cooler. But shh, don’t tell anyone. July also makes it a little easier in terms of access to venues simply because it will still be term time and the pools and venues will be in slightly less demand than in September. But there are also a couple of weeks when family skinny dipping will be possible, with the little ones released from school.
But the biggest reason for the move, though, is to really encourage any newcomers to stick with it. We realised that by winning first-time Naturists over just as winter sets in the drop-out rate post-GBSD is still quite high. If first-timers can enjoy a sustained season of Naturism they’ll be more likely to stick with it!
 
2019: More Opportunities for More Organisers
We’re off to a great start with events into double figuresalready lined up for GBSD and many more being planned. As year on year has proven (as if we didn’t already know it..) the more events we run the bigger and better the turn out and the louder the bell of Naturism rings. It calls out across the land announcing the arrival of something special. So let’s turn up the volume and make some real noise. Every idea and suggestion wins the proclaimer a bonus point and every one will receive the support of everyone else. Every event that is organised will be promoted across the BN community and we’ll make sure that the promotion extends well into the local media too. Look at the effort that went into the Wigton Baths swims if you need a little inspiration. At the end of the day, what’s a few phone calls or a little bit of charm next time you drop into the leisure centre down the road? There’s plenty of advice and helpfor you on the GBSD website and advice from many people who have already run events, or found great success in knocking on doors to get more venues - our grateful thanks to them!
 
What’s It All About?
The Great British Skinny Dip is, however, about more than just taking our clothes off and going for a splash. Or is it? Isn’t that exactly what GBSD is about? The simple joy of being naked? In a pool? With nothing between you and the fullest enjoyment of your body? It’s easy to overthink GBSD but that’s ultimately what the event is promoting – that being naked whilst swimming is glorious, is fundamentally healthy, is absolutely natural and feels so good! If there’s a message to deliver from a pedestal this one is just as important and worthy of the spotlight than any other. Here’s the best bit - even if people DON’T participate, they are hearing that message and having their views of Naturists and Naturism changed. That’s got to be good for everyone.
If you head on over to the GBSD websiteyou’ll be able to have a read of completely new website text (and enjoy some beautiful new pictures). See something you like? Or not? Let us know through the usual channels and stir up a conversation!
 
Coming Together to Build an Events Page
In addition to new text this year you’ll find a brand new listings page with a shiny search option and an interactive map with every event pinned. Everyone can get involved with it too as the power to add your own events is now in your hands! Now there’s even less excuse not to organise an event…
For anyone thinking ‘Darn, I’d love to get involved but it’s all a bit too much for just little ol’ me!’ don’t despair! Remember, together we are strongest! So, if you’ve got a great idea and a burning ambition to organise an event call in the cavalry, work together, split costs and claim the glory of being the team who organised a fantastic Naturist get-together. If your club doesn’t have a pool, or perhaps for some reason doesn’t want to hold an open day, why not get together with other clubs in your area and hire a pool between you? We’ll gladly help you to promote it!
 
Taylor Boxall
on behalf of the GBSD team
 
Keep up to date
greatbritishskinnydip.co.uk
Facebook: greatbritishskinnydip
Twitter: GBSD2019

The BN Bournemouth winter break

The BN Bournemouth winter break

2019 saw us move to the lovely Best Western Hotel Royale - a hotel within the same Oceana group that we’d used previously. It meant sacrificing the sea views but we got a swimming pool so nobody minded - and the hotel was definitely a step up from The Ocean Beach.

The Bournemouth weekend always has a lovely feel to it, a real sense of community. It may not have the adrenaline packed pace of Nudefest but you are never too far away from the next activity or entertainment. The spacious lounge bar was the central hub for the whole weekend and was always a hive of conversation. From clothes off at 3pm on Friday right the way through till Sunday there was always someone to sit with and make some new friends.

Friday was a pretty lazy afternoon with dinner early evening, Barry’s annual quiz got everyone’s minds razor sharp, followed by entertainment from an incredible soul singer Kurtis Ray White who has been on both the X-Factor and Stars In Their Eyes. Saturday started with a Full English (the food with the Oceana group is always very good - much better than you would expect from a value break like this) and then started a packed day of activities and workshops. Macrame - a crafty knotting with chord - was the mornings activity, and combined with a full-to-bursting life-drawing session and a hilarious impromptu ‘learn to dance the Argentine Tango’ session, the day flew by. As well as the organised sessions there was a ‘Secret Cinema’ hidden in the basement of the hotel with popcorn a plenty and three great films to watch. Add the pool where there was a nice combination of time to do your own thing plus Pam hosting a Water Polo session and Aquarobics. The afternoon finished with a very interesting talk by The National Trust about their conservation work at Studland and of course a game of bingo.

Saturday evening was billed as a Gala Dinner and little did the guests know what this actually meant! The advance description was rather ambiguous ‘Dinner with Entertainment’ - booked and planned for ages was the Fawlty Towers Experience... in came Basil, Sybil and Manuel - chaos ensued! With double entendres aplenty it was a riotous night of fun. The actors were superb, and it was great to do something different. The night concluded with a Disco till late and a ‘few’ drinks in the bar.
That night we had our grand raffle draw with a superb prize - a weekend in a Naturist retreat in Wales.
In the BN events office, we are trying to get better at booking events further in advance, having line-ups in place and making the booking process simpler. At Bournemouth we trialled our new way - with great success - by announcing and opening booking for 2020 on the Sunday morning. For 2020 we are pushing the boundaries even further and are moving to the Oceana Groups flagship hotel The Suncliff, and have announced a ‘Warner Break Style’ 60s weekend with original artists Edison Lighthouse and Dave Berry & The Cruisers...This new hotel has an indoor pool, squash courts and more plus splendid ocean views.

Bournemouth 2020
24th - 26th Jan
www.bnevents.co.uk/Bournemouth 

Say It Loud, Say It Clear

Say It Loud, Say It Clear

‘In the three months since laying out the strategic aims in the last magazine, we have been working to advance some of those areas.  Feedback from members has helped us prioritise where to focus effort and that seems fitting as the theme running through these items is to expand communication!’ says Vice Chair, Mark Bass
Promoting naturism to encourage people to get involved, or at the very least respect those who do, demands that we will tell the public about the benefits, the fun and the opportunities to give it a go.  At the same time, we need to talk to each other to coordinate our efforts and make sure that we are pursuing campaigns and activities that have broad support.  Four key areas have come up a number of times in discussions on the forum and at gatherings.  So what are we doing to address them?
Talking to Ourselves
The rapid expansion of the activities of BN over the last ten years has sometimes caused members to feel that they do not know what is happening, what decisions are being made and why.  Even worse, members with ideas felt they were not always getting the chance to contribute.  Over the last few months, we as the Executive Committee have been making greater effort to join conversations on the forum, where a great deal of discussion takes place.  Ultimately the EC are still just members, so want to be fully integrated and are finding the constructive exchange of ideas very refreshing. We can’t guarantee that every thought, suggestion or idea can be actioned, but please keep them coming. We are also publishing reports and updates to make our thoughts, plans and explanations for the choices clearer.  An immediate benefit of that is that we are seeing more members find places to contribute, with grass-roots initiatives popping up all over the country.  As well as giving out information, joining in conversations makes it much easier to see what members want.  The clearest demonstration of that in action is seen in the three other changes below, all of them things that people have been requesting for a while, now becoming a reality.
“The Look”
The icon of “BN” embossed on the blazing sun has served us well for 40 years now.  However, it is often commented that you need to be in British Naturism to know the icon, the “BN” abbreviation doesn’t sell our identity to outsiders.  Therefore, the biggest change is one you will have seen on the cover of this magazine[1] .  We are no longer hiding behind “BN” we are British Naturism!  By spelling out our name people will know who we are and what we stand for when they see our imagery.  Mark Walsh talks through the rationale and design process elsewhere in this magazine and you will have seen the new look popping up in several places with it appearing across the brand in the months ahead.  Alongside the refresh of the British Naturism look, YBN has gone through the same process.  Their new logo shares design features with the new British Naturism look so YBN has its own identity but is clearly part of the larger organisation.  The redesign was marked by the launch of a new, public website in January, so YBN is opening its doors to the world and inspiring a new generation of naturists to sign up.  A longer term goal of the rebranding is to see the new look appearing on merchandise in the shop, so we can proclaim our position, even when dressed.  We hope to mix in various humorous slogans so we can buy things that provoke conversation.  A choice of options would allow people to bluntly proclaim their affiliation or introduce naturism into conversation by way of a joke, depending on which approach suits them best.  Either way, the aim of this change is to make us more visible to those around us.
Taking to the Streets
The second point that is often lamented is that we preach naturism to naturists.  If we are to draw people into naturism, we need to be speaking to the general public.  The Just One Person initiative has been hugely successful at inspiring members to talk to friends and families, and we have had a lot of success over the last few years at putting naturist stories into the mainstream media.  What we need to do more is create opportunities to speak one-on-one with strangers.  At the same time the question, “Can we sell our big events, such as Nudefest, to non-naturists”, is often asked.  The answer to both questions is the same: British Naturism is going on the road!  Leafleting on a high street could be an uphill struggle as people rushing to do shopping are not in the mood to talk.  Instead, we are targeting events.  By the time you read this, we will have already spent four days exhibiting at the Manchester Caravan and Motorhome Show.  In an environment where people are in the mood to browse, we should have some great opportunities to chat to people at length, and better still they will be the sort of people who are inclined to go to camping events.  We can tell them about naturism and provide them the chance to try it at Nudefest, Nudestock, NKD, or MidsummerFest in Liverpool.  This is the first of what we hope will be a series of roadshow events where we can chat to people in a relaxed atmosphere.
Going Local
The final aspect concerns the National Convention, which is the best opportunity for all members to meet and discuss ideas.  The centrally located national convention created difficulties for people who had to travel a great distance.  Therefore, the National event is replaced and just as we are taking the Roadshows to speak to the public, we will take Regional Conventions to talk to naturists around the country.  This will give widely-spread members, representatives of clubs, and the essential regional volunteers the chance to share their thoughts.  Sharing experience and innovative ideas should help clubs and regions succeed and ensure their growth.  At the same time, there are many new British Naturism members want to join clubs but struggle to do so because they don’t know somebody already there.  By talking to each other more openly, we would hope that those hurdles will disappear.  Finally, these meetings will give club members the chance to tell British Naturism about things that they would like to see and would find helpful. The benefit of these interactions will be that we can all work together across the country for mutual gain.
So, in summary, the recent focus has been on communication in four areas.  Communicating to members, making our aims more visible, communicating to the public and communication between clubs.  And that is something worth talking about.
 

Origan Village - a peaceful Naturist resort in the mountains

Origan Village - a peaceful Naturist resort in the mountains

About an hour the airport we arrived in Puget-Theniers, a small, traditional French village with cafés and narrow streets.  Shortly after, a narrow side road took us past children playing sport at their local school and parked lorries bearing log piles up a winding hill to the gates of our destination.
The site is surprisingly spacious with areas that you could easily miss unless you make a point of seeing them.  Owner Michel, who was pleased to speak French with us, took us around the site on a ‘golf buggy’ so that we could see what accommodation types were on offer. Well-appointed modern chalets, smaller chalets with yet more stunning views, and cottages with mezzanines and mirrors above the double beds(!) were all shown to us. The site is undulating and full of trees and greenery. In one hidden dip with stairs leading down and lush vegetation live two donkeys, we heard that they are spoiled by guests who put their left-over fresh bread into boxes for them. Another camping area was found up another winding road and all the pitches have a stunning view.
We were staying further down the site in a chalet shaded by pines conveniently located right next to the sauna.  What bliss!  Every evening we popped into the Swiss style wooden sauna with a slatted platform that could easily accommodate four people lying down or many more sitting and admiring the view through the windows. The sauna building had a large carpeted ‘meeting room’ with chairs for guests to rest or relax in, again with mountain views.
The centre of the site is dominated by the large well-maintained outdoor pool and sunbathing terraces and two smaller pools, one with a water slide for children.  The restaurant terrace is above this area and provides not only a view of the large pool, planting and stream that feeds into the pool, but also a panoramic view of the mountains beyond the site.    
Venturing around the site, and up one secluded set of stairs among the fauna we found the start of what can only be described as a ‘naturist hike’. This 7km excursion takes you hiking high up the mountain side behind the resort among trees and rocks where you can continue on the trail following painted arrows on rocks right across and down to the other side of the Origan Village. The whole walk is all part of the resort, so you do not have to worry about being clothed. If you prefer an easier adventure you can cross the site and take a more gentle walk downhill where, in about 10 minutes following a gravel path beside the stream, you will come across part of the river Var which is secluded so that you can cover yourself in the clay mud or just bathe in the river, or both, all in your naturist state.  There is a set of stairs leading up from the river to the mouth of the stream that you followed down. For those who are more adventurous it is possible scramble up the rocks where the stream is flowing, and dodge the water tumbling down it’s path, all the way back up to the top.   
With all this natural beauty and space it is easy to imagine that some would chose not to leave the tranquillity of the site for the duration of their stay.
We did venture out to see if there was anything that would tempt guests away from the Village.  Just outside, as we drew into nearby Puget-Theniers we were greeted by the screech of a whistle and the puffing sound of a steam train.  Black smoke rose up as the train chugged out of the tiny station.  We had by chance witnessed the Puget to Annot tourist train setting off on it’s weekly excursion.  A short drive (10 minutes to the west of Puget) following the direction of the train, we came across the awe-inspiring medieval village at Entrevaux.  It is not often I would describe something as a ‘must-see’ destination but this village really is for anyone who likes the idea of a charming village that could come straight from a film set with its own fortress, built under King Louis XIV around 1860.  Access is via a large footbridge where you enter through an archway with its own watch towers, where you arrive at a small square with cafes and tiny shops. Beyond these you are lead into winding alleyways shaded by tall narrow houses, drawbridges and ramparts.  There were signs for a motorbike museum down one tiny alleyway, which was quite unexpected.  Walking is plentiful around these delightful streets or for three euros you can enter the Citadel which is built into the side of a narrow rocky spur and girded by the River Var where the challenge is to walk the length of the long zig zag cobbled path to the top to see and read the history within.  It is literally breath-taking at the top! If you have your wits about you, it is possible to find an exit on the other side and find a path that leads through the forest and trees downwards to a narrow mountain track which eventually leads you back to the village.
We were only at Origan Village for a few days and were sad to leave so soon.  We promised ourselves that we would return because we felt so relaxed there and enjoyed the space and ambience so much. Check out the BN Members' holiday to Origan this August
0033 (0)4.93.05.06.00
www.origan-village.com

On Tour with British Naturism

On Tour with British Naturism

This weekend British Naturism attended the 4-day long Caravan & Motorhome Show at Event City in Manchester.
Our stand was located in the ‘village’ style area - a place where most of the small stands were - It was a good location and had good footfall.
The show was well attended with over 20,000 visitors over the 4 days.
A good mix of demographic too. From families upwards…
Overall the show was hugely positives on a number of levels and had multiple benefits to the organisation: We met over 1% of BN’s membership at the event - well over 100 members came to the stand and said hello. Many praised BN for getting out in to the open and championing Naturism publicly.
We handed out membership forms to lapsed members. The majority when asked why they no longer are members was change in circumstances or they used BN to find a club and are no longer a member!
We had a highly positive response, no-one was hugely negative and nobody was offensive.
There were plenty of ‘its not for me’ comments but they were very accepting of the lifestyle. It is hard to put a figure on it but I would say a conservative estimate of 200 solid conversations about Naturism a day with non-members. Some of those we spoke to had tried Naturism abroad on beaches or were Naturists but didn’t know that Naturism was a really a thing in the UK! They were particularly surprised at the scale of BN and at how many clubs there are in the UK.
We have just announced that we are about to build on the Manchester success and attend the big NEC show in Birmingham. British Naturism will be on stand 4-616 at The Caravan, Camping and Motorhome Show, Feb 19th - 24th. Thanks to Clover Spa for sponsoring us to help attend this show.
Our Events Team will be on hand, giving out the information relating to Naturism in the UK including our own 2019 booklet and an Advertisers Insert page. If you represent a Club or Swim our advert could appear for only £50!! This has to be an opportunity that is too good to miss!
If you are interested you need to let us know by 5th February.  Just send an email to Advertising@bn.org.uk

The Shape of Things to Come

The Shape of Things to Come

Last year was an incredible year for British Naturism. We reached membership milestones, engineered a breakthrough with the police, saw a record turnout for GBSD, enjoyed new events, gained new venues and massive media coverage, kicked off a new strategy process, appointed a new Volunteer Co-ordinator and developed our YBN community. Phew!
But, let’s be honest: last year’s success is last year’s news. At BN we’re all about looking towards the future which is much more exciting because together we all get to write new pages and new chapters in our history.
Which means 2019 is all about building on that momentum and making it another fantastic year. The really exciting news? We’re still in the first half of January and there’s heaps of great Naturist events on the way!
To start, there are four waterpark events to choose from that will take place across the country at The Sandcastle in Blackpool (March 2nd), Waterworld in Stoke-on-Trent (April 13th and September 28th) and Splashdown in Poole (May 25th). If you fancy a little splash around (and who doesn’t?) any one of these events will be worth your time. Just imagine how much fun you could have if you attended all of them!
As to hotel breaks BN has you covered with four scheduled breaks throughout the year to a variety of cosy hotels in Bournemouth and Blackpool, as well as at stalwart event The Gathering and the member-favourite Alton Towers getaway. The bad news is that most of these are ALREADY sold out!
Then of course we have the regular camping and festival favourites or, as we feel befits them all: The Big Four. Pack your bags and ready the sunscreen for the glories of NKD Festival, Nudestock, the Woodlands Weekend and, the splendid, week-long Nudefest.
We’re delighted also to bring you the news that some of those bigger events will be sponsored by naked cruise supremos, Bare Necessities Tour and Travel.
For the sporty ones amongst us, the annual BN National Swimming Gala will be taking place in April. All swimmers of all levels and abilities are welcomed, and encouraged, to come along.
New for this year is the highly anticipated Highland Wilderness and Walking Weekend which will take place across the weekend of 26-28th July in Loch Ossian, Highlands. The SANER-supported, member-led event is perfectly located for a weekend of Naturist walking, spontaneous skinny dipping and complete relaxation. Not only that, you’ll also have access to the Loch Ossian Youth Hostel (SYHA) for exclusive naturist use too.
You’ll find the details of these events and many more - including sports, swims, health and fitness, and dining in our excellent event listings websites - bnevents.co.uk, and on the BN website in the calendar and Big Days Out pages.
There will also be a number of Garden Days to enjoy this year, the dates and locations of which are currently being finalised. And let’s not forget the recently relocated Great British Skinny Dip, which will now take place throughout the UK in July.
So, look at that for an absolute treat of a year! Have you been dilly-dallying about buying a membership? Have you been waiting for an excuse to finally join in? Whether you like to be active, like to travel or simply just like making new friends and the simple pleasure of being naked there’s really no time like the present to get involved. If you missed the party last year be good to yourself and make sure you don’t miss it this year.
Of course, for up to minute news and events information head on over to the BN events website where you’ll find stacks of reasons to mark multiple dates in your diaries and the option to sign up for our newsletter too. You can also download, or order, a copy of the shiny new ‘Your Guide to Naturism in 2019’ which is packed full of the many brilliant reasons to get involved with Naturism.
To 2019! May it be filled with the wonder of Naturism and a diary filled with days out, weekends away and beautiful new experiences.

Naked dining with ghosts

Naked dining with ghosts

“We're going to a restaurant tonight,” we told our friends. 
“That's nice,” they replied.
“We'll be naked there as well,” we said
“Naked, and it's January? You must be completely mad!'
Little did they know that we were actually going to a lunatic asylum. Well that's what it was originally called when it opened in 1860 but its name was quickly changed to the more acceptable Fairfield Psychiatric Hospital. This was the latest destination in Hertfordshire found by Robert and Pauline for their Eastern Region diners group. The hospital with its amazing architecture (Gothic Romantic style) was huge with the longest corridor in the UK at half a mile. In the past they treated shell-shocked World War One veterans and used electric and aversion therapy to 'cure' gay and cross dressing patients and this went on up to the early 1980s! It is now closed and part of the Bannatyne Health Spas empire and we were dining in The Orchard restaurant.
The January temperature outside wasn't a problem as it was baking inside. The manager wanted to be absolutely sure we were warm enough. What a change that is from some events we have been to with BN. I remember too well the Bier Keller in Blackpool that was possibly colder inside than out in February! Some organisations just don't think it through when taking a naturist booking. The Orchard restaurant was furnished in a clean modern style and Robert and Pauline had long ago sold all seats. Indeed, they have already sold out for the next event in March!
It was good to be able to socialise with those on other tables both before and after the meal. There was a cheerful atmosphere and it was interesting to find many naturists there who were in their 'first year' and some were on their first naturist event as opposed to being on a beach. Richard was one of these newcomers and I asked him if anything surprised him at his first event. He said, “Normally I wouldn’t go into a pub and start talking as I feel uncomfortable. What surprised me here was that once you are stripped bare it’s much easier to talk and socialise than in a clothed environment. I felt very welcome, had a very enjoyable time with lovely food and great company”
Everyone we spoke to seemed very positive including the manager. She told me that her grandmother had told her recently that she was a naturist, much to her amusement. One of the bar staff was also a regular naturist beach user. The manager was keen for us to visit again and told us they could put on a disco as well in the future. Though she had been very cynical in the past about the paranormal she is now convinced that the building is haunted. I checked this out online and sure enough the buildings have quite a ghostly reputation! One of the first stories I came across was of a young nurse being shown the padded cells when the light started going on and off. As we left the restaurant I looked up at an adjoining building and there was a light going on and off.... but I don't believe in ghosts!!
The naked dining movement has really taken off now with events in the last year in Bristol, Hertfordshire, Oxford, Staffordshire, Exeter and Kent. Others are in the pipeline and there is every sign that it will continue to grow. With our generally less than friendly climate it's great that we are being creative in our thinking in BN and the naturist world coming up with these alternatives to sitting on a beach. I think it's also great that this movement is growing through grassroots activities from people like Robert and Pauline. Every time we use a new venue we show staff there what a normal bunch we are and that helps spread the news that a naturist booking is a good one.
Andy
 
 
Lead Photo by Francois Pistorius on Unsplash

Walking the talk in Eastbourne

Walking the talk in Eastbourne

(…and walking, talking, visiting art galleries, cleaning beaches…)
‘At Eastbourne Naturist Swim Club we recently celebrated our 35th birthday. Naturism has changed a lot in that time. People seem less interested in the club spirit for many reasons and we have been reaching out to attract new members. Having a good spread of events seems key,’ says Philip Baker
The Eastbourne Naturist weekend
What started with an idea for an interesting afternoon turned into a full-on weekend in August. We’d read about the successful visit by the Association des Naturistes de Paris to the Palais de Tokyo gallery, and approached the local Towner gallery to arrange a group visit. To boost attendance, we decided to offer more reasons to spend the weekend in sunny Eastbourne, and so we organised a walk, a visit to a wellness centre and a day on the beach.
Hardy naturists arrived at the foot of the South Downs between Eastbourne and Lewes in the face of an uncertain weather forecast. Casting off our clothes immediately we set off uphill; the sun shone briefly and all seemed well. We passed the Long Man of Wilmington, apparently always missing a vital appendage, whose origins are unknown. Appearing on a Roman coin of 400 A.D. we like to think he is prehistoric and a symbol of our connection to nature and the landscape.
We climbed quickly up the chalk escarpment as the rain began, and on the top of the Downs even the sheep had run for cover as the winds increased to a rumoured 40 mph. Plastic waterproofs were donned, with hood, to ameliorate the blustery conditions. As the rain eased we met first a walking group of about 25 people – what were these mad people doing out in these conditions we said! Using our new policy we did not don our shorts, but exchanged merry ‘Hellos’.
On Saturday morning the air was chill, but it was fine and sunny with a clear blue sky. Twenty-two of us met up at a local wellbeing centre that has just started up, for a wild swim, hot tub and naturist lunch. This idyllic setting at the rear of a commercial business has its own man-made lake crafted as a giant bowl and clay lined, being six meters deep at the centre. Full of wild life – fish swimming with us and damsel flies darting about with swifts diving round and about made us feel part of the natural world and far from the consumer lifestyle going on just a few yards away.
Leaving there we set out for the charms of Eastbourne and the Towner modern art gallery. The gallery staff made us most welcome, treating us as ‘normal’ people with no fuss or bother. Indeed one member of staff was permitted to join us in the nude – as long as he retained his Towner neck band.
We were also joined by a writer from artnet.com who initially had asked just for a quote for a story but didn’t hesitate when invited to attend and she stripped and then wrote in the first person about her own nude gallery experience. For several members of our group, who travelled from as far afield as Milton Keynes, they were naked in public for the very first time and for others it was their first time in an art gallery and all enjoyed the unique experience.
This event showed the value of getting out into the public domain and demonstrating the ordinariness of being naked. The gallery found no need to cover the huge glass windows and we were perusing the gallery shop while unconcerned passers-by walked outside in plain view just the other side of the glass.
On Sunday it was our 2nd annual beach day at Norman’s Bay beach between Pevensey and Bexhill. Bexhill was the first south coast beach to permit mixed bathing in 1901 – racy huh! Normans’ Bay beach has been used by naturists for over 30 years and is a rare find these days as it has no urban sprawl behind it. Of course, as is our usual lot, it has no facilities – even the car park is closed – but it is best quality shingle! I lost count at 18 people who ignored the forecast and the roadworks to turn up.
Naturist talks
Inspired by BN’s campaign ‘Just One Person’, two good friends Keith Hillier-Palmer, Alan Peill and I started giving what has turned out to be a series of talks at clubs that are based on the TED format. TED talks are a platform giving speakers who are passionate about their subjects a way to convey ideas to a receptive audience in a short talk. TED’s Chris Anderson has said ‘The key part of the TED format is that we have humans connecting to humans in a direct and almost vulnerable way. You are on stage naked, so to speak.’ So we decided to take this literally!
We started talking last year when we discovered a local club called the Bavard (French for a chatterbox) Bar. We were then introduced to Dr David Bramwell, an accomplished speaker himself, who invited us to the Catalyst Club in Brighton. Having agreed a clothing optional arrangement, we were able to be free of clothes for all the three talks that evening. Our naturist party sat all together on the stage area and so inadvertently created a divide between the naked and the rest of the audience.
The Speakeasy Conversation Club in Worthing takes place in a basement owned by the non-profit Cellar Arts Club. It is a cosy 35 seat space with an integral bar, where as a speaker there you can almost touch the audience. We included in our talk our real experiences and the audience remained encouragingly attentive. Afterwards we had some great questions. There was great interest in what we had to say about the legal position and the current attitude of the police. We chatted to a lady who said that her daughter would probably love naturism and her advice to us was to keep plugging away with the talks to raise awareness of modern naturism and that we would be bound to attract new people and change people’s attitudes.
The Jerwood Gallery
Following our success at the Towner, we secured another nude gallery visit, this time at Hastings’ Jerwood gallery in September. The prime attraction was Henry Krokatsis’ SaunaKabin and being a working sauna members of the public could use it at certain times. I had contacted the Jerwood and explained that our group preferred the continental way of using a sauna – that is to be naked as wearing clothes seems senseless. So it was soon arranged that we would visit the whole gallery as naturists – save that sandals needed to be worn in the sauna!
In common with other works by the artist, the sauna cabin was raised off the ground and appeared to be magically floating in the courtyard. It seemed appropriate that this illusion added something more spiritual to the mundane routine of stripping off our clothes and cleansing ourselves. By providing a cold courtyard shower the artist also wanted the normally private activity of bathing to be brought into a public space. Kroksatsis is renowned for using reclaimed materials in his art. This also resonated with our group, as naturists are often keen environmentalists. Indeed, the day before, the Eastbourne group took part in the Marine Conservation Societies’ Great British BeachClean event at a local beach.
The other focus of our visit was Mark Wallinger’s gallery ‘A Human Figure in Space’ with mirrors that turn the visitors into the exhibit. It was an interesting take on the craze for selfie photographs, seeing yourself as a human among many, rather than unseen and separate.
With the photographer David Owens, a small group of us set about recreating the work of the Victorian photographer Eadweard Muybridge, who investigated movement in humans and animals. He captured some great pictures in spite of the poor light. I am delighted that the manager has also asked us to return to show them some of the pictures we took.
Sound Healing
Finally (for this article, at least) we arranged a naked sound healing session. I simply emailed the the teacher, Carolina and asked if we could have a session and be naked. I sent her some links to Eastbourne Herald article and to our website. We were a group of seven, so it was not so difficult to organise.
Carolina’s classes are also not usually done nude – the picture on the website shows people covered in blankets looking rather like mummies! The central idea of sound therapy is that the organs of the body (associated to chakras) are responsive to sound of particular frequencies.
Lying naked, eyes closed in a small room with good friends in a warm environment was immediately calming. The sound proofing of the studio removed all external sounds and peace descended. A complex range of sounds emanated from Carolina’s crystal bowls and tuning forks, seemingly omnidirectional. Whilst the tuning forks give out a crystal clear icy sound, the pulsating, room-filling hum from the bowls – each of which generates a different frequency and related harmonics was a revelation. From now on I shall be discarding my headphones and listening to music through the sound waves from my tall loudspeakers and I shall be listening in a state of nakedness! Further naked sound healing sessions are planned.

Success at Lancashire Sun Club

Success at Lancashire Sun Club

Ron O’Hare reports on success at Lancashire Sun
It seems a long time since the days of letters arriving requesting day visits, later progressing to dial-up internet and now superfast fibre broadband, but have we all moved with the times? Speaking as Membership Secretary of Lancashire Sun - and not pretending to be an expert - I have to ask myself and others if we are taking full advantage of modern technology and the devices/systems now available.
The invention of Smartphones has made the recruitment procedure and the visitor response system a whole new ball game. My own methods include responding to emails within minutes, with a short reply thanking the enquirer and promising a more detailed reply later that day, judging from comments made when they arrive on site, this usually surprises them and prevents them looking elsewhere. Being able to store documents with directions and basic visitor information within the Smartphone saves me a great deal of typing, as the documents can be easily attached to email replies.  
I guess there are always going to be the club contacts who answer emails promptly and the ones who may take an age to reply. As a BN club rep and regional newsletter editor, I take full advantage of being able to visit other clubs and swims, seeing and listening to various attitudes towards recruitment procedures. This helps me enormously as I can adopt the more advantageous techniques for Lancashire Sun.
My own experiences absolutely fascinate me! I encounter amazing attitudes, some saying we are just fine as we are and certainly don’t need new members, this after losing members on renewal day! Then there is always the quite bizarre expert ‘advice’ from non BN members who would like all overnight visitors to be BN members, obviously restricting visitor numbers accordingly. When I look around there are other obvious ‘own goals’ being scored by clubs including the requirement for the Membership Secretaries to make home visits to membership applicants!   
But so far, so good at my end! With tremendous assistance from some club members, especially new recruits, we have answered questions in the best possible way, by increasing membership numbers at Lancashire Sun to a level not experienced for many years and attracting many more visitors from various parts of the globe including Australasia, in turn swelling the club funds substantially, enabling club projects to be completed.
We do live in an entirely different age to our predecessors and club recruitment is an enormous challenge and responsibility these days. I know how hard BN officials work to increase BN membership numbers and clubs too must adapt and regard our visitors as VIPs. They are the future of our clubs and are just as important, if not more so than long serving members. My attitude seems to surprise some committee members when suggesting that they should attend the club to accommodate visitors rather than visitors arriving to coincide with their presence. 
We must eventually look at replacing ourselves too! When suitable candidates do join our ranks, we must step aside from our positions. Communicating and working with BN, both regionally and nationally has given me an enormous advantage and a fascinating insight into a marvellous community, being able to liaise with experienced personnel on matters relating to club etiquette, public relations,  promotions and other procedures.
It’s been a great Journey so far! Do come and join us. 
Ron O’Hare

North West swims - the good news keeps coming!

North West swims - the good news keeps coming!

A short while ago news broke that Wigton Baths, hot on the success of GBSD, would be running three trial naturist swims. The trustees are pleased and proud to announce that the swims have officially proved to be so popular that they will continue running indefinitely.
In fact, the comparison between regular use of the pool and naturist use of the pool is important to recognise. On a Saturday afternoon a handful of people turn up to use the pool but during the Naturist swim there are more than 40.
So, when the trial swims were first announced it drew the attention of one local reporter, Roger Lytollis, who took the bold step to turning up and taking part. The bolder step? He chose to write about it with maturity, respect and charm.
Arriving at the pool without any prior naturist experience, Roger noted that his initial nervousness dissipated almost as soon as he saw that no one was paying him any untoward attention. What followed was a swim in which he casually chatted with patrons, interviewed some and otherwise enjoyed a new experience. All it took was a little bit of curiosity and the strength of conviction to simply satisfy it.
And there we have it: proof that it is not ridiculous to think that your local swimming pool or sports centre would turn down requests for nude swims. If we’re still looking for morals to the stories there is one that calls out louder than any other… If you don’t ask, you don’t get!
The next naturist swimming session at Wigton Baths is on Saturday 12th January.
 
It’s been a long, long time coming but Blackpool and Fylde Sun Club have climbed a mountain and planted their flag right at the summit. 
Since 2008 Blackpool & Fylde Sun Club have been using the YMCA run Poulton Swimming and Fitness Centre for their weekly swim. The agreement with YMCA and the centre was such that the group would have access to the pool, sauna and steam room.
Fast forward to May 2015 when the centre opened their shiny new spa facilities after several months of development work and naturally the Sun Club asked for access to these facilities too. After all, having access to the spa was, logically, almost a foregone conclusion. However, the spa management saw things a little differently and required the sun club to clamber into their swimming costumes if they wanted to use the new area. Suddenly things seemed to take a turn for the illogical.
However, enter George Booth, Chairman of the sun club. For more than three years George and the club refused to give up, refused to give in and refused to take no for an answer. It took 68 emails, dozens of phone calls, a few meetings, a local MP, a handful of councillors and a majority consensus that the decision to require clothing was, indeed, non-sensical, to make enough noise. Now, the management team have granted the club their wish: full access to the spa, alongside their usual access to the pool, sauna and steam room, during their time at the fitness centre. No clothes required. No problems to be had.
The moral of the story? Persistence really does pay off. Stick at something long enough and you’ll show the world what can be achieved with just a little patience and passion.
If you’d like to enjoy the facilities too, you’ll be able to on the first Saturday of every month, between 7 and 9pm, beginning in January 2019. The club welcomes you to join them at the Thornton Lodge pub afterwards too.
 

BN to exhibit at Event City, Manchester

BN to exhibit at Event City, Manchester

We are pleased to announce that British Naturism will be exhibiting in Manchester at The Event City Caravan and Motorhome show in January.
This is one of the biggest shows in the leisure calendar and continues British Naturism’s promise of making Naturism accessible to all.
Whilst the show will be good for promoting Naturism and the organisation, its main goal is to raise awareness of our growing events programme, giving non-Naturists an excellent, easy way to give clothes-freedom a try. With the NKD Festival and Nudefest we now have more than ever to offer visitors to a show like this.
Mark and Pam from our events team will be there throughout as well as a handful of volunteers at various times during the show. If you are going please pop along and say hello.
Held at Event City, right next door to Manchester’s Trafford Centre, the Caravan and Motorhome Show attracts thousands of camping and caravanning enthusiasts and has all the leading brands exhibiting. It is a great day out for all the family and with one of the biggest shopping centres in the UK right next door too - what's not to like?
There is an exclusive rate for BN Members of only £8.00 if purchased in advance - U18’s are free and parking is free too!
We have 10 pairs of tickets available for The Manchester Caravan & Motorhome exhibition. To be in with a chance of winning your passes head to www.bnevents.co.uk/win - entries close JAN 7th.
You can buy tickets via this link https://caravanman.seetickets.com/event/the-caravan-motorhome-show/eventcity/1252518?OfferCode=BN1
Hopefully see you in Manchester in January.

Skinny Dipping Charity Calendar

Skinny Dipping Charity Calendar

Do you hear that sound? That faint jingle jangle of the sleigh bells getting louder and louder, closer and closer? With less than 3 weeks to go there’s no escaping it now. Maybe you’ve been super organized this year and have the presents sorted already? Maybe you’ve been nice and relaxed about the whole thing and are calmly waiting for December 23rd to start and finish it all? Either way, here’s a wonderful option for a stocking filler:
The Skinny Dipping Wales Charity Calendar 2019.
After a fantastic year for skinny dippers all over the UK fellow naturists in Wales continue to do stellar work in keeping the Naturism flag flying high and proud. Spearheaded by Sian Chislett, the Skinny Dipping Wales Charity Calendar 2019 has been produced to raise funds for 2 Wish Upon A Star, a charity providing bereavement support for families who have suddenly and traumatically lost a child or young adult aged 25 years and under. Sadly, Sian and her family experienced the tragic loss of 5-year-old Josie Alice Hunt, but were overwhelmed by the support they received from the charity and want to make sure the charity can continue being there for other families in need. By making a contribution to a very worthwhile cause and buying the calendar, we can get involved and help too.
So, no matter what your tactics for conquering Christmas shopping are, consider ordering a classy charity calendar. After all, we can’t think of a better place to keep track of all of the exciting events BN has lined up for everyone in 2019.
The calendar is available now for a minimum donation of £14. Your contributions will go a long way.

BN218 - Winter 2018

BN218 - Winter 2018

Welcome to BN218: the feature-tastic final publication of a year that will go down in BN history as one of the biggest and best yet. Highlights of this winter edition of the BN Magazine include:
A whole host of fantastic features ranging from Sue’s thoughts on becoming a Naturist; notes on a big year for BN and The Great British Skinny Dip; and Eastbourne’s many Naturist activities. From Skinny Dipping to Swimming Galas: Team BN bring home their biggest medal haul yet Looking to the future: the shape of BN to come. The YBN resurgence continues: Pam’s first year with YBN and Ed’s Naked Mileage. Another step in the right direction: legal success in Scotland. Full Event Report Roundup including the BN National Convention, Women’s Day and Windermere Woodland Weekend. Big Days Out: take a look at our new-look BN Events website! Our members’ very unique experiences of holidaying throughout France, from Rekha and Stephen’s experience of riding around France on a tandem bicycle to Luke’s guide to Beaches on the Cote d’Azur. ...and much, much more besides, all richly illustrated in full colour!
Taylor Boxall
BN Magazine is available to members only and issued four times a year as part of the annual subscription. If you are not a member, you can join us and get your own copy through the post and as a download and other benefits as well.