News and Articles

The Naked BBC Podcast

The Naked BBC Podcast

BBC launches new podcast about body image and nudity - with naked reporters
Jenny Eells and Kat Harbourne, reporters at BBC Radio Sheffield, are baring all in an innovative series of podcasts for the BBC. The two women (pictured) want to explore issues around body image and nudity to find out why people are so prudish about their bodies and why many people, particularly women, aren’t more body confident. By recording each episode naked they encourage a more open conversation with their guests - who are also naked - and one that confronts the taboos about nudity. They plan to record one of the episodes at a Naturist event.
“I’ve never been scared of being “in the nip” as it were but chatting to a mate in the buff with nothing but a microphone to cover our modesty was a challenging prospect to say the least,” says Jenny.
“And that’s before we got any guests involved! For me being naked isn’t really an issue but I know that’s not the case for everyone and I wanted to try and find out why.  Before we started recording, I wondered if conversations with no clothes on could be, quite literally, more revealing. And from the frank, open and honest chats we’ve already had with amazing women from all walks of life – they most definitely are!”
“I don’t particularly like getting naked, so at points I’ve wondered why we’re putting ourselves through this!” explains Kat. “For as long as I can remember, I’ve not felt confident about my body. In my thirties I decided it was time to change this and question why so many of us feel the same way. Why ARE we ashamed of what’s beneath our clothes? Why do we spend so much time worrying what other people think? Why don’t we celebrate the amazing things our bodies are capable of? I can’t wait for people to hear the astonishing stories we’ve recorded with brave, funny and brutally honest women.”
With the Naked Podcast series Kat and Jenny hope to inspire a generation of people to feel more self-assured and proud of what is underneath their clothes.
The station will also run a series of stories about body image and identity across their programmes throughout the week beginning April 16th. Catch a (naked) interview with BN member Mark on the Rony Robinson show on Wednesday 18th April at 2.30pm.
The podcasts will be available to download for free from http://www.bbc.co.uk/podcasts from that date too.

Bare With Me - the East End Film Festival

Bare With Me - the East End Film Festival

We were approached at the end of 2017 by filmmakers Natasha Coleman and Stephen Noble, looking for subjects to feature in a short film they were making. The film discusses how people find and feel about social nudity and aims to explore how confidence in our own bodies and respect for others prevents the objectification, and in extreme cases harassment, that plagues society. The result is ‘Bare with Me’ and it has been accepted into the East Film Festival and airs on April 26th.
The category is ‘Defying Gravity’ which features eight films. The struggle is real. Whether they are fighting against capitalism, social injustice and prejudice, or challenging social assumptions, the protagonists of these films are real survivors facing forces sometimes stronger than gravity. Keep your head up, will ya?
BN member and participant in the film, Mark says:
‘Making this film was really uplifting and great fun for all of us. Body acceptance is a serious subject that we all really cared about so we developed the project together and really invested ourselves. It was striking to see the film crew realising how their own fears were limiting themselves and that maybe there was a better way. We are really pleased to have the film selected to be featured in a film festival by a group with no vested interest in social nudity. It shows the increasingly broad recognition of the value of body confidence. Explaining why we participate in naturism and the huge potential for psychological and societal benefit will hopefully result in naturism having a positive impact on a much wider audience.’
 
Bare With Me
UK | Natasha Coleman & Stephen Noble | 7 min
What’s happened to nakedness? For those that seek out social nudity in their day to day lives, nakedness breaks down barriers, gives back choice and builds a trusting community where naked is normal.
Find out more and buy tickets 
@EastEndFilmFest @natashajcoleman @stephenforshort
 

How to talk about Naturism

How to talk about Naturism

It’s not always easy is it? People often have their own ideas about it before you open your mouth and you’re never sure how they are going to take the news that you’re a Naturist yourself. Then there are the awkward questions. You’d love to just tell them how it makes you feel but they interrupt with statements that throw you off balance...
Perhaps this article will help. You can download a handy PDF version of it here. It includes a number of useful things to say to help you answer the awkward, misguided, irrelevant questions, and overcome objections and misunderstandings. The more we all say the same things, the stronger our collective voice becomes. It’s what we want to say in all situations with all kinds of people – friends, family, neighbours, work-colleagues, even the media and authorities.
We’re often our own worst enemies, assuming others don’t want to talk about Naturism, but experience shows that’s not the case with many people reporting good reactions and genuine interest – and often being told about nude experiences in return! We hear Naturists all the time saying they don’t want to cause ‘offence’ - we must stop using that word. People might be surprised, a little shocked, confused, unsure what do to or say if they unexpectedly see a naked person, but not offended.
Finally, it’s good to show how sensitive and socially-aware we are. The law makes it possible for us to be nude anywhere, anytime. We don’t generally exercise that right, as we understand the sensitivities and are nice, normal, trustworthy, considerate members of a wider society.
Oh, and you don’t have to decide to be some sort of freedom-fighter or evangelist, it’s all about ordinary, everyday conversation.
Go for it...and tell us how you got on
Naturism is normal
We’re ordinary people choosing not to wear clothes when the weather and circumstances are appropriate. Other than being nude, our activities are no different from what most people do in their leisure time. We’re not anti-clothes, we just know they are not always essential. It’s also a lot of fun!
If we were supposed to be naked, we’d have been born that way...
...and yet now anyone wanting to be in that natural state is treated with at best, mild amusement and at worst, suspicion. Being naked isn’t obscene, provocative, ridiculous, eccentric, shameful, immodest, weird, rude, disgusting, perverted etc. In fact...
Naturism is good for you
Naturism promotes positive body image. There is no such thing as the perfect body and we’re all unique. Physical health is improved with the benefits of sunshine and fresh air, which we don’t get enough of; and mental health benefits from relaxation, de-stressing and a friendly, comfortable community spirit. Most sunbathers wear very little more than we do. Swimsuits are pointless – why get dressed to get wet? It has wider benefits too – teenage pregnancy rates appear to be lower in countries with a more relaxed attitude to nudity. Research published in 2017 confirms what we’ve all known for years - Naturism boosts self-esteem, happiness and life satisfaction.
Naturism is not illegal
There is no offence of nudity in English law but there are badly defined offences which may be used and abused for just about anything that somebody in authority dislikes. The Sexual Offences Act 2003 specifically excludes Naturism, though intending to upset or cause harm by being naked may well be a criminal offence. Fundamentally the law is a mess but the practice of Naturism is legal in a much wider range of circumstances than many people assume.
Naturism is not about sex
Naturist people have sex like anyone else but despite what people imagine, a gathering of naked people doesn’t make for a sexually charged environment. Think of a nude beach as closer to the checkout queue in Tesco than a page three photo shoot.
Naturism is not embarrassing
Once in a Naturist place, you soon get used to being surrounded by naked people and forget that nobody is wearing clothes. It’s clothed people that stand out. What you look like is irrelevant. No-one stares at you, or judges your appearance – it’s all about feeling good for yourself. It’s liberating not to have to conform. Nudity is usually only mandatory when swimming and people will put something on if the weather turns.
Naturism is very popular
Millions of people around the world have discovered this wonderful way of life. BN’s IPSOS- MORI survey discovered that there are 3.7 million Naturists in the UK. There are thousands of holiday resorts and other places to go to. Plenty of ‘non-Naturist’ people in the UK have skinny-dipped, go topless on beaches and spend time happily naked at home.
Children in Naturism are happy, well-adjusted and safe
Children don’t care if they are wearing clothes or not, it’s adults who make them get dressed. They grow up with a better understanding of what people really look like and enjoy a relaxed, outdoor life. Families can do something together that they all enjoy and children are always accompanied by a parent or guardian. Naturist places tend to have entry requirements and secure gates, making the inside a far safer environment than the outside. Many adult Naturists today grew up in Naturist families and now bring their own families up within it.
 
Photo by Pierre BEST on Unsplash

Skin Deep - a clothing optional presentation

Skin Deep - a clothing optional presentation

Following the success of the performance of Hair! to a naked audience, we are pleased to bring you another opportunity to be part of a clothes-optional theatre event, at Stockwell Playhouse, London SW8.
For one performance only –  the audience are welcome to dress or undress as they please. This will be a ‘clothing optional’ performance in celebration of the naked form.
Come as you are!  Fully dressed, partially dressed or completely naked – you choose.
Skin Deep is a musical all about self-image, body confidence, bullying, marketing, cosmetic surgery, inner demons, shopping for clothes, size’ism, self-worth, diets, weight, exercise. Song and dance sketches – comedy but with an underlying poignant message!
Who hasn’t tried a lifestyle change, or attempted some potentially harmful technique in order to “improve” when in reality they’re already beautifully unique and wonderful? Who really acknowledges their inner beauty already outshines the naked surface?
Our boys in the show lead up to their famous naked finale where they feel empowered to strip off to celebrate their body confidence. It’s the Full Monty, but the lights stay on for just that little bit longer! 
Find out more including how to book your tickets here - discount for BN members!

Two steps forward for Naturism; one step back for Clubs…or is it?

Two steps forward for Naturism; one step back for Clubs…or is it?

Roni asks, ‘Could highlighting foreign travel be proving detrimental to our clubs or are Naturists ruining it for themselves?’
There appears to be a rumbling and a grumbling on the Naturist grapevine that too much focus is put onto BN events and foreign destinations and not enough said about the various clubs dotted around the country that, some say, are the back bone of the whole movement. I think it’s true that the clubs were the foundation of Naturism in Great Britain and if it weren’t for them, Naturism, as we know it today, would not exist, but have the clubs developed over the years or stagnated and are they passed over by people wanting more than a camping trip in the school holidays?
 There!  That’s set the cat amongst the pigeons!
Young Naturists started communities back in the '60s when it was all very avant-garde, exciting to be doing something different and a little daring. The club I attend was one of those: they bought land and set up camp with nothing more than a generator in a shed for a kettle and light but as time went by they installed all the present day amenities that we take for granted. They never had the luxury of a water or electric supply let alone toilets, showers or a heated swimming pool. Who would now join a club without all of that? We have a lot to thank them for!
 The enthusiastic pioneers were happy to talk about Naturism and share their delights of freedom and then it all changed. Many clubs had members who didn’t want the world to know what they were doing or even where they were doing it. They appeared to hide away behind tall fences and hedges and left outsiders wondering what they got up to in their secretive world. I appreciate they thought they had valid reason but it didn’t help Naturism become acceptable. I also understand how some lost their enthusiasm for further development, as they had worked hard to achieve their goal and why shouldn’t they sit back and enjoy the fruits of their labours?
 Package holidays started and airlines flew relatively cheaply to Spain so those who were fed up with the changeable British weather, looked further afield for their annual holiday. As foreign travel became more prolific, businesses sprang up to cater for us.
Given the choice of setting up a Naturist holiday complex would you choose a site by the North Sea or the Mediterranean?  So the hotter climes have developed faster and been more favoured than ours.
 I understand how this would affect attendance at our clubs but after a fortnight in Spain, what did they do with the children for the rest of the school holidays?
So why did numbers fall?  Was it just that they expected more for their money and wanted entertainment rather than just a sunny day and a game of cricket?
The clubs that had thought they could continue with the minimum of change weren’t attracting sufficient numbers to keep going and I’ve seen many changed to textile caravan parks to get the income needed for the business to survive. The successful clubs are generally the ones owned by the club itself as they don’t need huge profits, just a steady income to cover costs.
When I started as a Public Relations Officer I realised, to increase membership, we needed to catch the public's interest, explaining who we were, what we did and more importantly, why! Unfortunately people had let their imagination run wild and they conjured up pictures of naked people cavorting around the woods and could only connect nudity with sexual intention. It’s taken us years to rid ourselves of these old rumours and explain it’s actually a non-sexual, family orientated, safe and friendly environment.
I'm afraid club life has not always had a brilliant reputation and some are put off joining as they had found, or heard, that clubs can be very cliquey. Likewise young adults aren’t keen on belonging to places that they think are full of old people, restricted by stuffy rules. We all know some are needed so that people know the boundaries but sometimes the basic reason for which the club exists, to enjoy the simple freedom of social nudity, can be swallowed up by bureaucracy. These groups of Naturists are more likely to attend BN events without having to join a club and get involved with the internal politics. This means clubs have to work hard at showcasing themselves as brilliant places to belong to.
Just as I thought we were getting the public to accept Naturism, clubs have been brought to my attention that are actually shying away from it! I know, isn’t that madness?! 
There’s more than one club that obviously wants to be a ‘Sunbathing Club’ as they consider that is the only time nudity is acceptable.  There's increasing numbers that want to ban nudity in the evenings. The worrying part of this is their obvious discomfort with the naked body after a certain time of day. I don't understand that - where do Naturists get the idea that nudity is only a day time activity? I was under the impression that Naturism is a lifestyle not a part-time hobby.
It’s this sort of attitude that will kill a club as the majority join to undress whenever they can and where else would they think it was safe and understood, than within a Naturist club?
It seems that dining naked is frowned upon in many a club or resort. Surely a Naturist, perfectly at ease with nudity on the beach or in the pool, could dine alongside naked people? It seems not! Would a clothes optional ruling help?  Probably not as what actually happens is that more Naturists cover up than would have done so if left to their own devices. Supplying an option seems to make them feel it's perhaps wrong to be naked after all.
Have you read the recent article that has sprung up on Facebook and websites, about ladies wearing sarongs at a French Naturist resort? They said they felt uncomfortable when other women were covered and they also felt more feminine and attractive when wearing pretty colours. I've always advocated naturism is all about the feel good factor not a fashion show. It even had a further  knock on effect when men felt obliged to wear shorts. Naturists are falling like dominoes in a row.
Personally I consider the practise simply requires sufficient warmth to be comfortable and a suitable place, not the local pub garden for instance! It's something we should all want to be doing whatever time of day it is but far too many Naturists now think otherwise.
Clubs also need to be more welcoming to one and all. There’s always been a negative attitude to “single men” joining a club and I think it is an unfounded worry that they might be unsuitable.  Whilst some Naturist events and beaches that are open to the public might attract what we commonly refer to as the “meerkats” who want to be voyeurs, the vast majority of men are ordinary, decent people who are single, married, divorced or widowed and joining alone does not make them an instant threat to our community and it’s insulting to suspect otherwise as well as being against equality laws! We should all be judged on our actions not on a misguided assumption because, let's face it, single women are never turned away!
I have always recommended clubs as the starting place for new people especially if they are a bit nervous but with increasing negative outlook to nudity and too many rules, it is no wonder that many do not feel welcome or find the relaxed atmosphere they seek.
Clubs generally need to attract new members to keep the club in existence as they constantly need volunteers to carry out the maintenance and admin required to keep running costs to the minimum. The more the members can do, the less subscriptions need rise each year.
To reach the people who were yet to discover the wonders of social nudity, I used many of the local, free publications, full of local interest and adverts, that are popped through letter boxes and left in public places. I wrote articles for magazines and got interviewed for national and local press and spoke on local radio stations. I just took every opportunity to get the word out there!
By constantly updating our facilities, giving people what they were looking for, we were able to attract new interest and encourage people to give naturism a thought when they hadn’t done so before. No longer was it basic camping but a place with a clubhouse holding discos and live music, a kitchen providing meals, a heated outdoor pool, a sauna, children’s play area and their own clubhouse, communal barbeque and all the sports we associate with Naturist communities, even a crazy-golf course!
Wi-Fi  became an essential part of club life as in any other place as there are ever increasing numbers of smart phones and tablets that come attached to their owners so that they can communicate not only with their friends, but people across the internet universe. What wider audience can you get than that? So we enhanced our website as many people find us that way and set up a Facebook page to showcase our club and get people interacting and learning about us.  A group of members belong to a closed group on there and share light hearted banter, as well as keeping in touch with club news.
Naturism has leapt forward in the last 14 years that I’ve known it which is down to BN and individuals campaigning to get a mention in local and national newspapers, on radio and television and in any publication that shows an interest. We have hugely changed people's perception and they are no longer looking for a giggle at nudity, at our expense, but show a keen interest in our chosen lifestyle. It is now completely acceptable for such places as Alton Towers to dedicate a weekend to us and of course there are beach days, open gardens, Nudefest and clubs and spas, countrywide.
The World Naked Bike Ride, though not strictly a Naturist event - it began as a protest to the overuse of oil and cars - is well attended and has highlighted the growing acceptance of the naked body, as has the Great British Skinny Dip. I’ve often met people who enjoy a daring, skinny dip on holiday but deny being a Naturist! That’s okay; they’ll find their way to us in time.
People now know what Naturism is about and there are lots, like myself, who will happily talk about it and remove the myths of what those “crazy, naked people” actually do, though it might be a bit of a let-down when they find we just do all the normal things, minus clothes when it’s warm enough!
So who thinks BN concentrate too much on foreign holiday destinations and don’t do enough for the British part of the movement? BN likes to cover news of Naturist events and destinations everywhere so the magazine may seem biased at times but BN can only report on those who choose to present themselves and will happily feature them both in the magazine and on the website.
For those clubs wanting to promote themselves, but not sure how to go about it, remember that BN offers a variety of opportunities:
 •  You can list your club in the BN magazine with 150 words and an image which can be changed every issue if you wish.
•  Advertising space involves payment but it would in any publication and this way it is targeting existing naturists looking for places to go.
•  You can have a page on the BN website with a pin in the UK map and list your events on the website calendar.
•  If you have an interesting event that is newsworthy, send a report for the magazine.
•  There are resources for internal newsletters or websites, including articles and pictures.
•  If you need help with press releases they will support you in any way they can.
Every Naturist event is important to us all as the publicity, however small, builds the greater picture to showcase Naturism as a normal, ordinary thing to undertake, especially when it involves families and all ages from all backgrounds. People are always interested in a lifestyle they have heard of but never dared try and it all helps to encourage someone new to give it a go.
So to all the clubs out there; get in touch with BN or your Regional people and get yourselves on the map along with all those foreign, sunny places.  Speak up about what you have to offer and reach out to people to make them want to come and benefit from your Naturist facilities. Even those who are not keen on change need to understand some is inevitable in order for their club or business to survive the years ahead.  See it as an investment in the future so that you, your family and theirs, can all benefit from the hard work that goes into forming and maintaining a thriving Naturist business.  It would be a tremendous waste of everyone's work and dreams to let it drift into disuse and sacrilege to let it be turned textile to pay the bills.
There is a need for Naturism in Great Britain, alongside places throughout the world.
 
Picture: Peter Braddock

Skiing in Paradise

Skiing in Paradise

James reports on our most recent group holiday from a fully Naturist hotel in Ramsau, Austria
‘Ski in Paradise’ say the billboards at the Schladming-Dachstein ski-lifts, 15 minutes’ drive from our hotel in Ramsau, a big centre for cross-country ski-ing as well as downhill ski-ing, and also an excellent centre for walking.
Our hotel, the Landhaus Lührmann, was fully Naturist for our March 2018 week, as Chalfont Holidays had taken sole occupancy. ‘So it really is naturist this year,’ I say to Andrew Welch, who in his guise as Chalfont rep meets us naked at the front door. (I had enjoyed the inaugural Chalfont ski holiday to Spain in 2017, but only the spa was naturist, and then only late in the evening).
This year we undress on arrival and spend all our time at the hotel in the nude, including breakfast and dinner. The hotel’s spa and garden are Naturist all year round but not the rest of the hotel. We only dress for the ski-ing itself. The hotel is super, owned by Naturist Hansmartin, run also by his son Hans-Georg whose grandmother is chef and cooks excellent three course dinners. Nothing is too much trouble for them, and the same applies to Andrew and Sheryn who cater for our every whim including various collection times and places from the slopes using a large hired mini-bus. The hotel spa has a swimming pool, an 8-person wooden sauna, a 2-person infra-red sauna, a steam room, hot stone benches to relax on and so on.
The Schladming downhill ski area is large with runs suitable for different abilities. Here is a flavour of the trip from my diary:
Saturday – my friend Bob late at Luton but at least didn’t miss plane this year. In car from Salzburg lady taxi driver peeved that we are chatting and nearly missing amazing castle and Austrian mountain views on way to hotel. Arrive, undress, then at 5pm off to hire ski equipment in Kulm, buy lift passes, visit local shop for beer and wine. Quiz after delicious stew at hotel, our team have to do second quiz with one hand behind our backs to give the other team a chance…
Sunday and Monday (and the next four days in my case) – full day’s ski. John goes cross-country ski-ing, others try the glacier, bridge and ice caves at Dachstein.
Tuesday – Malcolm gets bruised on the slopes and has Wednesday off. One of our party is a GP and diagnoses him in front of us all, and as we are all nude we see progress of bruise colour over rest of week. After dinner, wonderful complimentary wine-tasting with owner Hansmartin down in creepy 700-bottle brick cellar, where we put on some clothes as chilly. For helping him pronounce ‘phylloxera’ Hansmartin offers me to stay on in cellar. I refuse, saying this has good and bad points…
Wednesday – all (except unsociable spa-fanatic me) off to local traditional Austrian restaurant with dancing and something called the ‘hat-dance’
Thursday – Andrew takes short cut to furthest peak lifts, inadvertently driving along sunken cycle track, impossible to turn until end. Not sure if deported from Austria yet. Abandon one of party attempting to do four peaks challenge as he mislaid poles on chairlift. Boasting that I never fall, I do so for only time in week on steep black run. Malcolm fails to come to my aid and just videos me for later blackmail attempt. Decide to take local bus back to town but overtaking car crashes into us and the police arrive. After calming dinner, guided night walk from hotel.
Friday – Sleigh rides with schnapps for some. Bob guides us to same mountain bar for fourth time to chat to Polish barmaid Flora. Forced to drink disgusting sour apple, coconut and also pumpkin seed liqueurs.
Saturday – Sheryn leads aquaerobics in pool, then we catch our transfer to Salzburg airport and sadly home. Sign up immediately for next year before it gets booked up (well, I will when announced…which I am reliably informed will be soon…)
James (Oxnat)
BN Members can view a selection of images from this trip over on the BN forum gallery

New nude spa night at Harrogate Turkish Baths

New nude spa night at Harrogate Turkish Baths

We’re delighted to have been advised of a new venture in Harrogate. Eden Spa is run by Mike Robertson who will be taking over the iconic Harrogate Turkish Baths for an evening in May, with more sessions to come later in the year.
It’s always good to see new places for social nudity and we’re pleased to support them.
Mike says:
'Eden Spa is a business that runs events at select spa facilities to provide our guests with an opportunity to enjoy the spa experience as they would at an authentic German spa such as Vabali in Berlin. 
Our concept is to offer high-end spa facilities to those people who might shy away from the 'traditional naturist lifestyle' but would like to experience for the first time or continue to enjoy public bathing textile-free. To this end, we have agreed with Harrogate Borough Council to use the Harrogate Turkish Baths. Our policy is to insist on our clients respecting that whilst the spa areas including the jacuzzi are textile-free, robes and footwear must be worn in the rest areas, corridors and in the cafe for refreshments. This is out of respect for the staff that belong to the baths, and also to give a sense of comfort to a new generation who might only be used to continental spas where this is the expected etiquette. 
We will be fully-inclusive, with no barriers to gender or sexuality. Our events will be mixed gender, with no restrictions on single people. We will, however, have a no-tolerance policy for those clients engaging in overt public displays of affection or making others feel uncomfortable through inappropriate sexual behaviour or conversation.
https://edenspaexperience.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/edenspa.experience/
Find out more on the BN calendar page: http://www.bn.org.uk/community/calendar/event/4107-eden-spa-and-massage/ 
 

Skinny Dip Venues Wanted!

Skinny Dip Venues Wanted!

Those people who are lucky enough to have experienced skinny-dipping know that it’s so much better than swimming with a costume on!
But that’s where the problem lies.
The very thing that makes it better is also the thing that puts most people off!
That’s where our national initiative, The Great British Skinny Dip comes in, Now in it’s third year, the aim is to overcome the nudity barrier by raising awareness of all the health, well-being and body-positivity benefits of nudity, and especially social nudity. Of course, we don’t expect everyone to participate in nude activities as a result but we will be educating, busting the myths and changing all those decades-long attitudes that suggest that nudity is somehow not ok  for normal people. We are fortunate to have discovered something wonderful that everyone can benefit from – and we want people to understand that.
Some people will want to give it a go and so we are encouraging venues to provide the opportunity for that to happen. To allow people to experience it for themselves and to realise that despite what conventional thought says, find out that being naked with others is fun, liberating, relaxing and can boost your self-esteem.
It follows that all venues must be open and welcoming. We must carry people through their experience and make it as easy as possible for them when they may feel out of their comfort zone and even vulnerable. The only ‘rule’ therefore to enable it to work is that everyone turning up at a venue is to be admitted unless there is a common sense reason not to. A detailed description of what this means is available on request.
Some groups or venues may choose to pair with a charity and raise money for a good cause. That’s good because it gives the charity something different to engage their fund-raisers with and provides an excuse for people to participate. We understand that pre-registration is usually asked for by charities, but just make sure that you also give a warm welcome to anyone turning up at the venue on the day.
We need as many venues as possible and we want your suggestions! This is a national campaign that we can all get involved in and support. Plenty of resources and information will be available but could YOU think about where it could take place in your area?
What kind of venues are we looking for?
Anywhere you can swim safely. Skinny-dipping is well-known to be fun, exhilarating and spontaneous – just the themes we want to promote. Outdoor or wild locations are perfect so let’s include lakes and tarns, rivers, open-air lidos, and beaches. Nothing wrong with indoor locations – and sometimes with the British weather they can be preferable – so we want to include swimming pools in leisure centres, waterparks, and municipal and school pools. We might gain a number of new venues and locations regularly used for Naturism. Existing Naturist locations like clubs and swims are also obvious places for people to give it a try – and can be a way for them to find new members.
How will the events be organised?
It depends on the location. Public venues such as lakes, beaches or rivers just need someone to coordinate a gathering. Private locations such as leisure centres can be hired by an individual or group – or even be persuaded to host their own. There is information available with ideas and sample words for correspondence but don’t hesitate to simply ask managers/staff face to face.
When is it happening?
Throughout September 2018. (#Septembare). Any date is fine. Venues can put on more than one if they like or select an adverse-weather fall back date.
The Great British Skinny Dip website
Run your own Skinny Dip
Help for hosts and host venues
Contact: skinnydip@greatbritishskinnydip.co.uk

Is participation in Naturism good for you?

Is participation in Naturism good for you?

Well, we know it is but we want your views...we’re working with a student who has chosen Naturism and participation in Naturist events as the subject for her dissertation. Please complete it - it will only take 5-10 minutes. You’ll find it here https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/naturistinteraction
Thank you! 
 

24th June - It’s Ladies Day!

24th June - It’s Ladies Day!

Continuing our ‘Women in Naturism’ campaign, encouraging more women to discover the benefits of Naturism, we’re launching a new idea for 2018. Coming at the end of world-renowned social and sporting event Royal Ascot week, 24th June will see our own ‘Ladies Day’.
It’s an opportunity for all of us to think about the women in our lives - friends, colleagues, neighbours - anyone in our social circle who we’d like to invite along. Events can take place anywhere, and we hope that clubs and swims will take the opportunity to put on a special event - for women only, if they like - and encourage their members to bring someone along. The event doesn’t have to be on 24th June, but somewhere close-by.
Who will YOU be inviting?
Find out more about our Women in Naturism campaign

BN215 - Spring 2018

BN215 - Spring 2018

Welcome to BN 215 - fresh from the presses, and full of Naturist news, views and reviews!  If you are a member of BN you can download a digital copy - as well as all BN magazines back to 2004. 
With spring round the corner, this issue not only looks back over recent events, but looks forward to the season ahead, and some of the big BN initiatives we are developing this year.  In this issue:
We catch up on event reports, including Alton Towers 2017, the clothing optional performance of Hair! in London and the experience of competing for Team GB at the INF Swimming Gala in Italy.
We look forward to the packed 2018 events programme, including Nudefest and our new flagship event - the NKD Festival, specially created for families and younger Naturists.
The Women in Naturism  campaign continues and, to set the scene, we hear from Naturist Cassandra, who tells us about her journey into Naturism, and the people she has introduced to it. Look out for Ladies Day on the 24th June!
Could the emphasis on Naturist breaks abroad be detrimental to Naturist clubs here at home?  Maybe though, it's the clubs themselves that are responsible?  Roni Writes on debates this hot topic.
Health, wellbeing and body positivity - it’s a big part of what we get from Naturism.  But do the public know?  This year BN launches a new campaign to emphasise what we Naturists already know to be true.
YBN update us on their recent activities,  and they're having fun - lots of fun!
Fancy a Naturist holiday in the sun? Of course you do!  This issue we head off to Spain and Fuerteventura to find out more about some very fine vacation destinations.  If Spain is not on your wish list - find out more about our BN Holiday Advice Service, who can help you find that perfect getaway.
The Sexual Offences Act 2003 could have wrecked our way of life if some had had their way.  Fifteen years after the Act was introduced,  Malcom Boura, a previous BN Campaigns Director, remembers the huge input he and others made to helping shape the provisions in the Act that helped keep Naturism safe.
All this, plus the usual updates from our legal team, a roundup of all the best naked news in the media!  
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 and other benefits as well.
 
 

Marina Fogle - the voice of reason

Marina Fogle - the voice of reason

News broke last week - if it really can be called ‘news’ - that the Fogle family (TV personality Ben, wife Marina, and children of 8 and 6) are happily naked at home, in fact, consciously so. It made a number of national newspapers and BN were also interviewed on national radio.
Marina appeared on Good Morning Britain (about 1:45 in) and completely nailed it. 
She spoke sensibly about wanting her children to understand about real bodies and not be ashamed.  She is keen to allow children to learn for themselves and stated her belief that leading by example is far more effective than telling them. She was aghast that anyone can suggest there is an arbitrary age at which children should not see naked parents, or other adults for that matter. She referred to relaxed attitudes overseas  - having recently experienced an Austrian spa - and the low teenage pregnancy rates in more enlightened countries As often happens on TV, the producers brought in an adversary. It’s no wonder our kids are stressed about their appearance if this mum’s views are representative of the public. She ranted without foundation, regurgitating the usual fear of nudity, and perhaps even misunderstood the discussion completely focusing on privacy when going to the toilet and clearly believing that anyone - especially a man - being naked around others is up to no good and about to do harm.
Well done, Marina, we support your views completely. We expect there are many thousands of families in the UK - who, like Marina, would not consider themselves ‘nudists’ - who have realised that the learned behaviour of ‘modesty’, the social conditioning that somehow clothes are always essential, and that children need protecting from their own human bodies is all nonsense and actually causes harm rather than avoiding it.
Read our report Children Deserve Better

Health, well-being and body-positivity

Health, well-being and body-positivity

A new focus for British Naturism in 2018
It’s pretty obvious to everyone in Naturism that spending time naked has positive effects for us. People report improvements in physical, mental, and emotional health; boosts in the sense of self-esteem and self-worth; how it gives us an escape from the rigours of daily life and allows us to deal better with stress; how it provides us with a supportive community; and overcomes body image issues. It seems like the perfect advert: Want a great life? Then get naked.
Naturism also helps form healthy attitudes too. There is respect between Naturists, we have avoided ignorance about bodies and body shape, we’re not shy when it comes to health inspections, we know bodies aren’t sex objects
So, Naturism is literally something everybody (and every body) can benefit from. Unfortunately decades of stigma, taboo and social conditioning surrounding the human body, its functions and ‘unmentionables’, and its sexual aspects means not everybody believes it. We’ve been banging the drum for years now, but the time has come to do more about it.
It may feel like we are twisting arms, but we know that most first-timers, however hesitant, soon find out there is nothing to be concerned about. Improving health, well-being and body-positivity is in the forefront of the culture these days with many high-profile advocates and even authority figures slowly coming round to the idea that healthy minds and healthy bodies go together and that the pursuit of a perfect body can be harmful. We have a fantastic contribution to make to that debate, in fact, we are leaders of it, having already found many of the answers. We also have the backup of the Goldsmith’s research that provided evidence that we are on the right track.
It’s not about turning everyone into a Naturist either. If people hear the message and adopt a better attitude towards nudity and Naturism, that’s a good result too.
It’s a theme that will run through all we do. We will:
•   include health, well-being and body-positive references in our messages
•   run health and fitness sessions at our events
•   add non-BN naked sport, fitness and well-being events to the website calendar and encourage more of these events to be organised
•   publish health, well-being and body-positivity features online and in print
•   create relationships with related organisations and pressure groups
*  provide information on the health, well-being and body-positivity benefits of nudity - and point out the unhealthy aspects of wearing clothes in certain situations

Boats, bikes and bumps

Boats, bikes and bumps

Andrew and Sarah Anderson get active on the BN Members’ Holiday to Fuerteventura
"I'm going to be first in the water" says Jonathan as he rises and makes his way across the deck.  ‘We'll see about that.’ thought Andrew.  Being naked already, all there is to do is get up and leap off the back of "Love Boat II" into the clear blue waters off Isla Los Lobos.  It's January 2018 but the water is at least as warm as the south of England on a hot August day.  Captain David gives us chunks of bread to feed the waiting shoals of bream and they swim hungrily round the half-dozen naked swimmers on this BN member's holiday, bumping into us and snatching mouthfuls. The catamaran provides ample deck space for sunbathing and seats for conversing and making new friends as the plentiful Sangria flows.
Our space on this Tuesday trip was reserved at the welcome evening on the Saturday we arrived at Hotel Gran Natura in Fuerteventura.  Arriving late afternoon, the blank aluminium door yielded to an oasis of nakedness within - an inviting vista of bold yellow and orange painted buildings, cactii and palm trees, and straight ahead the curving glass wall and comfy sofas of the reception area. 
Later that evening as Chalfont Holidays/BN’s group leaders Andrew and Sheryn went through the week's activities in front of the assembled Gymnophiles, we heard the phrase "spaces are limited" and immediately started laying Euros on the table determined not to miss out.  We needn't have worried - there was space on the catamaran for all who wanted it.  We joined BN in July 2017 just before Nudefest and this was our first BN group holiday.  According to the more experienced fellow travellers, Andrew and Sheryn's programme of events was unprecedented in completeness and preparedness.  This initial work was followed up with flawless execution, helpfulness and availability to any member who needed, well, anything really.
Venturing out for a naked hike across the Parque Natural Corralejo on the first full day with a brace of Johns, Andrew got to see the subtle beauty of Fuerteventura's arid landscape. The Parque is directly accessible from the hotel with only a small road to cross, which is now much quieter thanks to the new FV-1 to Corralejo that swings further inland.  What appears from the road to be uniform scrub actually comprises an amazing variety of plants.  The horticultural guru in our party was keen to name every one we passed, so we got education as well as exercise.  For example the delicate little white flowers growing at ground level native to just Fuerteventura and Lanzarote are called Androcymbium psammophilum psammophilum don't you know! Bigger plants are spaced out enough to allow easy passage, thankfully. 
"Together please, 1, 2, 3, and sit!" Abdel the camel handler instructed us, so as not to unbalance the side-by-side saddle arrangement slung over the hump of the magnificent Arturo, lead camel in the train. "Hold tight" and Arturo hoists us aloft on improbably skinny legs. Next in line was Anna, carrying two German ladies, and finally Sandra with a sole passenger perched atop the hump.  The camels were not part of the official programme, but maybe next time...?
A busload of us disembarked for a one hour visit to Lajares, en-route to El Cotillo.  Lajares is a little village with a lot of craft, clothing and surf shops and we were all absolutely naked under our clothes (oh my!).  We found a retro/vintage shop run by a friendly Welshman where we bought a pretty dress and a fabulous jacket.  At the El Cotillo lagoons, Andrew Welch's hire car came in very handy for transporting the less mobile nudies from the beach to the restaurant.  We sat in one of the many stone circles that you find dotted along Fuerteventura's beaches. Fuerteventura translates as "strong wind" and that wind is relentless.  The locals have built circles out of the plentiful porous black volcanic rocks. Walls about 2ft high, diameters from 8 to 16ft these "castles" make cosy sunbathing spots out of the wind.  It's a fun game to guess "textile or nudie" occupants as you pass each castle.  We are pleased to report a healthy proportion of sensible (i.e. nude) everywhere we went.
Meanwhile John, John and Andrew's naked hike encounters the aforementioned black rocks mixed with the blown-in Saharan sand in a surprising variety of ways: lurking just beneath the surface to stub the toes of the be-sandalled, or strewn in tiny chunks over the sand to inconvenience all but the stoutest boots, or in heaps of massive boulders to scramble over with the occasional unexpected movement underfoot, and lastly, near the centre of the parque, completely submerged under towering sand dunes which are surprisingly firm to walk on, and a lot of fun to leap off and roll down the steep soft leeward sides of.
We didn't partake in the dune buggy safari (which by all accounts was good fun), opting instead for a day in Corralejo.  Taxi is a little over €4 each way and they were happy to transport Sarah’s mobility scooter.  If you are fit it's an easy walk into Corralejo: in fact Andrew and Sheryn's 7:30am running group run almost to the centre and back each day before breakfast.  But mobility scooter battery range being what it is, taxi was the prudent choice.  The promenade around the harbour was bustling even out of season, many restaurants and cafés vying for your trade.  Impressive sand sculptures adorn the sheltered corners of the small beaches that are tucked between the ubiquitous black rocks.  The first we came across was a dragon made by a British couple, finishing touches being applied at 11am the culmination of four hours work.  Some days they can rework the previous day's sculpture - it depends how merciful the wind and tide have been.  Shops are one row back from the prom.  There's a lot of inexpensive souvenir tat but a few nicer shops too.  We bought a beautiful statue in Galeria La Fuentita which is on Calle la Galera just before the pedestrian bit.
Back on the catamaran and the swimmers are back on board.  People aboard other yachts, or the glass-bottomed ferry, or waiting on the pier for said ferry offer a source of amusement.  It's the same routine all afternoon: we wave, they wave.  They do a double take, exchange words with their neighbour, double take again and then laugh/wave enthusiastically/turn away according to their feelings about nudity.  We spent many a mirthful moment musing on exactly what they were saying to each other.
January weather can be dicey in Fuerteventura.  We got a decent roll, maybe not sevens but definitely not snake eyes.  Only on the last day was the sun hiding, so we rented a motorbike and enjoyed the rolling vistas of this land the way only a bike can provide. 669 meters up, at Mirador De Morro Velosa we stopped for a hot drink because it's about four degrees colder up there compared to sea level.  The view is stunning, you can see right across the island.  Sheer drops alongside and hairpin bends on the road which snakes up and down this mountain are not for the faint hearted, especially two-up on an unfamiliar motorbike.  Down the valley lies Betancuria, the old capital of the Canaries.  A pretty village, very quiet off-season.
The Hotel Gran Natura's hot tub was welcome relief after we stripped off our biker gear.  Dinner conversation that evening centred around airport transfers and the return to normality.  Time to book another BN member's holiday methinks!

Keep Naturism Naked!

Keep Naturism Naked!

We try and keep the content of this website upbeat and bathed in sunshine - you can get your fix of grumbling and grey skies elsewhere, but here at BN we always have a smile on our faces. After all, Naturism is an exhilarating, uplifting and fun experience that makes you feel great! Sometimes we hear worthy, serious debates on the issues that face us, the challenges, stories of persecution, the law being misunderstood and we all know the trials of making people understand Naturism, but there is another growing trend that threatens our very existence.
Clothes. In Naturist places.
I’m lucky to travel a fair bit in my work, both in the UK and overseas. Having been a Naturist since the early 1990s I also have more than a few years of experience - and I don’t like what I’m seeing.
Newcomers could be forgiven for imagining that a changing room exists behind the entrance to a Naturist resort, and everyone is forced, perhaps under the gaze of a particularly strict headmistress-type to undress fully and immediately. Of course, that’s not the case, and in the main, people are left to grow accustomed to the surroundings and strip off when they feel ready.
But for most of us, once the clothes are off, they are off and we revel in the need not to think about what to wear. The climate sometimes dictates that you put something on but one imagines that a Naturist resort is selected because of the desire to be nude. And, yes, I know that there are new people, hesitant people, reluctant partners, children and teenagers - but nudity is what marketing people call our ‘USP’ (Unique Selling Proposition) and so perhaps like a windsurfing or golfing holiday where you’d expect to see lots of windsurfers and golfers, being nude and being amongst nude people is the default position.
But what’s happening is that there are more people in resorts dressed than nude and the only place where you are likely to encounter the opposite is the swimming pool where nudity is obligatory (hallelujah!) or the beach. It can make a lovely change from the home routine to dress for dinner, but equally, so is taking advantage and experiencing the joy of eating without a stitch on, contrary to our behaviour in 99% of the world’s eating places.
So what’s it all about?
The main culprit is the resorts themselves. On one recent trip, it was made clear that nudity was not permitted in the restaurant (all day, not just the evening), the onsite shop, reception and even the beach bar. You don’t always plan in advance your visit to those places and so you have to spend your day in a state of prepared-ness. This has the effect of people not only having to carry a cover up or more, but in many cases, they don’t bother to undress at all. Many people passed me on my (nude) travels around the site with t-shirt and shorts on. I even saw a woman cycling to the shop one morning in a one-piece bathing costume. Newcomers will naturally pick up clues about etiquette or ‘normal’ behaviour and the more that dress, the more will follow that lead. Even I have felt uncomfortable being naked in a Naturist resort…crazy. I whipped off my T-shirt dancing to the band in the bar one night as I felt hot…no one followed my lead.
Sometimes I have found that the rules are not enforced. I’ll often visit the site shop naked and wait to be told off, but I never have been, the same in reception areas. I expect the rule is often a local authority thing - a bye-law that the site have to at least pay lip service to by putting up signs. I’m no anarchist, but of course, most people will obey them.
I’ve attended fitness classes, yoga and pilates, mid-summer in beautifully hot places, the sea shimmering in the distance - but everyone sweating fully dressed in lycra, leotards and t-shirts. An onsite spa didn’t insist that bikinis were left in lockers though at one place, I did discover that volleyball must be played naked, even by children and teens.
Resorts that have scuba or sailing schools often advertise them outside the resort and non-residents come and take advantage. That’s fine, great actually, for normalising nudity but of course they keep their kit on, including on the beach after their session. Sometimes restaurants are open to non-residents and the rule is not ‘When in Rome’ but that the Romans must put their clobber on.
Actually, eating and drinking is a particularly interesting subject to study. I can’t fathom if it is based on rules, custom, or practice (I guess it differs from place to place) but almost all of the places I’ve been people dress to eat. Is it as simple as wanting to enjoy their meat and two veg without looking at, er, someone else’s? German and Dutch Naturists I know look at me boggle-eyed when I talk about eating nude as if I’ve suggested they coat themselves in raspberry jam and dance a tango.
Sometimes people say they are dressed in deference to the staff. You’d never really expect staff to undress - it’s hard enough to find good people without adding that requirement, but surely if they’ve taken a job in a Naturist place they’ve accepted the dress code. You do see some of them naked round the pool or on the beach. One resort does insist all staff work without clothes and they are inundated with applications every year. The owner of that resort has also written an article about how the sarong is the destroyer of Naturist worlds. Good man. And while I’m on other authors on this same subject, please see the article ‘French Dressing’ in BN208, Summer 2016. BN Members can download it from the BN website.
Some places have a rule about dressing after a certain time of day, or when inside the buildings. They are popular places so it can’t be a problem, but it means you need a much bigger suitcase…
Many Naturists champion the idea of ‘clothes-optional’ places and especially beaches populated by the swimsuited, the topless and the nude, happily co-existing. However, when we choose a Naturist resort for a holiday it’s not unreasonable to expect nudity not to be limited or only tolerated. It’s easy for me to sound like a grumpy old man, but we have relatively few places already to relax without our clothes without that freedom being eroded inside those very places.
Thanks to Rob Hargreaves for the image which whilst not taken with this article in mind, perfectly illustrates the point!
Andrew Welch
andrew.welch@bn.org.uk
 

The Great British Skinny Dip

The Great British Skinny Dip

A report on the highlights from around the country - thanks to everyone who took part in 2017!
It was going to be a hard act to follow when running year two of The Great British Skinny Dip - after all there was no TV crew this year for a start! So, how would the campaign fare, free from the harsh spotlight of TV interest? Pretty well actually, for those venues who took part!  For a start, the weather was generally far more in our favour than in 2016, and there was a much more sustained 'buzz' created by running the campaign for the whole month, rather than trying to shoehorn everything into a single weekend - along with far more opportunities for both organisers and the public to take part. 
Just to set the scene, GBSD is not a campaign to promote Naturism as such. It is very much about the health giving benefits of clothes-free activities, and highlighting the positives in terms of  removing worries, stresses and body hang-ups. Promoting Naturism in the wider sense was always a secondary - albeit very welcome - benefit. As BN's Andrew Welch put it, "Last year was a great success, but this year we were setting out to build on that legacy, complete with all the attendant publicity,  and attracting more people, inspired by the health and wellbeing benefits that costume-free swimming brings.”
One interesting phenomenon noticed this year is the number of events where money was raised for charity. Of course GBSD is not specifically a charity initiative, but it is fabulous to see so many organisers partnering with charities, both local and national, to offer a fundraising event that is just a bit different to the norm. The charities also bring their own marketing machines and reach a different group of people with no further effort from us. It can really pay dividends in getting a wider audience to consider taking part in a socially nude activity. Does, however, the charity angle water down the message we want people to hear about nudity? There’s a balance to be struck.
Firstly, let's look at the 'natural' venues - and by this we mean those that are freely and easily accessible to the public, such as beaches and lakes. Starting off in Devon, the Torbay Sun Club (pictured) welcomed 40 people to their skinny dip at the usually non-Naturist Hollicombe Beach in Paignton. They included a couple from Germany and two women who had skinny dipping on their bucket lists - the whole 'bucket list' phenomenon has been a great way of getting people to try skinny dipping and is something that was seen at several of the events  Another beach dip, at Climping in Sussex, didn't get great weather, but organiser Helen was pleased that the nine who attended raised money for 'Safe in Sussex'. Across in South Wales meanwhile, the Monknash Beach swim was also successful, with the sun putting in a welcome appearance for the healthy crowd of people who came and dipped. A super video was made too.
Also in the south west, the swim at Cornwall’s Adrenalin Quarry attracted fifteen skinny dippers, including a woman who arrived with her wetsuit for her usual swim, saw what was happening, stripped off and joined in! The weather held, and the water was a positively balmy sixteen degrees - the sun even put in an appearance to help the event along! To add to the experience, five of the participants even took to the zip wire naked, much to the befuddlement of the instructors on harness release duties at the bottom!
Probably the most rugged and wild location used by any of the organisers was the beautiful Beacon Tarn, near to Coniston in the Lake District, which attracted an increased turnout of twenty five participants this year (last year was pretty wet and, shall we say 'challenging') .  The weather was still damp, and the skinny dippers set off from Brown Howe on the shores of Coniston Water in drizzle, however the hardy souls who took part had a great one mile ramble up to the tarn and enjoyed a champagne picnic as well as a bracing dip in this wonderful setting.  Organiser Christine Wright says "It's a bit of a niche skinny dip. The walk is very much part of it, and one or two people remarked that they had unexpectedly enjoyed the walk and the wild, lonely country, even though they hadn't expected to."  The water in the tarn itself was, says Christine, "bearable" and everyone was able to stay in for a few minutes. Christine has confirmed that the event will be back in 2018.
Further north, in Scotland, at Yellowcraig  on the Forth, a dawn skinny dip was held in aid of the Marie Curie charity, organised by Iain and Brian. Another stunning location, the twelve skinny dippers who came along enjoyed the wonderfully calm waters, their experience enhanced by the magic of the sun coming up over the horizon. Thanks were due to the RNLI, who provided safety boat cover.
Another Scottish swim next,  this one at Ostel Bay, Cowal, where the usually textile beach was turned over to skinny dipping. Though the passing public did not join in, they apparently weren't fazed by the naked bathers, and were polite.  A real plus at this event was that several Naturists who had never met before were able to link up. Still in Scotland, Balmedie Beach saw the day dawn bleak, with lashing rain pounding the shoreline.  The swimmers - one all the way from Yorkshire - braved the swell, being careful not to go out of their depth, and a good time was had, though the chill began to take its toll! Ex-SANER regional co-ordinator Ivan Gill was interviewed about GBSD on community radio and presenter Kate Reid even hosted a show in the nude (we’re told), and talked about Naturism interspersed with a clothes-free themed playlist.
Another event in support of Marie Curie took place at Studland beach in Dorset and attracted 22 people, many of whom were first time skinny dippers. People gathered at 7am and the temperature soon warmed enough to give a very pleasant swim and the opportunity for a post-dip chat on the beach afterwards. Garth and Christine, historically quite private about their Naturism, reached out to friends to sponsor them, and said "It really should not have come as a surprise that not one of them objected, and in fact encouraged us. That surely must be a lesson learned..."
BN club Avonvale held a combined skinny dip and MacMillan Coffee Morning, attracting around 60 visitors, including some newcomers. As well as a great welcome, members were able to offer information about other clubs and swims, which resulted in visits to the Southampton and Barton swims. A resounding success from the club's perspective, a repeat is already pencilled in for September 1st 2018.
Arcadians at Billericay in Essex, enjoyed hazy but warm weather for their skinny dip in their pool, which was heated to a wonderful 29 degrees, and welcomed nine happy skinny dippers, including a newcomer.
Diogenes once again partnered with the local charity, Rennie Grove Hospice Care and hosted a sponsored skinny dip at the club, enjoying beautiful sunshine. Many of the 13 participants were newcomers and loved their first time experience.  Around £1,400 has been raised for vital local services and Rennie Grove have already asked if the event can be run again on September 1st 2018.
Indoor swims were quite well represented in the list of events, with a fantastic mix of regular swims and brand new venues. Spectrum Club who swim at the Queen Elizabeth hospital in Birmingham, held a GBSD event right at the end of the month and were delighted to receive ten visitors, all of whom were keen to return. Organiser David says "We shall be considering the feedback forms we gave them along with their information packs, and considering our next move, which could be to repeat the exercise not just in 'Septembare' but during the year. We are also considering putting up posters around the hospital.”
Wigton Baths in Cumbria was one of our brand new venues. A chance conversation with the manager by a BN member led to them running their own GBSD event, which attracted 14 people, including a few newcomers. There is now talk of running regular nude swims and attendees George and Julie Booth said, "This was a complete success, just what we want. New people trying organised Naturism and going home feeling they can't wait for the next event." A brilliant result and potentially another Naturist swim!
Reading Naturist Group also badged all of regular swims as GBSD events and report a success, with the hope that more people will join them at their new venue, the Meadway Sports Centre in Tilehurst.
Oxnat joined in and relaxed their usual rule that swimmers can’t just turn up on the night - there were no issues as a result and feel they have set a useful precedent.
In Eastbourne 27 people came along to the specially GBSD labelled event, with seven newcomers, some of  whom enquired about membership. Some valuable publicity in a local magazine is imminent, all of which helps get that message out there.
Noah's Ark swim aimed their marketing squarely at encouraging women, in essence combining the twin aims of GBSD and 'Women in Naturism'. An very impressive ten new women came along and organiser Malcolm reports "Time will tell if that temporary one month blip translates into many return visits, but all made the right sort of comments at the time, appearing to embrace the concept."  Great stuff!
At the regular Naturist swim in Sheffield five newcomers were welcomed, and each given an information pack to take away - just the sort of practical step that helps people to remember their swim and maybe come back again.
In summary, was GBSD 2017 a success? In terms of the participation increasing that's an emphatic 'yes'. There seems little doubt that spreading the event across a whole month paid dividends. While we didn't have any TV crew this year, and in fact media coverage was generally very low, it is clear that our marketing did achieve results, with many new people experiencing the wellbeing and body confidence benefits of clothing optional swimming.
Keep an eye out for details of GBSD 2018!
 
 

Undressing for Dinner

Undressing for Dinner

It’s a warm summer evening at Vassaliki Naturist Club, Kefalonia where my husband and I are on holiday. It’s one of our favourite Naturist resorts and it’s easy to make friends. Good food and wine and wonderful live music by a talented local singer/songwriter is being shared by a group of guests. But everyone is dressed – except me.
Being the evening, we weren’t experiencing the hot Greek temperatures enjoyed during the day but it certainly was not cold. All the guests – bar one other, actually – were formally dressed despite having spent all day by the pool naked. I was happy to be naked whilst everyone else was dressed. My partner in skin commented on it and I ended up telling him my story. 
My life had been fully 'textile' until 2007 when I discovered Naturism and now I definitely prefer being naked. My husband owned and ran a successful kitchen supply company until his retirement some years ago. Like many business people’s lives it was a very stressful and demanding time. Bringing up our two daughters meant we were both very busy and spending quality time together was always at a premium. We enjoyed many family sunshine holidays in Minorca and always went to the Naturist part of the beach at Son Bou where Peter and the girls went naked. For me – it was, no way! With Peter’s business we were fortunate to visit many spectacular destinations but it’s fair to say that even in a textile environment, meeting up with other kitchen suppliers and their partners was quite daunting for me. I have never considered myself a confident person where you are mixing in the most part with complete strangers. There was also an element of cliques and I always felt on the outside. I loved the travel but never felt at ease with the socialising. When it came time for Peter to take his well-earned retirement and our children were both independent, our holiday destinations became even more far flung, mostly to places of my choice. One of the most spectacular was Japan. We visited an Onsen, a type of Japanese bathroom, where nudity is expected, and the norm, albeit with a small rectangular towel to cover ones ‘bits’. I remember being a very hesitant about it but I soon started to enjoy the company of the Japanese ladies and girls – Onsens are gender divided. Whenever we came home I admit to feeling guilty for always choosing our holiday destinations so I told Peter he could choose the next holiday – and wherever it was I would be happy to go. The reply was; “a Naturist holiday” – oh no! but a deal is a deal.
Peter chose the small resort of Sorobon Beach in the Dutch Antilles,  sadly no longer a Naturist resort. I clearly remember arriving at Sorobon, going through the doors of reception, turning a corner to our beach chalet and seeing a couple sunbathing on their veranda – spread-eagled and totally naked. In our chalet it was decision time, I took a deep breath, discarded my clothes and walked out onto the beach. The freedom that I felt and the heat of the sun on my skin was wonderful. I was an instant convert. Suddenly I was in an environment where everyone was ‘dressed’ the same. Interestingly, being in a completely naked group was easier for me to deal with. Gone were the days of the business trip; had I got the right cocktail dress on? Was I up to date with the latest fashion? Was I over dressed or too casual? I was now seeing people as they really are, not what they dressed as. I am able to relax and be at ease with myself when we meet new people in a Naturist environment. I loved it then and I love it even more now. My confidence and self esteem has grown and this has continued into my textile life. Since that first holiday Peter and I have been to lots of naked resorts and made many good friends along the way. We have holidayed at Vassaliki many times, thoroughly enjoyed a naked cruise around Greek islands, stayed at Magnolias Natura, Gran Canaria and we spend three weeks a year at La Jenny in France. I love being able to be naked from the moment we arrive until the moment we leave. Three week’s of Naturist holiday clothing doesn’t take up much space! If I can be naked on holiday then I just won’t dress – what’s the point of being at a Naturist resort and being clothed?! Admittedly I might have a higher tolerance to cooler conditions and I will persist with being undressed longer than most – but I love being naked and that’s why we go to Naturist resorts. Sadly however, 24/7 nudity at resorts appears to becoming less and less common. I appreciate that it is not always desirable to be naked when serving ourselves from buffets at meal times but a light wrap worn at the appropriate time solves this problem. There are lots of resorts that have rules stating clothes are also to be worn after a certain time. Our choice will always be to travel to resorts where it is accepted that those who want to be naked can be at all times of the day in all areas.
Would I go on a ‘textile’ holiday again? Absolutely! There are so many beautiful places in the world to visit that demand being dressed. Next we are travelling to Kerala in India for a cycling holiday – being naked on that holiday is hardly going to be practical. We do however already have our next Naturist holiday in the pipeline. If there are any ladies reading this still wondering whether to try it or wanting to take the first step into Naturism and enjoy that marvellous feeling of freedom then don’t hesitate, you won’t look back. If there are male partners out there who would like their wives or girlfriends to take the first step, then carefully consider where you might take them for their first naked experience, choose your resort carefully. Going to a completely Naturist resort will be perfect as there are a vast majority of people who will be naked all the time and there will be little compulsion to resort to getting back under the safety-shield of clothes. Choosing a sunshine resort is also important as experiencing the warmth of the sunshine on your whole body is most definitely the best start for a journey into Naturism. 

Pat Phillips

The prudification of society - an enormous threat to liberty

The prudification of society - an enormous threat to liberty

Nudity everywhere, beaches, clubs, TV, film, magazines, absolutely everywhere is under a growing threat.
Body-knowledge, body-honesty and body-acceptance, anything to do with the human body is under attack like never before, Mary Whitehouse included. The government, or more accurately an influential part of the government, are pursuing the "prudification of society" like no government that I can remember and they are being a lot more subtle about it than Mary Whitehouse. Much of the activity is behind closed doors and the little that is visible has been spun to make it look like protection for children.

Typically their illogic and tactics work like this: I don't like it so it must be bad for children. Children must be protected so we must BAN IT! How dare you object!!!! You pervert!!!!
Notice that there are no facts or evidence involved. They just state their prejudices as if they are facts and appeal to emotion. They press the protection of children button. To make it more plausible they commission a report or two from "independent experts", independent experts that they have chosen. One of those “experts” even went so far as to write in his official report that there was no evidence to support his recommendation for more prudery but still he recommended it!

Society does not stand still. It is always changing, and the campaign to prudify society is moving society in the wrong direction. Prudery is already resulting in immense harm, mainly to children and young people, and further prudification can only make it worse. Facts, evidence and logic have never counted for much with the prejudiced and nudity is no exception.
The prudification is having an impact on Naturism. There appears to have been an increase in prosecutions for nudity in general although fortunately the CPS guidance on Naturism that we campaigned for has limited the impact on naturists. However there has been a significant increase in the number of swimming pools that ban children from naturist swims and some of the very few local authority nude health spa facilities have been lost. The picture regarding public place Naturism, mainly beaches, is similar.
Clubs are not immune from the effects. It is becoming much more difficult to attract families. It is becoming more difficult to attract people working in education, child care, the health service, or any other job requiring a DBS/CRB check - and that is a lot of people. For example it even includes taxi drivers and meter readers. Indeed it is making it more difficult to attract anyone.
We have had some success in pushing back the censorship of Naturism web sites but the problem is still widespread and it looks set to get worse. There is a bill before Parliament which will require proof of age before accessing pornography. On the face of it that could be sensible but there is precious little evidence that they are drawing the line in the right place nor that the businesses enforcing the age limit will do so responsibly. Facebook is the classic example of big business censoring nudity for no good reason and doing immense harm in consequence. The other big problem with the bill is the lack of anything to protect web sites from over blocking. If an ISP decides to classify the BN web site as pornography and some of their “family friendly” filters already do block it, the bill provides no remedy. There is a breed of MP that will fight tooth and nail for the right of some parts of the press to promote hatred, the parts of the press that get them elected, but considers freedom of expression to be optional for anyone else.
It is far from being a crisis but unless we all push back against the prudification then it will continue to get worse and eventually it will cause serious difficulties for Naturists and Naturism. It needs action by everyone so next time you encounter a block on a Naturism web site please complain, or somebody writes something stupid in social media please reply and challenge them over it, or that stupid article in a newspaper please write a letter to the editor or post a comment online. Every little bit helps.
Malcolm Boura

Negative Body Image - Its not just for the girls (Part 2)

Negative Body Image - Its not just for the girls (Part 2)

Contrasts in Heaven by Edward Shearer
I’m sitting in a room full of people I’ve never met before in my life. The last sun rays of the day are filtering through the windows in the roof, causing an ethereal glow above us. The floor is an exquisite mosaic of tiles and eight chairs are arranged in a hexagonal pattern around a fountain in the middle of the room. Unfortunately, there is no water, which would have been welcome given that the temperature in the room is almost forty degrees. The humid atmosphere is heavenly, but it can turn hellish if you forget to drink plenty water. It’s like a scene in a Michelangelo painting of various naked deities in earnest discussion. The reality is a little different. The seven other naked people sitting around the fountain may not have godly powers, but their diversity in appearance is something to behold. To my right are three men of varying middle ages that are clearly not new to their surroundings. One of them sits in silence with his eyes closed while perspiration runs down his forehead. The two others are engaged in conversation, only looking up whenever somebody comes in. Sitting next to them is a young couple: the man is a classic Adonis figure with muscles in all the right places, while the woman has the kind of figure that I’ve only ever seen on the top shelf of magazine racks. Next, a young man with lots of tattoos sits with a nonchalant expression while watching everybody around him. And finally, to my left is a young, slim girl around my age who is making clear by her body language that she’s very nervous. Perhaps, like me, she’s come to the weekly swim at the Arlington Bath Club in Glasgow for the first time and is navigating the many contrasts found by first-timers as they get comfortable around other naturists. What contrasts? For me – a single male in his 20s at the beginning of his naked journey – the biggest one is between common perception of Naturism from those who have never tried it and the actual experience.
When I was younger, I enjoyed being naked in the house when my parents were out. I would dare myself to run around the garden and came to an unspoken agreement with the cat to not tell my mum what I’d been up to in exchange for an extra treat or two. At that age, nudity was my little rebellion, and my upbringing had enforced the idea that people that took their clothes off were unusual and most likely had ulterior motives. I was overweight until my late teens and had big insecurities about how I looked, but despite all this, I was fascinated by the idea of being naked among others. Just before summer this year, I had a friend to stay for the weekend and he wandered in while I was in the shower (I live alone and had forgotten to lock the door that time!). We ended up staying naked with each other all day – indoors, as it was a day of typical “Scottish summer” weather! For some reason, it felt completely natural to have that sense of openness and shared vulnerability while we nakedly watched Lord of The Rings. I was hooked. I wanted more. I was conflicted between wanting to dive into Naturism and my perceptions that refused to sink. I feared being made fun of for the imaginary life ring of blubber around my waist, or of getting excited in full view of all those present. I plucked up the courage to go to the local naked swim in Aberdeen. I remember sitting in the car with fears and questions swirling around my head. “What if it’s just me and a bunch of old men touching their gherkins? What if they point and laugh? What if I walk in naked and they’re all clothed? What if there’s somebody I know? Will they notice the stretch marks around my thighs or that I forgot to trim my toenails? Will there be people having sex at the side of the pool?” It took all of five minutes inside for all of these questions to evaporate. I found myself with about twenty other perfectly normal (albeit naked) people. Once the slight shock of seeing a naked woman twice my age for the first time wore off, I almost forgot I wasn’t wearing swimming trunks. The rest of the group were all very approachable and enthusiastic about having nudity as a regular feature of their lifestyle. They talked about saunas, hotels, festivals, campsites, cruise ships, holiday resorts and even bike rides where nudity was allowed, or even mandatory. It was almost overwhelming listening to them and it forcibly ripped away my false perceptions. “Why had I never found about all this before? Why had it taken me so long to get my feet wet and dive in?” I’ve since decided that the contrast between perception and reality has caused the UK to be afraid of naturists. We don’t fit the common social categories that are usually determined by age, gender, nationality and income bracket. Naturism unites people by the simple fact that we have a human body. Naturism is one of the very few communities where we could be in the presence of bluechip billionaires, BMW salesmen, bank tellers and buskers all at the same time without knowing! Yet naturists are seen as somewhat odd, eccentric oddities that gain the kind of response reserved for moments like when Barbara Windsor’s clothing falls off in a Carry On film for the umpteenth time. Naturism is a Susan Boyle among a competing selection of lifestyles: made fun of by many of “The Uninitiated” until they experience things first hand. Speaking of which, I will have my first Alton Towers event with BN later this year. Who knows what experiences I’ll have and what contrasts will come to light during this next landmark in my Naturist journey!
 

Negative Body Image - It's not just for the girls (part 1)

Negative Body Image - It's not just for the girls (part 1)

An article in the UK’s version of the Huffington Post piqued our interest. It said, ‘We may open up conversations with our daughters about how they feel about their bodies, but when was the last time you did this with your son? The number of men admitted to hospital with eating disorders has risen by 70% in the past six years and male sufferers – and the people around them – may not recognise their symptoms due to persistent gender stereotypes. According to a survey 55% of 18-year-old boys surveyed would consider changing their diet to look better and 23% believed in a perfect male body.’ We spoke to some young Naturist men to get their views – and their own interesting stories.  
What Makes Naturists Different? by David
In the mainstream media, in adverts and even clothing catalogues, I’m used to seeing chiselled abs and bulky biceps. I wouldn’t say I’m affected by this much nowadays, but subconsciously, I suppose the expectations and expected standards are still there to a degree. I can easily imagine other boys or men aspiring towards these sky-high targets, or in other cases, suffering disappointment and depression when they realise that it’s not within their reach. Does that sound familiar? If we added some ‘size zero’ into the mix, we’d have the same kind of dilemma for women. Nonetheless, the objectification of guys in the consumer world is just as real – it’s just been lagging behind until now. It’s commonly believed that males don’t talk to each other about their feelings that often. We all know the stereotypes about Brits with stiff upper lips. The same goes for men who bottle up their emotions and refuse to ask for help, even when it’s right in front of them. Asking for directions is one scenario that springs to mind. So, it’s understandable that men still don’t talk a lot about their emotions. We’ve made progress in the last couple of decades regarding mental health issues which allow people to reach out and get the support they need. Still, not everyone is going to have the same kind of supportive friends or family around them. What makes Naturists different?
Any social Naturist will know how open and accepting the community is. With everyone on equal grounds and without fear of being judged, they can accept themselves as who they are. Once that feeling of self-confidence is in place, outside media has less impact; those images can be separated from the ‘reality’ of what ‘average’ people look like. It’s no surprise that we continue to get confirmed studies showing that naturists are happy, healthy people. But is that a prerequisite, or is it a consequence of adjusting to the lifestyle? Having been a casual observer for two years and a proper member of BN for three months, I wouldn’t say I know enough people to be sure yet, but I would wager that it’s a mix of both, depending on each person’s particular background. I’ll tell you a little about mine.
Most of my life, I didn’t really have a chance to think objectively about male body image. I was mostly resigned to the fact that it wasn’t something I’d ever have to worry about or aspire to, mostly due to my skin conditions. Since I was a young child, I have suffered from dermatitis and eczema over my whole body, making it sore, red, itchy and flaky. No matter what kinds of treatments, creams and diets my family tried with me, nothing seemed to work. In the last three years, things had improved significantly; naturally after the age of 16, with improvements in medication and medical advice. So with the first hurdle overcome, I decided it was finally time for me to focus on the other thing holding back my self-confidence: my figure. I’ve always been skinny because of high metabolism, so unlike many men and women who want to shed the pounds, I was always struggling to put on weight. After putting more care into the food I ate and finally making the move to start working out at the gym, I finally got a taste for what it’s like to have some body confidence. I can lift twice as much as I could when I did no exercise, and I think it shows. Some people would still call me ‘skinny’ which does irritate me slightly. Their perception of ‘average’ is probably higher than it should be, either due to those aforementioned ideals, or perhaps when compared to their friends who put in four times as many hours in the gym as I do. I often wonder what the motivation is for the others around me when I’m there. Are they still unsatisfied with their appearance, despite being able to bench-press their own weight? Are they addicted to working out? Or is it a perfectly rational, healthy hobby? I can’t tell. Thankfully, I’m undeterred, since all I’m aiming to do is satisfy my own goals.
That was the time when I decided it was time to join the group of people I admired the most; those who were happy to be themselves and nothing more. I’ll freely admit that by this point, after a lifetime of social anxiety and self-pity, all I really wanted was peer validation. I was delighted to finally have some (I know I would have joined anyway, regardless of my appearance). From the first dozen swims at Naturist London, I got over the shyness and anxiety of showing my skin in public. Beyond that, I took part in the ZSL Streak for Tigers twice, raising money for charity, having fun and making friends while doing so. Now, as of this summer, I’m a YBN member and I’m not looking back...
 

BN214 - Winter 2017

BN214 - Winter 2017

Welcome to another fun and feature filled edition of BN Magazine, which will be dropping onto your doormats soon, and is available for download by members. It is packed full of all the news and views from the world of British Naturism, the national organisation representing Naturists and Naturism in the UK.  Of course, this is the issue where we look back and reflect upon a summer season well spent, but it's also an upbeat forward look to what promises to be another spectacular year in 2018.
In this issue then, you will find the following treats, and much more besides:
Naturism, as we know, is the perfect antidote to body image concerns.  We're more used to hearing about the pressures on younger women - but what about men?  We find out more. Women in Naturism - Pat tells us how she went from fearful outsider to passionate advocate Are you one of the many who would love to be more open about your Naturism, but isn't sure how to broach the subject?  Our guide to talking about Naturism, along with an overview of our 'Just One Person' campaign, will help you to 'cross the line' and become a confident advocate of Naturism. Our usual event reports section looks back at some recent highlights - including the now well-established 'Streak for Tigers' event at London Zoo. Talking of events, we unveil the full events and group holidays programme for 2018 - and though we say so ourselves, it's looking good! A report on the BN Naturist Vision Day in Birmingham, where a number of inspiring presentations really helped us to think about Naturism from other perspectives. We report on the launch of Amelia Allen's fabulous book 'Naked Britain' - surely one of the finest portrayals of our way of life ever pubished. YBN - resurgent, reinvigorated and very much active!  We catch up with them to find out what's going on. The Great British Skinny Dip - they came, they stripped, they dipped!  But how did this year's event go, free of the ever present TV cameras that were with us last year?  We find out, and also look at some possibilities for taking this flagship campaign forward. Holidays?  Yes please!  This issue we visit France to discover some new places - and some old favourites. All this, plus the usual updates from our legal and campaigns teams, a roundup of all the best naked news in the media! 
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 and other benefits as well.

Hair! A clothes optional audience

Hair! A clothes optional audience

As BN magazine's chief cultural reporter (!) it was great to be invited to watch Hair in London at the Vaults Theatre. This year is the 50th anniversary of the first showing back in 1967. At that time Lyndon Johnson was the US President and Harold Wilson the Prime Minister. The Vietnam war was at its height with John McCain (now Senator) being shot down. Apollo 1 was destroyed by fire, the first North Sea oil came ashore and Milton Keynes was founded. Puppet on a String won Eurovision but on a classier note Sergeant Pepper topped the charts, becoming the theme for 'The Summer of Love.'
But this was not just any old performance of Hair. Thanks to BN member Chris Grady, the show was clothes optional for the audience. Pre-show drinks in the bar set the scene wonderfully as the area was a themed Woodstock. No one wasted time standing around shyly and clothes were rapidly discarded. Despite being under the arches of Waterloo the venue had thoughtfully ramped up the heating. The floor consisted of bark shavings and the bar and souvenir stall had a beach type feel. We soon recognised many BN regulars but there were also lots of non-members including many under 30s. Some of us had taken the opportunity to dress up with our beads and bandannas to add to the atmosphere.
Entering the theatre we passed the cast slumped around on the grass floor. As well as the conventional theatre seating arrangement there were also about fifty people sat on the sides. The show started with the heavy beat of helicopter blades and an American voice introducing the President of the United States...... Donald Trump. From there on all the references were to Vietnam and the leading characters of the time.
The show was all singing and dancing with sex, drugs and the Vietnam war as the three key ingredients, and one of the cast burning his draft card (or was it really his library card as his friend suggested?) The huge hits such as Aquarius, Good Morning Starshine, I Got Life and Let the Sun Shine In were belted out with massive enthusiasm by the young cast. Their energy and passion were a constant throughout the show. There was also humour in almost every line with some real laugh out loud moments. When the cast started interacting with the front row and putting them in embarrassing situations the audience loved it.
I saw the show about 20 years ago in a much bigger theatre with complicated and expensive scenery and a small orchestra. This show relied on clever use of cloths and ribbons and a small band. That may not sound impressive, but the director made the overall effect stunning at times. I have to say this production was by far the superior of the two. We see probably thirty to forty shows a year in London and this was one of the best and possibly the most dynamic and powerful we have seen.
It wasn't just the audience that were lapping up the atmosphere. I spoke to Andy Coxon, who played Berger, after the show. He thought it was, “A really special night and the cast will never see another one like it.” Andy also commented that, “Everyone got it, the audience injected life into the show.” On Twitter after the show Andy said, “It's probably the best audience we will ever have!! Incredible.” Two of the young actresses I spoke to were equally effusive and thought the show reached new heights. One of the them said it was the best show she had ever been in because of the audience.
After most West End shows the audience disappears into the night. Not after this performance, even though it didn't finish until well after midnight, the party went on until 2am with a disco at one end playing the soundtrack of the 60s. Andy told me the atmosphere was fabulous and the cast thoroughly enjoyed it...as did the audience.
Chris Grady, the BN member who had been instrumental in organising this clothes-optional performance, is optimistic that other events can be held like this in the future. He told me that the show was sold out after two weeks and they could easily have filled the theatre a second time. Chris said that the cast thought it was a fantastic experience. He is currently doing a research project about how we choose to reveal our bodies through live performance and art, so this production was highly relevant.
The actors on stage portrayed characters who were high on drugs. We left the theatre on a legal high intoxicated by the performance and the wonderful buzz from the after-show party.  Steve and Pauline, BN members from Colchester, said that when the cast stripped off just before the interval whilst chanting; ‘beads, flowers, freedom, happiness’, “it embraced the warmth of universal harmony and celebrated individuality.” They also commented on the central theme of acceptance; “People are who they are, regardless of race, weight or anything else. It was a perfect totally uplifting naturist evening.” 
“It was a really fantastic evening all round. The cast was superb and seemed lifted by the naked crowd. The staff/volunteers were really friendly and some stripped off to make it just so much more special. The venue managers were really good sports letting us party after the show too," said BN member Mat from Cornwall.
My only complaint was that it all happened far too quickly. Coming just a week after our visit to the Herrick Gallery for the Naked Britain exhibition, which was also clothes optional, it shows that London can pull in a good naked crowd of all ages for events and that the stereotype of naturists being elderly is not always the case, if we provide the right venue, setting and activity.
Andy Wyman

An exciting time....

An exciting time....

It has been a good summer for Young British Naturism (YBN) with success on many levels. Reorganisation of the YBN forum has provided the spur for many of us to come together and start making plans.  The launch of the YBN Whatsapp group by Mikey has made it much easier to exchange ideas and led to meetups at Clover Spa and other small-scale events. The real show stopper of the summer was the gathering at Waterworld to celebrate the end of Septembare and the Great British Skinny Dip. Officially, the event drew in a healthy number of YBN members but on the day it was clear that a similar number again of under-35s had heard about it and turned up, meaning that the whole thing had a really youthful atmosphere. The downside of that was that spaces on the slides were much more hotly contested than normal, but we are always ready for a challenge and just had to run from the bottom, back to the top of the flumes that much faster. For many, Waterworld was the first experience of a naturist event, an experience that they are very keen to repeat. On top of the young adults, there were a handful of families with kids – maybe they are not YBN age yet, but we know where the next generation is coming from!
Waterworld also acted as a focal point for additional activities. The problem with single-evening events are that it is difficult to justify the travel and it is a late trip home if you do not live nearby. Luke solved this problem by renting an Airbnb house that was shared by people who travelled a greater distance, meaning that we weren’t facing a long journey home through the night and were able to keep the party going to make the trip more worthwhile.  Others such as David took advantage of the trip to explore some of the more unusual scenery around Stoke and take photographs.  Granted the weather wasn’t ideal for a naturist day out, but fun never the less.
Looking forward, things are even more exciting and a healthy number of us are doing Alton Towers. Next year will be better still as the plans for the NKD festival, which is an event specifically targeted at YBN members and families, are advancing quickly. Naturism should be cross generational and we certainly want to be involved in the existing events as much as possible.  But the chance to shape an event ourselves is fantastic and will be a great way to draw in other young people who are not yet engaging with the full organization – mainly because they don’t realise what they are missing!
However the social events are not the most exciting step forward this year.  The biggest change is the involvement again of YBN at the Executive Committee level. We have created a leadership panel, comprising Drew Thom, Cassie Wright, Jack Leggett and Emily Hannan. A panel, rather than a single leader ensures that the full range of desires and opinions of YBN are represented, that the work load is spread and that the whole structure doesn’t come crashing down if one of us is forced to step back (life gets in the way sometimes).  We had our first involvement at the EC meeting the day before Naturist Vision Day.  We were able to discuss plans, identify how BN can help us grow, and more important, what we can contribute to BN.  Some of us have already been able to contribute to newspaper articles through interviews, get involved in campaigns and spread the word ton social media. We are keen to bring new ideas to how BN runs both events and campaigns, and we have a lot of ideas.  This is an exciting time for us, and hopefully an exciting time for all of BN.  Trust us, there are a lot of young people out there enjoying social nudity.  Now is the time to bring them into the fold.
Mark Bass

Alton Towers Rocked!

Alton Towers Rocked!

I've just returned from yet another surreal British Naturism event. I've been dancing naked till the early hours with a parrot on my shoulder surrounded by pirates. No, I didn't eat too much cheese before experiencing a weird nightmare. It was just another great Alton Towers night. For the 11th year Alton Towers Splash Landings Hotel has been the host to one of our flagship events. We had a record 397 members attending . The event goes from strength to strength with the quality of acts improving each year.
It's odd for someone who has lived in London for 40 years but everybody smiles at you as they walk past. I'm not used to that... and they even say 'hello' or ask 'how're you doing?' But that's a BN event for you. People are friendly, happy and out to have a good time. The surreal aspects just kept coming. Amy Housewine, a superb tribute act, took the place by storm. She came in looking the part, stealing drinks, demanding drugs ... aspirin, viagra ... anything. But even Amy was upstaged by the two big guys dressed as Winehouse with immaculate beehive hair styles and dancing with real attitude. The singing was great, the dance floor was busy and Alton Towers rocked.
It's not all drink and dance though. Like many BN events it's a chance to talk, to make friends and catch up with old friends. There are useful workshops and meetings where people get the chance to help shape the future of BN or to learn about our direction of travel. It's a great opportunity to meet the people who lead BN such as new President Nick Caunt. There's also a chance to learn about all the 11 BN group holidays announced for 2018.
The theme park might be closed but the water park is great fun where you can get totally wrinkled in the jacuzzi pool, scared on the flumes or involved in a mass fight in what they call 'water polo'. If that's not enough action there was also T'ai chi, yoga, nudercise, running and archery to choose from.
Saturday night was Pirate Night and for a bunch of people who love to go naked we sure love to dress up without getting dressed. Firstly with Captain Eddie King then the brilliant Totally Tropical Party Band whose management had forgotten to tell them it was a Naturist party. They were so disappointed as they said they would have booked rooms and joined in if they had known. I spoke to several of the acts during the weekend and asked them how it went ... totally fantastic is the general reaction.
There is a real side benefit to these events and that's our interaction with the non-Naturists. These are the bar staff, the cleaners, receptionists, lifeguards, security, kitchen staff and dining room assistants. They all recognise that we are a good bunch, never any trouble, always having fun and basically normal. It's all excellent PR for us that is replicated at Nudefest, Dunoon, Bournemouth Blackpool and every event we hold.
We're already planning for 2018 and the booking line will be open soon. Get in early ... I have a feeling it will sell out rather quickly.
Andy Wyman

Don’t take our word for it - these members say 'BN’s great!'

Don’t take our word for it - these members say 'BN’s great!'

If you are a BN member we hope you are getting the most out of your membership. There is certainly plenty going on and lots to get involved with.
If you are thinking of becoming a member, don’t just take our word for it…here’s what some of our members, many of them only recent joiners, have been saying…
I’d recommend BN to friends or colleagues - 100%
Contact from my regional area was friendly and unexpected.
Reading the quarterly magazine has helped my wife realise that I'm not a weirdo and has made her more interested in naturism
BN is a great organisation with very helpful and accommodating staff, and was an excellent platform for me to begin exploring naturism.
I much appreciated the welcoming email from my local rep and have found BN Head Office very easy to deal with.
Ease of joining and outreach from the organisation has been much more than we expected.
The welcome I received from other members when I joined was fabulous
Nudefest was great. Our first social event without clothes.
Will be attending three festivals next year thanks to your excellent events info
I have made new friends, everyone is so friendly and welcoming
BN has given me access to clubs and locations I had not previously found using the internet.
A good organisation 
Very well done with welcome pack and emails
 Content of the magazine, excellent read! The forums are a great source of information and advice. We have already advised two other couples to join BN
The BN website is excellent
BN's communications have been very professional.
Very friendly and helpful on line site administrators
Regularly receiving emails from you keeps me informed
The magazine content - fabulous
I love the friendliness of people I have met in naturism so far and the welcome I have received at events
Very informative resources provided
The website is helpful and informative and as are the members who use it
Everyone was very friendly and welcoming.