Helen talks to long-standing naturist Jenny Budden
Q: What got you into naturism/nudism?
A: I became a naturist many years ago in the 1970s, the summer of 1976 was very hot and my husband and I, then my boyfriend, regularly went to Studland beach as textiles, we always went well away from the crowded beach and that year as a result of the hot weather naturists were coming out of the dunes to swim etc. My husband and I were both born in Poole and there was lots of gossip about a nudist colony in the dunes locally, however until that year we had not seen any. My husband was keen to join them, however, like most women, not so keen. I used to go topless then, in 1979 I had my first son, having a baby changed the way I felt about nudity, all caution goes out the window when medical people see just about everything. The summer of 1980 saw me stripping off completely, we would go to Studland with baby in tow and it was so much easier to breastfeed with no clothing, there was a sense of freedom and I loved the feeling of the sun on and breeze on my skin, and no wet sandy costume when I went swimming.
Q: Is there a difference between the two labels?
A: I see no difference to the labels Naturist/nudism, however I prefer to use the term Naturist because I feel it expresses better how I feel about Naturism which is getting back to nature.
Q: How does it impact your life on a day-to-day basis?
A: Naturism is a significant part of my life and I go naked whenever I can and where appropriate. Holidays and weekends are planned with naturism in mind and when we moved to our current house many years ago, top priority was to have a secluded garden, I live on a bungIow estate and we are not overlooked so we can be naked in the garden whenever we want, I'm a bit of cold bod so only undress when it's warm enough or maybe just wear a t-shirt. We don't spend our lives in the home naked all the time.
Q: What challenges do women face in naturism?
A: I think that the challenges women face in naturism is how they feel about themselves, their body image etc. For many years I was not public about my naturism, reasons were to protect my children and my job. I think women worry about how they will be seen by society. To give you an example, my sons went to cubs many years ago, I knew the Akela, I thought quite well, used to help out with them sometimes and she lived on the same estate as us. Many years later when my sons had grown up, I went to a local naturist swim and who was there, Akela with her husband, turned out they had been naturists many years but went to a club, whereas we were always on the beach, so we never met. She kept her naturism very quiet because people could get the wrong idea and I think if you work with children it might be difficult to become a naturist, because of the connotations people make, which seems to have got worse in recent years. I've met many teachers who never make it public. They are naturists. I still keep in touch with ' Akela' Liz and her husband, they live in France on a naturist complex and we have visited them there.
Q: How can we encourage more women to try it?
A: For women to try naturism I think more female naturists need to tell their story, which I know is not easy. Maybe getting mainstream women's magazines to run articles, an item on women's hour. Women only days at naturist venues or perhaps at swims.
Q: How can women help in desexualising nudity?
A: I found this question difficult to answer as I and my family and friends have never seen nudity as sexual, so I don't really know how women can help in desexualising nudity, perhaps it starts in the home. My parents weren't naturist, however they never covered up and walked say from bathroom to bedroom naked, as we did with our children, in fact my son of near forty still follows me around the house talking, if I am getting dressed or undressed, it's just a natural thing for him.
Q: How can we encourage body positivity and acceptance?
A: To encourage body positivity and acceptance I believe we need to see more people like me who have one breast and surgical scars, I have a 4in one on my back as well and no longer have the figure I had at 20. Some aspects of society have a part to play, we need to see more imperfect bodies in the press, on the internet, society as a whole puts so much pressure on women to be perfect.
Q: What advice would you offer to women curious about naturism?
A: For any women curious about naturism I would say just go for it, don't think about it too much, there really is nothing to worry about no one will notice how you look, the benefits are enormous.
Q: What drives your passion in promoting naturism?
A: I've never thought about promoting naturism until I retired and had breast cancer, my body was radically changed after losing a breast. It has made me think about what I see even in the naturist magazines, I don't think I've ever seen a photo of a woman who's had a mastectomy in the naturist press. My first time on Studland Beach post surgery I was apprehensive about being on the beach, however nearby were two older women who had mastectomies, so we are out there.
Q: Is your family supportive?
A: My immediate family were neither supportive or not supportive, it was just something we did, they wouldn't do it themselves and they have never put us down for doing so. All my family are aware and nearly all my friends are naturists anyway. When our son passed away we were not sure if we would see his daughter at all, however her mother has become a close friend and already knew about our lifestyle from our son, our granddaughter stripped her clothes off all the time and her mother used to joke that she got it from us. We weren't too sure about taking her to Studland beach, mainly because she'd get bored after a while, the unsavoury we are well used to dealing with, but they are everywhere anyway. We took her camping to Heritage with her mother's blessing, our son had already said he would be happy for her to go there, before he died, and she loved it there, which is great for us, she's an independent little girl and knows her own mind. I think she's the future of naturism, hoping there will come a time when she takes nanny and grandad to Heritage or Studland beach. I've been a naturist for so long it's become second nature, I've never been particularly body conscious, my sadness is that my sons never carried on once they got to teenage years, which is a common story. It seems to be a British thing, as when we are abroad we see so many families with children of all ages and grandparents, which is rare here. As well as getting more women into naturism I think we need to think more about getting families interested, perhaps with more women there would be more children. When my children were young our local swim group was mainly families, as were many clubs, Studland beach and naturist campsites. I remember a time when BN regularly had photos of children and families, I'm sad to think that it's now seen as taboo, if children don't see nakedness as normal, how can they as adults?
