Ronnie is 60, a freelance IT consultant splitting her time between the Midlands and London, and a card-carrying British Naturism member. She shares how she found her way into naturism, and her thoughts on desexualising nudity, encouraging other women, and why she has no plans to put her clothes back on.
Q. A brief intro about yourself, age, location, occupation, etc.
A. I am 60 years old, I live in the Midlands and London and work as a freelance IT consultant. I have never really not been a naturist, although it wasn't labelled as such when I was younger. As a child my mum was quite happy for me to come into the bathroom and see her naked, so I did the same. Other than this she has never actively been a naturist; she has just never been embarrassed or ashamed of showing her body in front of my sister or me.
Q. What got you into naturism/nudism?
A. I had my first taste of naturism as a leisure activity when I went on a PGL children's holiday canoeing in the Ardèche in France when I was 16. There were people swimming and canoeing in the nude as we paddled past; lots of the other children with me thought it was shocking, I just didn't understand what the fuss was about, it seemed perfectly reasonable to me. While working in Spain one year, I used to slip off on my day off to sunbathe at the local naturist cove. Some years later I visited a naturist club in Hampshire with a boyfriend of the time; we enjoyed the day but didn't do anything further about it. A few years after that I was in the same area with my husband, I mentioned the previous visit and he told me that he was interested too, so we joined a club and the rest is history.
Q. Is there a difference between the two labels?
A. No, it is called different things in different parts of the world.
Q. How does it impact your life on a day-to-day basis?
A. I don't think of naturism as having any particular impact, I just don't bother to put clothes on if I don't need to. I often tell people at work that I do this – it's a fun thing to say as an icebreaker. I find that once I have said that I am a card-carrying member of BN, people feel more comfortable about saying that they also enjoy being naked at home or skinny dipping. I guess one slight impact is that it means the water in our hot tub at home stays clear longer, as we don't wear swimsuits with detergent residue in them!
Q. What challenges do women face in naturism generally?
A. Their own insecurities. There is so much confusing information out there on social media; lots of people believe there must be something wrong with them if they don't have the latest fashionable shaped body.
Q. How can we encourage more women to try it?
A. Just invite them along. The BN Women's Retreats are a great idea, as they bring together experienced naturists and newbies in a fun environment.
Q. How can women help in desexualising nudity?
A. Explain naturism in a rational way and answer people's questions when they ask. If people raise the subject of sex and naturism with me, I always explain about the safeguarding measures at naturist events and the zero-tolerance policy for anyone misbehaving. I also stress that naturism is a welcoming and safe environment for families with children.
Q. What can men do to help in desexualising nudity?
A. The same as above; talk about their experiences in a safe naturist environment.
Q. How can we encourage body positivity and acceptance?
A. Talk about it and show by example, as my mother did when I was growing up.
Q. What advice would you offer to women curious about naturism?
A. Come and have a go! No one is ever expected to take their clothes off at a naturist event if they do not feel happy about doing so. You can be fully clothed, in your swimsuit or your underwear; take your time and only do what you want to, absolutely no one is judging you! Ask questions – we all love talking about it and are keen to share what a friendly and supportive group of people we are.
Q. What drives your passion in promoting naturism?
A. When I talk about it to family and friends, women start to voice their curiosity about naturism. We need to be there to answer their questions and encourage participation.
Q. Is your family supportive?
A. Some of them think we are slightly mad, but I suspect they are a little envious of our positive body image. No one has stopped talking to my husband or me yet!
Q. Has naturism changed since you first got involved?
A. It has become slightly more well known, with things like the Great British Skinny Dip and the World Naked Bike Ride.
Q. How do you see the future of naturism?
A. It is the antithesis of today's social media effect of making so many young people feel inadequate.
Q. Any other thoughts?
A. I intend to continue to take my clothes off whenever I feel the urge.
Ronnie will feature on episode 34 of the Women in Focus podcast.
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