We're delighted to announce that, after the volunteer role being vacant for many years, we have appointed BN member Brian Curragh as our new Archivist.
Brian says:
My wife and I have been Naturists since the early 1980s where we started our journey at Fairlight Cove. The Greek Islands – Andros, Zakynthos, Lesbos, Crete and Karpathos – then became our choice for sunbathing before we focussed on France with regular stays at first Belezy and then Arna – which remains our favourite place. In between we explored the Naturist beach at the Hawksbill Hotel on Antigua and finally got to Playalinda beach on the Atlantic coast of Florida.
It wasn’t all beach based as for two years we were members at Blackthorns. We’ve also been keen members of British Naturism since 1996.
My interest in history was always there but was brought to a new focus when I did a MA in British First World War Studies at the University of Birmingham. This led to me getting three chapters published in academic studies of the Great War alongside writing journals and book reviews. I have now taken the next step by starting a PhD at the University of Wolverhampton which will look at patronage in the Late Victorian Army.
What my academic studies have given me is a solid understanding of the importance of good quality archives for any organisation and also the chance to observe how these national archives are operated. Archives need to be secure and accessible if they are to play a role in promoting study of any movement.
So, with our personal voyage through Naturism alongside my academic studies and a strong fascination with the history of Naturism, I am delighted to take on the role of Archivist for British Naturism. Securing the archives and seeing them in a new home is my initial objective. I also intend to forge strong links with naturist archives in the United States and Europe which will give further examples of best practice and the promotion of access thereby bringing the study of Naturism firmly to the foreground as part of a wider move towards normalising it.
