British Naturism received the news last week that Turkish Baths Harrogate were considering dropping single-sex sessions from its timetable. We understand there are seventeen such sessions each month and clothes-optional, as you would expect in such a facility. They’ve been running for years. Harrogate Borough Council, which runs the baths, said that mixed sessions would reflect “equality and balance”.
It sounded to us as if an uneducated opinion about the simple human form was at work and not evidence-based research or a move to deal with a problem or respond to demands from customers. It was also suggested that the move showed the Bath’s desire to be ‘inclusive’. How can stopping certain customers from using the facilities overnight, be ‘inclusive’? It’s the opposite
Turkish Baths Harrogate launched an online survey to gauge the demand for single-sex sessions and further representations were made - including one from British Naturism - and they seem to have had the effect of delaying the decision.
Yesterday, British Naturism spoke to The Guardian about it - you can read it here. It was also talked about at 1.40pm on the Jeremy Vine BBC Radio 2 show - with most callers being in favour of keeping the clothes-optional sessions.
We have received further media approaches this morning and we’ll keep you posted when articles appear or interviews are broadcast. One is scheduled for Sky News at 1:30pm today.
Thanks to member Malcolm Shifrin for the image which comes from his book/website on Victorian Turkish Baths
victorianturkishbath.org