What a strange year 2020 turned out to be! For us, as a couple, we had a busy year planned. Regular visits to Jersey for toddler antics with our grandson, our niece’s wedding in August, my father-in-law’s 90th birthday in December, Christmas with our grandson for the first time, my retirement and the prospect with that of more time to spend away in our campervan, and at our chalet at Yorkshire Sun Society (YSS), our Naturist Club.
All was going to plan. By March we had enjoyed two visits to Jersey and a skiing trip. In mid-March it was the club AGM where we all tried to make light of this new-fangled ‘social-distancing’ (lots of elbow pumps – who does that any more?) and I somehow found myself elected as Secretary to replace the retiring officer. What a well- timed decision on his part! Before we had a chance to do a handover, 23rd March hit us and Lockdown #1 was implemented.
Taking on a new role on Committee turned out to be a baptism of fire. Our monthly meetings now had to take place on Zoom with the inevitable steep learning curve.
Our only contact with members was via email or text. Just when we would normally be starting the new season, catching up with people we hadn’t seen all winter, we were having to stay away. Having a caravan site licence to lose made us act with caution and we reluctantly made the decision to close our club. As the rules changed during the following months, we had a brief interlude when we were open just to members, with toilet and shower facilities being the only facilities on offer.
In spite of plenty of enthusiasm and small socially distanced gatherings, it was a subdued summer. No pool. No bar. No get-togethers in the clubhouse. No organised events. Many members made the choice to stay away, with the majority of them being in what was classed as the ‘vulnerable’ age group. At least we managed to arrange the tables in the clubhouse to hold a couple of socially distanced committee meetings, before the Rule of Six stopped that.
The Tiers came and then Lockdown #2. No Christmas or New Years Parties. Back to Zoom Committee meetings and with the club so quiet, we reduced the frequency to every two months. And then, Lockdown #3, having had to postpone our AGM to ‘later in the year’ – we hope.
So, with all these depressing thoughts about the impact of the virus, it has made me stop and think about just exactly what it is about the club that I have missed.
Let’s start with the obvious – being naked! My husband and I were late starters to Naturism. Whilst we had dabbled with Naturist beaches on French camping holidays, it wasn’t until we had a summer holiday without our teenage children that we took the plunge and booked a few nights at La Grande Cosse. I remember starting to put the tent up, sweating in our clothes and suddenly laughing when we realised that we no longer needed them on! After that we didn’t look back and enjoyed the entire holiday on Naturist sites.
Once home, well and truly bitten by the Naturist bug, we trawled the internet for clubs in our region, visited only YSS and joined as soon as we could. More on that later. We are part-time Naturists – like many people, our garden offers little privacy, and our Yorkshire blood will not allow us to turn the heating up in the winter just to be able to be naked. Naturism for us is a pastime, rather than a way of life, but we still miss it terribly. For us, being Naturist is about freeing ourselves from the trappings of a material life to be at one with the elements, as well as that indefinable egalitarianism of Naturism. Nothing beats swimming naked, but feeling the warmth of the sun, or of a wood-burning stove on the whole of your skin comes a close second. On my Covid down-days, I close my eyes and recall days at the club. When the sun becomes too much for sunbathing on the decking, a walk around the grounds to catch a breeze in the shade of the trees helps, as does a jump in the pool for some fun with friends. Let’s be positive here – it’s all to look forward to!
Which brings me to the main reason to be in a club - camaraderie. People who have a passion for something often seek out other like-minded people with whom to share their interest. Naturism is an unusual 'pastime', as it is not something you actually do, it is the manner in which you do things. Clubs provide opportunities to do all sorts of activities naked and YSS is a great example of this. Just thinking about being sociable; we have a bar, a clubhouse, decking and sunbathing lawn where we hold all kinds of events – quizzes, games nights, afternoon tea, BYO barbecues, theme nights, a day at the races, discos, parties, skittles nights and ice-free curling (think wooden discs with castors...). In late 2019 a group of members worked hard to redecorate the clubhouse ready for the Christmas and New Year’s parties, and we were all really impressed with the improvement. Our pleasure was short-lived, but it will still be there when we get back to normal.
Camaraderie is often found in sports; we have the usual mini-ten and boules, as well as wonderful woodland walks and a riverside walk with fishing platform. So much do we love our woodland walks that we do a special one on New Year’s Day called the Brass Monkey Run. Competitors set off together to wander anywhere around the grounds and the last one back in for their gluwein and soup is declared the winner. All competitors receive a certificate with their time on, along with the weather conditions, to celebrate their insanity! But the ultimate YSS sporting experience for many of our members are the games of pool volleyball in our covered pool. These are tremendously entertaining with much light-hearted (usually) and noisy (always) rivalry, enthusiasm and humour. Everyone, regardless of ability, is welcomed and encouraged in this popular sport. A pool volleyball session can often ‘seal the deal’ for visitors who are in two minds about whether to join the club.
Real fellowship is also to be found on monthly Work Party days. As is the case for many Naturist clubs, the management and maintenance of the club is down to work done by volunteers. Work parties give members a chance to give some of their time doing whatever they can to help, to either run the club, do the cleaning or maintenance work in the grounds or on buildings, or even build new facilities. Most members thoroughly enjoy these days, commenting on how they help to preserve and nurture the community spirit in the club. Many of the tasks involve teamwork, which creates strong bonds amongst members.
So far, those of you reading this who are members of a club will recognise your own club in the things I have mentioned. However, there is something unique about YSS and that is its grounds. You may have wondered what led us to join YSS without visiting the other (nearer) clubs in our region. Quite simply, it was love at first sight. The 27 acres of woodland create a calming, almost mystical atmosphere. We call it our enchanted forest. The way the light changes as it travels through the foliage, the rustling in the wind, the cooling shade on hot days. The variety of trees and plant life and occasional sightings of deer, foxes and a variety of bird-life including owls and a peacock. The little paths that wind through the trees, giving glimpses of individual sites, dotted amongst the trees. It all adds up create the charm of the setting.
One last thing that we are very proud of at YSS is that, with our 90th birthday fast approaching next year, we are the second oldest Naturist club in the UK. But we are well up to date, with our generous Wi-fi and lovely newly refurbished showers in the pool area.
Yes, we love our club! Which is not to say that we do not acknowledge the individual appeal of other clubs, so you could make your own “can’t-wait-to-get-back-to” list about your own club. Better still, take a look at our website (yorkshiresun.co.uk) and get in touch with us and book a woodland weekend. I guarantee that you will find a friendly welcome and experience a Naturist club like no other.
Sue