Skip to content

News and Articles

News and articles about BN and the wonderful world of Naturism
Show all categories

BN Members Act to Challenge Cancellation of Naturist Swim in Alton

You may have seen coverage in the local and national press recently about the cancellation of the regular monthly Naturist swim in Alton, Hampshire. As you would expect, BN is working to support our local members and other swimmers who have been affected by this misguided action.
The Naturist swim in Alton ran successfully for over thirty years, regularly attracting swimmers from across the South of England on a Sunday evening. Unlike many Naturist swims, it was operated by the local leisure centre rather than as a ‘private’ event organised by a Naturist swimming club.  
Swimmers were advised in December that - as a result of the leisure centre relocating to a new, purpose-built facility - the Naturist swim would be cancelled and that the final swim in Alton would take place on 05 January 2020.
Well over thirty swimmers turned out to support this last swim.Amongst swimmers there was a feeling that they had not been consulted about the development of the new leisure centre, and that the reasons given for the cancellation of the swim represent a threat to other Naturist swims if not challenged. BN shares their concerns about both the way in which a long-established swim has been brought to an end and the reasons given for this action by the leisure centre management. We are proud to be supporting local BN members and others in their action to challenge and hopefully reverse this decision.
The reasons given by the leisure centre operator to justify the cancellation of the swim are focused on the large amount of glass surrounding the new pool, and the visibility this gives of the pool area from inside and outside of the building. In their view, the fact that Naturists could be seen using the pool justifies the cancellation of the swim. BN is deeply uncomfortable with this assessment. We know that public nudity is legal across the UK and there is no evidence that non-Naturists require ‘protection’ from people enjoying the many benefits of social nudity.
We also challenge the argument made by the leisure centre operator that the design of the new pool is consistent with Sport England design guidelines and that these would preclude Naturist use - in fact the guidelines refer specifically to the need too consider the needs of all users when designing new pools, and suggest that the needs of some users for more ‘privacy’ should be designed into new leisure centres.
We have been supporting the action taken by local BN members in Alton to challenge this misguided and discriminatory action. Local action has included writing to the local and national press, local councillors and MPs and attending the launch event for the new centre to express disappointment. This resulted in the promise of a follow-up meeting, chaired by the local council, to discuss why the swim was cancelled and what could be done to re-instate the swim or move it to an alternative venue.
BN will be fully involved to support these discussions, and have also raised the issue with both Sport England and Swim England (the Amateur Swimming Association) as inconsistent with their policies to encourage participation in sport and equal access for all members of the community.
Jon Williams
BN Campaigns Team
jon.williams@bn.org.uk

Life Drawing for Schools

Artists and art teachers have promoting the idea that schools should have regular life drawing classes with fully nude models. 
Anne Noble-Partridge said that life drawing in schools could teach children about real human bodies before their ideas become corrupted by the nonsense we see on social media. ‘You are accepting of whatever you are looking at, whether they are old, or overweight, or hairy. You introduce young people and children who haven't got ingrained prejudices, ideas of disgust, or appropriateness. When somebody takes their clothes off they are just human beings. It really gets rid of any prejudices as to what a body should look like. It's great for body positivity.’
There are no Government rules on life drawing in schools indeed a few schools already include it in their curriculum; nudity in the classroom is entirely down to the discretion of head teachers; a fact that delights the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT).
Sarah Hannafin, the union’s senior policy advisor told the Telegraph, 'Schools are best placed to make decisions about visitors coming into schools to enhance the curriculum and support pupils learning. Schools will have policies in place which would apply to any visitors to ensure pupils are safeguarded.
'Schools should have the freedom to determine the right curriculum to engage, inspire and motivate all pupils. Schools know their pupils best and so can consider their needs, age and stage of development when making these curriculum decisions.'
 

The BN Guide to 2020

Got a friend who wants to know more about BN? 
Want to show people in your club or who you meet on holiday why they should be joining us? 
Need a brochure to give to your local swimming pool to convince them to organise a skinny dip? 
Want to find out more about British Naturism’s activities?
Here’s the answer - BN’s NEW Guide to 2020, a full colour, fully illustrated promotional publication that has it all - a guide to British Naturism in 2020 including our events, our campaigns, our successes and bags of useful information for anyone that needs it. It’s our main publicity item for 2020 - use it as you would a flyer. 
We’re printing thousands of copies and we want everyone to use it to help us to open doors, recruit new members, change attitudes, educate, inform, inspire...so please order copies from the BN shop (they’re free...) or pick them up at events.
You can also view it online - and send the link to people.

Sue's Story

“Oh my goodness, there is a naked man coming towards us!” I looked towards my husband Philip and saw the biggest grin you can imagine. I can’t even blame him for turning up to our first naturist campsite, which happened to be the only one in Slovakia, as I had chosen it. I hadn’t realised until this point after 40 years of marriage, how much Philip had wanted to camp as a Naturist. So, as I wasn’t prepared to try to find another campsite, I bit the bullet and within 10 minutes I was walking naked in a beautiful location and passing other naked people who seemed so friendly and welcoming and doing what seemed perfectly natural to them. On our return journey back to the UK,  to cement my conversion, we stopped off at a large Naturist site in Germany where I found myself playing boule with a group of strangers all naked, which at first seemed so surreal. What was I doing?! But it was such fun and as an avid swimmer what could be better than swimming naked. I was hooked!
I did have one reservation which was that as a Christian I needed to be reassured that social nudity sat well with my faith. The concern was laid to rest when we went to The Gathering at Dunoon and I attended the Sunday inter-denomination service with a congregation of 20 plus. I soon realised that Naturism and Faith were very similar and both embraced values such as trust, respect and a sharing of kindred spirit.
That was two years ago and since then we decided to embark on a discovery of various different types of Naturist holidays including Fuerteventura, The Gathering at Dunoon, Nudefest  and stays at several clubs in the UK with our caravan.  We also wanted to experience Naturism in other parts of Europe, so last year with our caravan we went through Belgium, Germany, Austria and Croatia during May/ June and then France and Spain in September/October. This year we’ve explored more naturist campsites in France and Spain.
Our experiences have been enriching and along the way we have met so many interesting and like minded people, many of whom have become friends. There is an immediate connection with people. People look you in the eye and make you feel welcome and you feel you are part of a world wide community, often reconnecting with people from one year to another.
One question remained on our minds, ‘Who should we tell? We had avoided telling our children initially until we were certain this was a path we wanted to stick to, so within a year we broke the news to our children. Our daughter said that’s why she had body confidence because we had always been quite open at home and our son laughed and his partner who is German said she often went swimming naked in lakes. We began to tell friends and Philip enjoyed leaving the BN magazine out in the kitchen in full view. We have had various reactions but no negative remarks or expressions of shock. We have come to the conclusion that because there is nothing to be ashamed of we have become more and more vociferous about our new found life-style.
“Tell me one unusual thing you have done that no one else will know!” This was the information I had to give my tennis captain which would form a guessing game as part of our annual get together. I decided to be daring and my snippet was “I have walked 65k in the Spanish mountains naked.” No one guessed it was me, but everyone knew at the end of the quiz after I told my story! Believe or not I am still in the team and even get asked where we will be camping and walking on our next trip!
Becoming a naturist has been very liberating for me - I didn’t even go topless on beaches although was quite happy to go swimming naked as long as nobody else was looking! It just took a small leap of faith and being with men and women who were naked and like minded. I soon realised that you didn’t have to have the perfect body and that after a while you didn’t notice shape or size of others. The overriding wow factor is the feel of air or water on your body, which brings you closer to nature, the elements and connects you to kindred spirits.
Sue Percival

Domaine De La Gagère - in a heatwave!

All around as we drive are wind turbines and undulating fields interspersed with tiny quiet villages, and hardly any traffic on the road at all.  This particular Sunday morning we had taken the 35-minute Channel crossing via Eurotunnel and were heading to Domaine De La Gagere near Luzy. A beautiful sunny day greeted us across the Channel and music playing favourite songs in the car helped us along the 7.5 hour journey. Suddenly, as if from nowhere, near the Roman village of Autun the landscape changed to hills, trees and bushes with livestock, simply beautiful, it reminded me immediately of mid Wales but in very hot sunshine!  We took the clearly signposted route to Domaine De La Gagere and drove 2km along a winding single-track road past a lake and steadily uphill with alpine slopes (now reminiscent of Austria) and so on to the resort. My immediate thought was; it is stunning.
It is 40 degrees, now mid-afternoon, and the reception was gently humming with activity.  Some new arrivals were staying ‘en route’ to Spain and other resorts, some were staying here for the duration of their holidays. We were warmly greeted by the newest owners, Floor and Tim, who took over last August and would love more British people to visit. We were given the delightful ‘Pepo’ hut, a converted touring wagon, to ‘glamp’ in for our week. It had a surprisingly well-appointed and neat little interior combining a double bed, small table and chairs, gas hob, utensils and - thankfully - a standard size fridge! The temperatures were rising outside. Our stay was at the end of June just as the heatwave hit France with the unusual highs of up to 44 degrees every day. We spent most of the week outside on our large grassed area, or finding cooler air on walks in the shady forest behind the site.
As we wandered the site initially we noted that all the pitches for tents or mobile homes and chalets are tastefully dotted over terraced grassed areas, all interspersed with trees and bushes.  Even though this week was fully booked at La Gagère it seemed peaceful and quiet with every single pitch having plenty of seclusion. There was no ‘crammed’ feeling.  When sitting outside our little Pepo we could only hear constant bird song and occasional cows but nothing else at all.  It is a beautiful, relaxed, green resort.
There are two pools, the larger is heated to 26 degrees and has sunbeds surrounding it. The smaller is a single depth throughout and sited next to the children’s play area but at this time of year, with children at school, the adults use it for a cooler dip. There are three sanitary blocks, one either side of each pool and one further one towards the end of the site.
Near the main entrance is the restaurant and bar with a set evening menu of two courses to be pre-ordered (adding your name to a list) during the day.  Hot snack food is also available during the day and there is a snack bar serving chips, burgers open for one hour each evening. You can be naked here 24 hours a day whilst on the site, including in the restaurant and in the bar. There is also some form of entertainment every day including night walks, aqua aerobics, sport on TV, pétanque, volley-ball, a music quiz and once a week, a happy hour.  With a small shop covering essentials including fresh bread each day and Wifi (adequate but a little slow) it is possible to spend an entire week naked and never leave the resort.  For a larger weekly shop there are two large supermarkets and a bank to be found at the small attractive quiet village of Luzy, a 10-minute drive away.
Wherever we travel, we always like to venture out and explore. Domaine de la Gagère is within the Morvan National Park forest with a large number of walking trails that begin outside the gate.  These walks are up and down the hills, and within 5 minutes you are walking in the shade of tall pine trees, surrounded by the scent of woodland and wild flowers. At various points the trails take you to the edge of the forest where the trees thin out as you walk to expose stunning views across the whole landscape. It’s a beautiful area and a lovely to escape to the cool forest, and although they ask that you dress when off site, we never saw another soul.
After one day’s exertions we enjoyed a half hour massage on site.  Everything is done by writing your name on a list and so it is easy to book a day and time. There are several masseuses who work a few weeks each during the summer and we met Franz, a Dutchman who has been coming and working at the resort for years. 
We were particularly keen to visit the vineyards, after all the famous wine country of Burgundy was only a hour away…we enjoy cycling and managed to combine cycling and a vineyard tour with wine tasting all in one, what a novelty! This was in an area near Beaune at a winemaker called Jolliot in the village of Pommard.  We had no expectations at all, so it was delightful to arrive to a friendly welcome, be advised where to park in the shade ‘free of charge’, and be given our cycling equipment without any difficulty.  Our tour guide, Theodore “call me Theo” was a young Frenchman who lived locally and knew every single thing there was to know about wine.  We cycled through vineyards on cycle paths away from the roads with vines reaching out into the valleys and up the hills as far as you could see.  Occasionally we stopped in shaded areas for some explanation of wine areas, grading and grapes.  Theo took us to Volnay first where we were treated to a natural pool that was historically used as a ‘lavoir’ for washing clothes. In this cool rectangular building, open on one side with stone pillars, we treated our hot feet to a dip in the cool pool whilst listening to our guide and taking our first taste of local wine which Theo pulled out of his backpack. Cycling on we then arrived at the winemaker Jolliot’s cellars (what bliss the cool of the cellars were that day) and were given a short tour with tastings.
As the journey had been a little long from the Eurotunnel we decided to break it for the return and drove to a small village near Reims for the last night of our week.  We found a reasonable hotel for one night only and walked around the Champagne vines at 7pm in 38 degree heat! 
Driving in France is such a joy compared to the UK with her quiet roads and dramatic scenery.  There are so many Naturist sites to choose from there, it all comes down to what you are looking for.  We went for the wine, scenery, peace and quiet and we were not disappointed by Domaine De La Gagère.  It is not often I say this but; ‘I would definitely go back’.
Sheryn
Phone : +33 (0) 38 63 04 811
Website : la-gagere.com/en
 

British Heart Foundation - BN’s Charity of the Year!

We are pleased to announce a new venture. We have named British Heart Foundation (BHF), as British Naturism’s Charity of the Year and will work with them throughout 2020, raising funds and awareness.
The health and well-being benefits of a nude lifestyle are well-known to Naturists and BHF also place emphasis on healthy living and lifelong wellbeing, so our relationship is a natural fit. The partnership will raise our status and make us visible to people who have never contemplated Naturism. At the same time, we get to raise money that will directly benefit the population and combat diseases that could affect any of us.  We’ve already agreed to support the charity in connection with an event - the BHF Naked Heart Walk - which takes place at the beautiful Painshill Park in Surrey, next June, on the summer solstice. Please register your interest now. We’re indebted to BN member Philip Baker, who along with Alan Peill and Keith Hillier-Palmer make up the East Sussex Coastal fundraising group, and raise funds for BHF and whose idea the event was.
We also want you to participate and spread the word about it! BHF are putting much effort into the event and we can expect to receive a lot of attention, including from the media. A press release launching the event was issued by BHF today.
This event alone is an outstanding opportunity for us. We all know people who are sort of interested or amused by the concept of Naturism, but too nervous to give it a try. The prospect of raising money for the third largest charity in the UK will provide an excuse for many to cross that barrier, and we hope to see many people trying social nudity for the first time in a safe, rewarding environment.
Throughout 2020, we’ll also be encouraging members, groups and clubs to get behind the British Naturism Charity of the Year initiative and put on fund- and profile-raising events. There will be a lot of support from us and our new friends at BHF both in terms of how to put on an event and deal with the fundraising aspects. It’s an obvious hook for the Great British Skinny Dip and we expect many more swimming pools to open their doors (and their minds) to nude sessions when it’s being run in support of such a good cause.

In Danielle's defence

Danielle Lloyd is not shy of publicity and, according to Barnum, there's no such thing as bad publicity. Danielle has had her moments. In 2005 she was crowned Miss Great Britain only to have the title taken away after posing for Playboy in 2006. Then there was that awkward moment in the Big Brother House with Shilpa Shetty.
Now the ex model and TV personality has managed to upset a handful of her half a million Instagram followers by promoting a massage mat with a photo of her posing with her four young sons. The photo looks strangely candid. Strangely because it looks professional and composed but taken in her living room with everyone and the massage mat crammed into one corner.
But it wasn't the odd setting that upset the snowflakes. It seems that Danielle, quite sensibly, likes to feel the benefits of the massage mat without her bra strap getting in the way. I've never worn a bra, no, honestly, but I would imagine that the clasp bit on the back, specially, might dig in a bit when you're lying on the mat and rather detract from the benefit.
To be fair, what really irked this “unhappy few” (sorry Will) was that she forgot to put her top back on when posing with her four sons. How shocking! But anyone who feared the young boys might be forever traumatised by the reminder of what their mother's breasts looked like, should take comfort in the fact that the boys look perfectly comfortable with the situation. Indeed they look like quite nice well adjusted children to me. Despite being forced to sit on the floor in the cramped corner of what I suspect is probably a very nice large room in a very nice large house.
Oh, and I should add that the other half a million of her followers either had no opinion on the matter or came swiftly to her defence. Which is nice.
 
 

Naked Dinner at the Orchard

The Eastern region event was a Christmas Dinner at the Three Counties Asylum near Hitchin. At least that's what it used to be called in less enlightened days. It's now part of the Bannatyne Leisure empire and called The Orchard and is next to their health spa. The buildings, from the Victorian era, are stunning and the restaurant is in what was the chapel. Apparently there was a real scandal there some years ago when the resident vicar married someone forty years younger. The Orchard is a great place for a meal with good hosts, decent food and most importantly in December, well heated. Once again the event was a sell out and the lesson to learn with our regional events is to book early. Our Murder Mystery event is also sold out with a waiting list. As usual we had a fiendish quiz and this time with a Christmas theme. Here's some samples- Do you know what Michael Barratt's real name is who sang Merry Christmas Everyone? And what's Japan's favourite Christmas meal? Who had a hit with Insanity over Christmas? Finally, what animal brings Christmas gifts in Syria? 
Quiz answers: Shaking Stevens, KFC, Madness and camel.
 
Report by Andy Wyman
Photo Credit Photo by Alex Loup on Unsplash

BN222 - Winter 2019

British Naturism members will soon be receiving their copy of BN222, the Winter 2019 issue of our members magazine. It’s an extended issue so that we could fit everything in…read about:
Our new relationship with the British Heart Foundation and in particular the Naked Heart Walk The huge amount and variety of events planned for 2020 Health and well-being via naked runs and naked yoga classes Updates from our campaigns including Women in Naturism and Sue’s report of walking 65 kilometres without clothes Reports and pictures from recent events Naturist travel and holiday opportunities in France. Of course, you’ll also find all the latest Naturist news and venue listings and plenty more besides.
BN222 is available for our members to download right now, and will soon be landing on the doormats of those who opt to receive it by post.
Our quarterly magazine is just one of the many benefits a BN membership provides, so if you’re not a member yet, why not make today the day you join us?

Yoga brings new Naturists for Leeds Naturist Group

Leeds Naturist Group (LNG) has been going since 1985 and their weekly get-togethers are at Bramley’s beautiful Edwardian swimming baths. ‘We are so lucky to have an excellent relationship with the group running the baths, they say. ‘Our members in the past have voted unanimously to make charitable donations to help with fundraising efforts but we noticed a new trend; naked yoga. Classes were being held around the world, New York, Brisbane, London; all extolling the benefits for body confidence and self-acceptance. So, we thought why not add Leeds to the mix?
‘We approached several Yoga instructors with a view to having them come to our meeting on a Saturday but the people at The Hot Room, Leeds invited us to their place. Bikram Yoga is different in that it is conducted in a hot studio - 40 degrees Celsius. The idea is that it warms the body allowing for deeper stretches in the muscles and joints as well as the cleansing benefits through sweating. It’s a practice that lends itself perfectly to being nude. Even in clothed classes people wear close to nothing.
‘Would our members make an extra trip with the busy lives we all live? We had a lightbulb moment! We could open the session to members of the studio. Vicki at The Hot Room couldn’t have been more supportive. We were amazed by the uptake and the class quickly filled with both LNG and The Hot Room members wanting to experience something entirely new.
‘Vicki tailored the class to be beneficial for the wide range of people involved; young, old, experienced or beginner. For some this was their first time being nude in a social setting. LNG prides itself on being a friendly bunch, but to the folk from The Hot Room completely unused to such a naked situation, this was a revelation. No one giving a hoot about what you look like, what they look like, who you are or what you do. Just straight up acceptance. Several even remarked at the time how refreshing that felt.
The Hot Room member Alice, said “I have struggled with accepting and loving my body in the past. When the studio offered a Naturist class I was excited to try it! It was liberating and so refreshing to be around such friendly people. I feel like it was an important step in my journey of self-love and something I would recommend to other people.” George is one of the exceptionally talented instructors at the studio. “A lot of people had extreme views about it and it’s not something I necessarily wanted to do but I didn’t understand the divided opinions. So I did it to form my own opinion. During the first session I remember having the same re-occurring thought a few times about doing it naked, but 10 minutes in I completely forgot about it. After completing two Naturist yoga classes I feel a huge boost of confidence being naked and accepting my body as it is and I’d be curious to try Naturism in different settings.”
‘We asked Vicki what made her decide, not only to be the instructor for the session but to join in with our dress code and how she felt about it. “I’m Swedish and I don’t really call myself a Naturist, as Naturism is just something that’s always been a natural part of life for me. As a child I would go with my family to a deserted beach and we’d swim and sunbathe naked, and it never seemed like an odd or unusual thing to do. Since opening the studio in Leeds, I had noticed how inhibiting and potentially harmful the English attitude to nakedness could be. A naked yoga class seemed like a great idea! It’s been great to see some of our regular students joining in. They have all told me it left them with a sense of accomplishment, liberation and increased body confidence.”
LNG have decided to make it a regular addition to the calendar with classes booked every other month for the next year. Spaces are limited and tickets do sell fast but if any BN members are interested in joining in please contact the club at leedsnaturistgroup@gmail.com

Spot the Nipple

An art project started by Noortje Palmers and Jasper Declercq set out to test the Instagram algorithm that detects and blocks naked female breasts - an automatic and unnecessary social media censorship that Naturists suffer from. 
They set up an Instagram account called @Taboob_official and, with the help of stylists Farah El Bastani and Harriet Wouters, posted 75 pictures of naked female breasts disguised in various clever artistic ways. Then they sat back to see if the algorithm was clever enough to spot any of them. To be fair, some are more obvious than others but all of them fit the description on the “Art Project” tin.
taboob.be
 

My 40 Years As a Naturist !

This year marks a personal milestone. I will be celebrating my fortieth! Birthday? No, that has long passed! This year is my fortieth anniversary of becoming a Naturist!
I did not want this celebration to pass unrecognised, so I asked my husband if we could retrace my steps and go to where I first stripped off and ran into the sea, so I could do it all over again. But as an older lady, I must admit, I did not run as fast as last time!
Four decades ago, I was a staff member on a secondary school exchange, a young French teacher, staying with the PE teacher and her family at a school in the district of Mayenne. I was invited by my host if to visit their beach house, on the island of Noirmoutier. Prior to the excursion, a conversation took place where it was explained to me that they were Naturists and they asked me if I would feel happy to join them in this activity for a few hours. Now the translation of the word Naturist to a young, naive twenty three year old somehow was missed and I mistook that they were naturalists. I therefore thought that they were going to go sealife or birdwatching, so I agreed. When we arrived at La Plage De Luzéronde, my host, her husband and their two children were met by her parents. So, in total, seven of us. A pique-nique had been planned. 
To my surprise, after walking round a promontory, and reaching a pleasant spot just around the headland from the village of L’Epine, all six of my French companions stripped off. I was flummoxed as to what I should do. I decided to strip and run into the sea until I recuperated and got the nerve to join them. My stomach played a big part in this, as they all began tucking into the food so I decided I was not going to miss out on lunch.
The rest is history, literally. I was immediately hooked on this new lifestyle, and socialising. All three generations were completely at ease with their bodies being on view in front of each other, and I became another convert, who sought out British Naturism on her return to the United Kingdom.  
This year, tracing those tentative steps,  we travelled to the district of Mayenne, and I viewed the school and small town where I participated on the exchanges. The staff I knew then had moved, retired etc. and so I was unable to trace anyone who was still around in that small town. Instead, we moved on to Laval, and we organised a stay at Mayenne Nature, a French club, who made us welcome for a couple of days.
We then travelled to Noirmoutier, and to my delight, La Plage De Luzéronde, is still a designated Naturist beach, and it has not changed much. There is tarmac nowadays, due to its popularity, that allows an easier walk to the beach, or you are able to drive and park. From the end of the tarmac the path is little changed and you step down and onto an expanse of golden sand. The naturist beach is official and advertised on a billboard prior to arrival on it. There seem to be more campsites than I remember. After doing my famous strip and run into the sea we spent two glorious days on the beach.
Mission accomplished, and with two weeks left of our trip we decided to travel to more French naturist places and so continued to Euronat for a week. Surprisingly for a lady with 40 years of naturism I had never been,  so it was a bucket list item ticked for me. The beach was similar to Luzéronde; longer but with the same golden sand. Everywhere, everyone was naked, which was wonderful to experience.
We decided after a week, to travel inland from Bordeaux to the Dordogne to visit Le Couderc, which we had found and enjoyed the previous year. It is Dutch run and the staff are very friendly, helpful and accommodating. It is quite large with plenty of pitches, and once again we did not need to book in September. You do not need to leave the site because there is a restaurant, a  bar, a cafe and a well stocked shop that happens to be run by an English lady. The outdoor pool is warm and clean, but also there is a superb sauna and steam room if the weather is inclement such as we experienced late September.
It was time to begin the trip north, but miraculously, thanks to Google, I found the name of a couple of the teachers I worked with 40 years ago and we had an emotional meeting at their home, resulting in dinner, an overnight stay and too much wine being consumed, but it was worth it!
I had one last “bucket list” to tick, and so on our way up to the shuttle we stopped for two days at Berck to visit Berck Plage. I remember reading about this beach in one of the first BN magazines I received and had always wanted to go. We got sandblasted, unfortunately due to the remnants of a hurricane in the Channel, but naked long enough for a photo. We stayed at one of the several campsites within walking distance from the beach. Once again it is a designated beach and billboards are visible announcing its location.
And so, a celebration of my introduction to this wonderful lifestyle of freedom took place by retracing my past links, and visiting places that I had always wanted to go. Would I have changed anything and not become a Naturist, and a very passionate one at that? Hell no!
Janet Fleuty
 
 
 

The Party of the Year!

Almost 500 naked guests filled Splash Landings Hotel and Waterpark at Alton Towers last weekend - and had blast!
There were stretch classes, yoga, guided tours of the Alton Towers gardens, crafts, indoor archery, life drawing, body painting, waterpolo, aquarobics, a mad quiz and even madder bingo! Zoo Lab brought snakes and other creatures and got up close and personal with us and we danced the night away to live music. Best of all was the joy of being amongst our wonderful, relaxed community of like-minded people.
Members can see the highlights here. Dates for our 2020 Alton Towers weekend have been announced...
 
Many thanks to our sponsors!
Chalfont Holidays
Bare Necessities Cruises
Cefnsuran Self Catering Wales
Clover Spa
Cypress Cove
Western Sunfolk

Our biggest Alton Towers ever!

500 Naturists will descend on Alton Towers' Splash Landings Hotel and Waterpark this weekend for our thirteenth annual naked weekend. It's a complete sell-out!
The theme park is closed at this time of year but BN members have the run of the entire Hotel and Waterpark. Clothes are not needed anywhere from 6pm on Friday night until midday on Sunday. In addition to all the fun there is to be had in the waterpark, guests will enjoy sports and exercise classes, quizzes, life drawing, live bands and disco.
If you've missed out, we'll be announcing dates for 2020 very soon...

Lovely Lavinia

Lavinia is a new Naturist resort only 20 minutes inland from Alicante airport, in the South East of Spain. It is set on a terraced hillside with gardens, two swimming pools, and four spacious and well-appointed villas for holiday rental. Accommodating a maximum of 16 guests, it is an ideal location for an escape, and would make a great place for a group to holiday together.
The site is well laid out and there is a feeling of space. One of the swimming pools was right outside the door of our villa and it felt like ours exclusively. There is a sauna with ultra-modern showers. Beach towels, hamman towels and bath robes in harmonious and complementary colours - unique to each villa - are also provided. You’ll also find an honesty bar next to the central terrace and BBQ area. It is definitely a Naturist resort and not clothes-optional with no requirement to wear clothes at any time whilst on site.
It’s the brainchild of Belgians Wim and Ana. They only became Naturists six years ago and in following a long-term dream of running a B&B in Spain, decided that a Naturist place would give them a better chance of success because there was less competition - and definitely a demand. The site was in ruins having had squatters after being repossessed some years previously but they have done an incredible job of refurbishing and improving.
They live in a fifth property on the site and provide well for guests, including some food and drink provisions to purchase, a bookable cooked food service on request, as well as fridge ‘packages’ for new arrivals. Guests often get together for a catered communal meal. Ana makes marmalade and limoncello and will also bake you a loaf of delicious bread, brought to your door straight from the oven!
Finding the property on Google maps might be off-putting but don’t be! Despite the apparent proximity to houses and roads there is tranquility and fantastic views. Guests can also exit Lavinia by the back gate and walk - naked if you wish - for miles and miles in mountainous terrain. Wim and Ana run a regular walking excursion to see the sun rise - spectacular!
They are keen to tell you that it is important for them that guests feel comfortable, they want everyone to feel free to be themselves, do as they wish, and feel happy in their own skin. If you want to join in with any activities you may. If you choose solitude, that is fine too.
If you do venture out, the nearest town Sant Vicente del Raspeig is only 10 minutes drive away.  It is a sizeable town with supermarkets, pharmacies and many other shops with parking freely available.  Slightly further afield is the coast and all that it offers.
With a beautiful, peaceful and spacious site and welcoming hosts, it would be true to say that Lavinia Naturist Resort is a new Spanish gem for the Naturist community.
Sheryn
Web: www.lavinianaturistresort.com

Clothes-optional in Edinburgh

NakEdArt 3 is a  new body-positive show from NaKedArt collective, a diverse and international group which arose from life drawing and painting sessions at Leith School of Art, hosted by sculptor Marcin Krupa, taking place in Edinburgh from the 2nd to the 9th of November. 
...and we're delighted to say that at the collective's suggestion, on the morning of Sunday 3rd November, guests will be encouraged to visit the gallery without clothes! Visitors must reserve a place in advance.

Oasis - a fertile spot in a desert (Bedford), where water is found....

It was great to be back at Oasis Beach Pool in Bedford last weekend for another Waterpark event. Around 120 Naturists from all over came to have a fun session in the pool and on the slides.
 
The event was recently revived by a member from the Eastern region contacting the pool directly and once permission was granted, the British Naturism Event Team took it on from there and made it happen – a perfect example of how some BN Team Work with a push from a local member can really make a difference.
 
One thing that you have to take away from the waterpark events is the sense of community – the staff at Oasis commented on how this wasn’t just 100 plus people attending a swim but was a community, getting together and enjoying a night of Naturist freedom.
 
We will be back at Oasis in 2020 – dates to follow…
 

Naked Dining in Suffolk

Early October saw our second venture to the land of the south folk - Folkcafe near Bury St Edmunds, and again it was a sellout.
37 guests attended and enjoyed starters of sharing platters of mediterranean treats. This was followed by either beef and barley-bean casserole or lentil and aubergine bake and finished off with chocolate torte or apple and almond cake, both served with ice-cream. The food was delicious, the venue was delightful and the company and conversation convivial. There was also the inevitable quiz - this time all about Suffolk.
Ali and her staff were extremely welcoming and keen for us to make a return visit.
The cafe is close to the A14 and is easily accessible from most places in East Anglia.
It was good to see a significant number of new faces which were still smiling at the end of the evening; so it looks as though this area is a good base for future British Naturism events.
Find details of the next naked dining event - at the Orchard Fairfield in Stotfold on 7th December for Christmas and all our other forthcoming events and swims.
 
Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

Vision for Twenty-twenty

Naturists came from all over the UK coming together to help shape the future of BN.
On Saturday around forty members from our Eastern and LASER regions met at one of the oldest sun clubs in the UK, The Sunfolk Society, established in 1931, for a Vision Day. It was the second in the series and and was designed for feedback and discussion rather than presentation based. Most of the time is given to members to collaborate and have their say. 
We also held our AGM - another opportunity for members to vote and have their say in the running of the business. 
Following elections, a number of people officially joined the EC, or were confirmed in an existing role and or took up a new challenge, as follows:
President, Mark Bass
Finance Director, Phil Hughes
International Director, Edwin Kilby
Regional Co-ordinators: Eastern Region, Robert Finney; South West, Mike Whitcombe; Yorkshire and East Midlands Andrew Calow.
All motions were passed:
To Approve the Annual Report
To Increase Membership Fees by £1 per person
To Adopt the Modification of the Bye-Laws
 
Main Photo: Photo by Christian Fregnan on Unsplash
Other photos: BN/Mark Bass
To Adopt the Modification of the Articles
 
 



Going Dutch

A great weekend was had by all in Amsterdam for the BN-organised weekend to Spa Zuiver. It's a huge and amazing place with multiple saunas, pools, hot tubs and relaxing areas with a hotel in the same building and restaurants and bars. Needless to say, swimming costumes are banned in the spa area.
Our group also spent time in the city, as our photo shows, enjoying unseasonably warm weather.
Two more such weekends are planned for 2020. Keep an eye out for details.

Dive in to an event!

The summer may be coming to an end, but Naturist events in the UK keep going...
Keep an eye on our various event listings and find details of fantastic gatherings happening soon, including nude evenings at top waterparks, hotel weekends (including the best one of the year at Alton Towers), overseas holidays, and hundreds of regular swimming sessions where a costume is not needed!
See you there!
 
The BN event ticket sales website
Big Days Out
The BN website calendar - filter by region to find out what's happening near you!
The Great British Skinny Dip - now all year round...

Our Bodies Our Selves

I am stroking a horse’s head and talking gently to her. She is nuzzling against me and sniffing around my body, I think she recognises me by the smell of my body, or perhaps it is the scent of the lavender I picked earlier. I left home today just before dawn, naked under a crescent moon, and walked through
the town past sleeping houses and out into the countryside. A bat flitted around the allotments. It is now 5am and I am in a field with this friendly
horse, the sky is reddening and there is the fresh smell of a new day beginning. A buzzard soars overhead.

In this timeless moment of nakedness I am feeling a deep spiritual happiness, a sense of wonder at being a living, physical, organic being, a part of the
cycle of nature existing in a vast and mysterious universe. I linger in the stillness of this joyful embrace with the world.
The horse has turned her attention back to the grass, so I whisper goodbye and walk on to where a cool mist is rising from the stream.
The damp air sends a shiver tingling down my spine. Two deer leap away from me, their white rumps bobbing comically. There are some cattle with
calves in the stream and I can hear the bleating of sheep in the field beyond. Small black slugs are sliding along the dew-soaked grass. I once saw an adder here.

There is a dream-like quality to this journey of sensations and encounters in the half light with other creatures. In her book The Body in Society the
sociologist Alexandra Howson discusses the embodied self, how the lived experience of our bodies and their interaction with society and the world around us creates and maintains our sense of self. As we awake in the morning, we become aware of our body’s slack weight, its warm contact with the sheets, the sensations in the hands and feet, our breathing, the soft beating of the heart, the sounds around us. We leave the night world of dreams and return to our conscious selves, the ones we have come to know throughout our lives. Our society tends to separate mind from body and privilege the mind over the body (the Cartesian Duality). Society mediates our attitude to our bodies (with media coverage of bodies, health, diet, exercise, sex etc.) and in doing so they may be made the focus of discomfort, anxiety or shame.
In the hot summer of 2018, Naturism grew in Britain with many reports of skinny dipping, naked rambling and cycling. There has been much
favourable media coverage. I was to invited by BBC Radio Kent (the Julia George programme) to talk about naked sunbathing. Alice O’Keeffe,
writing in the Guardian (27th July 2018) changed from someone who would rather “gnaw off an arm” than be naked in public to a committed
“evangelical” Naturist. It seems to have taken just five minutes of skinny dipping with others! She writes that it was such a tonic to be surrounded by
other people with “bumps and scars, hairy bits and dangly bits”. And she describes the moment in childhood when she was mocked in the
changing room and first realised that she was “supposed to hide her body from others”. As we grow up, we learn that we are expected to behave in
accordance with the norms of society. Those who don’t practise this self-restraint (see The Body in Society) may be subject to (or may fear)
criticism, hostility, mockery or worse by those around them. How much the hotter weather changes all this, I’m finding lots of interest, support
and encouragement, our culture truly is embracing nudity! 
I have been on this naked dawn walk many times and it has become very precious to me. I have encountered only a few humans, none of whom seemed particularly surprised by my nakedness. There was a young man in a suit, maybe on his way for a train to town and another hot day in the office. As we greeted, I thought he looked as though he rather envied my freedom. There were two workmen in red overalls, a cyclist in hi-viz with flashing lights, a few lightly-clad dog walkers. These were people very much engaged in a human world and separated from the natural world of animals with hair, wool, fur or feather that has welcomed me, the naked ape with a little body hair, boots and a hat.

Nearing home, I am now walking through woods, my boots are wet and I am being covered by morning cobwebs. This makes me think
of the story of the Emperor’s new clothes and the honest child who was concerned, not by the nakedness, but by the collective delusion. As the
air warms I hear distant sounds of activity and begin to feel hungry. I wonder what the horse will do all day - eat grass I expect. I hope she will be
waiting for me tomorrow.

Reference: The Body in Society, Alexandra Howson, Polity Press 2011
Roger Coupe
Twitter: @RogerNakear)
 

Highland Wilderness Walking Weekend

Of all the places I thought I’d be having a conversation about what motivates me as a Naturist and the finer points of our legal rights, the bar at the Corrour Station House probably wasn’t at the top of my list…
The idea for the Highland Wilderness and Walking Weekend, which took place on the Corrour Estate in the central Highlands of Scotland in July, seemed perhaps too ‘specialist’ when I came up with it in 2018. Would people really be interested in a weekend staying in a very remote youth hostel, focused on hill walking and wild swimming? Would it really be possible to do all this naked?
The answer to both questions turned out to be a resounding ‘yes’, which is how I came to be having a conversation with one of the professional deer stalkers on the estate at the Station House bar. Liam was clear that, whilst skinny-dipping made sense, climbing mountains naked wouldn’t be for him – but he was really interested in what we were doing, and why we would choose to come to such a remote location. As he put it ‘you’re the main topic of conversation on the estate this weekend’
A group of eighteen BN members and guests made the trip to the hostel at Loch Ossian. Scotland was well represented, but people had travelled from all parts of the country to join the event – helped by the fact that although Corrour is the only station in the UK not accessible by public road, you can get a direct train there from the centres of London and Glasgow
Our group also had varied experiences of hill walking – naked or otherwise. For some, it would be their first experience of the Scottish Highlands. For others, it would be their first experience of naked walking. For one of the group, the weekend was a chance to fulfil a long-held ambition of climbing a Munro (one of the highest peaks in Scotland) naked
Helped by much better weather than the forecast had suggested, we were all able to achieve our objectives. We split into smaller groups to walk throughout the weekend, completing walks that ranged from a pleasant stroll around Loch Ossian and visits to remote mountain bothies to 20-mile-plus epics taking in multiple mountain peaks
As a group, we’d agreed that we would cover up when we met members of the public only when we felt as individuals that this was the right thing to do – in practice this worked out well. Although the Corrour Estate is very remote, the train station makes it accessible for day visitors, so we probably interacted with more than a hundred non-Naturists over the course of the weekend. We received the usual range of reactions from being ignored, to being asked questions and receiving supportive comments – but we received no complaints or hostile reactions. Knowing that we also had the support of Hostelling Scotland and the Corrour Estate for our weekend also allowed us to be confidently naked around the hostel and on Estate tracks
Our base for the weekend was the hostel on the shore of Loch Ossian – facilities were basic in the hostel, but we all managed to get along and find enough space to eat, drink and sleep as well as for wide ranging discussions about Naturism, mountains and beyond
One of the great advantages of the hostel location was the ability it gave us to swim naked in Loch Ossian which most members of the group managed throughout the weekend. Although not an official GBSD location, we certainly did our bit!
Throughout the weekend we received great support from the hostel warden, Katrina, who was very relaxed with us as a Naturist group and who mentioned on a number of occasions how happy she was that we had come to stay and to enjoy the loch, the hills and the hostel naked
The weekend came to a close on the Sunday evening with a meal at the Station House restaurant. Most of the group chose to be naked for this, which we had agreed in advance with the venue. The local venison stew proved to be a popular choice with most of the group, but everyone agreed it was almost impossible to eat the three courses we had ordered – with portions designed for people who had been out in the hills all day!
And to round off a weekend of ‘firsts’ for me, we ventured out onto the station platform for a group picture after our meal. Possibly not the first picture of a naked group taken on a mainline station platform, but almost certainly the first one in that location
So, all in all, the weekend provided to be a great success. The weather was reasonably kind, the midges didn’t cause us too many problems and we were able to enjoy a spectacular location naked. We also earned the support and respect of our hosts for the weekend, and proved that we could meet other members of the public whilst we were naked without covering up and without causing problems or complaints
Hostelling Scotland were very keen for us to repeat the event, so we have already booked the weekend of 04 to 07 September in 2020 for this – you’ll fund further details on BN Events if you’d like to join us.   
Jon Williams

Julia Bradbury puts the record straight

Julia Bradbury - ex BBC “Countryfile” presenter and more recently ITV's “Britain's Best walks” and “Australia with Julia Bradbury” was back on our small screens recently alongside Sir Trevor McDonald co-presenting “Britain's National Treasures” hiking along rugged landscapes wearing the kind of outdoor gear you’d expect a seasoned champion of the outdoors to wear. Our hopes were heightened though by a newspaper interview to publicise the 90 minute national treasure countdown, which showed a naked photograph of Julia on the front page under the headline ‘I walk around the house naked’.
In an interview for the Daily Mirror she was asked about her children's reaction to her nude photograph (see our picture) the previous year as part of her involvement with a ‘Keep Britain Tidy’ anti-single use plastic campaign, laying on 750 strategically placed plastic water bottles - the number that gets dumped in England every minute. She replied that her family had a 'healthy attitude towards nudity' and all of them were very happy with the picture. The headline for the Mirror article was “Happy to be Naked.”
Thinking we’d found a fellow traveller, British Naturism got in touch with Julia who told us, ‘Sorry to disappoint you, but you can’t always believe the headlines you read! Yes, we are unashamed of our bodies at home but it would be wrong to assume we have a fully Naturist house. What I meant in the article is that I’m not shy when it comes to being naked in front of the kids. I think it’s important  to have a healthy relationship with our bodies and I don’t want my kids thinking nudity is ‘wrong.’ I wouldn’t describe myself as a Naturist but I don’t have a problem with anyone who is. I am keen on encouraging people to experience - and protect - the natural environment and so I have an empathy with the Naturist community. I’m also involved with charities including Plan UK, which campaigns for children’s rights and equality for girls and their sexual and reproductive health.’
Julia and her team are keen to keep in touch with British Naturism and some possible projects have been discussed. To kick things off, we’re going to be listing some of our naked countryside walks on her website at https://theoutdoorguide.co.uk.

Account

Navigation

Configure browser push notifications
Chrome (Android)
  1. Tap the lock icon next to the address bar.
  2. Tap Permissions → Notifications.
  3. Adjust your preference.
Chrome (Desktop)
  1. Click the padlock icon in the address bar.
  2. Select Site settings.
  3. Find Notifications and adjust your preference.