(No, I’m not a British Naturism member.)
During the COVID-19 years that now don’t hover over us so loomingly any more, I was pleasantly surprised to read, via many sources, that naturism was getting more attention and followers. Most probably because people were working from, and staying at home much more, and so they understood that clothing could be optional – or even completely discarded. (We all know what our preferred option is.)
The biggest surprise, in that area, was the boost in member numbers for British Naturism.
This made me wonder if the naturist organisations in other countries had seen a similar rise in interest in this lifestyle / way of saving on laundry.
I searched a lot of places online, and to my surprise I didn’t find any evidence about that. How can this be? Because I can’t believe that naturist organisations around the world would keep it a secret if their membership suddenly boomed. In this age of increasing prudishness (or ‘modesty’ as I heard people call it), an increase in the number of naturists and clothes-free folks is a very welcome fact.
I’m convinced that more people than just the British discovered the advantages of being naked around the house when the weather and the windows-situation allows.
If anyone has any more information or insights around this, I’d really like to know. Not because it makes me rich, but I’m simply quite curious about this.
Stay safe, folks. And stay naked!
I think that this is because of the UK attitude to nudity. If you get nude in public here, you can find yourself attacked by prudish folks [even though they are a minority]. I have found this to be less common in other European countries. It is likely that many Brits feel safer with an organization behind them?
Hello Colin,
That is very remarkable then, because in the UK, simple nudity is allowed. Apparently the general public doesn’t know that. The prudes will refuse to know (accept) that, of course. I’ve done many long, nude walks in the UK and I never had a problem.
I have no answer to your question. That’s why I posted this article…
Indeed most people don’t know that simple (so non-sexual) nudity is allowed in the UK, just as most people don’t know that to arrest someone for public nudity the police must have evidence of the intent of the nude person to cause offense or engage in sexual acts (especially the first obviously being nearly impossible to establish).
I’ve several friends in the UK and none of them knew this, most thought it was even illegal to be nude inside their own home and garden.
And sadly, like in the Netherlands, apparently a lot of the UK police force and even judiciary don’t know the law either.
Maybe other naturist groups not having seen (or at least reported) such a rise in membership does have to do with this. In the Netherlands, where public nudity is effectively illegal in most accessible places, we are of course mostly dependent on nudist resorts and other venues to be nude among others, and all those were closed for 2 years so the need for membership cards to have access to them was gone.
I wouldn’t be surprised if a lot of people, rather than becoming members, let their memberships lapse because they didn’t need it during the pandemic years.
Your UK friends should have a look at this site:
https://www.cps.gov.uk/legal-guidance/nudity-public-guidance-handling-cases-naturism
It has the directives for the police on how to approach naturism.
I fear that many police officers should be made aware of this too…
> It has the directives for the police on how to approach naturism.
Unfortunately, there is directives and discretion, and then there is what the police actually do : (
JTW
> I’ve several friends in the UK and none of them knew this, most thought it was even illegal to be nude inside their own home and garden.
So true, i have a bunch of UK peeps (most non nudist or naturist) who erroneously think that as well, and after i stopped giggling and then realised they were serious i felt so sorry for them.. of course you’re allowed to be naked in your own home!
though england at least does seem to have different rules where even in your own garden there are restrictions if you live say in a line of terraces or with overlooking properties.
Outside of my family back home in Ireland, nudity won’t get the Gardai called but there are plenty of prudes and grumpy folk about. So blessed here in rural Australia with so much space to do whatever, whenever!