That is the title of an article from a British newspaper that I found in my news feed a few days ago. The original is here. The article talks about a sign that was clearly put up by nudists:
According to the article, the sign said, “You may encounter naturists enjoying this area naked today. Simple public nudity is not illegal in England and Wales.”
Next, there is this: A spokesperson from Forestry England said: “This is an unauthorised sign. We have not permitted or been made aware of any events taking place. The sign was removed last week by our rangers.”
Obviously neither this spokesperson nor the rangers who have removed the sign are not aware of British nudity laws. There is no need for an ‘event’ to take place when people simply want to put in some recreational nude time.
It’s scary to witness that, in this age of information and communication, this kind of information is barely communicated. Of course it could also be that there is too much regulation and communication. People can get overloaded with that. In my job however, it is common practice to first check if there are rules and agreements on things, before acting. (I wonder what happened with the sign too. Did it get returned to the owner or the person who put it up as a courtesy for other visitors?)
This is yet another sign (pun intended) where people are reacting on the trigger word ‘nude’.
It is sad to see that there is no progress being made in this area, in a time where the world is warming up and clothes are more and more unnecessary.
Do you dare to bare all? Here’s where you can embrace nature and go nude in North Wales
Summer is coming so take a look at our guide to enjoying nudism without falling foul of the law.
The temperature is rising and as summer approaches thousands will be flocking to our many beautiful beaches to enjoy the sun.
Where some will be on the hunt for fashionable beach wear, others will be looking forward to a more natural approach.
Naturism is the word used to describe the activities of people who encompass nudity as part of their lifestyle.
There are around 3.8 million naturists in the UK. British Naturism, the society which has championed nudism in the UK for over fifty years has almost 10,000 members.
Nudist Beauty Contest – August 1957 The two Macaskil daughters – Doreen (L) – sitting naked, applying make up..
With a change in perceptions of public nudity, naturism is becoming a more widely accepted practice.
So if you really want to embrace the sun and enjoy the warm weather as nature intended, here is a guide on where to go clothes-free in North Wales.
The law
It is not an offence to be naked in public in Wales.
The Crown Prosecution Service states that every case should be considered individually and that ‘a balance needs to be struck between the naturist’s right to freedom of expression and the right of the wider public to be protected from harassment, alarm and distress’.
Which means there must be a reason to believe person deliberately stripped off in order to upset or shock, before it can be considered an offence. And the complainant has to provide proof of this.
Even in these circumstances, it has to be considered whether or not prosecution is in the public interest.
So if you wish to enjoy recreational nudity such as swimming, sunbathing or taking a stroll in a public or open place and do so with consideration for others, you have a right to defend being clothes-free.
Via Jillian’s Page did I find a list of very strange things concerning nudity…
Did you know you’re not allowed to be naked in your own home in Singapore? You can get a hefty fine and face jail time even!
The same goes for Villahermosa in Mexico, even though the fine there is lower than in Singapore.
I don’t see many readers of this naturist blog moving to either of those places soon.
On the other hand it’s totally fine for ladies in NYC to bare their breasts in public as long as it’s recreational and not for ‘business’ purposes.
In Cleveland, Ohio even the smallest sliver of underboob is considered nudity. I wonder what they will think of bare arms…
On the contrary, if you want to go hiking in the nude legally you should move to Los Angeles: Did you know that? If you want to see a few more odd nudity laws, do hit Jillian’s Page. It’s worth following.