I have been a fascinated student of nude
leisure for nearly ten years now, after accidentally finding and enjoying a
bathing enclosure at Mamaia in Romania where bathing costumes were not needed.
It was called a Solar and now, sadly, is a derelict shell used only, I am told,
by fully clothed black-marketeers.
I wondered if there were similar seaside facilities for nude relaxation in Britain, but met a wall of silence and suspicion when I contacted officials of the national naturist organization in UK. Much correspondence eventually produced from friends, and from friends of friends, the details of some good beaches used unofficially in the United Kingdom.
Information about similar beaches, and even some officially designated, was much easier to obtain from the rest of Europe although remarkably few French naturists speak English. Gradually, enough material built up to make me want to write a book on the subject. A well-known firm of publishers, David and Charles, expressed interest but later also lost interest. I decided to sink the family savings in the project and published the first edition myself in 1979 to sell by mail-order.
It was vital to advertise in “British Naturism”, the journal of Britain's national organization, the CCBN, but incredibly, my publicity was not allowed in the Naturist journal for a whole year. I received my ration of abuse in those days from card-carrying British Naturists. My book would tell all the voyeurs and perverted undesirables where to go. It seldom occurred to these critics that I might (and did) lose money rather than grow rich exposing the sacred pieces of the nude fraternity to leacherous outsiders. Time has in fact proved that shared knowledge results in the Safety of Numbers necessary for toleration and eventual acceptance.
My impression in those early days of love-hate with organized social nudism could justifiably have been that naturists were secretive cranks, had there not been three top officials at the CCBN who gave me consistent encouragement and valuable advice.
One of these “three musketeers” is now President of the INF and I am glad to see that Alan McCombe has found time to be with us on Antiparos. I must ask him to be patient while I briefly give you some ideas about the future of Naturism which he has heard or read many times.
I should say first that when I started work last year on “Inland Free Sun” I did not think that the wall of silence of eight years previous still existent. I was wrong. I wrote about 50 letters to clubs in UK asking if they had pools, whether they welcomed day visitors, and what they charged casual guests with INF cards. Only seven bothered to use my stamped addressed envelope to reply. That means that six out of seven of that British sample are either very inhospitable or very inefficient or both. Personally I don't think that the Sun Clubs will provide the growth and zest to guarantee the future of Naturism. My impression is rather that the casual nude holidaymakers are writing to give the vigour and goodwill that is needed.
Beach people often have no wish to belong to a club with tedious rules and unwelcome bickering. Single men and women, of course, find a warm welcome on the coastline which does not exist in a Sun Club. Those Free Sun people, in my opinion, should be able to join the INF direct, to obtain their Cards, and not through club-dominated National Bodies.
Organizations like the CCBN will have to offer a better service including insurance against arrest for decent exposure in Free Sun situations, to win their numbership as well. From too many clubs “ghettos” those outside are suspected of the very sensuality, voyeurism and exhibitionism which contribute, albeit in moderation, to the pleasures of mixed nakedness.
Fear of vandalism is justified. Hypocrisy about “them” is not. Hypocrisy flourishes, of course, amongst those “textiles” shocked by nudity. A most extraordinary debate in the British Parliament recently was about the bad effect of the daily “topless” photo on p. 3 of “The Sun” - a famous tabloid devoid at any intellectual content. These barebreasted beauties were causing untold sexual crimes including rape. Fortunately most of the Honourable Members thought secretiveness about the anatomy was more likely to stimulate sexual perversion, although no one. It seems, mentioned that nowadays millions of females enjoy pectoral freedom on beaches al over the world.
The hypocrisy which makes me squirm is the protestor who wants to prevent designation of a beach as is concerned that children might see naked people, and starts off: “I have nothing against nudity, but...”. Obviously, he or she has everything against anyone being seen naked outside of the bathroom. These hypocrites are ashamed of their bodies but don't want to sound like cranks. Their sexual quilt sees unbridled sexuality, in nude people. I could feel sorry for them. I fear I despite them.
I wondered if there were similar seaside facilities for nude relaxation in Britain, but met a wall of silence and suspicion when I contacted officials of the national naturist organization in UK. Much correspondence eventually produced from friends, and from friends of friends, the details of some good beaches used unofficially in the United Kingdom.
Information about similar beaches, and even some officially designated, was much easier to obtain from the rest of Europe although remarkably few French naturists speak English. Gradually, enough material built up to make me want to write a book on the subject. A well-known firm of publishers, David and Charles, expressed interest but later also lost interest. I decided to sink the family savings in the project and published the first edition myself in 1979 to sell by mail-order.
It was vital to advertise in “British Naturism”, the journal of Britain's national organization, the CCBN, but incredibly, my publicity was not allowed in the Naturist journal for a whole year. I received my ration of abuse in those days from card-carrying British Naturists. My book would tell all the voyeurs and perverted undesirables where to go. It seldom occurred to these critics that I might (and did) lose money rather than grow rich exposing the sacred pieces of the nude fraternity to leacherous outsiders. Time has in fact proved that shared knowledge results in the Safety of Numbers necessary for toleration and eventual acceptance.
My impression in those early days of love-hate with organized social nudism could justifiably have been that naturists were secretive cranks, had there not been three top officials at the CCBN who gave me consistent encouragement and valuable advice.
One of these “three musketeers” is now President of the INF and I am glad to see that Alan McCombe has found time to be with us on Antiparos. I must ask him to be patient while I briefly give you some ideas about the future of Naturism which he has heard or read many times.
I should say first that when I started work last year on “Inland Free Sun” I did not think that the wall of silence of eight years previous still existent. I was wrong. I wrote about 50 letters to clubs in UK asking if they had pools, whether they welcomed day visitors, and what they charged casual guests with INF cards. Only seven bothered to use my stamped addressed envelope to reply. That means that six out of seven of that British sample are either very inhospitable or very inefficient or both. Personally I don't think that the Sun Clubs will provide the growth and zest to guarantee the future of Naturism. My impression is rather that the casual nude holidaymakers are writing to give the vigour and goodwill that is needed.
Beach people often have no wish to belong to a club with tedious rules and unwelcome bickering. Single men and women, of course, find a warm welcome on the coastline which does not exist in a Sun Club. Those Free Sun people, in my opinion, should be able to join the INF direct, to obtain their Cards, and not through club-dominated National Bodies.
Organizations like the CCBN will have to offer a better service including insurance against arrest for decent exposure in Free Sun situations, to win their numbership as well. From too many clubs “ghettos” those outside are suspected of the very sensuality, voyeurism and exhibitionism which contribute, albeit in moderation, to the pleasures of mixed nakedness.
Fear of vandalism is justified. Hypocrisy about “them” is not. Hypocrisy flourishes, of course, amongst those “textiles” shocked by nudity. A most extraordinary debate in the British Parliament recently was about the bad effect of the daily “topless” photo on p. 3 of “The Sun” - a famous tabloid devoid at any intellectual content. These barebreasted beauties were causing untold sexual crimes including rape. Fortunately most of the Honourable Members thought secretiveness about the anatomy was more likely to stimulate sexual perversion, although no one. It seems, mentioned that nowadays millions of females enjoy pectoral freedom on beaches al over the world.
The hypocrisy which makes me squirm is the protestor who wants to prevent designation of a beach as is concerned that children might see naked people, and starts off: “I have nothing against nudity, but...”. Obviously, he or she has everything against anyone being seen naked outside of the bathroom. These hypocrites are ashamed of their bodies but don't want to sound like cranks. Their sexual quilt sees unbridled sexuality, in nude people. I could feel sorry for them. I fear I despite them.
Phil Vallack
(Since 1979 the author has written seven books
about nudity: Five editions of “Free Sun”, also “Inland Free Sun”, and “Naked
as the Day”.)
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