Messages

1

Free Range Naturism / Re: Being seen while getting mail.

« on: June 27, 2018, 06:46:12 PM »

I find your situation fascinating as heck. ... I want to hear how this goes.

So today I went walking further afield.  16km distance.  About 3 and a bit hours walking.  Somewhere between 14-15km spent unclothed.  I covered up going past a country pub which had a mass of delivery trucks out the front, covered up going past a school, and then for a section of main road (about 1km or so) before getting back onto open fields. The rest of the time, all clothing was stuffed into my backpack.

I made a conscious decision not to cover up for any adults on the track.  Reaction was mostly okay.  The first couple I walked past moved off the track but did call out good morning as I went past.  When I looked back the woman was taking my photo (wonder where that will end up).  A (female) jogger went past shortly after with an unimpressed look on her face, and resolutely stared forward.  After that, I encountered a few men who just said hello and didn't show any other reaction.  Then a female dog walker who apologised when her dog came running up to me, but apart from that didn't seem bothered in the slightest. In fact, she commented on the weather and pointed out the right direction to go on the track.  Much later on I heard children's voices in the distance, and strategically placed my backpack in front of me when a pair of mothers, with toddlers in tow, went past.
About the only negative reaction (apart from the female jogger), was an older man who veered off the track when he saw me and shot off in another direction.  Which I thought was the most odd of all.

Overall a pretty stress free experience.  (Although on the second hill climb I realised exactly how unfit I've become...) 

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Free Range Naturism / Re: Being seen while getting mail.

« on: June 26, 2018, 06:09:16 PM »

I find your situation fascinating as heck. I'd love to participate in such social experimentation. I want to hear how this goes. How you deal with it within and without. All I have is the tooleys when I occasionally come across another hiker to understand. I watch reactions, and take note of positives and uncomfortable, and haven't had a negative. Your situation may be different, or maybe not. I want to know, so please, report and discuss this here with us.

If it didn't rain so much, DF and I would be over there, curiously experiencing just what it could be like, as if visiting another planet.

So while I'm still as uncomfortable as <insert swearword of choice> going around that area now (will see if that feeling lasts), I'm still going to go on some walks further afield -- further from home, I doubt I'll feel the impact of social pressure.  With the legal situation being so unclear previously, this hasn't been a comfortable experience in the past (ie. carry a wrap, nervously listen for any footfall around blind corners, etc), so armed with the clarity of the law, it's going to be an interesting experience. I will definitely "report back to the group"! 

3

Free Range Naturism / Re: Being seen while getting mail.

« on: June 25, 2018, 04:25:02 PM »

It will take several sightings of naked people wandering about before the public has gotten used to it.  It will take lots of nudists mustering up their courage to brave the disapproval and be among the first to take advantage of recently clarified legal permission.   I hope you don't give up. 

Thanks for the support Bob. Much appreciated. I kind of feel a moral duty to go out and "exercise my privilege" (for fear of "if you don't use it, you lose it").  To some extent though, I wish the police wouldn't bother notifying me that they've had any calls and then I can just carry on oblivious to any criticism... 

4

Free Range Naturism / Re: Being seen while getting mail.

« on: June 25, 2018, 02:12:25 PM »

BTW. The downside of notifying the police - they got in contact to let me know had one call from the public about a "naked male walking in the area" after I went for a wander over the weekend.

I saw about 4-5 people during an hour or so walking - a family (mum with two kids) whom I avoided completely by taking a different route to the one I had intended (just went down a different path), rather than walk past them.  A couple of women walking their dogs, one looked unimpressed, the other just chuckled.  And there were a couple in the tree line (who I couldn't really see since I was in the sun), I heard making comments, so I assume might've been them who called.

So even though I know it's legal, and the police are aware, and I damn well know I'm doing nothing wrong, that's still putting me off going back.

Am I being stupid/too damn sensitive?

5

Free Range Naturism / Re: Being seen while getting mail.

« on: June 23, 2018, 06:16:04 PM »

Interestingly I contacted the local police about the idea of naturist walking or jogging in the area, and the constable said it's fine from a legal perspective, just that he'd be more worried about personal safety than anything else (as long as I'm not intentionally trying to offend anyone, perfectly legal). Also said that social media has a way of making things spiral out of proportion, so just "consider the location and risk assess accordingly".

Gotta love the UK police...

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Free Range Naturism / Re: Being seen while getting mail.

« on: June 22, 2018, 11:07:24 AM »

He recognized you with your clothes on? Are you sure?

LOL

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Free Range Naturism / Re: Being seen while getting mail.

« on: June 22, 2018, 01:24:58 AM »

On the subject of being seen, i went for a walk through the local common tonight, and because it looked empty, decided to strip off while doing so.  Figured I had plenty of time to cover up if someone did appear. I'd literally walked about two steps when a guy on a bike came shooting past me from behind (no idea how I didn't hear the bike earlier because it's a shingle path).  I saw him later on the loop back around the other side of the common - by that time I'd decided to re-dress.  I said good evening, he replied but wouldn't look at me. Guess he thought I was nuts... better not to make eye contact in that case.   

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Free Range Naturism / Re: The Craft of Being Safely Unseen: A Tool List

« on: June 19, 2018, 08:49:14 PM »

Yes indeed, thanks eyesup, useful background reading there... 

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Free Range Naturism / Re: The Craft of Being Safely Unseen: A Tool List

« on: June 17, 2018, 11:39:40 AM »

Slightly off topic, but what about "The Craft of Being Safely *Seen*. Any advice on handling the situation if, despite all preparations, you happen to be seen and that person is deeply antagonistic to seeing someone rambling in the nude (despite the law allowing the activity - at least here in the UK)?  Diffusing the situation when that person is threatening to call the police, for example? 

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Free Range Naturism / Re: Legal clarification

« on: June 17, 2018, 11:20:48 AM »

Wouldn't it be nice if British Naturism organised more of these sort of events around the rest of the country?

11

Free Range Naturism / Re: Eastney Beach (and heck, naturist women have a lot to put up with)

« on: August 29, 2017, 03:28:56 PM »

I wonder what part of the world they take those pictures in.

I assume parts of Europe.  Certainly "countries that are not part of the Commonwealth"... 

12

Free Range Naturism / Eastney Beach (and heck, naturist women have a lot to put up with)

« on: August 27, 2017, 07:46:54 PM »

I went to Eastney Beach for the first time this weekend (at last, a Bank holiday with reasonable weather).  About 90% men on the beach.  And very few under the age of 30.  I laid out my towel 10 or so metres away from a mother (late 40s early 50s?) with her daughter (late 20s early 30s) who were setting up a wind/privacy screen, and then after about 10 mins realised that there was actually a little bit of sand below the lip obscuring the edge of the shore (wish I'd taken photos, it's easier to explain with a photo than text), so picked up my stuff and moved closer to the water.  I went back into the water (very cold), and spent most my time just standing there try to get the courage to submerge the top half after the bottom half went numb - and never quite succeeding.

A 20-something girl arrived with her boyfriend, who seemed only interested in playing with his camera at the entrance to the beach, while she had set herself up a short distance from where I'd first laid my towel.  When she stripped off and went into the water, low-and-behold, where before there had been just 3 of us in the sea, suddenly there was double that.  About 3 or 4 guys (including one of the few 20-somethings) discovered an urgent need for a swim and appeared, as if by magic.  The 20-something even adjusted "himself" while he was turned away from observers on the beach (I had the misfortune to be looking in that direction at that moment) obviously to make himself look as... I dunno... photogenic as possible?

At which point, I decided to move further away from her down the beach.  I felt a bit sorry for her really.  It was all just a bit... obvious.  I mean, I'm appreciative of an attractive young body as the next guy, but really?

I'm not brilliant at confrontation, or I would've said something (like "for f**ks sake, give the girl a break").  But I wish I had.  Frankly based on that experience, I think young naturist women have a lot to put up with in the UK.  At least in the rest of Europe, where they have a bit less of a problem with nudity as a whole, the locals tend to just ignore and get on with it (sure guys might take a look at an attractive woman, but they seem a hell of a lot less obvious about it).

This was.... discouraging.

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Free Range Naturism / Re: Bigots on Beaches

« on: July 19, 2017, 08:06:50 PM »

Frankly I don't even comprehend the request to cover up.  If I turn up at a busy beach which is full of textiles, I strip off and then get requested to cover up, that makes absolute sense (and frankly doing something like that smacks of exhibitionism).  If I'm at a beach, unclothed, minding my own business (and Hengistbury Head is a huge beach, so you can't tell me it was overloaded with people, like Brighton would be, by comparison) and some twit comes along and tells me (asks me, whatever) to cover up... well frankly I think the naturist's response in this case ("I don't care") is pretty muted, compared to how I'd like to react in the same situation.

Agree with your comment about creepy. The fact he took a photo is crazy.  I think he should have received a police warning for that alone.  And the council reaction is beyond idiotic.

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Free Range Naturism / Bigots on Beaches

« on: July 16, 2017, 09:14:06 PM »

Sigh: http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/districts/bournemouth/15402367.Keep_your_clothes_ON__warning_after_naked_sunbathers_spotted_at_beauty_spot/

I registered to make one comment, and then the more I read, the more I got annoyed and couldn't help myself commenting again... and again... and again...

15

Free Range Naturism / Re: Studland Beach... worth visiting?

« on: June 15, 2017, 03:26:25 PM »

... and if you are a robust reply normally works wonders.

LOL.  Works for me then. Thanks very much.