Re-introduction

[nuduke]

JohnP,
If he's reading this post, johnb aka johnbare resides in Surrey and is Southern region BN rep.  You might be able to get in touch via BN website or PM me for further details.  He may be able to gain you entrée to a naturist club or two or might be happy himself to meet up.  He's a good guy, I met him once in the flesh but despite 2 further attempts to get to events, I failed to repeat the pleasure of his company. 

I think there is still a monthly Central London naturist swim (or is it weekly?  Help me, guys!) that johnb has something to do with, I recall.  (or was it someone else, help me out guys!).

The naturist foundation near Orpington welcome day visitors http://www.naturistfoundation.org/ particularly card carrying BN members to which they would include ANA members, I reckon.

Good luck in your search for fellow FRNs.  Keep us posted. I for one would be fascinated to see how you get on. Well, I hope.

John

[JOhnGw]

This BN page should give you access to a large number of naturist opportunities, including the weekly London swim.

http://www.bn.org.uk/activities/placestogo.php

[nuduke]

Thank you JOhn, you responded to my crie de Coeur to help me out with decent info for JohnP!
John

[John P]

Thanks guys, that's all very helpful. But I have to say, I've often visited London in the past, and I've been to the Sunday swims at the University of London several times. It's certainly a pleasant enough time, if you can accept being in an echoing hall filled with the smell of chlorine (my avatar shows what I'm used to) but my main disappointment was social, because in the past I've hoped to actually talk with people, and it seems that after the swim, everyone packs up and heads out immediately. They say that lately there's been an after-swim trip to a cafe or pub, so perhaps I need to try again. I knew about the Watford and Ewell ("Noah's Ark) swims, but they aren't so easy to get to, and I'm reluctant to drag myself so far away and maybe find that I'm going to spend an evening among other people but with nobody to talk to. And need I say, wanting to talk to people doesn't translate to "I want to meet women"! Apparently some of the Singles Outdoor Club leaders live in the Watford area, and they go to that swim sometimes, but I haven't got any connection to them except encountering them on the walks.

I have been to the Naturist Foundation, with a guy I met via an Internet forum, although we didn't keep up a connection. It was nice; I'd go back if a group wanted to make a trip.

Maybe it's useful background information to say that I grew up in south London until my family moved to the USA when I was 16. Since then I've made numerous trans-Atlantic trips, so I'm reasonably familiar with events and getting around in the UK.

[nuduke]

Gosh, your knowledge is pretty comprehensive, John(P).  We can't offer you that much therefore, I wouldn't have thought.  There are relatively few CO clubs that take day visitors.  Several claim to embrace this but I've tried several in the SE and the way that works is that, unlike Orpington, they don't want to meet you first - they want you to apply to join before they give you a trial visitor day and if you don't get accepted, then catch 22  - no trial day!  Beats me how some of these places get members at all!  I've tried 3.  2 had the above process and the 3rd never replied to calls or emails.  Single married older male with no accompanying wife, you see - for some reason a poisonous combination for Naturist clubs!  They are afraid of getting overrun by single men and implicated in a divorce (NUFF said so quite explicitly)....well wake up and smell the coffee!  The majority of naturists seem actually to be single older men!

I would think the insularity you experienced on the London swim was simply normal London insularity.  People don't engage with strangers in the 'metrollopse'.
Since moving to the East Midlands, I have come to realise how much that state of mind applies in the capital and its surrounding thrall.  People up here in Lincs and Notts are so much more friendly and interactive.

John

[JOhnGw]

I have been assured by experienced people within BN that the divorce citing scare is a total urban myth.

[nuduke]

I have been assured by experienced people within BN that the divorce citing scare is a total urban myth

I'm sure it is, JOhn.  However, it was directly said to me by the admin people at the Naturist Foundation.  They cited being cited in a divorce as the principal reason for requiring a letter as a condition of membership, from my wife, giving me her permission to join, to which demand, as you will be well aware, and not surprised at, I was unable to fulfil!

It would be interesting to learn if there had ever been a divorce cited on grounds of practicing naturism* by one partner!  I concluded they had had some bother or other in the past at Brockenhurst and I have never been back despite having a lovely day there (my first at a club, can't quite remember when...probably '08 or '09)!

John
 
*and you know what they say... "practice makes perfect"!