A positive report I thought. It doesn't add any fuel to the tabloid fire of naked wierdo's and all publicity like that is good.

Being acceptable to be naked in public is a dream that might never happen, but the more people read and hear about naturism the more widely accepted it will become.

along with Harriet Harman's recent write up in the Times it is great to read about good things being said about enjoying being naked.

It was her Sexual Offences Bill 2003 which exempted naturists from “indecent exposure claims” so I would suggest giver her recent investigation into naturist equality that she possibly enjoys the odd bout of naturism in private. Similarly the Times appears to show a little interest inthe subject which might indicate an editorial interest.

All good positive stuff and maybe there is a future where co areas could become available.. i for one hope so !

The careful wording of SOA 2003 clause 66 is mainly down to consistent and effective lobbying by BN and others.

It is a pity that some of the other clauses did not get such good scrutiny. One of the clauses is so widely written that if somebody reported two fifteen year olds indulging in consensual heavy petting they would have the options of going on the sex offenders register for a caution or going to court in the hope that it would be laughed out.

I have defended an attack by a fellow BN member that 'naturist rambling' does no good to the cause of
naturism.

I added that the average textile perceives naturist clubs as harbours of sexual depravity carried out behind high hedges and closed doors. The only way to change perception is by pblic exposure to nudity as a wholesome activity similar to the accepted sauna culture nudity in Sweden. Accepted, but if you are sensitive you do not have to participate.

An idea also placed before me was - if sexuality is under control in naturism there should be no need for gender balancing (sexual discrimination at its worse). If sex is truly unimportant gender balancing policies suggest a sexual agenda.

True normalisation of naturism as a fashion choice will only occur (IMHO) from not slinking behind the closed doors of a naturist club but having a pride and purity in the naked body in activities such as rambling.

The problem with Naturist Rambling is that it involves walking across large areas of countryside where the naturist is likely to encounter people who do not share naturist views.  Most textiles accept beach naturism but encountering a naked hiker is a different proposition and far more likely to offend.  As naturists we do not see why it should offend anyone but we have to accept that in our society there are a lot of people who are offended by nudity.  There are more them than there are naturists.

If you do want to go naturist rambling then you should make sure that where you ramble you are unlikely to surprise the offended by walking where you can see people approaching in time to cover up if needed.  It is true that naturists generally do not care who sees them naked but a lot of textiles are offended by seeing naked people where they do not expect to.

Alienating textiles is more likely to harm the cause of naturism than to progress it.  Sadly there is no easy way to change society's views.  All that we can do is to lobby for more beaches, park areas etc. where naturism is accepted but boldly going nude where we are not accepted is not likely to achieve anything positive.

hiding behind walls or accepting special areas means we are accepting that naturists are wierd and should be banished from normal society.
having said that its up to all of us to be sensible , push the accepted boundaries but dont trample over them .
I see nothing wrong in stripping off on an isolated beach or on a ramble in unpopulated country side.
My own reaction to meeting textiles depends on circumstances, mostly i see them coming in the distance and either detour to avoid them or calmly cover up before they get close, if theyve noticed it shows respect for them and a responsible attitude. If surprised at close quarters i intend (it hasnt happened yet)  to carry on as if being naked was no big deal...

if the report of the soc guys stripping of infront of a dog walker is correct, i think they pushed the boundaries too far, they could have waited a few moments and got some distance between them.
It should be more a case of raising the publics awareness rather than rubbing their faces in it.

I agree with the last post but think we can reasonably push the boundaries with regard to beach naturism.  Where we find a quiet or empty beach then I think that it is generally OK to strip off for skinny dipping or sun bathing.  If "textiles" happen to approach then we should not feel obliged to cover up other than perhaps moving to a prone position or lying a towel or may be sun hat across our genitals.  Though they may be appear to be "textiles" we all know the someone has to be first syndrome so if they are coming to the beach there is a good chance that they may decide to go nude as well if they see others nude already.

A lot of us were textiles in our past, many textiles are naturists waiting to come out so by setting an example we are signalling that it is OK here.  My first very nervous time was on a beach; most of us know that after the first time there will be countless more times.

If they disapprove then can always go to a different part of the beach.  If they say that they disapprove then  play it by ear and handle the situation as you think fit.

If we happen to come to a beach where they are already naturists they we know that we are free to go nude as well.

The problem with Naturist Rambling is that it involves walking across large areas of countryside where the naturist is likely to encounter people who do not share naturist views.Most textiles accept beach naturism but encountering a naked hiker is a different proposition and far more likely to offend.As naturists we do not see why it should offend anyone but we have to accept that in our society there are a lot of people who are offended by nudity.There are more them than there are naturists.

I've been on a number of SOC walks although not the one in question. The routes are carefully chosen minimize the chances of coming into contact with other members of the public. Unless the group is surprised by the sudden appearance of a textile, all anyone passing will see will is a group of walkers in a variety of cover ups.

According to the report the lady did say that she didn't have problem with naked bodies, and I'm pretty sure that if children or young people were around the group would have remained covered, until they were well past.

John

Do remember folks that the press article does not exactly report the actual experiences of those present. The incident has been embellished for journalistic impact. ::)
The SOC cover-up policy is well known so the incident as reported seems unlikely in reality. 
Just use a little lateral thinking and the truth is out there! 😛

I have just recently taken it on myself to research a little into the current attitudes of textile ramblers towards naturists.

I randomly picked 4 or 5 rambling websites in counties not far from me, and emailed their respective chair people with a question regarding how their members might respond to meeting a naturist walking in the country.  I also went on to suggest there might be some rabling groups who might welcome naturist walkers amongst them - hey you never know.

So far I have had two replies. One from one of the chairmen who took it upon himself to tell me what his members would think without consulting them which is disappointing.

His answer was actually interesting though and he believed there would be some approving of naturists and some not. But he said not all naturists are beautiful and those members who approved of naturism might not want to see those!  I find that attitude rather disturbing but we need to remember naturism is not a normal state for other people.

Second reply said he will at least canvas the association committee to see what they think.  I'll let you know what comes back.

Andy

Well here's a third response just in. This one is quite encouraging although she didn't mention the subject of inviting naturists along to walk with the ramblers. Ah well!

"Andy - We have actually crossed paths with a walker sans clothes on one of our rambles.  I don't think either party was particularly concerned.  I haven't attempted a poll of members but I would suggest that if we both go about our walking in our own way, without infringing on the rights or sensibilities of others, all will be well.  Happy Walking."

Interesting idea Andy, and a sensible response from number three.

To give this thread a little more context it would be interesting to see the original missive you sent out.

Please keep us "in the loop" with any further replies.

Have fun,

Ian.

(A frequent air-clad rambler)

Good point Ian - I hadn't included my original message before because it is rather long but here it is for those who might be interested.  Incidentally I have gone a step further in joining a rambler forum.  I intend getting to know people there to begin with and then gently introduce discussions about naturism to see how that goes.

Anyway the message is below.

Hi. This is just a polite (I hope) hypothetical(ish) question.

I ask this question on behalf of a number of UK naturists who are keen to get an idea of current views of the subject.  It has even been suggested that some rambling groups might incorporate a section for naturists or even mixed groups where naturists could walk with clothed ramblers in harmony.

Thanks Andy,

Nice enquiry, polite and gets in all the relevant points about consideration for others and the difference between naturists and folks with other motivations for being naked.

The only thing I might have been tempted to add is a general bit about naturist walking groups such as the SOC, SSB and Coast and Country all of which run clothing optional walks without generally causing upset to those of a delicate disposition.

Thanks for sharing that with us.

Ian.

Yes I could have included that but the email was getting rather long and I had wanted to keep it to the point lol.

What I am trying to estabish is how realistic it is to think that naturists might join clothed ramblers rather than a naturist walk that is clothing optional.  There's a difference.

I plan to stay in touch with any clubs that give a positive reponse and then next year when it warms up I will let them know when I might be walking their routes so they can ask me not to if they prefer.

Plenty of time to explore this subject anyway given that it has turned rather chilly.