I think it would be odd on a warm day to see people dressed
we have been to Clover Spa a couple of times on the motorbike we only need to pack tooth brushes as bike gear off when we arrive and  on when we leave - very relaxing
not been to many clubs - we have booked now for Croft - Blackthorns and Apollo to camp weekends does anyone know if there is any clothes on in the evening / club house type of rules ? I really did not think to ask

thanks
Simon

It would be best to check, but I think Apollo requires people to be dressed after 18.00hrs.

John

6pm? Arbitrary and I would gleefully kick back at that seeing that evenings are often the nicest part of a day.

Morning All,

I have been reading this topic with great interest, still being fairly new to social nudity so far I have found everybody welcoming. I am married but my wife is not a nudist and does not want to be, she is happy for me to do my own thing provided we still have our time together, as Brigitte correctly says if as a nudist we were to attend a textile venue and disrobe we would be given short shrift and sent away with a flea in our collective ear so why should textiles attend naturist venues and expect to remain clothed, certainly there should be times when people are clothed, maybe for the first couple of hours when they arrive to see if it is for them, after that it should be a case of disrobe or leave, and even by doing that small thing we are being more welcoming and tolerant than textile venues would be. With regards to clubs being strict, they will either evolve or become extinct, I must admit the main thing putting me off joining a club is not so much attending solo, more the fee you have to lay out straight away, surely in this day and age different payment options could be found? I would also be surprised at a club to have dress after 6pm, surely that is massively at odds with the goals of being clothes free we as a community we are trying to achieve?

Another thought occurred. I remember at one time contemplating joining SOC (Singles Outdoor Club) for the naked hikes they do but a lot of them are not in my area so thought it kind of pointless, but that's another story.

The thing I wanted to highlight, talking about strictness on joining clubs, is the line on their web site that says:-

"If you are married and your partner does not want to join, we would like a note from her (him) with your application to say that they do not object to you becoming a member."

Seriously? "Please wifey, can I have a note for teacher to say you don't mind me being naked?"

Think this is a little extreme that I am not allowed to join a club without my wifes permission! Didn't need it to join Airfix Club, or British Naturism for that matter.

Rules rules rules.... Since at last being able to embrace the naturist society that's all I've found... Rules! It's a fact of life that the British in general are not very tolerant of naturism and either assume we're all mad-for-it swingers or just plain mad. Public naturism is greeted with intolerance, tut-tutting or lip-licking voyeurism by the under-my-overcoat-dangling-free part of society. So we have had to evolve as a slightly secretive, rules-based community be that in a club or online in the various websites.

But being a naturist to me is an option to shrug off the confines of accepted societal rules and relax in an environment where I can choose to be naked without anyone judging me. So having shrugged off society's rules I now find I have to conform to even more naturist society rules. Just in this thread alone numerous frankly ridiculous rules have been suggested (clothing after 6pm and getting a note from the wife are eye-watering) and I feel that as a community we've moved from appropriate rules designed to protect our lifestyle to overly draconian rules set by people who aren't seeing the changing world we live in.

On the continent naturism isn't the preserve of the ageing majority so there's a more relaxed attitude; over here many clubs and communities are run by our elders who have had to fight tooth & nail over many years to protect their rights. I guess it's understandable that they're still living a little in the past but if naturism is to flourish and grow then it needs to change - it'll take time but if it doesn't naturism will always be hidden away. We're meant to be a more tolerant society so it's slightly infuriating that tolerance doesn't extend to the perfectly natural (to us) desire to occasionally take our clothes off and commune with our fellow naturists.

Well said, JW. Have you considered a career in politics?  ;D

Well said, JW. Have you considered a career in politics?  ;D

I couldn't be a politician - I'm not corrupt, self-serving or able to lie.....  ;D

I think that in a lot of cases rules like the "letter from wife" one are the result of a persuasive committee member becoming frightened by an urban myth.
These rules then multiply as subsequently they are augmented for the sake of "greater clarity," usually achieving the opposite effect. The net effect of all this is to end up after 50 years with an unreasonably restrictive set of rules that nobody has the guts to get rid of.

It is the same effect as the increasingly restrictive legislation put on us by the government in the name of freedom. For example the Sexual Offences Act would have made almost all nudity a matter for the sexual offenders register if it hadn't been for the determined lobbying of BN and other action groups.

It seems ridiculous that the movement is constantly complaining that they can't attract new members when these kind of barriers are put in place.

We have recently looked into joining a local sun club which, as part of the acceptance process, requires a home visit....why? The problem we have on that score is that while we have been together for a few years now, we dont live together so which home will they visit?

Maybe its time for clubs to ease up before they die out?

Sorry if that sounded like a rant!

6pm? Arbitrary and I would gleefully kick back at that seeing that evenings are often the nicest part of a day.

Well 6pm is my understanding but I could be wrong. You have to remember that "rules" like that are what the membership voted for / agreed on at some stage, and are therefore what they presumably want.

John

The thing I wanted to highlight, talking about strictness on joining clubs, is the line on their web site that says:-

"If you are married and your partner does not want to join, we would like a note from her (him) with your application to say that they do not object to you becoming a member."

Seriously? "Please wifey, can I have a note for teacher to say you don't mind me being naked?"

Think this is a little extreme that I am not allowed to join a club without my wifes permission! Didn't need it to join Airfix Club, or British Naturism for that matter.

I agree this is pretty archaic is this day and age, but I guess some clubs say that because they (clubs in general not a specific one), have been dragged into divorce cases in the past, by one half of a couple or the other.

John

The thing I wanted to highlight, talking about strictness on joining clubs, is the line on their web site that says:-

"If you are married and your partner does not want to join, we would like a note from her (him) with your application to say that they do not object to you becoming a member."

Seriously? "Please wifey, can I have a note for teacher to say you don't mind me being naked?"

Think this is a little extreme that I am not allowed to join a club without my wifes permission! Didn't need it to join Airfix Club, or British Naturism for that matter.

I agree this is pretty archaic is this day and age, but I guess some clubs say that because they (clubs in general not a specific one), have been dragged into divorce cases in the past, by one half of a couple or the other.

John

There is an urban myth to that effect but I have never found any evidence to substantiate it.
In any case, if true, it was certainly a swingers club masquerading under the name of naturism or it would have been laughed out of court.

We have recently looked into joining a local sun club which, as part of the acceptance process, requires a home visit....why?

A HOME VISIT???? Who on earth do they think they are?! What right have they to insist on that? Ludicrous! I would give that place a wide berth and sit back and watch them disappear.

Spectrum has an easy going application process but does require proof of identity and address which is reasonable. We require four visits before membership is approved but do not have interviews by the committee or require letters from partners which seems absurd in this day and age. The four visits are to see if they like us and we like them. We do expect visitors, unless attending with a member, to contact us first.

We expect and demand proper behaviour and that members accept that what the lifeguards say goes. I believe we are a relaxed club and we do not discriminate against single males but would encourage women to join. We like to think a single male walking through the door is a potential couple.

At the moment our membership is about 135 so we must be doing something right.

Davie  8)

Spectrum has an easy going application process but does require proof of identity and address which is reasonable. We require four visits before membership is approved but do not have interviews by the committee or require letters from partners which seems absurd in this day and age. The four visits are to see if they like us and we like them. We do expect visitors, unless attending with a member, to contact us first.

We expect and demand proper behaviour and that members accept that what the lifeguards say goes. I believe we are a relaxed club and we do not discriminate against single males but would encourage women to join. We like to think a single male walking through the door is a potential couple.

At the moment our membership is about 135 so we must be doing something right.

Davie  8)

Your club sounds like it has an appropriate entry policy - it's a pity more clubs aren't so forward thinking! I'll have to check it out one day (possibly too far for membership but always nice to see new venues).