It’s 1979. I’m fourteen. I have loose limbs and am lanky, but not particularly tall.
My hair falls past my ears and probably only gets washed when I swim. I’m on holiday in France, my first time abroad as a family, finally escaping the usual two weeks of dodging the rain in Britain.
The beach is a short drive away. Flat and wide with fine sand, surrounded by grassy dunes, and wild Atlantic waves crashing onto the beach beyond. Apart from the flocks of seagulls and other birds, it is peaceful, relaxing and idyllic.
We probably will.
I do not really know. There’s only one thing that interests me. Not far away, other beach users are lounging on their towels, absorbing the sun or on their knees under umbrellas in the shade, and most of them have no clothes on.
Andrew Welch (above), a spokesperson for British naturism, reveals how being naked can give a feeling of ‘total well-being’
I have to admit: I ran along the top of the dunes just to be sure. A group of six enjoy a picnic (or pique-nique, who knows?). I think it’s a family of three generations, including gray-haired, leather-skinned elders and a girl about my age.
I never thought about my grandmother having a naked body, let alone imagined seeing it. Especially during lunch.
My overwhelming feeling was that I wanted to be part of it. I wasn’t planning on doing it in front of my siblings, but I did manage to swim in the sea a few times, pulling my Speedos underwater and balling them into a fist. What a feeling!
Later, in the early 1990s, I took a package tour to a Greek island and eagerly consumed the information provided by the representative at the welcome meeting, recommending bars, restaurants, markets, sights, trips and excursions – and beaches.
The best, she said, was a 10-minute walk around the headland from the village for pine and thyme scents. It had great views over the Aegean Sea, was never crowded and had a taverna, right on the sand. It was also a beach, she added, used by nude sun worshipers.
Andrew (above) writes: ‘Naturism is so much more than just taking off your clothes. If you asked 100 naturists what they thought you would probably get 100 different answers, but common themes include the feeling of pure relaxation, escaping the daily grind, a sense of total well-being and the company of a happy, non-judgmental group of like-minded people
Andrew (above) says there is ‘a peace and tranquility’ at naturist resorts that ‘can’t always be found elsewhere’
The experience fully lived up to the long-cherished expectations that originated on those Atlantic beaches. The strangest thing is that it took me a few hours to decide to undress. I do not know why. I remember feeling a bit like an intruder until I did that.
But once I did that… it just felt completely right. Of course, I had no idea how it would affect the rest of my life, nor my career, nor that one day that simple act of taking off my swimming trunks on a Greek beach would be important enough to write about. MailOnline.
Naturism is so much more than just taking off your clothes.
If you asked 100 naturists what they thought you would probably get 100 different answers, but common themes include the feeling of pure relaxation, escaping the daily grind, a sense of total well-being and the company of a happy, easy-going, welcoming, non-judgmental group of like-minded people who have found something that really improves their lives.
Anyone who’s done skinny dipping knows the exhilarating feeling of the water sliding all over your skin — and sitting back on the beach without that wet costume clinging to you is something else.
It’s also good for you: the human body is not designed to be completely covered in clothing and exposed to artificial heat and light sources and air conditioning 24/7.
Recent scientific research has shown that rather than feeling ashamed, embarrassed or vulnerable, improvements in self-esteem, confidence and body image result from spending time naked with other naked people.
Given decades of social conditioning, you might be surprised to learn that many people say a naturist resort or event is the place where they feel safest.
Since those early toe-in-the-water experiences, I have taken many naturist holidays and recaptured those wonderful feelings. There may be a small number of naturist resorts compared to the ones that insist you keep your cozzie on, but – boy! – there is a huge range, and all over the world.
There is a peace and tranquility you won’t find anywhere else, and there is something for everyone and everyone.
From wild camping with minimal facilities, back to nature, to all-inclusive, luxury beach hotels.
There are nude cruises, large and small hotels, apartment and villa complexes, campsites with modern chalets for holiday rentals – with restaurants, bars and shops that would put a small village to shame – and sports, activity and entertainment programs throughout the season, and much more.
The uninitiated might note that nudity is mandatory, with a changing room next to reception and an instruction to undress before proceeding, but it isn’t.
An Ipsos survey published in 2022 found that 6.75 million Brits would identify as ‘naturist’ or ‘nudist’
People are free to do what they want, with the weather sometimes being the deciding factor. Most people go on naturist holidays because they want to be naked, but if you like to dress up for dinner, throw on a cardigan when the wind picks up, or cover up yesterday’s sunburn from today’s rays, you can.
Nudity is mandatory in swimming pools, and it is essential to place a towel, for example, between a chair and a bare butt.
You might also feel that being naked among many other naked holidaymakers will be weird, but it soon becomes unremarkable. There is also a nice understanding among naturists that taking unsolicited photos of people is bad behavior.
And I’m happy to say it’s becoming mainstream.
An Ipsos survey published in 2022 found that 6.75 million Brits would identify as a ‘naturist’ or ‘nudist’ (actually interchangeable terms), with 39 percent of those surveyed having sunbathed, sunbathed, or sunbathed naked located or visited a nudist beach or resort.
Naturism is often seen as something for the elderly, but the research also found (pun intended) that almost half of 16 to 24 year olds had taken part in the previous 12 months.
My next trip is to a huge, sprawling resort in France with a long list of different types of accommodation, food and drink options, a long sandy beach and the most relaxing atmosphere that permeates the natural landscape as holidaymakers of all ages enjoy the perfect way to de-stress.
Will you join me?
Andrew Welch is a spokesperson for British naturism. For more information visit the British Naturism website – www.bn.org.uk.