How I Discovered Naturism
People ask me this quite a lot — how I first got into naturism. It wasn’t something I planned. It just sort of happened over time, really.
I suppose it goes back to how I was brought up. Strict Catholic family, Italian parents… and nudity just wasn’t accepted at all.
It was one of those things you didn’t question at the time, but it stays in the back of your mind. You sort of grow up thinking, why is it such a problem? What’s actually wrong with it?
Looking back now, I think that’s what pushed me towards it more than anything. Not in a big dramatic way, just curiosity really.
I’d say around eighteen or so I started trying to find places. Clubs, anything like that. It wasn’t easy back then, and I didn’t really know where to look half the time.
But that’s where it started.
The early obstacle
Back then, most naturist clubs wouldn’t accept single men. That was just the way it was. I tried a few places and got turned away each time.
It was frustrating at the time. You’d hear about these clubs, but actually getting in was another matter. They were mainly set up for couples, not individuals. Or at least that’s how it felt.
I don’t know… maybe my face didn’t fit.
The place that changed things
Eventually I came across a club in Kent run by a guy called Mark. He’d had enough of all the usual rules and restrictions and decided to start his own club and run it his own way.
No committees, no overthinking everything, just a much more relaxed approach.
That was really the turning point for me. It felt different straight away. Not because anyone made a big deal of it, but because nobody was trying too hard. The whole atmosphere was easier.
The first real experience
I still remember that first proper visit. Once I settled in, it all felt surprisingly normal. That was the thing that stood out most.
You expect it to feel strange, but it didn’t. If anything, it felt simpler than everyday life. No barriers, no putting on an act, just getting on with it.
The swimming pool in the rain
A bit later on, I joined a more local club with a female friend. One day we were in the outdoor pool when the weather suddenly turned.
The rain came down quite heavily, but the water was still warm. You had that odd feeling of cold rain hitting your shoulders while the rest of you stayed warm in the pool.
There was thunder about as well, not right on top of us but close enough to notice. It gave the whole thing a strange atmosphere.
For a few minutes you just stood there, aware of everything — the water, the rain, the air — and not really thinking about anything else.
Eventually it got a bit too close for comfort and we got out, but that moment has always stuck with me. It was simple, but it said a lot.
Looking back now
Thinking about it now, that was probably when it all became normal for me. Not something unusual, just part of life.
I’ve seen the same thing with other people over the years. At first it feels unfamiliar, maybe even a bit awkward. Then quite quickly it settles down and becomes straightforward.
Once that initial feeling passes, what’s left is usually much simpler than people expected.
After more than fifty years, that’s still how I see it.