Born to be bare nudist

Naturism is a lifestyle of non-sexual nudity , and the cultural movement which advocates and defends that lifestyle. Both may also be referred to as nudism. Though the two terms are largely interchangeable, nudism emphasizes the practice of nudity, whereas naturism highlights an attitude favoring harmony with nature and respect for the environment, into which that practice is integrated. Naturism may be practiced individually, within a familial or social context, or in public.

In and , he walked the length of Great Britain naked, but was arrested when he did it again in and Since then, he has spent most of the intervening years in prison, having been repeatedly rearrested for contempt of court for public nudity. Gough brought a lawsuit in the European Court for Human Rights, arguing that laws requiring him to wear clothing violated his rights to privacy and free expression. His claim was rejected in

Naturists are not the same as exhibitionists — the latter being motivated by titillation, a desire to be seen; whereas the former simply feel inhibited by clothing and in discarding it bring themselves closer to nature. With decades of exposure to sun, wind and rain, older naturists are sometimes identifiable by their leathery complexion and golden brown colour sans tan line — as I discovered when I took a tour of the National Gallery of Australia last week, completely nude, along with 49 other art lovers. It is easy to write off a nude art tour as gimmicky; in fact, the experience was quite profound.

Naturists in Jersey are being encouraged to become more socially active. British Naturism is hoping that it's thirty or so members in the island will form an informal group for social occasions. There are no officially designated areas in Jersey for naturism, although the organisation's regional spokesman Kelvin Rolfe says he's aware of informal places such as Bonne Nuit Bay.