There are more than four million naturists in the UK – meet two women who enjoy the liberating experience of stripping off
WORDS: ALICE GREBOT. PHOTOS: PAL HANSEN
‘NUDITY IS A GREAT LEVELLER’
Helen Berriman, 46, works for British Naturism (bn.org.uk), the UK’s internationally recognised organisation for naturism. She lives in Kent with her partner Simon, 46, and daughter, who’s 15.
I’m a relative newbie to naturism, having only discovered the joys of it during the first lockdown. Before that, I couldn’t understand it. I was raised in a single-parent family with two older brothers. Nudity wasn’t an issue but it also wasn’t celebrated. In 2005, I married my first partner, who encouraged me to cover up. We split up in 2008, and in 2015, I met my now partner Simon.
During one of our early conversations, he told me he liked to live a ‘clothing optional lifestyle’. I had no idea what he meant and brushed it aside, not giving it a second thought. Later that year, he moved in with me and I came home from work one day to find him naked, working at his desk. I was horrified, told him so and he went and put clothes on. My overriding priority was to ensure my daughter, who was eight at the time and had walked in with me, wasn’t going to see anything she wasn’t ready to see. She didn’t even seem to notice, though.
After a lot of talking, Simon and I reached a compromise. I accepted his naturism but we agreed that he would cover up at home, unless he was alone. But that all changed when lockdown hit in spring 2020. I was furloughed from work and the weather was glorious, so I decided to try sunbathing in a bikini in the garden. Even that was a big step, as I hadn’t worn one for years. Later that summer, I had my eureka moment. I went to a naturist resort with Simon as the supportive wife, on the agreement that I’d keep my clothes on. However, I soon felt like an outsider, so I took a deep breath and shed my clothes. And, to my delight, nothing happened! No one gaped, or commented, or judged my body. It normalised nudity and I felt welcomed. Nudity is a great leveller.
Now, I’d go as far as to say that being naked has become my safe space, and when I’m at my happiest. I’m naked around the house most days, Simon and I go on organised naked walks, we’ve been to naked festivals, and we are members of a local naturist club. British Naturism has created a card that we carry with us on the walks to show to members of the public if requested. It explains that what we’re doing is lawful. Naturism has truly had a profound effect on my life. I’m happy within myself and I’m
