Up until about 3 yrs ago I had not thought about naturism. I have slept nude since a teenager and on a warm day about 3 yrs ago when I got up I didn’t bother getting dressed. Whilst reading the paper with a cup of coffee I realised that it felt more comfortable without clothes. Since then I have spent more and more time nude at home (weather permitting).

I spent time browsing the internet reading up on naturism and noticed that a lot of people showed pictures of themselves on various sites. I was a bit nervous that anyone could look at them and found a site that only members could view your pictures. So I took a few pictures working in my garage and put them on the site. Out of the blue I received an email from a couple in America asking what the tool was that I was using in one of the pictures, and asked if I was interested in corresponding with them about the lifestyle and exchanging pictures with them. I replied and although a bit nervous agreed to correspond with them. We have since built up a friendship and chat regularly on messenger.

About the same time I found ITB and joined and started chatting with members. I was still a "closet" naturist at the time but chatting to other naturists gave me confidence and I found out it was not illegal to be naked in your own garden so long as you were discreet.

Unfortunately I live in a first floor maisonette and my garden is at the front and very public. Whilst clearing some blackberry bushes from behind my garage which is at the back of the house I realised that this area was very private and once cleared it was about 14 ft by 9 ft. The only person who could possibly see me was my downstairs neighbour (a lady in her 80's) as her garden was at the back and she could see behind my garage if she went to the bottom of her garden.
I decided to ask her if she objected to nudity as I was a naturist and would like to sunbathe there. To my surprise she said that although not a naturist herself she was broadminded and for me to go ahead.
So I set about clearing the area properly to make a patio area (pictures of it’s construction are in my album on ITB.)
I cleared out over 100 roots and moved over a ton of earth. Whilst digging out I found the base of an old dry stone wall and disturbed a bees nest (I could write a separate blog about the patio construction). Once the patio was complete I found the joy’s of being nude outdoors and although the patio was nice I felt I would like more.

By chatting on ITB I felt I had come out of the closet and looking on the internet I found there was a naturist club not far from me.

There was a phone number so I rang and left several messages but got no reply. This was around January this year. Eventually after extensive searching I was able to get the mobile number of the secretary. So, and it happened to be Easter Sunday, I rang the number and enquired about joining. The secretary said he was at the club and would I like to visit, he also said that the reason he had not replied was because the club was officially closed and he was going to contact me later.
I visited the club the same day and found it to be a lovely setting set in the middle of woodland and very peaceful and private.
After 3 visits I was accepted as a member and have since spent many a happy hour there. It is a small club with only about 30 members. Most of the members go at weekends. Unfortunately my job means I have to work most weekends so most of the time there are not many there. A lot of the members stop overnight in caravans or tents.

I felt it would be nice to join them and when shopping in ASDA the other week there was a tent, 2 sleeping bags, 2 chairs and a lantern for sale at £33. So I bought it on impulse. I am on holiday next week and I am going to try the tent out.

So, I think that completes my blog on from textile to naturist camping.

P.S. MY only regret is that I didn’t find the joys of naturism earlier in life.