2013-07-04 — /travelprnews.com/ — Following the announcement that Holkham Beach in Norfolk is to officially ban nudists from its shores from 1st July, tourists may well be looking for their next kit-free hang out. Look no further. From designated nudist beaches to naked gardening and theatre, here VisitEngland exposes the country’s cheekier side.
Get your kit off for the cats
On 15th August, ZSL London Zoo is encouraging fearless fundraisers to unleash their inner animal in a one-off chance to run as nature intended through the heart of the zoo. With only 300 Sumatran tigers (a group of which is called a ‘streak’ – geddit?) left in the wild, the zoo is hoping courageous streakers will rise to the challenge and raise funds to help the charity continue its vital conservation work. The 300 places are filling up fast, so sign up now to secure your chance to get your kit off for big cats.
www.zsl.org/streakfortigers
Naked horticulturalists
Experience nudity in one of the most magnificent English gardens in the country. Abbey House Gardens in Wiltshire is famous for its naked gardeners, Ian & Barbara Pollard. The gardens, in ancient Malmesbury in Wiltshire, allow visitors to enjoy the decorative arts in all its forms by holding Clothes Optional days every year. If you dare to bare, the next Clothes Optional days are 7th and 28th July. And if all that nudity gets you a little hot under the (non-existent) collar then pop over to Swindon to cool down at Bare Swim – a place for naturists to enjoy a Turkish bath.
www.abbeyhousegardens.co.uk
www.swindonbareswim.co.uk
You can leave your hat on…
For more fun and frolics, watch six ex-steel workers from Sheffield get their kit off, up close and personal. The Full Monty, which premiered in Sheffield in February, will open in the West End next year for a limited run. Directed by Sheffield Theatre’s artistic director Daniel Evans, the play has been adapted by Oscar-winning writer Simon Beaufoy from his own screenplay about six unemployed men who form a troupe of male strippers. The Full Monty will begin previews at the West End’s Noel Coward Theatre on 20th February 2014.
www.delfontmackintosh.co.uk/Theatres/noel_coward_theatre.asp
Celebrate your last night of freedom
For a hen party with a difference, brides-to-be can hire a cottage and host a girls night in with a male model. Hen Life Drawing rents out male models by the hour for hens to practise their life drawing skills. It’s completely different to hiring a stripper, the model poses and instructs the group whilst the hens are encouraged to draw, not scream. To truly embrace the nudist theme, hire out naturist accommodation. Pevors Farm Cottages in Essex offer four star accommodation including a hot tub and indoor heated pool. Set on a 400 acre farm on the Essex/Suffolk border, guests can freely walk around the meadow and bluebell woodland to literally be at one with nature, or they can hang out in the first floor Gallery playing carpet bowls stark-naked.
www.henlifedrawing.co.uk
www.pevorsfarm.co.uk/index.htm
Dare to bare?
Holkham Beach might be a no go for naturists but England has plenty of other nudist beaches on offer. Our only piece of advice is; don’t forget the sun cream – ouch! Brighton East Beach continues to attract big crowds due to the relaxed nature of the town. Pednvounder Beach in Cornwall lets naturists and swimsuit-wearers mix happily together, while Blackgang Beach on the Isle of Wight has a nudist section called Rocken End. If you fancy making a break of it, there’s a naturist campsite, Valerian Sun Club, just a half-hour drive away. Finally, the most northerly naturist beach in the country, Ross Back Sands, offers stunning ocean views and dunes to shelter in should the wind kick up. It can get a little nippy in Northumberland though, so here’s hoping for a warm summer (!) To find your nearest naturist beach check outwww.bn.org.uk/activities/placestogo.php
Ends.
For further press information please contact:
Natalie Ashworth/ Laura Dewar
VisitEngland Press Office
Tel: 020 7578 1447 / 020 7578 1437
Email: Natalie.Ashworth@visitengland.org / Laura.Dewar@visitengland.org
Notes to Editors:
About England
• Historic yet contemporary, traditional yet cutting-edge, metropolitan yet wild: England is truly a unique destination and a real powerhouse in global tourism.
• With ancient Hadrian’s Wall straddling the wild north and the world’s biggest indoor tropical rainforest nestled in the far south, England really is the ultimate mix of old and new as well as being home to some of the most iconic sites in the world, including Stonehenge, the honey-hued Georgian terraces of Bath and the towering peaks and glistening meres of the Lake District.
• Did you know that in 2010 there were 96.4 million domestic overnight trips in England, 25.5 million inbound visits and 872 million tourism day trips?
More information can be found on www.visitengland.com