We are delighted to welcome Bill W from Germany and Singapore to our series of Public Articles Interviews of Naturist from around the world. 

1 Tell us a little about yourself and your part(s) of the world.

I am an only child, my birth some 6 weeks early, nearly killed my mother. I spent some time in intensive care, but she was in intensive care until well after I was brought home. I was given my Christian names in error. One day, on arriving to visit my mother she said, "And how is William Thomas today?" (That was my father's name) meaning him, but he assumed she was referring to me (I was in a different hospital) and registered my name as William Thomas! He had proposed calling me Nelson! My Grandfather was also William! You can imagine the confusion as I grew when letters addressed to us arrived. Despite the rough start I was brought up in a loving family. Dad started out as a blue-collar worker and worked up to becoming a Draughtsman at Rolls Royce with some of his work being used to build Concorde. He then started his own precision engineering business which was very successful. I received a public school education, which I hated as I am not academically inclined. Left school with 5 "O" levels and went to college. On completing 2 years at college with an OND I started looking for a job. Applied for a number of interviews with shipping

companies and attended an Officer Entry Selection Board at HMS Manadon as Dad was ex RN. Fortunately, I failed that and took an Engineering Cadetship with Shell Tankers - paid more and people didn't shout at you and order you around quite as much! I then spent 30 years at sea working for 2 oil majors and rising to the rank of Chief Engineer Officer, during which time I married and raised a family and was divorced. Eventually I came ashore as Superintendent for a UAE company which kicked off my Expat existence. After 3 years in the UAE, I was "Arabised" out of a job and I moved to Singapore where I remarried and spent the next 10 years in Ship Superintendency with a ship management company and with another oil major. After being forced to retire due to age (62 in Singapore) I found employment with a ship owning company in Hamburg as a Technical

Authority specialising in LNG, FSRUs, alternative fuels and OCCS systems. I am currently a resident in Germany and Singapore!

2 What was the attitude towards nudity and naturism in your home and upbringing as a child and teen?

My parents weren't naturists but were not ashamed of being seen around the house naked. Mum was particularly supportive about body positivity, not that there was anything abnormal about my body except being a bit skinny! About the age of 10 I started to sleep nude; I would go to bed in my pyjamas and take them off in bed. Mum used to come in at night to say goodnight and I am sure she noticed but never said anything possibly considering it a positive indicator? I was shy in public and found the open showers in school a trial. Around 13 or 14 I would come home from school and undress in my room, read and do my homework nude until called to come to eat, again I am sure my Mum knew and just allowed me the privacy to carry on, despite my always leaving my door open, (not a requirement, I just never bothered to close it!) she never came in without announcing herself first. Similarly, when Mum and Dad were out of the house during school or college holidays I would generally strip off and spend the time nude.

3 How did you first get involved in naturism and what were your initial thoughts?

I have covered the first involvement above; initial thoughts mainly revolved around comfort and freedom - that probably sounds cliché but at that age I was not thinking about much else - girls didn't feature in my thinking until a bit later! I was, and still am, a bit slow on the uptake in that area!

4. Do you think that your initial reasons and attitudes towards naturism have changed since then and how?

My initial reasons and attitudes remain in place, comfort and freedom are greatly enhanced by nudity. I have, over the years, developed a more relaxed attitude to those around me, the reason for which I would lay squarely at the door of my naturism. I can't say that I have had an epiphany, I am just more comfortable in my own skin and less concerned about others’ opinions of my behaviour with regards to nudity. Along with travel, naturism has expanded my horizons, I feel more grounded.

5.Tell us about your naturist adventures so far.

When I first went to sea, some members of the crew would usually sunbathe on the monkey island nude or just wearing a sock. I sunbathed nude on the monkey island for my entire career at sea. Swimwear was required anywhere else.

My first real foray into public nudity occurred in 1994. I was in St Nazaire, France standing by the building of a new LNG carrier for Petronas. I was stationed on site for about 6 months so had a holiday apartment rented for me. It was right on the beach at St Marc sur Mer. Walking around the area one day I came across a direction sign that said "Plage Naturiste" so I went to investigate, sure enough there was a beach and there were naked people on it. See Plage Naturiste des Junais.

There is a bit of a goat track to get down to it but certainly passable. So, I came back the next sunny day to sunbathe there. After the initial apprehension, a bit of an anticlimax really, nobody bothered about me being there and everyone got on with what they were doing. I became a regular visitor to the beach after that. So much so that after a while one of the locals came across and asked if I would like to join in their game of boules as they were short a team member which then also became a regular occurrence. I also travelled further abroad whilst working in France and made several visits to the beach at Pen Bron which is a mixed bathing beach. Textiles and nudists both use the beach, and no one is bothered whether or not you are nude. It is a beautiful white sand beach and very long about 20km north-west of the Plage des Junais. I departed with my ship and returned again to stand by another of the vessels the following year once again visiting the nude beaches on a regular basis.

Around this time, (38 yo) I started shaving my body hair. I generally wasn’t very hairy and really only just started to get dark chest hair in any quantity. I really didn’t like the look of it so shaved it off, then because I liked the look, I shaved the rest off! Been totally shaved ever since.

In 2005 my wife divorced me - it was an amicable divorce, and I moved back to my Mum's house as I was only home on leave for 4 months at a time it didn't make sense for me to go anywhere else and she did not have a driving licence so I could take her wherever she needed to go. By this time, I was a full-time naturist. Mum didn't mind, as mentioned previously, she was a pretty open minded individual even in her advanced years! Home was a 17 acre smallholding about 5km outside Okehampton. It was screened by high hedges, so I never wore clothes on the property when it was warm enough. I could sunbathe in the garden and took the occasional trip to Slapton Sands if I wanted to sit on the beach. As I mentioned, I usually performed whatever tasks around the place nude so one day I was mowing the grass around the house on a ride on mower. We had new neighbours across the road and whilst I was busy cutting the grass the new neighbour came up our drive. When I spotted her, I stopped the mower and went to put on a cover up but by then she was already alongside the mower and said, "don't bother, it's perfectly alright, I don't mind” and then asked me if I was the gardener as she needed to find one to cut her grass. I explained I was the owner, and we chatted for 10 minutes or so and then she thanked me and left. Surprising how people react, she took it completely in her stride! I am not sure a townie would have!

In 2017 my second wife and I decided we needed a quiet holiday, although at that time she was not a naturist, she was quite ok with my naturism around the house and with it in general. We decided to try to find a resort fairly close to Singapore where I could be nude. We booked 7 nights at Bali au Naturel on the north coast of Bali near Tejakula. It was small, very well kept and tropically beautiful. There was a black sand beach outside the property where you had to be clothed but the property itself was clothing optional. There was a small cafe restaurant on site, a fitness suite, a massage parlour and a pool. The nearest village is 5 km away. Nothing to do but sleep, eat, read books and lie around in the sun for 7 days - it was brilliant, just what we needed. It was, however, a little surprising to find a naturist resort on Bali. The one downside - it takes 3 hours to drive there from the airport!

Since I am currently residing in Germany, the home of FKK (FreiKörperKultur), there is an acceptance of nudity in certain public areas. Most cities and towns have areas set aside for FKK activities and there are FKK beaches too. I regularly make use of the FKK area in the local Stadtpark in Hamburg.

In the last couple of years I took up nude life modelling. There are a couple of artists groups that meet regularly throughout the year and models are always required. I get paid for turning up and posing in a number of nude poses for 90 minutes! Beer money really but generally a great crowd of people with some really talented ones amongst them. I am well past being nervous about appearing nude in a public place and enjoy the sessions. I would recommend anyone to have a go. They are not looking for drop dead gorgeous models (although they don’t object!) they want character and are quite happy for us wrinklies to pose for them!

I think that just about covers my naturist “adventures” to date.

6. How would you best explain naturism to someone new to it and what advice would you offer to them?

Naturism is a lifestyle that respects and embraces mankind’s natural origins along with his environment and automatically respects others’ decisions regarding their place in that environment.

There are only two basic models of human being, by the time we are teenagers we all know what the “other” model looks like even if we haven’t actually seen one for real or are aware of what all the bits are for. Of course, each of the two main models comes in various states of trim with no one version being any better or worse than another. Gender politics are not a consideration, that, like religion, is a matter of personal choice alone and is unimportant in naturism.

No naturist will ever criticise, torment, bully, sexualise, body shame or demean you in any way, it is probably THE major tenet of naturism that any other person is to be respected. However, they might judge you on other naturist related quirks like towel etiquette, whether you spend to long looking around and other equally unimportant things – unfortunately it is in human nature to judge!

So, I would advise that you choose a naturist venue (be it Naturist club or group in your region) contact them for information, explain that you are interested and they will be delighted to invite you to visit and ease you into the lifestyle at your own pace. There will then come a time when you have to take the plunge and remove your clothes, but I can guarantee that within less than an hour, and usually in just a few minutes, you will forget that you are nude, accept the fact that all around you are nude, will enjoy the feeling of freedom and acceptance that naturism engenders, and that you will wonder what all the fuss was about!

7. What do you think naturism has taught you about yourself and do you think it has changed you in any way?

Not to take myself too seriously. Body positivity, look at a picture of yourself taken 10 or 15 years ago, you never realised at the time how good you really looked! I am more accepting and considerate now so yes, I have changed as a result of naturism.

8. Do you think that there are certain people better suited to naturism and others that are not suited to it and if so why do you think that?

Aside from the obvious bad actors - sex offenders etc and those who cannot separate nudity from sex, there is no reason to think that anyone could not be suited to naturism. I believe it helps you to see the better you.

9. How do your countries consider naturism? How do the laws stand supporting naturism? What are the national and local opportunities like? 

Germany: In Germany, laws on naturism are generally permissive, with specific areas designated for nude activities. It is legal to be naked in private spaces such as one's apartment, balcony, or garden, provided it does not disturb others or violate public order laws.

Public nudity is not explicitly prohibited under criminal law, but it is usually only allowed in designated areas such as FKK (Freikörperkultur) zones, which are marked by signs indicating they are for nude activities. FKK zones and clubs exist throughout Germany and the population is encouraged to make use of them. Advertising of these sites is found in most periodicals and online.

Public nudity is generally not allowed outside of designated FKK zones. In areas like shopping malls, bars, or restaurants, being naked is not permitted, and the establishment has the right to ask individuals to cover up.

Naked hiking is quite commonplace and does not seem to ruffle any feathers.

Naturism in Germany has a long history, with the first nude beach established in 1920. Despite periods of restriction, particularly during the Nazi era, nudism has remained popular and continues to be a part of German culture.

Singapore: In Singapore, naturism and public nudity are strictly prohibited by law. The

country enforces stringent regulations against any form of public indecency, including nudity on beaches or in public spaces. Violations can result in severe penalties, such as fines or imprisonment.

Culturally, Singapore is super conservative, and public displays of nudity are not accepted, with appropriate attire expected in all public areas.

Public nudity, including in private spaces exposed to public view, is illegal under Section 27A of the Miscellaneous Offences (Public Order and Nuisance) Act. This law applies even within one's own home if the nudity is visible to others.

Singapore's society values modesty and decency, and public nudity is considered offensive and disrespectful.

As it is illegal to be seen naked, even in your own home, one might wonder how people manage to even take a shower!

As far as I am aware there is just one Japanese Onsen in Singapore, where nudity is de rigueur, however on the premises outside of the Onsen, clothing is required. Massage both at the Onsen and in parlours throughout Singapore require the client to wear underwear.

As you can see from the foregoing, Singapore’s approach to naturism is somewhat draconian! Given Singapore’s strict laws and cultural stance, naturist activities are not practised or promoted. The focus in public spaces, including beaches, is on family-friendly and culturally appropriate experiences.

So based on the laws, I prefer the regime in Germany where naturism is supported by the government and accepted by the population in specific areas, I can sunbathe nude in the park and I can get a proper body massage. I suspect the draconian regime regarding nudity in Singapore historically stems from the rather looser behaviours that were common at the birth of the Singapore nation and persisted into the late 1970’s and early 1980’s. Prostitution is illegal in Singapore and businesses distance themselves from anything that could be remotely considered as such. In Germany prostitution is legal, controlled and income from such work is taxed with state pension rights, it is considered to be an occupation. This clearly demonstrates the two states attitude to the connection between naturism and sexual gratification. I don’t see Singapore hosting the World

Naked Bike Ride anytime soon!

10. How would you like to see the future of naturism developing over the next 30 years and do you feel these ideas are achievable?

I would like to see naturism rebrand itself as a healthy pastime, as the FKK originally marketed it, for both singles and families. Single males are largely perceived as a problem and I would like to see this perception eradicated, males have just as much right to take part as anyone else, after all, respect is the cornerstone of naturism. This would require a rethink and a drive to engage single females and, of course, relies on the good behaviour of the menfolk!

I would also like to see proactive support from government promoting the health aspects and, as in Germany, France, the Netherlands etc., providing spaces where naturism is not only allowed but encouraged.

Unfortunately, I do not see these ideals coming to fruition any time soon.

Prejudice, misconception and religion get in the way, certain countries (Singapore, I’m looking at you, for one) just could not accept the practice of naturism, it is too far out of their comfort zone. It could work – Bali has at least one naturist resort and Indonesia is not generally supportive of the lifestyle.

I would like to see national bodies and a single, unified international body that would vigorously promote the lifestyle in a co-ordinated way, but the funding required would be hard to acquire as there would need to be a certain number of full time staff.

11 What are the biggest problems that naturism is currently facing? Do you think these are worldwide concerns? Are these problems any different from when you first became a naturist?

Numbers - depending on where you look you can read that numbers of young people are adopting Naturism, and it is growing faster than ever and then you read somewhere else young people are not taking up naturism and leaving in droves. The hippy days of the 60's might have tarnished the image a little, the internet due to its necessary chaotic nature certainly is a double-edged sword. On the one hand making the information on naturism available but on the other lumping it in with pornography, just look up naturism on a search engine and check the results! Naturism needs some good PR to break it away from the stigma which it still attracts. It is still a bit seaside postcard-ish and that image has to change - Perception is Everything! Say something loud enough and long enough and it will become fact - Donald Trump is living proof of that!

Religion - As has been pointed out the Christian faith is, if not embracing naturism it is at least, adapting to it, and rightly so, God made man in his image and Adam and Eve were supposed to remain naked so really there can be little argument about nudity in the Christian faith. Don't get me started on the contradictions in the bible! The other religions are a bit more up tight! In some, women are still almost treated like chattels to be hidden away so no other man can see them, ostensibly to prevent other men becoming incensed with lust, which only goes to say something about their menfolk! I am not sure what the Buddhist, Shinto or ancestor worship take is on the subject, but most practitioners of those religions are extremely shy about their bodies which probably has its root cause in their religious teachings or social conditioning.

These have been a problem for a long time. Back in Victorian days nude bathing was normal, in fact up until the 2nd world war and even later, it was common for men and women to bathe nude in separated pools - this was partly based in tradition and partly to keep the pool filters clean, bathing suits of natural materials tended to bleed particles leading to blocked filters - modern materials do not have this issue.

Numbers and religion are a worldwide problem with religion being the trickiest to contend with as it is generally "baked in" There are still tribes in the world that have not been "civilised" where nudity is just a normal part of life. The advent of the World Wide Web has brought a change in my lifetime to the way in which naturism is viewed by the general public. Back in the days when the FKK was started a lot of the participants were middle and upper class and it was considered a healthy pastime. The WWW unleashed on them, along with the tabloid newspapers, unwelcome publicity - pictures were posted and the rumour mill started resulting in the stigma we see today and to a degree naturist publications like H & E could be said to have contributed to the seedier image despite the air brushed bits and careful photography and the predominance in the earlier years of mostly pictures of young, attractive women . So, yes, the image of naturism has been changed for the worse in my lifetime. With good PR and an image change it can make a comeback.

12. If the world was accepting of naturism - happy to take on a clothing optional policy in most situations - how do you think it would change the way society works - what positives could you imagine and do you think there would be any negatives?

If the world was more accepting of naturism I think there would be a reduction in personal conflict and misunderstanding, it is hard to argue or lie when nude as body language is in full view with little room for misinterpretation.

As far as negatives go, I can’t see any apart from the effects of weather!

13. Are there any aspect of naturism that frustrates you or annoys you or you feel let down by? Are there any answers that you can think of to put these things right?

The only aspect of naturism I feel let down by is the lack of acceptance of my lifestyle. The Gay community have managed to make their mark but naturists do not appear to have or really tried.

14. Has there ever been a specific day, location, venue, activity that at the end of it has made you think - this is naturism at its best - and why?

My first day on the Plage Naturiste des Jaunais. Sunbathing nude in public for the first time and thoroughly enjoying the experience. I felt so free and relaxed with not a care in the world.

15. Do you speak to friends and family about your naturism? How has that been? Do you have any tips? Has it ever had a bad effect on a relationship?

I do not generally talk to friends about my naturism, what family I have left are all aware and treat me completely normally. It has had no effect on my relationships - my partners have been understanding and encouraging. My second wife is gradually adopting the lifestyle as well, she is generally nude in private at home these days.

I really came out about my naturism on my return to the UK from Brunei, married with two young children, I just stopped wearing clothes around the house and, when it was warm enough, in the garden. Nobody was too concerned, the milkman and postman took it in their stride as did my neighbour. Very little changed except I wasn’t wearing clothes!

We certainly have a lot less washing these days!

16. What five words would you use to describe naturism that people who haven't tried naturism may not have considered and what five words would you say doesn't describe naturism that those same people may wrongly consider to be true?

Positive view:-

Respectful, accepted, freedom, comfort, grounded

Negative view:- 

Sexual, provocative, embarrassing, uncomfortable, different

17. If you were to close your eyes and consider naturism as an animal, a colour and a food item what three answers would come to mind?

This is a difficult one - I don't have much imagination and couldn't hazard even a guess! I’m an Engineer! We deal in realities!

18. Do you have any naturist regrets?

None really, I should have realised earlier that being oneself was more important and more freeing than conforming to expectation.

19. Why do you think people should join ANW? What can existing naturists get from it and how about "newbies"?

The reason people should join ANW or similar groups is for reassurance that they are not alone, advice, information and community. This is especially important for “newbies” as they will be feeling very much out of their depth at the beginning of their journey into naturism.

What ANW and other groups like them should do is provide a backbone to promote the naturist lifestyle in public.

20. If you could go anywhere in the world now as a naturist where would it be?

Money no object? A sub-tropical island where I can be nude 100% of the time.

21. If ANW wasn't about naturism but something else entirely what other life choice/hobby/interest/passion...would have made you consider joining it?

Photography, railway modelling or model engineering

22. Many naturists incorporate naturism into the daily home life - how important do you think that is to naturists?

In my opinion it is very important, I live my life nude at home and at any time where clothing is optional and conditions permit and would consider myself a part time naturist if I did not. Let me be clear on this point: I am not a naturism fascist! It is what it means to me; your mileage might vary.

23. You have travelled and lived in various countries. In your opinion have you found some cultures better suited to naturism than others? And do you think naturist themselves are stereotypical different from country to country?

I think my answer to question 9 makes it quite clear that some countries are more suited to naturism than others. Singapore, for example, has succeeded in distancing itself from it’s seedier past and promotes a squeaky-clean image today, one quite at odds with naturism.

The USA has a strong religious culture which frowns upon naturism, although it does happen there. France and the Netherlands fall in line with Germany with similar laws and expectations, so naturism is practised rather more there.

The UK still seems a little embarrassed by it but is reasonably happy to let it go on. It attracts postcard humour.

Naturists that I have met appear to be stereotypical naturists in general exhibiting the tenets of their lifestyle.

24. You were in the Merchant Navy. It seems that a higher ratio of people who have jobs or training that involve shared living spaces and environments (police/armed forces etc) find their way to naturism, do you see any specific reasons for this?

I don’t think it is the shared living spaces and communal changing spaces that are the major contributors to this tendency. Today, certainly in the Merchant Navy on deep sea vessels, everyone has their own cabin and own shower and toilet facilities. I think it is more likely to be the close-knit community that develops when small numbers of people spend a lot of time together in close proximity. Crews on deep sea vessels are usually around 28 with a 50/50 officer / rating split. Voyages can be 14 or more days at sea with a 24 hour or less port visit in between. That means you are spending 4 months with 14 people. Personnel come and go during that period, but generally the same people come back after their leave is finished. The dangers are not the same as those that the armed forces might face, but there are still dangers and isolation to contend with. As a result, trust is established engendering a bond between the people on board. This even extends to newcomers. I joined a vessel many years ago in Singapore. It was due to sail the day after I joined. I arrived late at night and made my way to the bar (it was effectively the common area where people hung out). The vessel was then delayed in port 48 hours. I had no local currency so was sat in the bar the next evening. The second Engineer, who I had only met the previous day, asked why I was not going ashore, I explained that I had no cash. He promptly pulled S$100 out of his pocket and said, “get yourself up the road, son”, in certain knowledge that at the next sub (issuing of cash) it would be repaid without question.

Members of the forces, and I include the MN here, develop trust and that is why naturism seems more normal to them as it requires reciprocal trust, something that they are familiar with.

It must also be said that members of the forces are probably a little more worldly wise than most and have had considerably more experience of life at the sharp end through their job and travel, making them more amenable to conditions the general public may find uncomfortable.

25. You grew up in the UK, but have travelled and tried naturism in various countries. What lessons would you like to see naturism in the UK learn from abroad?

Naturism in the UK needs to be normalised. It has both a slightly seedy connotation because of the inability of the public to separate sexual gratification with nudity and it still has the seaside postcard image which suggests smutty humour. This is not the case in Europe, naturism is an everyday thing which people do, no one bats an eyelid. In the UK, naturism needs to go up-market and rebrand itself maybe as a spa, day spa or promoted as a holiday venue to break the connection. It might also

help if a nationwide body got behind the individual clubs and organisations and did some serious PR work, particularly regarding the health and mental benefits. UK naturism needs to become acceptable and mainstream.

26. Any final other thoughts?

We all come into this world naked and generally leave it the same way, at least I intend to when the time comes! I could not see myself now as anything but a naturist, and hope that I have made some, small improvement in the world for being here – It is all that we can hope to do after all.

Bill W, Hamburg. July 2025

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