Ashdene Naturist Club – 1st to 3rd March 2024 – Outreach Group visit with Winter Welcome
Outreach group visit to Ashdene.
The facilities at Ashdene are first class, which include a large heated swimming pool, sauna, 8 person hot tub, showers, a full bar, spacious indoor seating, a large hall for live music events, and even a pool table. Set within acres of ground surrounded by tall woodland, it has plenty of space to bring your own caravan or camper, or even your own tent. Ashdene has a very easy to use online booking system, where you can easily see available dates. I have stayed here many times, in two caravans and in my tent for both day visits and longer stays.
The caravans were warm and well looked after. Couples and singles are made very welcome, and the people are extremely friendly. Ashdene hosts many event nights, with a packed attendance, mostly live bands and game nights. Although I have visited before, it was on my own.
When I was there last summer I got talking to an Outreach Member who told me about the Outreach Group, she explained they organise meetups at different clubs. It’s a perfect way to meet new people and get experience of a new club without having to go in there completely on your own.
I’m really glad I joined and many thanks to Liz and her husband for taking charge of this amazing visit. You are both stars. Looking forward to the next one – Paul.
First Outreach Group Activity for 2024 – Ashdene Naturist Club weekend January 2024
Following a casual “I think….” suggestion on one of the monthly Zoom calls last year, eight of us had a great weekend Activity at Ashdene Naturist Club and enjoyed the entertainment by the Single Barrel rock ‘n roll cover band on Saturday evening. The weekend happened with excellent leadership from Liz and the help of the Ashdene Visitors team.
As ever, there was a warm welcome from the Ashdene Club members and the club’s facilities make for a relaxed stay, we spent a few hours floating in the hot tub chatting and then swimming in the heated pool whilst happily ignoring Storm Isha whirling around us. The band on Saturday evening were too good and loud to be ignored from the first note being played and gave us a great evening.
Peter the Secretary
Christmas Pizza Party – 28th December 2023
Hi all, just a quick note on the Christmas pizza party at Peter the Chairman’s house. I arrived about 5pm and there were 5 people in the living room. I got rid of my clothes and joined them.
We were having a good old chin wag and a drink or two. Two more people arrived and the banter carried on. Pizzas were ordered in and enjoyed along with a scoop or two followed by more chin wagging . It was a very enjoyable few hours socialising with a few old friends and a couple of new ones.
It would have been nice to see a few more of the group but there it is. I enjoyed myself and I’m sure the others did too. So thanks to Peter for hosting.
Colin
Diamonds in the Buff at Liverpool Sun & Air – November 11th 2023
Liverpool Sun and Air (LSAS) club kindly hosted the Outreach Group’s annual dinner and dance evening which this year had the theme of “Diamonds in the buff”. The evening attracted around 50 people of whom over a dozen were from the Outreach Group.
The evening was great fun and despite the minimalist dress code being tiaras and black tie in the buff a lot of care was taken by many to add to this with careful makeup and sparkle to great effect. This made the already colourful evening buzz of welcome and friendship.
The food was really tasty and produced by the talented LSAS team who worked hard all day to produce a great three course meal with lots of choice and style to meet the expectations of guests crowned with tiaras and little else. The special bar put on for the evening provided great service with a smile throughout and made it easy for all of us to enjoy our favourite tipple.
The excellent musician who stepped in at the last minute seemed a little bemused to be entertaining 50 naked dancers, but it didn’t take long for the event to carry him forward with the enthusiastic dancing enjoyed by many of us. It was great to be part of a group for the evening of care free naturists enjoying the pleasure of bopping away to the sounds of yester year in whatever dance style that took our fancy.
So if you were there, apologies for not giving you a special tiara, diamonds and dance a mention, if you weren’t there, this was the second dinner and dance event the Outreach Group has hosted, both were great evenings and we look forward to seeing you at next year’s event on 14th October.
Telford Naturist Club – 29th September to 1st October
The weekend of 29th September to 1st October saw four of us visit Telford Naturist Club and have a relaxed and enjoyable weekend. TNC is on the site of an old coal mine, but since the early 80’s it’s been home to naturists creating the transforming mining facilities to those that benefit naturism – the clubhouse started life as a methane extraction facility for instance – the club now has great facilities that allow one to enjoy a relaxed weekend with swimming pool, gym, bar and pool table as well as excellent facilities for visitors in tents, caravans, campervans or motorhomes. It was fascinating to hear how the transformation was achieved from two of the ladies who were there in 1980’s.
Saturday evening had us in the bar enjoying a pint and listening to a rendition by Mark James of great songs from the 70s.
Within the 30-acre TNC site there is a large area of old mine workings that are now home to woods, lakes and BBQ facilities, whilst we didn’t try the BBQs, the four of us enjoyed a Sunday morning stroll through the woods followed by a swim and Sunday lunch put on by the club. A good weekend was had by all.
We came away thinking that TNC is a great place to visit, and it would be good to return.
- Naturist Garden Party and Complimentary Barbecue – Sunday 2nd July
- We arrived at 2.45 pm Liz and Simons in sunny Burnley, the other guests slowly arrived, mainly due to the M6 in Preston being shut, Simon was the master of ceremonies on the barbeque and the wonderful food was enjoyed by all those present. After allowing for the food to digress some of us found the way to the hot tub which was at the optimum temperature to enjoy the outdoor activity. A great event with some great company.
MIDSUMMER BEACH FEST Sunday June 25th, St Annes beach. 11:00 am to 1:00 pm
- The day started sunny and bright as we arrived at the St Annes Beach North Car park. We set off at 10 am to head along the beach to our bit of the beach past the Sand Yachts and the beach clean up gangs until we reached Zone 5. We set up camp for the day and the sun came out, at about 11am we were joined by George and Julie from the Blackpool & Fylde club together with a group of five from Ireland who were taking in the sites of the North West accompanied by Barry from BN.
- There were eventually about twenty in attendence as Pam Fraser being a local girl entertained us with her tv experiences. We have been warned that the weather would turn nasty around 1 pm, so as the dark clouds approached from the west, myself and Gillian beat a hasty retreat, the heavens opening as we reached the safety of the car park. Those we left behind, however, got a free shower on their way back to the car park.
- WEEKEND VISIT TO MORECAMBE BAY NATURIST CLUB. 10th -11th June and BN Naked Cross Morecambe Bay Walk.
- Simon & Liz – Just a little feedback from the weekend, which I can sum up a being fantastic. Everything proved to be very successful from beginning to end. Obviously the sunshine helped.
- There were 31 at the beach, which we agree is a great spot for future. David went round with a tin and collected £58:80 on the day, with pledges from others to donate via the just giving page.
- 93 people took part in the Cross Bay walk.
- The group visiting Morecambe Bay Naturist Club have thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. I think that nine Outreach members have been here, and it was a great success for the club.
- Art added – Great weekend organised by the group. I wasn’t able to come to Silverglade unfortunately but half moon beach 🏖 was fantastic. Also the bay walk was good and I managed to chat to a few people on the way especially Alistair. Even though me and Alistair almost missed the walk due to the train being a little late but our Simon put me right and showed me the way! Looking forward to future events.
- David added – Hope we have successfully designated Half Moon Bay as a suitable naturist venue for a few folk, or bigger group of folk, to use it anytime. We could do a naturist or clothes optional walk on the cliff path sometime.
- Also, we could be right in thinking it was the first naked Tai Chi session on any UK beach (even a world first?) Too late for Guinness Book of Records ?
ST GEORGE’S DAY DINNER AND WEEKEND VISIT TO THE RIBBLE VALLEY CLUB – Ribchester. April 21st – 23rd.
What a great weekend we had at Ribble folks for St George’s Day in spite of the weather forecast!
So I managed to arrive on the correct day this time🙄
After an excellent light lunch and real ale at the Millstone in Mellor 😊
Managed to pitch the tent dry before the rain started so spent time getting to know folk in the pool area sauna and hot tub 🛀 before our lovely home prepared pie and pea supper with cakes to follow! After dinner I was asked to run a quiz for those present in the clubhouse which went down well😉🍺 🎶 🎶🎶
The weather improved as Saturday arrived and after a BBQ lunch we opted for a walk into Ribchester for a few more real ales then returned for our Roast beef dinner ( 3 courses £7:50pp) ably prepared by the ladies of the club
A race night followed which filled some pockets and emptied others with much mirth !🤣🤣 🐎 🐎🐎
Sunday dawned dry and continued to improve and we joined in games of boules and Molkky after a free lunch provided by the club again 😋 we even managed to strip off outside on Sunday!! (Result!) 😎 THANK YOU to Simon and Liz for organising and to Paul and the members of Ribble Valley Club- what a lovely place😃
St Patricks Pizza Party – Saturday 18th March 2023
On Saturday 18th March a small group of nine members attended the St Patricks Pizza Party at Simon and Liz’s in Burnley. It was a relaxed social evening with a few adventurous persons partaking in the outdoor hot tub. The food and the company were spot on and we hope to do something similar in the summer months
Ashdene Outreach Weekend – 3rd to 5th February 2023
Ashdene is a remarkable place, set in West Yorkshire in the Calderdale Valley. The seven acres of south facing land and is open all the year round.
Sixteen of our members visited for two nights, Friday and Saturday in February. Although there wasn’t much sun, we all enjoyed our visit.
The members of the Club were friendly and helpful. The site is well laid out with chalets and caravans, of which three club caravans are for visitors. The Clubhouse has an adjoining Indoor/Outdoor Swimming pool, Jacuzzi and Sauna.
The Clubhouse also has a cosy Bar, large kitchen and Lean to conservatory, with tea/coffee making facilities. There is a large room with a removable pool table over a dance floor, large enough to sit approx. forty persons for a meal.
On Friday evening Simon and Liz organised a Takeaway for our members which was mainly Curry or Pizzas. Saturday evening meal was created by three Outreach members providing different home-made curries, including a vegetarian option. Breakfast both Saturday and Sunday was cooked fresh in the large club kitchen and served by two other Outreach members Geoff and Elaine, who used to have a hotel.
On Saturday morning there was Aqua Aerobics in the pool, and a Textile walk led by Outreach member Liz. Saturday evening a Disco in the large room run by Simon, and enjoyed by all.
On Sunday morning another Outreach member David ran a Thi Chi session and in the afternoon eight Outreach members had a very interesting Heritage Public Walk to Shibden Hall and surrounding district, run by a local guide.
The rest of the time Outreach members used the Jacuzzi, Sauna, and pool, or spent reading books in the bright conservatory. The Bar was open most of the time at the weekend with reasonable priced drinks and snacks!
Everyone had a GREAT TIME and hope to revisit sometime in the future.
Christmas Pizza Party – 29th December 2022
Mid-winter, very cold, frosty and miserable weather was soon forgotten once we had parked in the cul- de-sac and upon finding the semi-detached house number, we were led by our torch to the porch. The welcoming smile upon the peering face popped around the opening door and we were each greeted by our naked host Peter who gave instructions as to where to put our shoes, outdoor coats and a room where we could change and grab one of the neatly placed fresh towels just in case, we had forgotten our own. He then gave direction to the lavatory and hand basin and the room where others had already gathered.
Once ready the door was opened and the first person to say hello was sat in a large lounge chair immediately in front, a glance around the room which was filled with folk conversing, sat all around the long room filled with bookshelves and other homely nic nacs. A warmth was felt immediately upon entering the room and a welcome from faces, some recognised others anew. I was offered a seat, a drink and a first conversation began.
There were four women and eight men all members of the Outreach Group who had accepted Peter’s invitation via the Outreach WhatsApp Group. We were all members of BN and some were members of swim clubs or landed clubs having travelled from as far as Scotland and south of the border.
We discussed the various venues both virtual and real which we had encountered over the years, some quite recently, our hopes and plans to visit places near and afar to enjoy camaraderie and mutually agreeable interests amidst nature and the natural environment.
The evening was relaxed, and the mid-evening door opening was the pizzas arriving. A fab way to spend an evening chatting and making new acquaintances on a dark winter’s December night twixt Christmas and New Year. The relaxed atmosphere engendered many interesting conversations in smaller groups. Everyone agreed that such a delightful evening merited a repeat.
New invitations to be confirmed for the spring and summer by both Simon, Liz, and Peter. Others left considering the possibility of hosting a future gathering or simply looking forward to meeting again next time.
Dine & Disco – 15th October 2022
Pies, peas and dancing at Melling Tithebarn, a successful first naturist dining and disco event for the North and West Naturist Outreach Group
Did we have fun? Yes we did!!!
The Saturday evening event was well supported with almost every seat in the house occupied when we sat down for our really tasty gourmet “pie ‘n peas”. With a little gentle cajoling from Simon, our host for the evening, every foot was on the dance floor for at least two or three tracks – as he said afterwards, dancing in the nude in front of an open fire with a group of friends was a special experience. The bar service with smooth, continuously providing great value for a wide range of both non-alcoholic drinks and usual mix of our favourite tipples.
We are sure the Rector of Halsall who had the tithe barn built in the mid 1700s would have been surprised by a group of enthusiastic naturists dancing in his barn over 200 years later, but I guess it might have put a wry smile on his face too.
The Outreach Group was really pleased to have the support of fellow members of BN and our mutual friends, if a party can be judged by the noise level it was good with lots of chat between friends of old and between friends as yet un-met.
We’ll be putting on lots more events, and in the New Year we’re looking forward to repeating the dining and disco event to brighten up the winter.
For around ten of us, the event included a most enjoyable weekend stay with the Liverpool Sun and Air Society. The welcome we were given was very warm with all the information about how things worked being provided from the outset. In addition to the excellent fully serviced pitches we were also treated to cooked breakfast and lunch, the food was plentiful and just right for an autumn weekend. The club’s hospitality was second to none. It was heart-warming how many of the members spoke to us and made a point of saying that they hope we enjoyed it and that we would be welcome back anytime. What they didn’t know was we are all planning a return visits, either as a group, or separately.
Group Events co-Ordinator, Simon Dawson explained that the Dine and Disco, combined with the members visit to LSAS was the latest in a growing number of events organised by the North and West Naturist Outreach Group, which is now beginning to really find its feet.
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Based in BNs NW Region, but welcoming members from Scotland and Yorkshire, In its short history, the group have hosted well supported beach days at
St Annes Beach, near Blackpool,
Morfa Dyffryn Beach in Snowdonia,
Roanhead Beach in Cumbria.
We have led several Naturist Walks to
Beacon tarn near Coniston in Cumbria
Trough of Bowland in Lancashire.
We founded the Shap Lido naturist swim, which proved so popular that the pool team have taken it over and run the event themselves, taking full advantage of the “buff pound”. Many of our events have been part of BNs Great British Skinny Dip (GBSD) initiative, encouraging wider awareness and participation in Naturism.
The Group have previously organised several visits to several other landed clubs including
Manchester Sun and Air Society,
Wrekin View Naturist Club
Ashdene Naturist Club.
We have always received a warm welcome and hope to visit all the clubs in the Region in due course. Our members attend many of the swims and the regular beach days hosted by the Blackpool and Fylde Club.
We are very keen supporters of BN and the work they do, with members attending all the major events. Indeed, there were seven of us at Nudefest this year.
Being a member of the group has many benefits, including the fact that several members share transport; an added bonus for those who don’t drive