There is no strict definition of a naturist, and so I can only really say what it means to me. As far as I'm concerned naturism is all about the acceptance of the human body as something completely natural, and not something to be ashamed of. There is nothing obscene or perverse about it.

There are many situations where clothing is essential, but many more time when it is not. Being nude feels perfectly natural to me, and whenever possible I choose not to wear clothes. As well as feeling more comfortable, there is a wonderful sense of freedom.

Because I have spent most of my life nude, I can never completely relax while I have clothes on. For me it's the most natural state there is.

I've been a naturist all of my life. My parents got into it a couple of years before I was born. They took the plunge while on holiday after stumbling across a naturist beach. It's mainly the social side of things they are interested in, and enjoy spending time at the club with friends more then just being nude at home.

Right from when I was very young mum and dad never made any rules regarding dress while at home. The choice of what to wear was left entirely to me, and it wasn't an issue when we had friends call either.

Mum and dad made the early decision that it was something that friends would just have to get used to. Nobody ever had a problem with it, and now friends accept it as normal.

During junior school I never really thought much about naturism. I just went about my life doing whatever felt natural. Even though my friends were aware that I was different to them, none of them ever questioned my choice to be nude.

When I reached secondary (senior) school things were much different. I became aware of how cruel people could be and, for the first few weeks in my new school, I was the main target of jokes.

Although I didn't really enjoy that time of my life, it's not a period that stands out as being very traumatic. In some ways it was quite useful as I was put in a position of having to think about things I had taken for granted in the past. I never felt ashamed that I was a naturist, and it certainly didn't cause me to turn my back on the lifestyle.

Apart from that small period in my life, most people have accepted the fact that I am a naturist. None of my (real) friends had ever had a problem with it, and they never objected to my nudity. In the last couple of years I have found that people's attitudes have changed quite dramatically. Rather than poking fun at me, my school friends now pay more of an interest - although only a few of them have ever tried it.

As well as the usual mum and dad, I also have three sisters. They have very much the same feeling as I do about naturism and only put clothes on when absolutely necessary. The three of us have similar interests and tastes, and get on very well. My younger sisters still likes to visit the club with mum and dad, but neither me nor my eldest sister go with them, apart from for special events.

This is not because we do not enjoy the club environment, but because they do not generally cater for younger people. This is not a criticism, but just an observation. There is a definite lack of younger naturists (especially naturists in their teens) and so most clubs do not feel it makes sense to invest money in events and equipment for younger people.

I don't think the lack of involvement by younger people is a result of the clubs' lack of investment in them, but has more to do with fashion. Naturism is not a 'cool' thing to be into.