A 67-year-old naturist who strips off for cooking, gardening and social events such as bowling, yoga or walking trips with fellow retirees, has said nudists are “more comfortable, more accepting and nicer all round” than those who wear clothes. Philip Baker, a retired IT consultant from Brede, near Rye in Sussex, organises nude events as part of the East Sussex Naturists group, which has also raised thousands of pounds for the British Heart Foundation via charity walks.
Qigong classes, walks, swims, dinner parties, cooking, gardening and bowling are all on the menu for the clothes-free collective and since the UK’s first Covid-19 lockdown in 2020, Philip has regularly been naked non-stop for days – only donning garments when he travels into his local town. His way of life has risks, with dangers including brambles or thorns while gardening and nettles when walking, but has also helped Philip’s heart condition by reducing his stress levels.
Philip’s wife, Mary Baker, joined his passion for naturism during their shared holidays but has recently taken to wearing thin clothes while her husband is swimming naked as she’s getting “too cold”, according to her husband. Since the first Lockdown started, Philip was mostly naked at home – interacting with other naturists online via naked Zoom calls – but his disrobed journey began much earlier in 1965, aged 10, in his garden.
