He saves a fortune on energy bills – and clothes
ANATURIST from Rochdale has given some bizarre advice for helping keep energy costs low – claiming his unusual lifestyle means hardly any laundry to do.
Stuart Gilmour, 43, says he has ‘saved a fortune’ in clothes and energy bills, as well as feeling better in himself and his body image due to his unconventional habits.
He even goes to his local pub completely naked, saying he ‘loves being able to experience everyday life without the restrictions of clothing’ – and claims the lack of clothing is a ‘conversation starter’.
Stuart said that he was comfortable being naked from a very young age but it wasn’t until 2014 when he was in his mid 30s that he actually discovered naturism. He said: “I used to go on holiday with my parents and say to them when I was about 16-17, ‘I’m going off.’ I’d do some rock climbing but then I’d just find a quiet spot where nobody was about, take my clothes off and sunbathe for a few hours, get dressed and then come back.”
He was finally encouraged to ditch clothes in his everyday life when wife Karen googled ‘why is my husband always naked?’ after spotting him mowing the lawn in the buff.
The pair came across the word ‘naturism’ – a lifestyle and cultural movement advocating social nudity.
“When we looked into it, it was like a massive relief really because I knew there were other people out there like me that was comfortable being naked,” he said.
At first, Stuart would he’d only strip off in the comfort of his own home and in the garden.
But while on a canal one scorching hot day he decided to go for a bike ride naked, despite being ‘petrified’ about how people would react.
“It was very nerve-racking because you don’t know how you’re going to be perceived,” he said. “When I did that, everybody was like ‘oh my God, it’s amazing’.
“The response was fantastic and people were asking in local Facebook groups ‘have you seen the naked cyclist?’
“So it was quite a thing because nobody knew who I was at that point and there was like a hunt to find out who the naked cyclist was for about two years.”
Stuart then did a naked bike ride for charity – and the identity of the ‘naked bike man’ was revealed to his community.
He said he has experienced a lot of positive responses from others.
“I tell people I’m a naturist and they’re like ‘oh fantastic, well done’,” he said. “I had a cyclist the other day say ‘I admire your confidence’ as he cycled past.
“I’ve only had one negative where I’ve had a person shout ‘put some clothes on’ and I just carried on cycling.”
Stuart said that some six years ago he told wife Karen, a senior support worker, they were going on weekend camping trip when they visited a naturist site for the first time in Knutsford, Cheshire East.
He described it as a ‘fantastic experience’ given everyone’s welcoming, on equal terms and there’s no judgement from others.
He claims there’s many benefits to naturism, such as topping up your natural vitamin D levels and during the winter months he enjoys wild swimming, which is great for his mental health.
Stuart said: “For me it just lifts my spirit and I’m an all round much happier person. I go for walks and did a local one the other day down the reservoirs. It’s actually a conversation starter with people.
“You have a chat and they’re like ‘oh, are you a naturist?’ and you just have a conversation with people you would never have a conversation with, it would just be ‘hiya’ and then you’d carry on.
“It’s making you feel better, it’s better for your circulation because your body’s doing what it should be doing to control your temperature, just everything seems to work a lot better. It’s common sense to put clothes on when it gets really cold. But I’m naturally a warm person myself.
“People think ‘it’s a bit cold now, he should be putting clothes on’ but everybody’s different aren’t they?”
The dad said that he sees the ‘bigger picture’ to him just being naked given he’s trying to promote naturism and a positive body image. He therefore takes any ‘stick’ he receives on the chin, given the positives outweigh the negatives.
“The only time really that I get dressed is if we’re going into a shopping centre or I’m going to work, that’s it,” he said, adding that he usually calls ahead to pubs and asks if they are ‘OK’ with him coming in naked, as he ‘isn’t out to upset anybody’.
“I always ring ahead first and ask permission and it’s 50/50 – some people accept it but when people haven’t heard of naturism, I think they’re a bit taken aback, so what I try and do is go in clothed and have a discussion with them,” he said.
“I’ve got a business card that I’ve printed so I give them one so they can go on my Facebook page and see what I’m all about.
“I’ll drive there naked but I always have a pair of shorts and T-shirt in the car. When I go to the pub I’ll take a pair of shorts with me, I’ll pop my head around and say ‘am I OK?’
“So when I go in, if there’s people eating or if there’s children in the back, then I’ll sit at the front of the pub which is a smoking area where there’s no children. If there’s people I’ll put my shorts on and still go in and have a drink. I’m not there to upset anybody and not everyone will agree with it.
“It’s not illegal in public so they can look at you or turn away from you but when you’re on private property then it’s a bit different, it’s just mutual respect isn’t it really?”
One of the reasons why Stuart promotes naturism is because he didn’t find out about it until he was around 35 and had he discovered it sooner, would have adopted the lifestyle a lot earlier.
Stuart said: “It’s hard for people to make the first plunge and that’s where it’s hard to get people to give it a go. Because I think we’ve been socially conditioned from the age of around three or four, you’re made to put clothes on.
“And I think that’s what needs to change but with it being such a massive thing, I do believe there’s more people embracing it and giving it a go, especially with lockdown.
“Because people had nowhere to go they decided not to get dressed and just walk around the house.
“And I think once they start getting comfortable around the house, that’s when they venture out, go to a naturist site or events and things.
“I just love to be able to experience everyday life without the restrictions of clothing, promoting body positivity and embracing the individuality that is our bodies.
“Naturism shows people it’s ok to be different whether that be size, shape or colour and the general wellbeing it can give you.
“Every body is beautiful.”