The WNBR for London and Brighton was held this weekend and sadly I didn’t have the opportunity to take part, but hopefully I’ll manage to make arrangements to join in next year. Not least of which will be getting in the cycling practice and losing the spare tyre I’m currently carrying around my middle – (for reasons of carrying less weight around rather than vanity – Honest !)

I’ve seen a number of videos and photographs taken by people taking part in the event. The first impression that comes across is how much fun everyone is having. The riders in varying states of undress from fully clothed to underwear to body paint to sky-clad all cycling along the city streets having a whale of a time.

The next thing that hits you is that everybody seems to be wielding a camera !

Every photograph you see shows a pavement lined with spectators almost all of them holding a camera of one variety or another.

The other suprising feature is that huge numbers of the riders are carrying video or still cameras. It must be one of the best documented events of the year !

I can wholeheartedly see why someone taking part would want to take photos for their own memories and perhaps to show off at work (for those few souls brave enough to admit they’d been there) but the sheer orgy of picture/video taking just seems so out of place.

The images I’ve seen from the start of the ride seem even more disconcerting with the naked riders outnumbered by clothed men who appear to either be staring or brandishing cameras with large lenses or video cameras or both. I suspect these individuals are not supporting the cause nor do they see naked bodies as being ‘normal’. I could be wrong. I wasn’t there and I’m only going off what I can read from the images I’ve seen.

I’ve enjoyed seeing the videos and photos from people I know who took part, and it has inspired me to take action to join in myself next year. How amazing is it that you can have 1200 people riding (mostly) naked through the streets of London, (let alone the rides in Brighton and many other places) unmolested by the police. Perhaps there is hope that the naked human body is becoming more accepted in society.

I suspect that if you tried riding naked through the streets of London today, you probably wouldn’t get far before getting your collar felt (though if you’re naked what do the police ‘feel’ ?) and it occurs to me that it would make for an interesting court case. How could the police/cps argue that 1200 naked people riding through London aren’t committing an offence but a solo naked person is ? I can’t help but think that by allowing such an action there is a legal precedent being set somewhere.

The whole event is intended to be a protest against the use of oil and be an environmental event. I think it’s becoming more of a event highlighting body acceptance, both those riding and those spectating (other than the men with the cameras).

The ride seems to consist of all age groups but it has been reported that the numbers of student age people seem to be increasing. Perhaps it’s because the student generation of today are more relaxed about shedding their clothes than earlier generations.

The naturist clubs may have an average age over 50, but the naked people in the parks and on the streets are considerably younger.

Perhaps the future of social nakedness isn’t behind locked gates, perhaps it’s more a case of free-range nakedness and maybe the naturist tag will become redundant in time.

Given the rise in the numbers of people taking part in the WNBR over the years, it will be interesting to contemplate the future of the event, and of course I’ll be adding one more body to the count next year – as long as I can get rid of my spare tyre in time…