Could you bare to live here? Inside Britain's secretive naked village in the London commuter belt, where nudists have been stripping off for 85 years
- Small community of nudists live in Spielplatz, Bricket Wood, Hertfordshire
- Village, named after the German word for playground, was founded in 1929
- Residents rely on deliveries of food and electrical appliances from outside
- Their lifestyle is laid bare More4 documentary The Naked Village
Nestled quietly to the side of the M25, it appears to be like any other commuter village.
But among the cluster of well-kept houses and community centres lies a group of residents living life a little differently.
For
the people of Spielplatz in Bricket Wood, Hertfordshire, form one of
the country's few naked villages, having lived in the nude for more than
85 years.
A documentary exposing the lifestyle
of a small community of naturists in a small village on London's
commuter belt will be shown next month. Tina and Mark Yates (pictured
above in the community's local pub) have been living in Spielplatz since
visiting so that Mrs Yates could overcome body self-consciousness
Their lifestyle has been laid bare in a new documentary offering the outside world a glimpse into naturism.
Among
those enjoying life in Spielplatz - which means playground in German -
is Iseult Richardson, 82, whose father founded the community in 1929.
'There is no difference between naturists and people who live up the street,' she insisted.
'We all live normal lives but are just lucky enough to live in this extraordinary place.'
Properties in the village mainly comprise of two-bedroom bungalows which sell for £85,000, the Mirror reports.
The couple are among 34 home-owners who live permanently at the site that is a stone's throw from the M25
Everyday activities such as meal times and trips to the small, local pub are normally carried out in the nude
Wellington
boots are reserved for gardening while residents can also choose to wear
clothes if feeling chilly. Vic Lightfoot, the club's financial
director, has trouble persuading girlfriend Maggie (pictured top) to
strip off
Mark Yates in the community's entertainment room while his wife Tina goes outside for a dip in the pool
George, another of the residents, relaxes in the living room of his bungalow. The properties cost £85,000
Residents also have the option to wear clothes if they want to when it is cold or they are doing daily chores
While
residents prefer stripping off, they will adorn wellingtons, trousers
or appropriate clothing when carrying out tasks like gardening.
Trips to their own local pub, swimming sessions and meal times are all performed in the nude.
Earlier this year one woman spoke of how life in the village cured her of body esteem issues.
Tina
Yates was self-conscious of a scar on her abdomen following an
operation, and was taken to Spielplatz by her naturist husband in the
hope it may cheer her up.
Soon the pensioner had let go of all her previous body hang-ups, and the couple settled in permanently.
While
those living behind its fences are free of inhibitions, tensions are
fraught over an ongoing debate about whether to force visitors to bare
all when they come to see family.
The Naked Village will be shown on More 4 on December 11 at 9pm.
Earlier this year residents posed in one of the gardens as Tina Yates (third from left) spoke of life together
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