Nick Mayhew-Smith
@nickbpp.bsky.social
Passionate about landscape spirituality, written books celebrating our built and natural heritage, including the guide Britain's Pilgrim Places. Faith inspired but disillusioned with institutions. Been a naturist all my adult life, happily open about it.
It's a shame his book Vivre Nu hasn't been published in English, to reach a wider audience. I don't know how difficult it would be to read in French, your summary on naturism Wiki sounds like it's very insightful. Or if it has been translated I can't find it!
wiki.clothesfreelife.com/books/vivre-...
wiki.clothesfreelife.com/books/vivre-...
Vivre nu - Naturism Wiki
Vivre Nu (Living Naked), written by the French psychologist, psychoanalyst, and sociologist Marc Alain Descamps, is a seminal academic work that explores the
wiki.clothesfreelife.com
November 17, 2025 at 11:02 AM
It's a shame his book Vivre Nu hasn't been published in English, to reach a wider audience. I don't know how difficult it would be to read in French, your summary on naturism Wiki sounds like it's very insightful. Or if it has been translated I can't find it!
wiki.clothesfreelife.com/books/vivre-...
wiki.clothesfreelife.com/books/vivre-...
Gosh, what is the academic paper? Sounds interesting, I'd like to take a look.
November 15, 2025 at 10:43 PM
Gosh, what is the academic paper? Sounds interesting, I'd like to take a look.
Yes, I was going to post that this might be more pronounced in US settings, but others have posted that. European naturism doesn't feel consumerist or elitist to me. Britain has no 'high-end' naturist venues. The poshest we have is the fairly reasonable Clover Spa hotel in... Birmingham!!!
November 15, 2025 at 10:22 PM
Yes, I was going to post that this might be more pronounced in US settings, but others have posted that. European naturism doesn't feel consumerist or elitist to me. Britain has no 'high-end' naturist venues. The poshest we have is the fairly reasonable Clover Spa hotel in... Birmingham!!!
Every time.
Just revelling in your brilliant description of this poem and its context, thank you for making Christmas present buying this year rather easy :-)
Just revelling in your brilliant description of this poem and its context, thank you for making Christmas present buying this year rather easy :-)
November 12, 2025 at 12:35 AM
Every time.
Just revelling in your brilliant description of this poem and its context, thank you for making Christmas present buying this year rather easy :-)
Just revelling in your brilliant description of this poem and its context, thank you for making Christmas present buying this year rather easy :-)
No question the media is right-leaning, but I do remember the Tory omnishambles budget in 2012, including the pasty tax, which the media tore to shreds. And I'm not sure Liz Truss survived her premiership entirely unscathed by the media :-)
November 9, 2025 at 11:31 PM
No question the media is right-leaning, but I do remember the Tory omnishambles budget in 2012, including the pasty tax, which the media tore to shreds. And I'm not sure Liz Truss survived her premiership entirely unscathed by the media :-)
Hmm, never seen any naturist image like this before. Two people naked in bed... I really don't get it as a piece of naturist promotion in any way.
November 4, 2025 at 11:42 PM
Hmm, never seen any naturist image like this before. Two people naked in bed... I really don't get it as a piece of naturist promotion in any way.
Yep, Andrew's been shortlisted as Editor of the Year (Independent Magazines). Jen (the designer) deserves full credit for her work making it look so good, though I guess the cover award goes to the photographer rather than the designer. Still, team effort by a fab team!
October 31, 2025 at 11:36 PM
Yep, Andrew's been shortlisted as Editor of the Year (Independent Magazines). Jen (the designer) deserves full credit for her work making it look so good, though I guess the cover award goes to the photographer rather than the designer. Still, team effort by a fab team!
It's Orwell, but I can't figure out why it can only be him!
www.artsjournal.com/herman/2016/...
www.artsjournal.com/herman/2016/...
The Strange Case of Orwell’s Typewriter
My curiosity was aroused by this sentence: His manual typewriter — rather suitably, in the light of his faint anarchist leanings — was later bestowed by Sonia on the 1960s hippy-radical…
www.artsjournal.com
October 29, 2025 at 12:27 AM
It's Orwell, but I can't figure out why it can only be him!
www.artsjournal.com/herman/2016/...
www.artsjournal.com/herman/2016/...
Yes, they chose the Docklands site specifically for this because it was mostly derelict post-industrial land and buildings. I think one of the first buildings to go up was Canary Wharf itself, it used to stand out a mile but now it's clearly got company!
October 28, 2025 at 12:13 AM
Yes, they chose the Docklands site specifically for this because it was mostly derelict post-industrial land and buildings. I think one of the first buildings to go up was Canary Wharf itself, it used to stand out a mile but now it's clearly got company!
The first time I remember the analogy being used was Nick Clegg in 2010, and it was really concerning how little criticism or context it attracted. He used it as a smokescreen for LibDem support for austerity: "Would you ask your children to pay your credit card bill?"
October 26, 2025 at 11:42 PM
The first time I remember the analogy being used was Nick Clegg in 2010, and it was really concerning how little criticism or context it attracted. He used it as a smokescreen for LibDem support for austerity: "Would you ask your children to pay your credit card bill?"