Steve Gough's UK nude trek

[Bob S.]

The BBC news did a report on Steve Gough's continuing nude trek from Southern England to Northern Scotland, an 847 mile walk. In the article, he reported about a mostly "friendly" reception by passers-by, but did at one point get assaulted by another man so bad that he required medical assistance.

He also commented on the police actions, but he stated in reference to his five arrests,"...as I'm aware, nothing has ever come of it and in one town they actually let me go after they arrested me."

Read more at the URL below.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/3064233.stm

Bob S.

[Bob S.]

The BBC news did a report on Steve Gough's continuing nude trek from Southern England to Northern Scotland, an 847 mile walk. In the article, he reported about a mostly "friendly" reception by passers-by, but did at one point get assaulted by another man so bad that he required medical assistance.

He also commented on the police actions, but he stated in reference to his five arrests,"...as I'm aware, nothing has ever come of it and in one town they actually let me go after they arrested me."

Read more at the URL below.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/3064233.stm

Bob S.

[Gary Naturist]

Every time that I comment positively on the progress that Steve Gough is making in gaining acceptance for public nudity, I get a number of comments that (a) he doesn't regard himself as a nudist (so what?) and (b) he is hurting the cause of nudism by being so aggressive.

I would invite people to read the BBC news article mentioned in the post above. The article presents Steve's quest in a positive way and provides very valuable publicity for the cause of the right to be nude in public.

Also, if Steve makes it to the end of his 847-mile route, he will have established that it is possible to be nude in public anywhere in the U.K. (at least if you are hiking). This will be a great gain for nudists, thanks to Steve.

Gary

[Guest]

Hi everyone. Just to let you know that I'm recovering well after my knee operation and am regaining mobility and strength in the joint well ahead of schedule.

Regarding Steve Gough - He is 1. on bail for offences arising out of his naked walk (following his second arrest in Cornwall) and 2. already convicted of "insulting behaviour" after doing this in his home town of Eastleigh, Hampshire. I have little doubt that he will accrue more charges and, hopefully, convictions before he finishes his walk. He may even find himself remanded in custody at a prison long before then. Much of his route so far has been along rural footpaths etc. Before too long he'll find himself entering larger conurbations and the police will be expected to take robust action. If they don't, I'll be writing to the respective Chief Constables.

Stu

[Falcon46]

quote:

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Originally posted by stu2630:
[qb] Hi everyone. Just to let you know that I'm recovering well after my knee operation and am regaining mobility and strength in the joint well ahead of schedule.

Regarding Steve Gough - He is 1. on bail for offences arising out of his naked walk (following his second arrest in Cornwall) and 2. already convicted of "insulting behaviour" after doing this in his home town of Eastleigh, Hampshire. I have little doubt that he will accrue more charges and, hopefully, convictions before he finishes his walk. He may even find himself remanded in custody at a prison long before then. Much of his route so far has been along rural footpaths etc. Before too long he'll find himself entering larger conurbations and the police will be expected to take robust action. If they don't, I'll be writing to the respective Chief Constables.

Stu [/qb]

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Hello Stu, Glad to hear you're back & on the mend. [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img] Now onward to the issues at hand....

I'm wondering if Steve's walk is affecting you personally and directly, that you would take a stanse to formally complain to the Chief Constables? You may be right that he is likely to accrue more charges, but I, and probably most everyone else around here hopes he makes the complete journey. If he is able to complete it, I feel it will be VERY interesting to review the entire walk and see just exactly what real harm came from it. (I suspect none whatsoever)

I admire his courage to continue his statement (which is what this walk seems to be) regardless of the legal obstacles. And I remain confounded by your intolerance of something that is so seemingly harmless and victimless once the phobias (irrational fears) are removed. I have a hard time supporting the notion that we should be governed by irrational fears. That simply is not life... IMHO [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]

Get well soon [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img]

Cheers!

[luvnaturism]

Stu ? welcome back. I'm glad your knee is making good healing progress.

"Conurbations"? That's a word I haven't come across before. Can you help me understand it? [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_razz.gif[/img]

[Gary Naturist]

Stu -- It is beyond me why you feel that it is necessary to lodge a complaint about something that does not affect you in the slightest.

Gary

[Trailscout]

Maybe Stu senses that this solitary hiker could be soon joined by others and then throngs of nude hikers will walk the trails and lanes of England. In time, we can hope for naked picknickers in every park in London, people of all ages bathing nude in the fountains just like they do in Berlin, and every spit of sandy beach will filled with laughing carefree nude bathers. People will walk nude by Stu's house on their way to a game of tennis or cricket. Perhaps Stu's own children and Mrs. Stu will hear the call, peel off their clothes and join throngs of nude children playing football in the streets. Would the royal family help lead the way back to the bare necessities? (Just a crown and a smile). Would a naked Tony Blair debate before an equally naked House of Commons? How long can Stu continue to be a bashful Mister Bean if all of Britain is going starkers, frolicking in the summer sun?

Steve Gough is a pioneer and hero of the British people and we pray that his shocking walk will become an everyday event for millions on balmy summer days.

[Bob S.]

Gary, the fact that he is so vocal about not being a naturist helps us out. It makes it so that we can cheer for him while saying that he does not represent naturism.

stu, what exactly is "insulting behaviour" and who did he insult? And after reading the story, how can you explain the reported warm reception that the majority of people have given to Mr. Gough? This doesn't seem to concur with your belief that the majority of people in the UK are negative toward nudity and do not want to see it.

Oh, and congrats on the recovery and physical therapy. I hope your recovery continues at this pace. Now if we could only get that pesky non-nudist attitude exorcized from you as quickly. [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_razz.gif[/img]

Bob S.

[Guest]

Steve Gough and his supporters are asking for people to support him in a host of ways including financially. What about those of us who don't want to see him succeed? Is it wrong for us to notify the law enforcement agencies so that they are aware and can take whatever action they feel is appropriate under the law? I wouldn't have too much of a problem with him if this was just a one off - a stunt - not to be repeated. But that's the precise opposite of his intentions. He wants to change the environment in which I live from one in which nudity is not tolerated to one in which it is. Well I have a say in my own environment, and I happen NOT to want it changing in that way. I consider it harmful to me to change my environment in a way that I don't want, just as a person who scrawls grafitti or throws down litter makes my environment less pleasant.

Bob, the term "insulting behaviour" is an old legal term first used in 1936 by a law aimed at combating the activities of Nazi supporters here in the UK before the war. It literally means behaviour which people find offensive or shocking. Mr Gough certainly has upset some people on his walk. One individual felt so disgusted that he beat him senseless! (Wasn't me, honestly!) I don't condone that but it does show that he is upsetting people by what he is doing.

If Steve Gough wants to make a point, he could do so in a host of ways that were both lawful and inoffensive. What right has he got to enforce his views on the naked human body on the rest of us who don't want to see it? Even if our hostility to it is "irrational", then that's our business and nobody has elected him to cure us all of our "irrational phobia".

Sorry if this posting is not upto my usual standard of eloquence, but I'm in some real pain at the moment with this darned knee!!!

Stu

[Gary Naturist]

Stu: It seems to me to be overkill to attempt to stop a particular activity throughout a whole country just because you don't want that activity happening in front of your own home.

I am shocked that a law instituted to control the actions of Nazi supporters would be used to deal with someone who is simply nude in public. Ridiculous beyond belief.

Gary

[missouriboy]

quote:

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Originally posted by stu2630:
[qb]Mr Gough certainly has upset some people on his walk. One individual felt so disgusted that he beat him senseless! Stu [/qb]

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IMHO, the law should punish the attacker much more severely than it does Mr. Gough, whose actions are/were victimless. Can you apprise us of how his (the assaulter's) case was (or will be) resolved? I cannot believe the law would consider such violence to be justifiable.

I hope you're getting relief from the pain.

[missouriboy]

quote:

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Originally posted by Falcon46:
[qb]I admire his courage to continue his statement (which is what this walk seems to be) regardless of the legal obstacles.[/qb]

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Hey, such a "statement" would be constitutionally protected speech here in the States. Any takers?

[Guest]

Gary

"It seems to me to be overkill to attempt to stop a particular activity throughout a whole country just because you don't want that activity happening in front of your own home."

But that's exactly the issue, Gary. Mr Gough isn't just walking around his own town. He is trying to make a statement to the effect that he can go wherever he likes naked. The worst case scenario for me would be that others would follow his lead and one day I will see nudity in MY town or in MY local park.

"I am shocked that a law instituted to control the actions of Nazi supporters would be used to deal with someone who is simply nude in public. Ridiculous beyond belief."

I didn't say that. I was explaining to Bob the LEGAL meaning of "insulting behaviour" - the term was first used in the Public Order Act 1936. The term was used again when the law was updated in the Public Order Act 1986, section 5 of which refers again to "insulting behaviour", and the courts have held that the old definition still applies.

missouriboy

"IMHO, the law should punish the attacker much more severely than it does Mr. Gough,"

I entirely agree

"whose actions are/were victimless."

No. We know that some people complained about him, so they must have been offended and were, consequently, victims.

"Can you apprise us of how his (the assaulter's) case was (or will be) resolved?"

Sorry, I've no idea if the assailant was actually caught, or if he was whether or not Mr Gough was willing to press charges. Had he been convicted of an assault of this nature, the assailant could expect a term of imprisonment.

"I cannot believe the law would consider such violence to be justifiable."

The law would NEVER consider violence like this to be justifiable. Nor would I.

Stu

[Falcon46]

quote:

---

Originally posted by stu2630:
[qb] Steve Gough and his supporters are asking for people to support him in a host of ways including financially. What about those of us who don't want to see him succeed? Is it wrong for us to notify the law enforcement agencies so that they are aware and can take whatever action they feel is appropriate under the law? I wouldn't have too much of a problem with him if this was just a one off - a stunt - not to be repeated. But that's the precise opposite of his intentions. He wants to change the environment in which I live from one in which nudity is not tolerated to one in which it is. Well I have a say in my own environment, and I happen NOT to want it changing in that way. I consider it harmful to me to change my environment in a way that I don't want, just as a person who scrawls grafitti or throws down litter makes my environment less pleasant.

Sorry if this posting is not upto my usual standard of eloquence, but I'm in some real pain at the moment with this darned knee!!!

Stu [/qb]

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Hello again Stu,
It would seem while your pain may have made you less "eloquent" in your opinion, you actually presented a very valid argument, one in which I'm at a loss to combat!!! ACK!!!! LOL [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]

(but you know I HAVE to try... [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif[/img] )
While I still disagree with you in principle about Steve's goal, I do respect your stance about changing YOUR environment. Nudists don't have any more rights to affect YOUR environment, any more than you have the right to affect OURS (fair enough?). All we are seeking is some level of COMMON GROUND (literally), and that I feel is at the heart of his walk, which is why I'm in complete support. Even you must be able to admit that the whole issue is excessively one-sided against, and not necessarily with complete merit? (or is this where we agree to disagree again [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img] )

(Load up on the pain meds before you answer this so I can see at least a semi-"advocate" response from you [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img] *just kidding Stu, I really do hope you start feeling better soon* )

Cheers!