Holding her towel close to her body, Estelle Keeber, 41, looks around the garden trying to decide between sunbathing, soaking in the hot tub or relaxing in the hot tub.
Opting for the hot tub, the mother of two boys, aged 15 and 13, from Leicester, hops in and begins to enjoy the relaxing bubbles and sunshine outdoors.
Estelle may sound like the millions of other Brits hoping to make the most of summer’s warm temperatures and sunshine.
The only difference is that Estelle has almost nothing.
This body-confident mum, who runs social media consultancy Immortal Monkey, is proud to be able to enjoy sunbathing and hot tubs topless and likes to go totally naked when she can.
Her first foray into nudity began eight years ago, when she was 33, and she realized she needed body confidence.
“Initially, I didn’t have a post-baby body,” she says.
“But after taking my top off in the garden I changed my mind and realized ‘yes, this is great!’.
“Our garden is dominated by houses. I found a place where people couldn’t see me if I was topless. That was the first step to embracing naked sunbathing.”
Now she loves sunbathing naked – so much so that last year she visited a naturist beach in Spain.
“It was supposed to be my 40th birthday and now I’m obsessed,” she says.
“I love lying in the sun feeling the heat on my body and taking the maximum dose of vitamin DI possible. It’s one of the best things I’ve ever done. I take off my kit as soon as the sun comes out.
“I never thought sunbathing naked could be so empowering. More people should try it. Teaches body confidence and maximizes a full tan.
And she said she was delighted with today’s temperatures, which were expected to reach 31 degrees in the UK.
“This great weather means I’m doing as many natural activities as I can, including nude spa days,” she says.
Single Estelle, who survived off food banks in 2015 before launching her business, has become even wilder since reaching her 40s.
“I wrote a ‘Fuck it, I’m 40’ list of things I wanted to challenge myself to do naked – including the beach,” she says.
“I had preconceived ideas about naturist beaches, including perverted people, but I was wrong.
“I dropped my towel and no one looked or cared. There were people of all different shapes and sizes enjoying the sun like me. It was very refreshing.
“That’s why I know Britain’s nude beaches will be overrun this weekend as the sun shines.”
Then two weeks ago Estelle launched another naked challenge when she booked a day at a nude spa in Birmingham.
“I had a few meetings canceled and it was an impulsive decision… but it changed my life because it was so brilliant,” she says.
A sun hat, sunglasses and a towel are all you need
Estelle Keeber
When Estelle arrived, she paid £60 for the ‘starting day’ package and was greeted by clothed staff who handed her a towel and a list of treatments and rules.
“Naturist sites always have a list of clear rules,” she says.
“I felt safer and more respected at the naturist spa than walking my dog in a local park at 6am.
“The spa has single-sex changing rooms. The towel you receive at reception is not for wrapping yourself around, it is for sitting on.
“Naturist venues encourage a strict etiquette policy for sitting on a towel. You can ask for other towels to wrap around you.
Estelle enjoyed a nude body massage before heading to the spa’s nude gardens.
“It was fantastic. There were naked people sunbathing, chatting in groups or enjoying the hot tub.
“I soon forgot I was naked and the jacuzzi was incredible.
“I also did a naked sauna.”
Estelle did a nude hot tub and some nude sunbathing before the rain and cooler weather forced her inside.
“The spa offered naked dining,” she says.
CAN I SUN NAKED IN MY GARDEN?
It’s not a crime to be naked in public, which means it’s not against the law to be naked in your own garden in the UK.
However, all of this changes if your actions alarm or upset those around you.
The current law states: “In the absence of any sexual context and in relation to nudity where the person does not intend to cause alarm or distress, it will normally be appropriate to take no action unless members of the public have actually been provoked by harassment , alarm, or distress (rather than considering the probability thereof).”
Lawyer Lynette Calder told The Sun this means it’s OK to be naked in your own garden – as long as your intention isn’t to harass or distress anyone who lives next door.
She said: “Unless you are in breach of section 66 of the Sexual Offenses Act 2003 – i.e. ‘intentionally exposing your genitals with the intention that someone will see them and become alarmed or distressed – then there is no rule specifically against nudity in the UNITED KINGDOM.”
The best way to ensure you don’t end up in hot water with the police while enjoying the UK sun is to exercise caution.
It’s also worth considering that someone might ring the doorbell during your nude sunbathing sessions.
It’s not illegal to answer the door in your underwear or walk around your house without clothes, but if nudity becomes a regular occurrence and your neighbors complain enough to the police, they may take action against you.
“That was the most challenging thing for me, walking into a dining room and seeing people eating naked.
“I didn’t know where to put my napkin. I was worried about spilling food on my breasts or leg and decided to eat a pizza that wouldn’t spill.
“But at the end of the meal, eating naked seemed like the most normal thing in the world. The whole day felt like a real treat!”
Estelle will go to her own garden to sunbathe topless,
“For me, being naked or topless is a matter of respect,” she says.
“My garden is so open to neighbors that I can’t spend the whole month there. I can go topless. Enjoy the sun and get the health benefits.
“I plan to book more nude spa days or a day trip to a local naturist beach.
“I don’t visit these places to be perverted. That’s not what this is about.
“I go as a way to strengthen myself and build my 40-something body confidence.
“You can do this at any age. All you need is a sun hat, sunglasses and a towel.
“But don’t forget the sunscreen… it’s important to stay well dressed.”
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story