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Not art - just filth! | EVERYONE owns a suit, and one which is not reserved for court appearances and funerals at that (or at least one would hope). 55-year-old district nurse Lynett Burgess of Llandyfriog chose to wear hers in her own back garden, and it dropped her in a spot of bother with the old long arm. This week, she has been cleared of the charge of indecent exposure by magistrates in Cardigan.
Ms Burgess was filmed whilst sunbathing nude by her 34-year-old next-door neighbour, who reported the incident to the police. The father of three claimed that he was "shaken" by the ordeal, and that he did not want to raise his children in such an environment. Evidently, the nurse's neighbour was not too shaken to operate a camcorder.
Magistrates cleared Ms Burgess, stating that this had become a regular pattern of behaviour for her, and that clearly no offence had been intended. This however has not prevented the nurse from having suffered from anxiety, due to the legal proceedings.
This is the type of case that will put you clearly on one side of the fence, or the other. And my bias is, of course, in favour of the cleared woman. In fact, I find it a little alarming that the case even came to court. The prosecution argued at the Cardigan Magistrates Court that Ms Burgess's nude sunbathing was "not normal" behaviour. Now, before we even touch upon the question of acceptability of nudity, this strikes me as a fairly injudicious argument for a courtroom. Bearing in mind that this was used as grounds in an attempt to convict a woman of a criminal offence, how much credence should it really be given ? It is at least heartening that it was evidently given none.
And whilst we're wearing our Judgment Hat, one might reasonably enquire whether it was "normal" for Morien Jones, who brought the charges, to have filmed her in the first place. There is something I cannot quite follow about the notion that seeing someone in the nip is so deeply disturbing, that it must be committed to video and shared with others - albeit in evidence. I for one would be concerned about raising my children in an environment where people felt it their righteous duty to film 'subnormal' acts, and submit them to the authorities. That is, if I had any children - which I don't.
In prosecution, Maggie Hughes contended that sunbathing in the buff "could be grossly offensive to normal decent persons in society". She then asked the nurse: "What kind of kick do you get from this behaviour ?" This elicited the response: "I take exception to the word 'kick', and find you prudish". Hooray for Lynett Burgess! And thrice hooray! It pleases me that a blow has been struck against those who equate "normal decent persons" with Victorian-valued pietists.
As I am cursed with being British, I can fully understand that - for a lot of people - the naked form carries with it a good deal of shame. As a nation we are still not fully relaxed about our bodies, despite the fact that everyone has one in common. There is a further argument that this is in no way helped by omnipresent advertising featuring the chiselled and body-beautiful. Yet I still know, in my heart of hearts, that there is nothing wrong with being naked. And there are many aspects of life it might assist if we could just admit that to ourselves.
It is not controversial to acknowledge we are simply not as liberated as our European cousins. If bare skin distresses Mr Jones so much, I should strongly advise him not to holiday in Germany - and never to take a walk through a park if he does.
With any luck, we'll soon be seeing a bit more sunshine; and with it, the tacit admission that clothes were invented not to cover our shame - but simply because sometimes it is too cold not to wear them. Yet - despite myself - you are unlikely to see me unattired on Broad Haven beach this summer. I wouldn't inflict that on anybody. Which I guess shows that I am still part of the problem, not the solution.
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Keep those towels just where they are, ladies. | Incidentally, I was once invited to go on holiday to Finland by a friend who used to live in the UK. She told me that I would - however - be required to show full skin in the sauna. I informed her that this notion struck dread into my very soul. The conversation continued as follows :
Friend : Why not ? Everybody does it.
Owe : Everybody in Finland does it. I'm a bit too British. Steering clear of being naked in front of groups of strangers is deeply imbued; and I don't think there's a great deal I can do about it.
Friend : Do you think it's weird ?
Owe : Not for you liberated Finns. But for me, sure.
Friend : Well you British made me do weird things while I was over there.
Owe : Like what ?
Friend : Milk in tea.
Well, horses for courses I suppose.
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