Latest news with #Langport
BBC News
4 days ago
- Climate
- BBC News
Somerset in Pictures: Sacred pilgrimage and seaside views
With summer in full swing and school out for another year, many of us have our thoughts turned to the great the cricket pitch to the top of Glastonbury Tor, people across Somerset have been getting out and about to make the most of the county in full bloom. Here is a look at some of the best pictures from across the area this week. Pilgrimage of light: People carried lanterns up to Glastonbury Tor, during the Sacred Magdalene Festival, which marks the feast day of St Mary Magdelene. Spotted: Weather Watcher Malty Von Hop sent in this tranquil shot of sheep grazing amongst fruit trees in an orchard in Langport, Somerset. Happy faces: Craig Overton (second from the right) of Somerset was seen celebrating the wicket of Alex Lees of Durham for his fifth wicket during Day One of the Rothesay County Championship Division One match at The Cooper Associates County Ground. Horsing around: Avon and Somerset Police shared this snap of Max, their newest police horse in training, on social media to a huge response. A seagull's view: This beautiful view over Weston-super-Mare's beach was captured by BBC Weather Watcher Gary 'the Monkey'. Skydiver: Brian Standring, 86, from Wellington man has been recognised in Parliament for his charity work. He recently completed his fourth skydive to raise funds for Alzheimer's Society. Champions return: Bath Rugby's players have been back putting in the hard yards as pre-season training began at Farleigh House.
BBC News
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Hundreds descend on Langport for Nudefest 2025
Hundreds of people have descended on a campsite for what has been billed as a "normal festival" - just one where everyone is naked. Thorney Lakes in Langport, Somerset, has once again become home to Nudefest - a week-long event that sits at the centre of the British Naturism calendar. From a performance by The Wurzels to a volleyball tournament and a cider farm tour, the event attracts hundreds of people from across the UK each year."In the evening we've got a silent disco, bands playing and karaoke - it's a normal festival but we're not wearing clothes," said Sue May, 50, from Hampshire who has been attending the festival since 2018. "It doesn't matter who you are or what you look like, everybody gets on - you don't find an angry naturist," she said," Ms May added. "It's a place you can be yourself." Speaking from the festival site she told the BBC: "If people saw what I'm looking at here, there's just people wandering around, they're chatting, there's nothing seedy about it."As a volunteer with Women in Naturism, helping women find the confidence to explore the community, she said she believed interest in the lifestyle had "definitely grown" since Covid. University of Sheffield student Saoirse Newhouse, 21, told the BBC she was attending the festival for the first time as part of the organising team, carrying out duties from setting up sports games to filming social media content. Describing the "friendly" atmosphere at the festival, she said: "Obviously when you do something that isn't societally considered the norm you generally have to be quite open minded.""There's always something going on, some sort of activity, so you can always get involved with that and talk to more people," she added. She also encouraged other women like her to get involved with naturism, despite persistent stereotypes about the community mostly consisting of older men. "There is a bit of a gender skew," she said - but added: "I, and a lot of other women I've spoken to, [say] you feel more respected as a human here."I've never at any of these festivals had someone staring at my breasts or anything inappropriate like that - I've had it more commonly in the outside world," she said - adding that she felt more protected at a naturist event than she did at a pub or club. She described the "strict stance" taken by British Naturism on harassment, which she felt encourages more people to attend "because they know their security is really respected". "People do assume that if you're wearing no clothes you must get unwanted attention but obviously when we look at statistics we realise that what a woman is wearing doesn't determine if she's going to be harassed or assaulted," she added. "It's completely on the perpetrator." Another attendee, 64-year-old Dave Bygrave from North Yorkshire, told the BBC there was "just a really nice and friendly atmosphere" at the festival. "It's fantastic to be in this place where you can just wander around, get food, hear the music, have a drink and talk to people without ever having to get dressed," he many in the community, he said, he and his wife had long been interested in the lifestyle but had been able to go to far more events following their retirement. "The difference between packing to come to Nudefest versus packing for any other holiday is comical really - a couple of t-shirts and some spare underwear for the journey home and that's about it," he joked.
