The naturist swimming sessions organised by Club Soleil at the Manor Leisure Centre in Whittlesey near Peterborough are to end in March 2007 after ten years.

June and Norman of Club Soleil have blamed falling attendances and a steep rise in hire charges for the decision close down the event:

"Had we been better supported it might not have happened, and Peterborough will be back where it was 10 years ago with no naturist facilities, and it is sad that all the time, effort, expense, that we put into running this event over the years and all the goodwill we built up in the process will all have been for nothing."

Others have suggested that an attempt in 2004 by Fenland District Council to prohibit under-eighteens fro attending the swim may have lead to a long-term decline in numbers. The proposed ban, based upon "advice" from Social Services regarding the council's child protection policy and implemented by a Leisure Development Manager who "did not like the idea of naked children swimming with naked adults" was successfully challenged by Andy Crawford with help from John Paine and Malcolm Boura.

The full level of ignorance and prejudice directed toward naturists by Social Services in this case is shocking. The full details can be found on Andy Crawford's website.

Closure of the Whittlesey swim does not affect the other events run by Club Soleil.

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