Tommo, nice to see you again btw. I was going to say, but I thought the comment would be lost in amongst all the debate. It's a pet hate of mine too. That isn't poached, it's steamed. I don't think it's possible to cook the white through without the yolk becoming hard. They turn out more like flat hard boiled eggs.


I only mentioned them as earlier you were so sure there wouldn't be any other guests while filming was taking place.[/quote]

Indeed, but they may have been just day visitors. Or volunteers to 'prop' the setting. It's possible I may be able to find out.

No it doesn't. I think you will find, if you reread my post, I said "a lot of people" not everyone! I stand by my original comment.

error

Thanks for the welcome back Solar Sail. I have been lurking, but just had to pop in today because of the comments!

I loved last nights place. A beautiful house. I wouldn't be bothered about the diy breakfast either. All the fried stuff is not for me.

Tonight's place was a bit soul-less.

Well I found Tim rather creepy - unlike the couple who ran the naturist friendly place in Spain where they really didn't expect to convert anyone.
I did once stay in a spa hotel in Austria - there were a handful of people going "The full Monty" in the sauna but to suggest the Germans/Austrians all let it hang out was far from my experiance.

It's a pity they didn't show more of the extensive garden.

http://cloverspa.co.uk/index.php/booking

As one of my puzzles was on rates I just have to clear it up. The above page for the coming week, shows the full room rate. They may well apply for people walking in the door or last minute. However, most of the days have rates lower than that. A naturist forum posted after the show that those rates can apply, but rates generally vary depending on booking in advance, specials etc.

Solarsail, you posted earlier that you wouldn't pay the advertised rates of £70-90. Being as pretty much the minimum rate I see on many establishments in the show is around at that now, with very few dipping at around £60 (and Clover Spa is a licensed hotel, that also serves evening meals) then leaving aside personal preferences of where you would want to stay and why, which are quite subjective, the prices are in themselves very reasonable bearing in mind the inclusion of room, breakfast and spa use. Many b and b's I see on the show at &70 are not necessarily always in attractive locations or offer any facilities over and above the basic room. The day entrance on most day spas alone are near enough equivalent. Also, the overheads involved in running a sauna, steam room, and hot tub for 12 hours a day plus staff costs, is considerable. A sauna's cost especially the size of the one at Clover is large, being as it was a proper burner and not infrared. Many leisure centres don't even have one because of the cost, and the fact that they have to be kept on all the time, and require continual maintenance.

Re the hotel in Austria, that is a tourist hotel and the rules are posted but not always observed...however you can be assured in purpose built spas and thermes, it is very much observed.

As to Tim, well, I can only take the reviews from people who have actually stayed there including first time naturists and from the contestants who universally praised his professionalism, seemed quite accepting if not embracing, and all who gave him 9s or 10s. Possibly some people are seeing what they want to see or think. The hot tub was very much work of the production team (I have heard so) Tim didn't get into the hot tub himself, he was in the sauna with two men, not any of the women, he was dressed greeting them, he was dressed at dinner, he was dressed at breakfast, and the others were free to keep dressed as they wished. Yes, all very evangelical and creepy.

From another perspective, and while there is an obsession about germs on clean skin from some quarters, the wearing of an outdoor t shirt and shorts in the sauna was extremely bad mannered, very inconsiderate of those who would come in later, and stupidly counter productive.

I do agree that wearing shorts and tee-shirt in a sauna did look rather bizarre!
But in their defence you do have to remember that it wasn't just a case of being naked in front of a handful of others - it was also being filmed. I wouldn't be too keen on my saggy bits and pallid parts being shown on national TV.

He could have worn a large towel as well as shorts...showing arms doesn't kill anybody.

Edit: A post on British Naturism re the rates from Clover Spa.

"All participants have to quote their highest rate which did put us at a massive disadvantage in the "competition", but I guess you will realise that I wasn't on the show to win a plaque!

These TV shows follow a very strict formula and as such couldn't include our day visitors, another disadvantage for us but I have tried to counter with our new video on our website, seems to have worked with over 2000 views already."

I'm not a naturist as such, but I do love swimming and sunbathing naked and do it as often as I can (when appropriate). I have no problems whatsoever with nudity and naturism, and I fully understand how freeing and generally fantastic it can be.

Having said that, this guy was giving out creepy vibes. Not to mention his complete absence of any kind of sense of humour. Even worse was his totally misplaced sense of superiority, much like your own in fact, in not being able to acknowledge or accept that others might not like the nudity aspect, not because they are 'blinkered' or 'close-minded', but just because it's not their thing. He didn't say things like, 'Oh well, it's not for them'. It was all, 'It's a shame they weren't able to open their minds a bit'. Talk about close-minded - such irony!

Somebody posted that they AWAYS found naturists a bit odd....I had to wonder where he/she had the knowledge and experience to make that sweeping assertion. It isn't acceptable to make such about any other minorities or shall we say special interest groups...why is it acceptable to make inaccurate and sometimes downright unpleasant assertions about naturists?

As for a sense of humour, I would say the upper class oik who wouldn't even take his shoes off on the bed, let alone engage in any conversation at the hotel, probably scores much more highly there in the lack of. It really is probably the case that Tim finds being on camera, like many people would, stressful. If there was a genuine problem with him personally, wouldn't you think the other contestants would be gunning for any chance to say so?

People do not like a lot of things, and that's absolutely fine. I don't feel it WAS an unfair thing to say about minds, being as we are talking in the context of a very particular activity; proper use of a spa. It was not in the context of being naked all the time in the hotel. Further on Clover Spa's above post, just posted:

"We are getting some very positive feedback, huge website traffic, and people saying they are going to give it a go."

Very well said Jules! I couldn't agree more.

Surprise!

A garden is no good if the rooms are soulless and uninspired.

Am I not entitled to air my opinion? After all, you have made a great deal of airing yours, and your intolerance to those who disagree with you.

Today is another hotel. How about we all move on to that now.

I am speaking an opinion based on actual experience. There is a difference.

I repeat, today is another hotel. How about we all move on to that now.

I agree, so which hotel is it tonight? hopefully it will be as nice as the Monday one.

Like serving your own breakfast?

It is the young couple. The Angel Hotel, Coleford.

[Personally I wouldn't pay the above prices to stay there, but I suppose if people specifically did want what he's offering then he's got to charge those prices to try and cover his costs.}

Solarsail, I just have to ask you specifically on the above excerpt from your post. I did answer it above, but I am curious where you think you can stay at a hotel in the UK, disregarding personal tastes, with breakfast and a spa - a spa, not just a pool or sauna, for less than £70-90/100 anyway?

Good God. Nancy1975 is still at it this morning. I'm all for a good debate but having one obsessive standing guard on a thread contradicting every post that goes against their viewpoint is not good debate. It's weird behaviour and totally ruins a thread.

We get it Nancy. You're right and everyone else is wrong. Now back off and let's get back to discussing a tv programme..

But nobody has answered or have ignored a few pertinent points.

As for contradicting, it always goes both ways.

Last night's place was sort of ok for what it is. The owner is not creepy as some have suggested. Not in the Gordon and Blossom league of creepy anyway! Although the owner is a bit odd.

It just seemed weird to have a spa/naturist place in what seemed like a residential area. Sunbathing nude in someone's back garden? No thanks!

A Finnish sauna, followed by plunging into snow and being beaten with birch twigs. Now you're talking!!!!