Reader's letter: Eastbourne's World Naked Bike Ride was a great success

The proposal to hold a first World Naked Bike Ride in Eastbourne on July 2 was greeted with a flurry of shock and horror by a number of the citizens of Eastbourne in these pages when the idea first began to take shape early in May.

These comments came to nothing though when the ride itself eventually took place last Saturday under fair, sunny skies and warm temperatures.

Nineteen riders turned up for the start at Hailsham Common Pond including I am pleased to say 20 per cent women who were content as were the men to go fully naked. This was an excellent total for a first ride.

The Cuckoo Trail was inevitably busy with walkers and cyclists on such a fine day but almost everyone we met, young and old, gave us a cheery greeting and clapping to a cacophony of ringing bells and hooters. It was all extremely good natured and only a single young woman walking a small dog offering, rather unexpectedly an “alternative view”.

Emerging in to the traffic on Golden Jubilee Way, car hooters were added to the general noise and we then broke for a coffee outside at Costa Coffee in Hampden Park, to the amazement of people using the car park, some of whom made two or three circuits, just to be sure that their eyes were not deceiving them.

We continued along busy Lottbridge Drove and its extension into Prince William Parade, finishing at Harbour Reach where several skinny-dipped in the sea and the kiosk there was on hand with ice cream and refreshments.

A great time was had by all, made possible by the painstaking attention to detail of our lead organiser Steve who even provided a mat soaked in disinfectant to ensure that our cycle tyres did not carry avian flu from around the Common Pond on to the Cuckoo Trail.

We are grateful to Wealden District Council who kindly supplied notices informing the public that they might come across naked cyclists on the route that day; this was a great example of the council showing a keen interest in promoting diversity and we much appreciate their support. We got out there and showed the general public that we are not some sort of alien race; that we are normal everyday citizens wishing to make a valid and serious protest about issues related to climate change in an innocent and fun sort of a way. Thanks to all those who happily cheered us on our way.