Quote:
Originally Posted by ozjake2 View Post
It is well and truly over and will never be the same.
It coincides with the changing profile of London, which was different 15 years ago. Women no longer want to feel like a chip being thrown amongst seagulls of pervy men from cultures that don’t respect women. My wife is one of those. She used to find it hilarious exciting fun, but we stopped in 2022. He first was in 2015 (mine 2009) when, yes, there, were thousands of spectators. But they were laughing and enjoying the spectacle. In 2022, when she disrobed she was the only naked female for tens of metres surrounded by hundreds of single men taking photos, staring at her in a creepy way and following her when she walked away. She put her clothes back on 5 minutes later and wanted to leave. I rode naked and she in her clothes. That was our last WNBR.
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I think I know who you both are and fully agree with your comments.
I rode 2009-2015 as a marshal for the Brighton WNBR and we always had trouble with the pushy photographers. I was once given a lecture in racism (by a new organiser) by stating that the most annoying were from the Indian sub-Continent! Brighton was fun, it was always treated like the Brits treat a saucy seaside postcard, but later it got a bit darker. I loved riding and chatting to people on the ride, even once getting involved with a medical emergency at the second rest stop. I was riding with a young nurse (I had the walkie-talkie) and we went to a rider who'd collapsed. I still marvel at assisting the fully nude nurse as she swung into a professional first aid mode. Only stopping when two para medics (whom she knew) turned up! I posted photos here, but only after I'd asked and received full permission from the subjects. They probably didn't know about this site, but were almost always happy to pose.
Time moves on, the world is worse than it was before the WNBR started alas, but it will remain with me as fun and 'sexy' days.