Happy naked gardening week.

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The municipality of Apeldoorn in the Dutch province of Gelderland is getting ready for its annual Naked Gardening Week. During the first week of June every year it is legal to do precisely that - to work naked in your garden without fear of prosecution, but only during the hours when younger children are at school! And quite a few people take advantage of the opportunity as I noticed when I was there quite a few years ago. It is generally only retirees who indulge in the practice since it has to be done during school hours and most younger people are at work then, but there are a significant number of people who take a day or two off to participate if the weather is good. Of course you cannot stray beyond the confines of the garden in which you are working, and you have to be actually gardening, not just hanging about naked getting the sun and staring at the neighbours. I first was exposed to this practice when I visited a friend some years ago. I noticed a few people naked in their gardens as I walked along the street where my friend lived and I found it a bit odd. When I reached my friend's house I was alarmed to find him and his parents dressed only in gardening boots and sun hats, all bending over to dig and weed quite happily. My friend offered no explanation for the nudity. He just said hello and introduced me to his parents who shook hands with me then got back to their weeding. Another man stopped by the garden wall to chat with my friend's parents while he and I went over and sat on the garden bench and chatted. No mention was made of the lack of clothes and I wasn't invited to join in. Eventually I had to ask, and that's when I found out about this bizarre annual relaxing of the need for clothes in the garden. I haven't returned to Apeldoorn and have no intention of suggesting such a practice in my home town - I really don't want to see any of my neighbours bending over to weed their gardens in a state of undress.