"The best way to get to know us is to throw yourself in at the deep end and strip naked". This was the guidance offered by a delightful gentleman named Mike, within moments of our introduction. It's not my typical approach to interviews, but it proved effective when I ventured to Liverpool's Sun and Air naturist camp. Nestled behind thick hedges in Whiston lies one of the UK's oldest societies, occupying the 10-acre site since 1993. Despite its long history, the club doesn't linger in the past, with members being more liberated than ever. One such member is vice-chairman Mike. The 65-year-old from Warrington has been part of the naturist camp for nearly three decades. However, his fascination with the lifestyle began during a trip to Yugoslavia in his teenage years. Read the biggest stories in Wales first by signing up to our daily newsletter here. When he visits the Fox's Bank Lane site, the retired engineer resides in a wooden chalet he constructed for himself and his wife, Diane. He introduces me to her as she prepares potatoes for a salad, just moments after outlining some of the club's protocols - as formal as a club where clothing is optional can be, reports the Liverpool Echo. "You can be naked anywhere except when you are in the main car park. There are no exceptions to this," he clarifies. "This is because when the gate is open, people passing can see into the club. We also have a three-visit strip rule. If you have been and gone three times and haven't taken off your clothes, you're likely not a naturist, and we aren't here for sexual gratification. That's not what we are about at all." In an ironic twist, Mike was fully clothed as he detailed the site’s rules and etiquette. Naturally, I asked why he wasn't embracing the naturist lifestyle there and then, noting that my half-hour at the location had been devoid of nudity. Mike pointedly but courteously cleared up my misconception, stressing: "We are naturists. Not idiots. We don't just get everything out in the freezing cold. It's more than that." He even extended an invitation for me to return when the conditions were more conducive to the full naturist experience. Nonetheless, I decided to stay and soon found myself enjoying a hearty meal of pie and chips drenched in gravy, followed by a generous portion of cheesecake - all amidst the company of, naturally, unclothed diners. At this point, I'd ventured only as far as shedding my T-shirt, and it wasn't long before I was jovially accused of being a "cheat". Rising to the occasion, I relinquished my work trousers and black Converse. As I stepped back into the corridor, merely adorned with my Garmin watch and silver ring, a boisterous reception greeted me. It was, to say the least, a flattering experience. Taking my seat, another member, Dan, queried: "What happened there?". He was pointing out the indented scar on my left leg, situated just above a dubious tattoo. In that instant, with a crowd observing a part of me usually hidden, I realised I had dived into the "deep end" Mike had mentioned earlier in the night. It was an incredibly freeing experience. The scar served as a tangible reminder of a brutal rugby tackle I had been on the receiving end of years ago. This was one of many tales Dan, a 43-year-old, and I shared throughout the evening. Dan, a Mancunian, was noticeably younger than the other regulars; Betty, a 77-year-old member, quipped: "We're all old and established. We have bus passes, let's just say that." Working in forensics, Dan has been a club member for three years. He shared with me: "My parents are naturists, so I've been around it since childhood. To me, it's just normal, it's just life. It's such an amazing community here, and once those electric gates shut behind you, reality just switches off. You just escape from the outside world. It's a lifestyle, and it's about staying true to that, and that's one of the major misconceptions about us. It's not for sex. In other countries, none of this matters. Everyone has their tops off, or they go skinny dipping on holiday. "But here, in the UK, there's this built-up shame around it. It's frowned upon because it's misconceived and misunderstood. Being naked is taught as being wrong, but it's not. There is nothing wrong with it, and that's why I keep coming back here. I feel horrible when I'm not here because the real world soon kicks in again. It's a double life you are living." Dan, who proudly owns chalet number three after investing £1.5k into his little haven, is one of many who cherish the club's community spirit, which includes 39 other chalets. Nearby, Chris and Betty unwind on the neatly trimmed grass beside their static caravan. The couple, from an old mining village in Wrexham, consider the roughly £700 they spend on annual fees as "money well spent" especially since they retreat here during the working week. Chris, a 73-year-old retired electrician, shared: "When we come, we never want to leave. It is over an hour's journey for us, so we make the most of it and stay multiple nights at a time." Reflecting on his long history as a naturist, he recounted: "I've been a naturist for over 50 years. I stumbled across a beach in North Wales, Morfa Dyffryn, in the early 70s. It was all very hush, hush in those days. Finding the beaches, clubs, and places where other like-minded people would be was difficult. It is nothing like it is today in terms of how open it is." Despite the increased openness, Chris notes a decline in the community: "Having said that, the community has actually shrunk, though. There were far more people around years ago than there are now. Back then, and even now, people don't use surnames. It was just John and Steve, nothing more than that. It's a way of protecting yourself. Some people here would be sacked instantly if their employers knew they came here." Graham, a 77-year-old retired painter and decorator from Blackpool, originally hailing from Dorset, isn't concerned about being sacked. Like many members of the club, he uses his skills to help maintain the site, which helps keep the ground rates affordable. Clad in a fluffy grey dressing gown and matching slippers, Graham shared with me: "It wasn't the same for me as it was with Chris and Betty. I was rejected from a lot of other clubs before I got into this one. When I told others I was a single male, they said there and then they wouldn't accept me. I've always been a naturist at heart. I've done it all over the world: Sitges, Gran Canaria, Barcelona. "But this one here in Liverpool is a club I wish I had found when I was much younger. You can come from a normal everyday life into this beautiful family that is filled with carefree people. It's a magical place with even more magical people. My friends and family know this is where I disappear to most weekends. Not all agree with it, but that is expected. It's freedom away from the rat race. The moment I leave is the moment I look forward to returning." Since becoming a member, Graham has found companionship with Raymond, a 69-year-old from Warrington. Together, they reside in chalet number 38, which is adorned in a deep blue colour scheme. It was the sole hut I was welcomed into, situated beyond a stretch of grass where two other members were buried. Mike remarked: "Some people never leave," as he gestured towards the spot. He shared their nicknames with me and said: "That's how you know you're one of us you, you have a nickname". Even though I departed without a nickname of my own, I felt a warm sense of acceptance within Liverpool's Sun and Air naturist camp.