History
Established in the late 1930’s, Diogenes has been at its
present location since 1964. It is a members club which means
that all the members jointly own the club and share the running
of it and the maintenance of the house, grounds and facilities.
We have been lucky to have a good mix of skills over the years
and very little that you see has been done by paid contractors.
This brings a very close community spirit to what we do and
everyone is keen to see that the club thrives.
The club was founded in 1936 by a group of enthusiastic naturists
after varied experiences at the Welsh Harp Open space and
was at first based at Spielplatz. This was a proprietary club
and seeking a little more freedom, a number of members left
to form their own clubs. Diogenes was first based in the grounds
of a property of one of the members, at Bricket Wood Common.
Facilities included a pavilion, swimming pool and camping
area. The club existed happily for many years and during the
war provided a welcome escape from the bombing in London.
In 1949, the pavilion burnt down at the same time as the
owner of the land was considering retirement and so a new
home was sought. A plot of just 2 acres was discovered nearby
and purchased. Much work was carried out to this area of overgrown
scrub land, including installation of a water supply and pavilion.
In 1956, the M1 was built and the land became valuable as
development land. In 1963, the club members could no longer
refuse the attractive offers that were being made for the
land, and it was sold.
The club’s current premises (Georgian in origin) were up
for auction, following the death of the last remaining member
of the family that had owned it for years, and the club was
fortunate to secure it. Hard work (in making the 12 acre site
useful – 6 acres is currently let to a neighbouring farmer)
was once again at the top of the agenda and, with the exception
of some fencing, repair work on the house and construction
of the swimming pool, all work was done by club members.
Today, our members welcome the opportunity to be able to
contribute to the future of our club and be part of its history,
in the making.
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