Brian Kelly: If it's not your scene turn away

They have been doing it since the eleventh century and maybe even before that as a form of protest.

I am talking about riding naked.

The story this week of the naked bike ride being organised by a local man along the beach from Omanu to Papamoa made me smile and immediately brought to mind the song about Lady Godiva, which was a mid-60s hit by English duo Peter and Gordon.

That story was about the wife of an 11th century Anglo-Saxon nobleman, Lady Godiva, who rode naked through the streets of Coventry as a protest over the very high land taxes her husband, the noble lord, had imposed on his tenants.

It came about after he told her he would lower the taxes if she rode naked through Coventry.

He obviously was a man of his word, as after the ride, he did lower the taxes.

The people of Coventry were warned of the ride and asked to stay indoors and close their blinds.

Andrew Pointon, who last year was the man who ran naked through McLarens Falls Park, is the promoter of this event, and like the noble earl has at least given locals fair warning of the event.

Apparently the ride will take place at low tide on Saturday March 10 at 2.30pm, so I guess if it is going to upset in any way, like the people of Coventry, stay inside and close your blinds.

It is not the first event of its kind in New Zealand.

A similar ride was held Hawke's Bay and others are planned around the country and throughout the world and again it's a protest, not about land taxes, but about car emissions.

When Mr Pointon was asked about why a naked bike ride his reply was that it drew more attention to the cause.

He certainly has a point.

Already his story has become headlines around the country and no doubt on March 10 the odd TV camera will be there to cover the story.

Ah, but will there be a Green Party member? Perhaps Sue Kedgely will show up with her bicycle.

However, and not surprisingly, some local residents are upset and are looking for support from the neighbourhood to form a human chain along the beach to force the Naked Bike Ride cyclists into the water.

I really don't know what all the fuss is about.

For a start, most of that beach is far enough away from residential areas, and with the low tide it means the cyclists will be even further away and being on bikes they will pass by fairly quickly. Part of the beach they will be riding through has been our unofficial local nude beach for a long time and was once even considered to be the venue for New Zealand first Nude Surfing Championship

There was an item on TV news on Monday night about an award-winning Wellington photographer taking photos of a bunch of people at a popular beach on the West Coast of Auckland.

The people in the photo shoot covered all ages and came in all shapes and sizes and from the story looked like they had a great time.

As I mentioned at the beginning of the story, public nudity has been going on forever and will continue, and at the end of the day what harm does it do, particularly this event?

Reading the letters to the editor on the Bay of Plenty Times website these last few days has been very amusing, most in favour of the ride.

If a naked bike ride along a stretch of beach in early autumn offends, stay away.

Plan to go to the beach at 2.45pm when it has passed by or when you see the convoy of bikes heading your way down the beach, head up to the shops with the kids and buy an ice cream.

It is going to hurt no one and at the end of the day it's a bit of fun. .

Now, where's my bike helmet.