Ralph Bankes cousin supports SUN
In 1995 SUN Group received a letter from a cousin of the
late Ralph Bankes, who owned the Studland estate until his death in 1982.
Ralph Bankes cousin expressed his dismay at the actions of the National Trust
and a sent SUN Group a substantial donation to help our fight against
the NT's restrictions.
Bankes called nudists
'his naked apes'
His letter told SUN how Ralph Bankes fondly referred to
nudists as his 'naked apes' and never objected to their presence or had
and plans to curtail or restrict nudists.
Ralph Bankes was a well loved land owner and landlord
and his relaxed views about 'his naked apes' are confirmed by long-time
local residents.
Bankes 'didn't give a
dam'
SUN Group has also spoken to a person who used to attend parties
hosted by Ralph Bankes. This person also told SUN that "he knew all about
nudists at Studland and as far as he was concerned he didn't give a
dam".
Trust publish opposite
information in Daily Echo
SUN's letter and information is reverse of
information published by the National Trust who claimed:
"Naturist use of Studland dunes started in the
1930s and has grown in popularity ever since. During the 1970s, the
naturists began openly using the beach as well as the secluded dunes.
This led to the Bankes Estate seeking a bylaw to stop nudists using the
area.
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