H&E naturist

A 1913 issue of Health & Vim, a magazine which was absorbed by Health & Efficiency

A 1925 cover of Health & Efficiency proclaiming a natural cure for influenza

For decades, Health & Efficiency claimed to have been first published in 1900. The first issue under this name was actually in 1918, when Health & Vim changed its name. That magazine probably derived from Vim, first published in 1902.[2] These magazines covered health topics such as diet, exercise, herbalism and general advice on living a healthy and efficient life.

In the 1920s when nudists began publicising their activities and sun clubs began to form, Health & Efficiency became an early champion of their cause through publishing their letters, articles and photos. Later, this material occupied a greater proportion of the magazine, particularly as it absorbed other naturist and health periodicals, including Sunbathing and Health Magazine, with naturism becoming a main focus in the early 1930s.

After the Second World War, nudism became more popular and the monthly H&E - as it became known - promoted the lifestyle option, and throughout the 1950s and into the 1960s the magazine's reputation as the "nudist bible" grew. H&E's audience was made up of nudists who were members of British clubs and those who used British beaches. A small minority who were able to afford holidays abroad, and sampled French and Yugoslavian nudist facilities, provided H&E with the first "naturists abroad" travel reports. By the 1970s, cheaper foreign travel allowed many more British naturists to visit the south of France, Spain, Greece and Yugoslavia. H&E reflected this change and soon became an international naturist magazine providing news, travel reports, features and photography from around the naturist world.

Over its long history, notable photographers such as Walter Bird, Stephen Glass,[3] Bertram Park and Yvonne Gregory[4] have worked for the magazine.

The magazine has had a number of publishers and editors, and has been based in London, Epsom, Goole and Hull.[5]

The editorial staff were anonymous before George Greenwood tenure as editor. The magazine had a sole editor until 1991, when their editorial was restructured. Kate Sturdy became managing editor and Jane Hendy-Smith took over as editor. Additionally, several other editorial staff were added, including editors for the German and French versions of the magazine. It has since returned to a single editor.

The magazine makes several appearances in an episode of the BBC series All Creatures Great and Small. "In 'If Wishes Were Horses' I used the Health and Efficiency gag. I used to love that one. From my childhood it was like, 'Wow... nudists!' So when one turned up on the set in an earlier episode, I thought, 'I've got to have Tristan reading this,'" recalled Peter Davison. His character would leave the magazine in the surgery's waiting room in hopes of catching one of the male customers perusing it."[6] Health & Efficiency was also used in the British television show Allo Allo, season 7, episode 5, titled The Gestapo Ruins a Picnic. In the episode Herr Otto Flick receives his latest copy of Health and Efficiency and begins to tremble while looking at the center-fold, he then attempts to phone for the Health & Efficiency calendar. In the "Are You Being Served?" episode, "Hoorah for the Holidays," Mr. Humphries, upon hearing of Captain Peacock's nudist lifestyle, asks him if that was him "chopping down that tree in last month’s Health & Efficiency." In the episode "The Club", while helping to clear out the room allocated to the department, Mr. Lucas finds a copy of the magazine printed in 1938, and briefly looks through it with Mr. Humphries.

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• H&E naturist magazine