Sophie Humphrey

By now, you’ve probably seen Bumble’s controversial marketing campaign – the one where they plastered billboards with messages like ‘You know full well a vow of celibacy is not the answer’ and ‘Thou shalt not give up on dating and become a nun’.  The campaign spurred a huge amount of backlash on social media. ‘You’re delegitimising our celibacy because you want males to have more access to our bodies,’ said one TikTok video addressed to Bumble. ‘2.5 years of celibacy and never been better tbh,’ wrote actress Julia Fox in the comments of another related video. The dating app promptly apologised and claimed the billboards were supposed to be a funny gag for those ‘frustrated by modern dating’, but it seemed the damage was already done.  @emangetalife 4B 4LLLLLL BECAUSE HONESTLY WHAT ARE THE ALTERNATIVES #bumble #datingapps #4bmovement #congo #womenssafety ♬ original sound - EMANGETALIFE Away from the critics of Bumble’s billboards, celibacy is trending. The hashtag ‘celibacy’ on TikTok has 22,000 posts and counting, while the phrase ‘boy sober’, coined by comedian Hope Woodard to describe abstaining from all romantic relationships with men (including situationships, people!), is also gaining traction online. In London specifically, Google searches for ‘celibacy’ in have increased by a quarter in the last three months. Is there any truth in all this talk?  Sex in the city Londoner Emily Tuck has been abstaining from sex for 16 years, making the decision after a ‘subcon

London Zoo is nearly 200 years old – can you believe it? Most Londoners have fond memories of spending a day at the zoo: visiting the gift shop to purchase a favourite cuddly animal toy, heading into the Land of the Lions to see the big cats and daring to gaze upon the snakes in the Reptile House.  Undoubtedly, London Zoo and its counterpart the Zoological of Society London (ZSL) are an integral part of the city’s history. ZSL was founded in 1826 by Sir Stamford Raffles and is an international conservation charity that London Zoo is a part of. ZSL opened London Zoo in 1828 as a scientific zoo and a space intended for the study of animals. It was then opened to the public in 1847. The 36-acre space features over 300 species that live in various enclosures across its Regent’s Park location. Nowadays, London Zoo works with ZSL on conservation projects. Programmes at London Zoo have included reintroducing species in captivity and breeding preservation schemes.  London Zoo has always been a place for making memories, and soon, for its 200th birthday, ZSL wants to celebrate with those memories! How, you ask? It is launching History Hive, a national appeal to the public that invites you to share your stories and contribute items from your experiences at London Zoo. If you need convincing, here’s the hook: your donations could end up on show. Objects from the zoo’s archives and the public will be displayed in an exhibit in 2026 for London Zoo’s bicentennial. The charity is hoping tha

In London, we’re spoiled with a huge number of fabulous outdoor markets. Vintage knick-knacks are in abundance at Portobello, rare books are waiting on the South Bank and tasty fresh fruit and veg can be found at Bloomsbury Farmer’s Market.  And summer brings a special vibe to London’s street markets. There are few things quite like summer sun beating down as you pick up homegrown groceries, admire bespoke jewellery or enjoy an ice-cold, locally brewed beer. We at Time Out know a thing or two about London’s many markets, with our guides to the top ones for all your street food, fashion and shopping needs. London lovers of street markets, we’ve got exciting news. Plans have been revealed for a brand-new open-air market in south London. It’ll be on Totterdown Street in Tooting. The new market will be the result of a newly pedestrianised stretch of road from Saint Cyprian’s Street to Blakenham Road. Key features will include food and drink stalls and a seating area surrounded by decorative shrubs and bushes in colourful planters. A one-way system will be created across Totterdown Street, Saint Cyprian’s Street and Kellino Street to allow the market to operate. The idea for the market emerged after discussions with local businesses and residents about improving Totterdown Street.  For those who don’t know Tooting so well, the area is already home to a rich street food and market scene. Accessible via Totterdown Street is the cherished indoor Tooting Market, which opened in 1930 a

London is home to thousands of bakeries where you can pick up all kinds of sweet treats. Naming the best bakery of the lot is a tough ask (though we at Time Out have had a go) and the latest to chip in with its take on the capital’s finest baking spot is the Muddy Stilettos Awards.  The Muddy Stilettos Awards are dished out according to votes, and this year over 500,000 readers went to the ballot. In London’s bakery category, this year’s winner was the Swiss Bread Bakery in Richmond.  Owners Tanja Gugger and André Broglie are from Switzerland and pride themselves on the authenticity of their bakery. The small cafe has been serving traditional Swiss bread (hello, it’s in the name) and pastries since 2020. Highlights from the menu include the delicious soft zopf (a plait-shaped Swiss bread) and the giant chicken schnitzel sandwich. Photograph: Swiss Bread Bakery and Cafe Swiss Bread Bakery and Cafe wasn’t the only bakery to get a nod at this year’s Muddy Stilettos. Quince Bakery in Islington also picked up the award for best ‘local food / drink producer’.  On the hunt for more baked goodness? We (and London) have much more where that came from. Did you see that the Times named five London bakeries the best in the country, the Telegraph gave a nod to two London baking spots and that industry giant British Baker heaped praise upon three artisan spots in the capital?  Still craving baked goods? Consider visiting these artisan London bakeries. Plus, find out all the new restaura

London has countless stunning walking routes, from green spaces like Hampstead Heath, Richmond and Hyde Park to Thames-side treks. And the capital’s walking routes have been in the spotlight recently, thanks to a new ‘Greenground’ map of the city’s cycle and footpaths and an epic 15-mile route through central London launched by TfL. And now Londoners have yet another spectacular walking trail to get their boots muddy on. Called the North to South London Trail, it starts in Cockfosters (far, far north London) and makes its way through various parks (including Oak Hill and Broomfield Park) before ending up on the New River. From there, the route goes off towards Alexandra Palace and Highgate Wood, then down to Baker Street and over the river to Battersea. The trail then heads to Colliers Wood before ending in leafy Carlshalton.  As you might’ve guessed, the route is a pretty long one. The entire North to South London Trail covers a whopping 34 miles, which, assuming you’re walking a mile every 15 minutes, would take around eight-and-a-half hours to complete.  Creators of the walking path Emily Morrison and Lucy Maddison faced their fair share of challenges in putting together the route. Maddison told Haringey Community Press it was difficult to construct a route that goes through central London but also has its fair share of green spaces and proper footpaths.  If you’re on the hunt for more London walking trails, you’re in the right place. We at Time Out have a list of the capi

North London lovers of swimming and wave machines, we come bearing very sad news. Finchley Lido Leisure Centre is set to close, several years after Barnet Council deemed the place unfit for purpose. And it isn’t just the lido that is being done away with: the wider Great North Leisure Park, which includes a bowling alley and cinema, is being redeveloped, too.  In more positive news, the lido is being replaced with another leisure centre – as well as a development boasting 1,500 new homes and 2,000 square metres of new commercial space. The cinema and bowling alley, meanwhile, will be moved about a mile away to North Finchley town centre.  And plenty will be sad to see the lido go. Local charity the Young Barnet Foundation hailed Finchley Lido as a ‘cherished hub within the Barnet community’. Ed Cunningham, Time Out news editor and born-and-bred north Londoner, recalled his childhood there:  ‘Anyone who grew up in North London knows and loves the Finchley Lido. A few hours in the wave pool followed by a bit of bowling over at the Hollywood Bowl and Pizza Hut’s ice cream factory... kids’ birthday parties didn’t get much better.’ Even so, it’s about time Finchley Lido had a makeover. Young Barnet Foundation praised the council for its ‘commitment to revitalising [the] landmark’, encouraging locals to contribute to Regal’s consultation in an online post: ‘By actively engaging in the conversation, you can contribute to creating a leisure centre  that fosters health, well-being, an

Bikes are a cheaper, greener and healthier way of getting about, so it’s no wonder that cycling has become a right of passage for many Londoners in recent years – especially when commuting. The total number of daily cycle journeys in the capital totals a massive 1.26 million, and more people than ever in London are using Lime bikes.  If you’re curious about which London boroughs love commuting by bike the most, look no further. In exclusive official statistics from Lime covering January to March 2024, the mobility company has revealed the top five boroughs where commuters travel the most by bike. Lime data ranked Southwark as the number one London borough for Lime bike riders in the first quarter of 2024. It isn’t surprising that Southwark came first, as the borough is exceptionally well-connected (and close) to the centre of town. In second place was Hackney, which also has convenient cycling routes close to beautiful parks. Pritchard’s Road cycling route – which came 10th in London’s most popular cycling paths of 2023 – is a short cycle ride away from Haggerston Park and the floral fantasy of Columbia Road Flower Market.  London’s top five boroughs for commuting by bike, according to Lime Southwark Hackney Islington Wandsworth Lambeth As part of the company’s data analysis, Lime also revealed the parks that bike riders have been flocking to during weekends. Parks in the boroughs of Hackney and Camden have proven especially popular two-wheeled explorers. Also contributing