Can it be legal?

13 April 2012

Nudity in a public place, is not, in itself, an offence. However, the law states a person commits an offence if:

(a) he intentionally exposes his genitals
(b) he intends that someone will see them and be caused alarm or distress.

In this case, 'he' can mean either a man or a woman

Section 66: Exposure, Sexual Offences Act 2003.

The History

The allure of the World Nudist Bike Ride is nothing new. Nudist associations go back to British India, where the Fellowship Of The Naked Trust was established in 1891. In naturism's spiritual home of Germany, nudism, including naked cycling, is so widespread that they have a word specifically for the trend - Freikorperkultur - Free Body Culture. The first public nudist club opened in Hamburg in 1903.

The Terminology

The naked person's lingo:

Textiles: People who wear clothes
Topfree: Topless
Smoothie: Someone who shaves his or her pubic hair
Nudist: Someone who wears no clothes
Naturist: Someone who embraces the philosophy of closeness to nature

Sustrans minimal-traffic rides

In the first of a four-part series, Sustrans and Metro introduce minimal-traffic rides. The first, Wandsworth off-road, is a 12-mile, 80 per cent traffic-free ride from Wandsworth to Carshalton, via Earlsfield, South Wimbledon and Mitcham (you can go all the way to Croydon) on The Wandle Trail, a wildlife corridor through built-up west London. Look for the route 24 signs along Garratt Lane. Follow the Wandle River into King George's Park, Garratt Park and Wandle Meadow Park. Pass Merton Abbey Mills, past Deen City Farm, following the river south through National Trust parks and old mills. Best take a map for your first time.
Go to www.sustrans.org.uk or www.wandletrail.org and look out for MetroCycling's next minimal-traffic ride Out Of The Smoke for a ride past a nearby beach.

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