LeftLion Magazine - April 2022 - Issue 146

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Credits

Supporters These people #SupportLeftLion

Alan Gilby Al Akazam alan.gilby@leftlion.co.uk

Ashley Carter Editor ashley.carter@leftlion.co.uk

Jared Wilson Editor-in-Chief jared.wilson@leftlion.co.uk

George White Assistant Editor george.white@leftlion.co.uk

Lizzy O’Riordan Editorial Assistant lizzy.oriordan@leftlion.co.uk

Natalie Owen Head Designer natalie.owen@leftlion.co.uk

Curtis Powell Head of Video and Photography curtis.powell@leftlion.co.uk

Adam Pickering Partnerships Manager adam.pickering@leftlion.co.uk

Tom Errington Web Developer tom.errington@leftlion.co.uk

Addie Kenogbon Fashion Editor addie.kenogbon@leftlion.co.uk

Alex Stubbs Art Editor alex.stubbs@leftlion.co.uk

Katie Lyle Music Editor katie.lyle@leftlion.co.uk

Rebecca Buck Stage Co-Editor rebecca.buck@leftlion.co.uk

Dom Henry Stage Co-Editor dom.henry@leftlion.co.uk

Jamie Morris Screen Editor jamie.morris@leftlion.co.uk

Al Draper, Alan Phelan, Alison Gove-Humphries, Alison Harviek, Alison Hedley, Alison Knox, Alison Wale, Anamenti, Andrew Cooper, Anne Jennings, Ankunda, Annie Rodgers, Ant Haywood, Anthony Blane, Ashley Cooper, Bad Squiddo Games, Barbara Morgan, Barrie the Lurcher, Ben & Jack, Ben Lester, Ben Lucas, Betty Rose Bakes, Bob Allison Âû, Bridgette Shilton, Carla Prestwich, Caroline Le Sueur, Cathryn Sharpe, Chloe Langley, Chris Rogers, Claire Henson, Claire Warren, Clare Foyle, D Lawson, Dan Lyons, David Dowling, David Knight, Diane Lane, Dick Watson, Donna Rowe-Merriman, Eddie, Eden PR, Ellen O'Hara, Emily Poxon, Erika Diaz Petersen, Felicity Whittle, Frances & Garry Bryan, Friday Club Presents, Hayley Howard, Heather Hodkinson, Heather Oliver, Helena Tyce, Ian Storey, Ian Yanson, In memory of Anna Novak (Bradford and Scoraig), In memory of Jenny Smith, Ivy House Environmental, James Medd, James Place, James Wright, Jane Dodge, Jason Jenkins, Jayne Holmes, Jayne Paul William & Pirate Jack, Jed Southgate, Jenni Harding, John Haslam, John Hess, Jon Blyth, Joshua Heathcote, Julian Bower, Kate Newton, Kath Pyer, Kathleen Dunham, Kay Gilby, Kaye Brennan, Kiki Dee the Cat, Kemi, Livi & Jacob Nieri, Liz Knott, Lizzy and Margot, Luke and Flo, Marc Weaver, Mark, Mark Barratt, Mark Gasson, Martin, Matthew Riches, Matt Turpin, Matthew Riches, Matthew Wilson, Max Sherwin, Mighty Lightweights, MinorOak Coworking, Monica White, Nick G (real living wage rocks), Nicola Baumber, Nigel Cooke, Nigel King, Nikki Williams, NottingJam Orchestra, Oliver Ward, Paul Woodall, Rachel Ayrton, Rachel Hancorn, Rachel Hanemann, Rachel Morton, Raphael Achache, Richard Barclay, Richard Goodwin, roastinghouse.co.uk, Rob Arthur, Ron Mure, Ros Evans, Roy Manterfield, Ruth Parry, Sam Hudson, Sam Nahirny, Sarah Manton, Simon Evans, Siobhán Cannon-Brownlie, Spicer, Stephanie Larman, Steve Lyon, Steve Stickley Storyteller, Steve Wallace, Stuart Jones, Sue Barsby, Sue Reader, The Sultan, Tim Foster, Tom Markkanen, Tracey Newton, Tracey Underwood, Tracy Lowe, Wolfgang Buttress

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Featured Contributor Daniela Loffreda Food Editor food@leftlion.co.uk

Cover Ruth Zofia Skrytek Masthead Jack Seymour-Carter Sub-Editor Lauren Carter-Cooke Writers Dani Bacon Bassey Matthew Benton-Smith LoveCeCe George Dunbar Jason Edgar Christina Geggus Georgia Guirguis Emilie Mendham

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Fabrice Gagos Photography Co-Editor fabrice.gagos@leftlion.co.uk

Sam Nahirny Georgianna Scurfield Yasmin Turner Nadia Whittome Photographers Alice Ashley Stuart Bamford Alicia Besentie Chris Davis Angelena Claire Efstathiou Krystyna Hook Charlotte Jones Nigel King Nathan Langman Pamela Raith Georgianna Scurfield Gemma Wilks Steve Wallace

Illustrators Toby Anderton Emily Catherine Fiona Carr Sophie Elizabeth Pete Gray Chloe Henson Tracey Meek Kate Sharp Editorial Illustrations Emily Catherine

Yasmin Turner Yasmin is currently a third-year student studying at Nottingham Trent University where she is doing a BA in English Literature.

Inspired by female novelists such as political and cultural commentator Ahdaf Soueif, as well as journalists like Clarissa Ward, she writes for several magazines on the themes of culture and international relations. After university she hopes to pursue a career in freelance writing and humanitarian aid. She enjoys spending her free time travelling and hiking in various locations around the world, sharing photography and independent travel tips to her own new account @turnertrekking.

You can read Yasmin’s interview with local filmmaker Damien Ebanks on page 37.

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@leftlion

@leftlionmagazine

Contents 16

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Hex and the City In the past, those associated with witchcraft were persecuted. Yet these days, ‘magical’ practices are increasingly popular. We look at why…

Magical Mystery Tour We catch up with Jocelyn Prah of Magic Goes Wrong, the hilarious new show coming to Nottingham’s Theatre Royal from the West End

Occult Classic Set up by Cpt. Val Jackson and Rev R. W. Lax Wes back in 1939 (yes, really), The Nottingham Guild of Magicians has been going strong since

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A Dungeon Master in Notts It’s not as weird as it sounds… A Dungeon Master leads gamers through unique stories and into exciting fictional worlds

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Bourn to Be Wild We hear all about the work of jewellery designer Hannah Bourn, who has made a name for conjuring up stunning pieces inspired by nature

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Nadia on… the Magic of Football Is there anything more magical than an FA Cup run? Well, football clubs’ ability to bring communities together, our regular columnist explains

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Herb Your Enthusiasm Through community food growing, Incredible Edible Beeston are helping to tackle climate change and bring local people together

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Talking to the Moon Yoga teacher and wellness coach Victoria Louise talks us through our connection with the moon, its feminine energy, and lunar rituals

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Lager than Life We talk to Damien Ebanks about The New Foresters, a documentary on Nottingham’s oldest gay pub - you guessed it - The New Foresters

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Home Comforts Emilie Mendham checks out Little Bricks, the restaurant offering a blend of the freshest meals, desserts and wines

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Scary Tales Notts author and presenter Rehannah Mian chats to us about her podcast, Magical Storybook, and diving into the darker side of fairy tales

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Editorial

Starling Work Taking inspiration from the aerial flight of starlings, visual artist Wolfgang Buttress presents his latest exhibition, Murmuration, at Beam Gallery The History of the Hemlock Stone From the work of the Devil to Pagan rituals, Stapleford’s Hemlock Stone has been the centre of many a mythical occurrence over the years

I once interviewed a magician who told me that, at almost every show he performs, there’s a guy who loudly announces to the room that he knows how the trick was done. This was nearly three years ago but I think about it often. It baffled me. Why would a man – and let’s be honest, it is always a man – try to ruin the experience of a room full of people who have paid to see magic, let alone a magician who has spent a lifetime mastering his craft? We all know it’s a trick – that’s the beauty of magic, it’s profound and it’s pointless. It’s a lie agreed upon by people who want to feel something.

Something close to the feeling of wonder they felt when they were children. Before cynicism, before doubt. And it’s performed by people who devote their lives to perfecting that lie. Hours and hours, and days, and weeks, and months, and years of practice all for that one moment where, whether it’s one person on the street or 15,000 in an arena, you’re holding people spellbound. But there’s always that one guy.

I’ve always loved magic. I love the way it makes me feel. The sense of wonder coupled with the beautiful fury of not being able to explain something logically.

I love the history of magic, and thinking about how

much power someone who knew a trick or two could wield in a society less cynical and world-weary than ours. As a species we’re desperate to make sense of the world around us - a world that, frankly, doesn’t make much sense. And magic is like the poison a paranoid king takes in order to build up immunity – we let a little unexplainable wonder into our lives to distract us from the largely unexplainable world we inhabit. Why? Because trying to comprehend how a ball moved from one cup to another will always be more palatable than trying to understand the random insanity of life.

So that’s why we’ve dedicated an entire issue of LeftLion to magic. To celebrate the wonder, the elaborate distraction. And if you’re ever faced with the choice of being the magician or the guy ruining it for everyone, hopefully you’ll know what to do.

Until the next one.

Ashley Carter, Editor ashley.carter@leftlion.co.uk

LeftLion Magazine is fully recyclable and compostable. Our paper is recycled or made with FSC® certified (C015932) sources, and printed using renewable energy.

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Sustrans is the charity making it easier for people to walk and ride a bike We’re the custodians of the National Cycle Network in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire We create healthier places, where we can feel connected without having to use a car

Wil

We want to understand what a great community means for its residents

l you join us ?

We need more local supporters and volunteers

Find out more :

www.sustrans.org.uk nottingham@sustrans.org.uk Twitter @sustransEMids

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Going Underground Our mole on the ground isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty to bring you the Notts stories you might have missed... illustrations: Kate Sharp

Snoop Dog Listen: I like to have fun as much as the next mole, but I’d like to get serious here for a moment. For too long has the media played fast and loose with the image of the drugged-up dog, be it a stoned Scooby-Doo or Goofy, who I presume was on ket.

But after two Nottingham dogs, Pringle and Scruffy, both fell ill after ingesting marjiuana on a walk, a vet in New Ollerton has issued a warning. Be safe out there, dog owners.

Bingo Was His Game-o A Nottingham man is celebrating after picking up a cool £12,000 at an event at Buzz Bingo in Top Valley recently.

The lucky chap, who chose to remain anonymous, less any cretinous past associates crawl out of the woodwork looking for a hand-out, was at the event celebrating his mother-inlaw's birthday. “Everyone was cheering from their seats,” said manager Mark Levitt. Yeah, I’m sure everybody else was delighted, Mark.

Crimea River In an act of defiance sure to send shockwaves from here to the Ural Mountains, a bar in Nottingham has placed pictures of Russian war-mongered Vladimir Putin in its urinals. Raglan Road Irish Bar on Derby Road drew widespread plaudits with the move, which offers punters the chance to take a leak all over the despot’s face. “This isn’t good because you’ll get people doing a number two,” said one political analyst in the comments section.

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illustration: Pete Gray

To celebrate all of the weird and wonderful things you lot come out with, artist Pete Gray took it upon himself to turn some of the best-ever Overheard in Notts quotes into illustrations.

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Christmas is celebrated in the world of Harry Potter — so with the ability to conjure food, walk on water, and heal people, was Jesus just a wizard who practised magic around muggles?

Nottingham’s most opinionated grocers on...

Nottingham Croquet Club We went yesterday for a taster and messed around on the green for two hours with some flat shoes on. It’s old fashioned, but good fun. We liked it and we’ve decided to sign up. Our next step is that we’ll be on a seven-week course learning how to get those balls through the hoops.

Favourite TV Magicians David Nixon was brilliant, although it might just be that we enjoyed growing up and watching his assistant Anita Harris.

You also have to mention Tommy Cooper. However, the best of all-time, even though he had a bit of an annoying voice, has to be Paul Daniels. He was just a superb magician and the kind of talent you only see once in a lifetime.

words: Dani Bacon illustration: Fiona Carr

Magic tricks We can’t do any ourselves. We can’t even juggle three things and we’re surrounded by fruit all day. There was a magician supporting The Four Tops when we went to see them play at The Commodore. He did that trick where you pull razor blades out of his mouth and unfortunately he did it rather badly. You could see the wires for a start, but he also got them all tangled up together. That was messy!

City sTYLIN’

at the Cattle Market interview and photo: Georgianna Scurfield I was born in 1943, two doors down from where we are right now in Lambley.

I can’t remember when I first went to the market, it was probably with Dad when he’d go on a Saturday to meet other farmers and I’d sit on the step outside.

I was a cattle dealer - I used to buy and sell cattle.

We could go to a farm sale and come back with none, we could come back with the whole lot. We went to a farm sale when Hucknall Co-op sold up and came back with eighty-nine cows… which muggins here had to milk. We had milk in buckets, churns, and thankfully they all got sold. That was about forty years ago now.

Every day was different. There was nothing the same.

Everybody helped each other, if someone was trying to load the cattle up and they were struggling you’d all go and help. You’d do battle when you were round the ring buying, but the minute that had finished you’d just become one big load of friends and go and have a cup of tea, it was a big family.

Michael Hardy leftlion.co.uk/issue146

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Role-playing games like Dungeons & Dragons are like a halfway point between telling a story with a group of people, and playing a game - it’s the point where those two meet. Each member of the group has a character that they play. They choose what that character does and how they respond to different situations. And then one person at the table, typically the Games Master or Dungeon Master - depending on the game - describes the situation those characters find themselves in, depicts the world around them, and makes decisions on behalf of all the nonplayer characters, those who aren’t controlled by other members of the group. For people that are familiar with video games, the Dungeon Master is essentially filling the role that the computer would do. But the advantage of a DM is that they’re a living, breathing person who can improvise and make things up on the spot. So whenever players are in a situation where there's doubt as to what's going down, where there's risk or uncertainty, the Dungeon Master steps in to interpret things and move the story along. There's a lot of improvisation involved. It's not a scripted story - nobody knows where they’re going to end up, even if you had an idea of where you wanted to go when you started.

The main skills you need as a DM are a good imagination and the ability to deal with unexpected developments. Running roleplaying games is often seen as this big challenge, something that can be a little bit daunting. I suppose it is at times, in the same way that public speaking can be. But a lot of the time, I’ve found that once you're in the flow of it, you don't really think about being nervous or uncertain.

It's helpful to have a head for numbers as well, because you will be the one dealing with the ingame mechanics, often more than the players will be. I would say that a lot of the skills that teachers have fit very well into Dungeon Mastering - I've met plenty of teachers who are into role-playing games because they can transfer those skills quite well. Coming up with fresh ideas is probably the toughest part of the role. Writer’s block can be

a challenge. Sometimes you'll spend a week or two between game sessions for a longer, ongoing campaign, and the ideas just won't flow.

I’ve always had an interest in gaming. From the age of eight I was playing games like Warhammer 40,000, and I’ve been into the ‘choose your own adventure’ books ever since I was a child, so I think I was quite primed for role-playing games from a young age. Eventually I came across Warhammer Fantasy role-play - I was in a bookshop and I was already a fan of those worlds, so I took the plunge, picked up a copy of the rulebook and read it cover-to-cover, as is my inclination. I then proposed running a game for a group of friends and, with no prior experience, I threw myself in at the deep end and have never looked back. That was about twenty years ago.

Because I was writing my own notes and coming up with my own stories, I started putting stuff together - a huge Word document and notebooks full of ideas. It got to a point where I started sharing those with people online, and that got me noticed by a publisher for one of the games that I was playing a lot, and they offered me the chance to do it for a living. That was thirteen years ago and, again, I haven't looked back since.

I don’t think there’s enough time in the world to run out of things to do with a roleplaying game The thing I enjoy most is being able to create a challenge or an interesting puzzle, a situation that players can't see a way out of immediately.

All they know is it’s going to be difficult, and then they have to find a way through that. And when they do, they come out the other end feeling like they've achieved something, like they've beaten the odds and succeeded. The best feeling is seeing players’ eyes light up as they realise they're the ones in control of their story. They've got

limitless possibilities to explore, and when they succeed, they get a real rush of excitement.

Generally, there seems to be two broad groups that take up role-playing games as a hobby. You'll get people that are coming at it from a gaming perspective, where they've already played other tabletop games, maybe they play lots of board games or war games and so on, and they're more focused on the mechanics and the harder details. And then you get people that come at it more from a creative background, where the storytelling comes first and the game mechanics are just there to facilitate that. That said, I don't think there's anything stopping anybody from finding enjoyable aspects to role-playing. The way I see it is that human beings have been telling stories and playing games for as long as they have existed, so it’s possible for everyone to get something out of joining in.

Even after doing this for years, it doesn't get boring, because every time I run a campaign, there's a different group of four to six people around the table. And they will always approach situations differently, bringing their own particular quirks and trains of thought. This means that even if the starting point is exactly the same every time, the end result could be completely different. Honestly, I don't think there's enough time in the world to run out of things to do with a role-playing game.

I'm in a really good place because I get paid to do what I love, which was the dream for a while.

I've already contributed to some of the biggest settings that shaped me as a young geek during my childhood and teen years. So at this point, I'm trying to figure out where I would like to go next, what I would like to accomplish next - and Modiphius, the company that I work for, is very good at supporting those kinds of ambitious projects. Once I've got an idea in place of where to go next I know I'll have all the support I need to get there.

illustration: Toby Anderton

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Nadia on... the Magic of Football words: Nadia Whittome photo: Fabrice Gagos

When LeftLion told me that this month’s edition was on the theme of magic I was struggling to think of a relevant topic. But then I was lucky enough to get to watch Nottingham Forest play Liverpool at home in the FA Cup quarter finals.

I grew up a stone’s throw from City Ground, and while I’ve always followed Forest, this was the first match I’d been to since I was a teenager. As someone who was born after the glory days, the fact that this was their first FA Cup quarter final in my lifetime, on the day before what would have been legendary manager and socialist Brian Clough’s 80th birthday, was particularly special.

Whether you’re an avid season ticket holder or just a nominal supporter, this was a huge moment for our city.

I want to see football democratised, with a much greater say for those who have the best interests of their club at heart: the fans Football is a sport that, at its best, brings a local community together. Like music, football is a universal language that can transcend so many differences.

The emotions and pride we feel about our team – whether it is the joy of a triumph or the grief of a loss - bring us closer together. We know we are collectively part of something bigger.

I am proud that in Nottingham, these feelings of belonging and solidarity with one another do not stop at the gates of the grounds. Nottingham Forest Community Trust was established in 2010 to channel football’s spirit of community into projects to support people away from the pitch, too.

Last April, for example, the Community Trust’s Robin Hood Fund raised over £20,000 to source and secure food and supplies to local food banks across the country. It also supports young people through social action programmes and creates opportunities for people living in disadvantaged areas to participate in sport and physical activity.

I also know how important it is for girls to see Nottingham Forest Women’s team thrive. The club is offering girls’ football schools which is an opportunity for local girls to train with Forest Women’s squad stars. Meeting these role models shows them that there are careers for women players in professional football too. Hopefully this will encourage them to keep chasing their dreams.

On the other side of the Trent, Notts County Foundation, who have existed for thirty years, also do some incredible community work. They are the largest provider of the National Citizen Service, a project bringing 15-17 year olds from

different backgrounds together, in the region, for example, and their Joy of Moving programme inspires children in primary schools to get active.

While football is a great source of joy to so many, there are still some areas where the sport has a long way to go. Many players and fans continue to be subjected to racist abuse, as Chris Hughton, who is one of very few BME managers, has spoken out against. Over the summer, the England team took the knee in support of Black Lives Matter to be met with a minority of fans booing, which government ministers then defended. It is also a damning indictment of the sport that there is still not a single openly LGBTQ+ player in the Premier League.

The role of money in football is also a problem. With the war in Ukraine, Chelsea’s owner, Roman Abramovich, has been in the spotlight. Newcastle were also recently sold to close associates of the Saudi government, who have an appalling human rights record. Dictators and oligarchs should not be able to launder money or their reputations through our clubs.

I want to see football democratised, with a much greater say for those who have the best interests of their club at heart: the fans. I support the introduction of 50+1 model, similar to Germany’s. This would mean that club's season ticket holders would own a 51 per cent stake, with any big changes needing to be approved by a 51 percent majority. It would enable supporters to vote club investors out if they wanted.

As many people in our community depend on football for their livelihoods, we must push our clubs to be the best employers they can. This is why I’ve supported Nottingham Citizens’ campaign for Forest to pay all its staff at least the Real Living Wage.

Football encourages us to dream big: whether we are proudly cheering our club on towards promotion, or when voluntary work shows us that, as a community, we carry each other Football encourages us to dream big: whether we are proudly cheering our club on towards promotion (fingers crossed for Forest!), or when voluntary work shows us that, as a community, we carry each other. Football makes hope possible - that is the real magic of clubs like Nottingham Forest. nadiawhittome.org

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Notts Shots

Come at the king, you best not miss Alicia Besentie - @AliciaBesentie

Next level Krystyna Hook - @krystynazhook

It’s code out Nathan Langman - @_meadowman2 14

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Smokestack lightnin’ Angelena Claire Efstathiou - @AngelenaOnline

Time to reflect Alice Ashley - aliceashley.co.uk Want to have your work featured? Send your high-res photos from around the city, including your full name and best web link, to photography@leftlion.co.uk

Shadow of your former self Stuart Bamford - @shutter_stu

Bespoke lighting Chris Davis - @toadsinthehole

Swimming lessons Alicia Besentie - @AliciaBesentie leftlion.co.uk/issue146

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From the success of cult classic films like The Craft and Sabrina The Teenage Witch, to modern flicks like The Love Witch, our media suggests we’re thoroughly intrigued by magic, and those practising it. But, aside from campy movies, what do you actually know about witchcraft, Wicca and Paganism? On a mission to find out more, our writers George White and Lizzy O’Riordan joined together to learn about the history of witchcraft and how it’s practised in the modern day. Talking to Dr Thomas Waters about the persecutions of the past, and magic shop owner Soroya Cordery about the thriving present, they discover why the practice holds such a powerful grasp on our zeitgeist…

Witchcraft. It’s a song by Frank Sinatra. It’s a film by Don Sharp. And, in the words of Dr Thomas Waters, the Beeston-based author of Cursed Britain: A History of Witchcraft and Black Magic in Modern Times, it’s what many feel is “the supernatural power to afflict other people with misfortunes”. Yet, while Sinatra and Sharp may have influenced popular culture to varying degrees, the influence of the latter on this country’s social history is almost immeasurable. From causing people to move homes to directly affecting the laws of the United Kingdom, concerns over witchcraft have created paranoia within communities, broadened divisions within society and, in many cases, even led to the end of people’s lives.

“In the past, witchcraft has had a big impact on this country. It was illegal for centuries, and in many cases people were charged for something they didn’t do,” Waters, a Lecturer in History at Imperial College, explains. “For several centuries, people who became suspects could end up not just being victimised and bullied, but could even be prosecuted in courts of law. Between the late 1400s and the early 1700s, somewhere in the region of 500 people in England were found guilty for practising harmful witchcraft - and were executed.”

Fear over the threat of perceived ‘witches’ affected the behaviour of people in

their everyday lives, with some taking minor measures such as “sleeping with the Bible under their pillow in the hopes of creating a supernatural barrier”, to more extreme measures like “putting ritual markings down, or even outright selling, their properties if they lived near supposed threats”. For many, fears over witchcraft stemmed from the rise of adverse circumstances in their personal or professional lives, with those struggling to make ends meet or having sudden marital difficulties often coming to the conclusion that an external force was plaguing their existence.

Concerns over witchcraft have created paranoia within communities, broadened divisions within society and, in many cases, even led to the end of people’s lives “If things started to go really wrong in people's lives, and they couldn't find normal solutions, they would switch to this alternative way of thinking - a really radical and quite strange way of thinking,” Waters says. “In normal times, these people would probably disregard these theories, but when they’re in such a tough situation, they might be tempted to look for explanations as to why things are going wrong, and then start to believe that it’s the malicious actions of certain people within their community.”

Levels of anxiety around witchcraft have fluctuated throughout history, with certain communities becoming more obsessed

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with the notion than others. The Victorians were particularly fearful, developing strong superstitions that affected people’s livelihoods at every level - from the local to national. And, like seemingly everything in western society, this has been heavily exploited for personal gain. Capitalising on people’s desperation or paranoia, a number of individuals have made serious money by “taking the mickey” with claims of supernatural abilities and mysterious powers. Throughout history, distressed families have been known to fork over their entire life savings to medical or magical practitioners in the belief that they will rid them of curses, misfortunes or supernatural ills. “Magic is an area that's ripe for abuse,” Waters admits. “There have been people who've spent an absolute fortune because self-proclaimed magical healers have persuaded them that they and their family are under a curse, and that they’ll require a huge amount of money to do what's necessary to remove this.”

Fascination with witchcraft might be more closely aligned with the likes of the West Country, but Nottingham is certainly no stranger to the concept. From the extensive Pagan history of the Hemlock Stone to a series of witch hunts taking place here in the seventeenth century, our county has dabbled in a wide range of different elements of magic over the years.

Interestingly, though, it is only in more recent history - since the 1970s, to be more specific - that the prevalence of magic in Notts has truly grown. This is largely because, Waters explains, “We’ve become a more diverse world, one that's got a greater scope for freedom of expression and doesn't stigmatise alternative thinking quite as much.” Where once witchcraft and magic were shunned and forbidden, now people are much more willing to accommodate more contentious channels of thought.

Yet rather than developing an interest in ‘black magic’ (or “harmful” magic), us lot have become more focused on ‘white magic’, or “magic for positive purposes, such as healing, fortune-telling and therapy”. Instead of casting people out over fears of them cursing our lives, we have increasingly explored the potential benefits of a number of seemingly supernatural practices. “In the present day, witchcraft - particularly in the western world - would largely be thought of in the way of positive identities and spiritualities,” Waters says. “There are all sorts; hedge witchcraft [involving a deep study of plants and the natural world], fairy witchcraft [which honours any deity that is connected to fairies]. In Nottinghamshire today, there’ll be people who understand it in all those ways and more.”

It would be amiss to say that witchcraft doesn’t still come with a taboo, with many of those practising experiencing a sense of ostracisation. However, the craft is becoming increasingly accepted and popular, particularly with the younger generation. Just pop into Nottingham’s Rough Trade and you’ll spot book titles which vary from The History of Magic to Pagan Paths. The same can be said for Victoria Centre’s Urban Outfitters, offering books including Cosmopolitan Love Spells and The Crystal Zodiac.

Putting pop culture aside for a minute, Nottingham has a thriving Pagan and Wiccan community, with Nottingham Pagan Community boasting over 1,400 members, and an active magic shop The Mystic Moon, located in Sherwood and run by self-identifying Pagan and Wiccan, Soroya Cordery. Coming up to its eighteenth year in business, Soroya explains the shop sells “crystals and incense and candles, but also herbs and resins so that you can make your own incense. We have books and special magical oils that you can use for anointing candles with, alongside offering reiki, crystal healing, tarot readings, and house blessings and clearings.”

According to Soroya, Paganism and Wiccanism are on the rise in the young generation thanks to an unlikely source TikTok. “Crystals are such a trend at the moment with a lot of the younger people.

They come in and say, ‘I saw it on TikTok.’ Moldavite is really popular at the moment

because of TikTok, and so the price of that has really shot up. Unfortunately, it can have a lot of misinformation about crystals on it. So if you want to know, it’s best to come into a crystal shop.”

But why are young people so attracted to magic? Maybe it's partly to do with TikTok trends, but it’s also fair to say that modern Paganism, and New Age Spirituality, are filling a gap left by the abrahamic religions.

With a whole hoard of Millenials and Gen Zers describing themselves as spiritual but not religious, they seem eager to leave behind the dogma of institutional religion, while still holding on to the wonder and mystery of the metaphysical. “Paganism and witchcraft are very much widening now, and people are looking for things other than the mainstream religions which are really designed to control you,” Soroya says. “Whereas this is a lot more open, you have to trust your guide, trust your inner voice, and take responsibility for what you put out there into the universe.”

Wicca and Paganism also put a large emphasis on the environment, and for a younger generation struggling with ecological anxiety, this is appealing Wicca and Paganism also put a large emphasis on the environment, and for a younger generation struggling with ecological anxiety, this is appealing.

Striving for a sense of harmony with nature brings a sense of hopefulness in an otherwise bleak zeitgeist. We catch up with Carys, 28, who works as a professional gardener and food grower, and describes herself as an existential millennial. “I have found purpose and occupation by working with plantlife; engaging with other species to inform my place within the world. I like to live by the light, recognising and celebrating the equinoxes and solstices” she says. ''I have a belief in the devine and deep wonder for the natural world. I want to remain in a state of wonder.”

The same sentiment is mirrored by Adam, 32, who performs a kind of traditional Folk Witchcraft, who comments, “Witchcraft is about honouring the spirits of the natural world. It is about embodying and acting as an agent for the wild untamed powers of nature through occult practice and the veneration of the spirits of the land, sea, and sky.”

There are many theories as to why people are embracing a more open approach to spirituality, ranging from rejection of religion, ecological anxiety to consumer capitalism - with Professor Matthew Hedstrom theorising that ‘millennial spirituality’ is centred on buying religious products, like yoga mats and crystals.

Whatever the driving force, it’s evident that Paganism, Wicca, and New Age Spirituality are bringing joy to the lives of younger and older people alike. As Carys comments, “It softens the edges when contemplating existence, as well as bringing an ecstasy to my world view.” And for those with mental health struggles, such as Adam, “It has helped me cope with mental illness and shows me a universe rich with meaning and value in the face of nihilism.” This is a sentiment reiterated by Soroya, who thanks crystals for helping with her chronic health issues.

Looking back at the long history of Wicca, witchcraft and Paganism, it’s inspiring to see that so many people feel free to practise their craft, without overt fear of persecution. And while it might not be a path for everyone, there certainly seems to be a lesson that we can all take: to follow our own intuition, treat nature with respect, and to carry with us a sense of wonder about the forces that may be out there.

words: George White and Lizzy O’Riordan illustration: Sophie Elizabeth

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Magical Mystery Tour When two of the biggest names in the magic, Penn and Teller, team up with Mischief Theatre, one the one of the most impressive success stories in recent theatre history, you know the results are going to be impressive. Enter Magic Goes Wrong, the part-comedy, part-show, part-magic show that’s blown audiences away up and down the country since going on tour last August. As the show enters the home straight of its tour with a visit to Nottingham’s Theatre Royal this month, we catch up with cast member Jocelyn Prah to find out exactly what to expect…

To kick things off, can you give us a bit of a rundown of Magic Goes Wrong?

It's a comedy play about a group of magicians who are trying to put on this charity event for our charity, Disasters in Magic. Essentially, in our effort to do that a lot of things go wrong, but that's where the comedy comes from. At the same time there's a lot of magic that actually does go right. It's quite a surprising show, I'd say.

Can you tell us a bit about your character, Spitzmaus? Where does she fit into the narrative?

Spitzmaus is one half of a German gymnast duo along with my sister, Bär, played by Chloe Tannenbaum. We are the, for want of a better word, estranged sisters of Sophisticato, who is the compere for the night - the whole charity event is his brainchild. We're the German sisters who are coming over to showcase our act to a British audience for the first time. We think we're the best thing since sliced bread, and come over thinking that we're so much better than everyone else and have this amazingly slick act which, I will say, is actually quite true! We're different to the other characters in that we're actually more competent than the rest.

I’d imagine that the rehearsal process for any big touring show is quite intense - is that only intensified once you add the magical element too?

We rehearsed in London last June, which feels like another lifetime ago. The rehearsal process was quite intense. You know, we're just a bunch of actors that have never met before, as it is with most shows, so we had the usual element of learning the script, the story and the play, but the magic in the show is legit, so we had to learn that, too. We've got some of Penn and Teller's tricks, and had our own Magic Consultant, Ben Hart, who is a magician in his own right. That added a whole other layer of learning for all of us.

On day one of rehearsals we read through the script together, and then Ben was teaching us all card tricks, regardless of whether we did them in the show or not. He told us that, from that point on, we were all magicians, and had to learn and understand the tricks. There was no tiptoeing around the magic - it's a precise science, and to get it right you have to learn it really, really well. I've been to see Ben Hart in some of his shows and even knowing a bit of magic having been taught by him, I'm still completely in awe of the things he can do, just because it's so well practised.

How much magic can people expect to see? Is seeing how the tricks work or don’t work part of the entertainment?

The two things are intertwined. I've had friends come to see a performance not realising that they were seeing a real magic show, because the way

the magic is placed in the story is seamless. There are elements of that way Penn and Teller perform - there's one particular trick which is performed, and then we explain how it's done, but then it's performed again with a plot twist, and that's where the narrative surprises of the story come in. You never quite know what's going to happen! And even if you think you do, you really don't.

give me some tips! Tell me what's good and I'll put it in the show group chat.

Do you have a favourite moment to perform?

Spitzmaus and Bär have a nice big chunk in Act II where we perform two big tricks. The first is quite intricate, and the second is quite astounding and shocking in that it's not at all what you expect. As I said before, because a lot of the comedy comes from things going wrong, you never quite know if the characters are going to get it right. So when we do, we hear the audible gasps from the audience.

That's a really satisfying moment to know that, although we know we're playing a role in a play, those magic aspects of it are still impressive to the audience. I hope I haven't just jinxed myself...

So it's frozen for everyone else, and you can just go and get stuff done or sleep?

I mean, that would be great too, but I was more thinking that, with touring, time goes by so fast, so it would be more the ability to live a good day twice, you know? Just get as much out of the day as possible, so it would be the same for everybody with me too.

Many of us know Penn and Teller, so to be able to say that I’m performing in a show co-created by them is incredible How's the tour been going so far?

We've been on tour since last August so, with two months left, it feels like we're on the home straight.

It's been going really, really well so far. We've gone from the south of England right up to the north of Scotland and, as well as Nottingham, we've got Cornwall and Dublin coming up, so we've been all over. It's interesting to see and hear how different audiences react in different parts of the country.

Although we're playing the same show, they pick up on different things depending on where we are, and that helps keep it feel really fresh for us. It's the same with being in different venues each week - it helps to keep us on our toes Do you get much downtime to explore the cities you visit?

It varies, to be honest, and depends how many shows we're doing and how tired we are! But I do try and get recommendations of things to do in each city, because I love getting out and trying to take in as much as I can. We're only in each city for a week, so it would be a shame not to see them. It's just a balancing act of trying to be rested for the show and seeing as much as we can!

Do you have anything in particular you want to see or do when you come to Nottingham?

Well, to be honest, I was hoping you'd be able to

If you could have one magical power, what would it be?

Oooh that's a hard question! I need a minute to think about this... Maybe the ability to freeze time?

That's much more honourable than my selfish interpretation To be fair, freezing time to sleep would be nice right now!

Mischief Theatre (The Play That Goes Wrong, The Comedy About a Bank Robbery, Peter Pan Goes Wrong) are one of the great success stories of modern British theatre. How does it feel to be part of their journey?

It feels really quite wonderful! I think because the company started with seven friends who trained together at Lamda [London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art], it still very much has that friend aspect to the company. Three of the writers have come out to see us in various venues, partly to check up on us and see how the show is going, but they also make the effort to come backstage and say hello and see how we're all doing.

Equally, having two of the biggest names in magic with Penn and Teller attached as the show's cocreators must feel pretty good...

It's absolutely huge. Many of us know Penn and Teller, so to be able to say that I'm performing in a show co-created by them is incredible. And it's not inspired by them, it's not based on them, it's literally created with them. The Mischief writers went over to Las Vegas and created the show inperson with Penn and Teller. We definitely don't take that for granted. Every now and then they'll send a video message or an email to the company saying, "Hey guys, just want to say you're doing an amazing job," and that's a pretty incredible feeling.

I'm just hoping that this leads to them inviting us to Las Vegas for a holiday...

You can see Magic Goes Wrong at Nottingham Theatre Royal from Tuesday 29 March - Sunday 3 April. For more information and tickets, visit there website trch.co.uk mischiefcomedy.com

interview: Ashley Carter photos: Pamela Raith

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words: George White illustrations: Chloe Henson

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Occult Classic From performing at office parties and weddings to selling out shows on the West End, this city’s magicians bring joy and blow minds across the UK and beyond - no small part thanks to the guidance and support of The Nottingham Guild of Magicians, our answer to the Magic Circle.

We take a look back at its decades-spanning history, and dive into its future plans with President Andrew Morrison…

Regardless of what the Nottingham Guild of Magicians has achieved in the eighty-plus years since it was founded back in 1939, nothing will have been more marvellous than the names of its founders - a group of aspiring and established illusionists and performers ranging from Captain Val Jackson to Bertram Millidge, Stonewall Jackson to Rev R. W. Lax West. No, we’re not making this up.

Millidge, the Guild’s first Secretary and its eventual President, was a magic enthusiast whose passion took him across the country and earned him a place in the prestigious Magic Circle. Rev. West found time outside of performing religious ceremonies to perform tricks and illusions, joining his other founding members at the Sign of Four Theatre Shop to entertain visiting members of the armed forces during the war. From its very inception, the Guild has been built on a devotion to the magical craft and its ability to bring joy to both performers and audiences alike - and this has stayed true ever since.

“We are a place for people of all skill levels, from professionals to novelists, to come and learn and improve,” explains Andrew Morrison, current President of the Guild of Magicians. “We help people to realise that they can achieve anything if they put their mind to it, and we use our network of experts and enthusiasts to make sure they do that to the best of their ability. This is a skill that can spark happiness for both the people doing the tricks and those experiencing them, so we try to make sure as many people who want to get into it can do so.”

Throughout their illustrious history, the Guild has welcomed an impressive mix of the country’s most established magicians to our great city. This includes Lewis Ganson, one of the most prolific and well-known magic writers of all time, and Ken De Courcy, a man known for writing in almost every magicfocused magazine in existence until his death in 2008. Not bad for a group set up for a hobby.

Now based in Arnold’s Art Centre, the organisation dedicates most of its time to

helping aspiring magicians of all ages to perfect their craft, through bi-monthly guest lectures, workshops and events. Current members range from early teens to ninetyyear-olds, plumbers and taxi drivers to doctors and solicitors. Asked why magic attracts such a wide variety of people, Andrew says simply, “A lot of people gain an interest from childhood. They enjoy watching people perform tricks at a young age and want to learn for themselves.” As these people get older and earn more money (at least in theory - thanks ‘cost of living crisis’), they are able to dedicate funds to trying things for themselves, and quickly become hooked on the thrill of it all. “It is a hobby that can take over your life,” Andrew laughs. “Some come into it for a bit of fun and go on to become lecturers and proper performers themselves. Once it has a grip on you, you can’t let it go.”

You watch modern magic compared to what my granddad was teaching me when I was a child, and it’s amazing to see how far it’s come Yet, while the Guild has consistently been a source of inspiration for aspiring sorcerers across eight decades, the nature of magic itself has undoubtedly changed in that time.

Andrew explains that the discipline is no longer as focused on large stage shows and stunning spectacles, but rather on the more intimate side of the art. Card tricks have become the most popular aspect of the craft, he explains, with more and more magicians performing at weddings and parties than on the West End. Considering why that is, Andrew pauses, before explaining that “there just isn’t the interest” in flashier productions any more.

Most of the prop stores he relied on during his days of performing at the Playhouse and Bonington Theatre are no longer available,

with many going out of business as the demand for them began to fall. “It’s a definite shame,” the Guild’s President admits.

Despite the loss of the more bombastic elements of magic, though, this is still an exciting and innovative field, with modern technology helping performers to both attract new fans and try new things. Through platforms such as TikTok and YouTube, the likes of Julius Dein and Nicolas Suriano bring in hundreds of thousands of viewers every week, showcasing their talent to a wider and broader - audience. And with access to a global network of contacts and information, fresh ideas are much easier to discover. As a result, the field is consistently expanding and changing, which Andrew believes is no bad thing.

“When I go to conventions, I look at some of the tricks that are brought up now and it's incredible,” he says. “You watch modern magic compared to what my granddad was teaching me when I was a child, and it’s amazing to see how far it’s come. There’s such a focus on close-up magic, where audiences can really analyse what you’re doing, and how they pull it off is quite remarkable.”

For all the benefits of a changing landscape, though, Andrew admits he would like the Guild to bring back some of the more oldschool, spectacular shows that attracted himself and many others to the field in the first place - hoping magic fans will return to larger venues once more.

The committee are currently on the hunt for a new home, after initial plans were put on hold due to COVID, in the hopes that they will soon be able to put together bigger-scale productions - providing a greater platform for the countless up-and-coming magicians in the county to showcase their talents. It’s proving a difficult challenge, Andrew says, but one he’s determined to overcome. It might require a miracle but, hey, that’s what the Nottingham Guild of Magicians does best… thenottinghamguildofmagicians.co.uk

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interview: Lizzy O’Riordan photo: Charlotte Jones

Talking To The Moon For as long as humans have stared at the sky, they’ve been fascinated by the moon. Mystified by its beauty, and curious about its unknowability, the satellite has inspired art, technology, and even language, with the word ‘lunatic’ stemming from the Roman Goddess of the moon - Luna. Yet, today we have surprisingly little connection with the moon, despite its importance. In light of this, we catch up with yoga teacher and wellness coach Victoria Louise, learning more about our connection with the moon, its feminine energy, and her Under The Moon rituals…

You’re a yoga teacher and wellness coach who describes herself as working with the moon….

Yes, so I work within the four main phases of the moon: the new moon, the first quarter, the full moon, and the last quarter moon. And when I say I’m working with it, that means that I’m tracking the different phases, and tracking my own energy levels in accordance with the moon. Then using certain rituals to correspond with each phase.

Do you have an example of a ritual?

So, for example, the new moon is the period when the sky is black, and that’s the time to set our intentions for the month ahead. It’s perfect because it’s the time of rest and rejuvenation. So, I’ll use that time to set my intentions for what I want to achieve that month, and then as the moon grows, so will your intentions.

Farmers actually used to do something similar where they would plant their seeds during the new moon.

That way, by the time it got to the full moon, you’d have the sun and the moon's energy shining down on the land, causing a gust of growth. It’s the same with our intentions, we’re letting the energy build and build and build until the full moon and then we see what’s come to fruition over the last few weeks.

We all know the sun affects our mood. Is the moon the same?

Definitely. We’re 60% water and if the moon affects the tides, why wouldn’t it affect us? When the moon and the sun are shining there is a sense of heightened energy which can affect people, sometimes making them feel weird or erratic.

But, again, you can generally break it down into the four settings of the moon. The new moon is classed as winter so you’re likely to feel a bit funky. The first quarter is spring so you’re starting to pick up momentum and feel good. The full moon is summer and you’re most likely to feel a lot of energy. Then the last quarter is autumn, and that’s when you’re most likely to be critical and harsh on yourself.

You also look at the moon through a feminine perspective…

That’s actually how I got looking at the moon in the first place. It was around the time I was first dealing with PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome) and I was struggling with my menstrual cycle. Working with the moon allowed me to connect to the feminine, and to track those different stages of energy even when I wasn’t having my own cycle. The moon cycle is twenty eight days which aligns with the standard feminine cycle, and it also has similar peaks and troughs of energy. Even if we don’t have a period, or if our period isn’t aligned with the moon, she can still remind us of important questions. Should I be giving my energy out? Or do I need to nourish myself and focus inwards?

Working with the moon allowed me to connect to the feminine, and to track those different stages of energy even when I wasn’t having my own cycle Do you think of the moon as female then?

I do think of her as a she. It’s a wonderful thing that the world is becoming more non binary, but traditionally the sun has the masculine energy and the moon has the feminine. The sun is on all the time, always bright and shining, but because of her placement the moon doesn't always have the same gusto of energy. She has time to rest, and I think we (women) feel connected to her because she has that break and that week where she isn’t seen. We likewise need that time of darkness and nurturing.

It’s nice to think of the moon bringing women together…

Yes! And there is this old concept of women bleeding alongside the moon cycle, and syncing with each other. There used to be this thing called red tents

where women gathered together, and traditionally they’d all bleed together. It was a place for them to all bring food and be nurtured by each other, and to be allowed time to rest. It’s really quite powerful looking at history and seeing the power of the feminine.

If we think of the sun as masculine and the moon as feminine, do you think there’s something political in people taking the moon less seriously?

I love that you asked that. And I would say yes. Like we’ve said, we know the sun affects our mood and how things grow. But we do forget that the moon has such a piece to play in that, and we don’t give it enough credit. My dad is an ex-policeman and he always said that during the full moon people were wild on the streets and they’d have to get more policemen on night shifts. Likewise, the teachers I know say the kids are always more wild around a full moon. Which is so fascinating.

You run Under The Moon rituals. What does that involve?

I do the rituals either on the new moon or the full moon. In both there is always breathwork, always meditation, and always a ritual that’s connected to whichever phase of the moon it is. For example, in my last workshop I talked about cleansing the body, in terms of social media, and what you put into your body to build yourself up. It’s always focused on what you need to put forth in the world, or what you need to release and let go.

What would you recommend to anyone who is interested in learning more about the moon?

Come to me, of course! But also a really good resource is Moonology by Yasmin Boland, which is a really nice introduction to working with the moon.

And there’s another really good one called the Moon Journal, which was really my starting point, and something I refer back to regularly. It’s got everything you need to know, and it’s so concise.

Victoria is running a Wild Women Ceremony on April 10 2022, details of which can be found online at

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My Photo Moment Steve Wallace - @jamesgraceart

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FOOD AND DRINK

words: Emilie Mendham photos: Curtis Powell

home comforts

Emilie Mendham heads to Derby Road to check out Little Bricks, the restaurant offering a unique blend of the freshest meals, desserts and wines that our fine city has to offer…

I found out about Little Brickhouse, also known as Little Bricks, the same way everyone did - a geolocation tag on a mutual friend's Instagram.

On the surface level, Little Bricks almost looks replicable across trendy Pinterest boards, with its Danish looking interiors complete with natural wines and mid-century furniture. Yet a conversation with the owners assures its authenticity. For both of our benefits, I speak to owners Katharina Linnenbrink and Joaqim Nielson to understand the stories built into the restaurant. It feels aptly named Little Brickhouse; as I chat to Katharina, it feels like she placed each building block into it. The design is unique to them and just as important as the food. When you do take a bite, though, you’re truly becoming a part of their family and their journey. From the art they like, to the wines they pair, to each individual chair - Little Bricks is them.

Breaking the boundaries of what normal restaurants once were, Little Bricks has dipped a toe into the art scene. Local artists fill their walls with tiny price tags in the corner. The iconic backdrop of quirky, colourful art is now available to buy. My personal favourite sits above the fireplace from local artist @kynobi on instagram.

“Why Nottingham?” I ask. “Where else?”

The first time I visited Little Bricks, I had the kale and alioli fritters. Joakim laughs at this as they both remember the nightmarish repetition of creating equally-sized foods. There is a warmth in the restaurant that Katharina refers to as mother’s love.

She wants the focus to be on each other and the food to work as a bridge between. Like coming home to mother’s dinner table, it’s a time to break bread with your family and fill them in on your stories of the day - that’s what Little Bricks is. “People are the most important part.”

So what’s on the menu? An eclectic mix of Nottingham’s finest food and wines. All of their vegetables are biodynamic: meaning they are sustainable and good for the earth. Whether you visit for brunch or supper you’ll be greeted with a new extended menu offering sharing plates alongside seasonal classics. They’ve expanded from their iconic set menu in order to give more people a taste. The biggest shocker for the coffee-spoilt among us is their lack of coffee on the brunch menu. A refreshing change from being offered an overwhelming list of options, it's back to the nineties with only tea or a filter brew.

If you do book a table, it’s essential you order a dessert. Joakim scours the likes of the New York Times and beyond to bring colourful desserts to Nottingham. Elevated, sophisticated, and a little bit indulgent - they are not to be missed. My favourite will always be the salted caramel dark chocolate mousse with orange confit; that is until I try their next creation.

Little Bricks hosted their first wedding back in February. They arrived in a vintage bus and stayed for their wedding breakfast and midnight snacks. With partying in the basement until the morning, I’m told to expect more of the same from them soon, from wine tastings to music evenings - the owners are honing in on their community hub they’ve created.

Their first event with CATMILK was a live music and dining experience that saw customers filling in all night.

Everything about Little Bricks is thoughtful, and you can truly understand how much of a culmination everything is of all our other local favourites. With natural wines from local sellers, to art made down the road, and furniture from the Danish Homestore. Yet Instagram followers of their account will recognise their authenticity as Katharina posts relaxed photos of her own home. As she snaps her Christmas Day lunch spread it proves how eating at Little Bricks is like eating at home with mum’s food - that is, of course, if your mum is a fine dining chef.

You can find Little Bricks at 110 Derby Road @littlebricksrestaurant

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food for thought

Little Bricks was a natural birth. The love child of German Katharina Linnenbrink and Norwegian Joakim Nielson fused together as the mismatch that is them, no room for technicalities or rulebooks.

Back to the day it began in 2021. Katharina tells me that she and Joakim sat at the Hand in Heart with a beer, and they made eye contact with the little

shop across the road. Painted a bold red, they fell in love with her straight away. I say her, because that is what Katherina tells me in earnest - she is a she, and I believe her. Moulded onto the ceiling is a part of the female anatomy that I urge you to look up at next time you’re enjoying your oysters. I notice in the back corner there is a rounded fire alarm painted to resemble another part. They don’t seem to take themselves seriously at all, but there is something about this that makes me think they do.

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To Sup Zombie - Mojo Mojo have conjured up one of the most mind-blowing - and hangover-inducing drinks in Notts. A brandy cocktail packed with rum and falernum, the title ‘Zombie’ definitely seems fitting. @mojonottingham

To Nosh The Blue Burger - Bohns There’s something spellbinding about the amount of food Bohns can stuff in between its burger buns - and with a double patty, bacon, blue cheese, onions and gherkins, The Blue Burger is no exception. @bohns_official

New Business Jon Doe It’s 2022 - who wants to talk to people these days? No-one, that’s who. Jon Doe gets it. This new pizza joint lets you order online and pick up your food without seeing a soul. Magic. @jondoepizza

Lasagna. Smooth creamy sauce, slow cooked mince, and layer upon layer of delicious carbs. It truly is the king of all pasta dishes.

Hence my excitement for visiting Lombardo’s - Nottingham’s first ever lasagneria - a small and likeable restaurant conveniently located on Hucknall Road.

To set the scene, it was Friday night, just after seven, and I was giddy with the thought of eating my body weight in Italian treats.

Importantly, it had just been payday and my date and I had agreed to order three full courses, a decision which had consumed the majority of my waking thoughts that day.

Food review: sea and earth With the main ingredient being the humble potato, you might not think visiting a chippy would present too much of a challenge if you’re on a plant-based diet. But the overwhelming majority of chip shops fry their fish and other meat items in the same oil as their chips - meaning that, both unfortunately and understandably, even a portion of chips can be off the menu when you’re vegan.

Upon walking in, I was charmed by the size of the restaurant. Holding only 22 seats, it immediately felt intimate, an effect added to by the glowing candle on our table. Greeted by one of the owners, we started with a drink each. Opting for a Hugo, I was pleased with my cocktail that combined gin, elderflower, and prosecco, finally being garnished with a mint leaf.

Finally, the time to choose a main course had arrived, and for the first time in my life I had six lasagna options to peruse. Finally choosing La Romana, I was united with a slow cooked beef and pork ragu, while my date was met with the Diavolo - a spicy salami lasagna, packed with ‘nduja and finished, like mine, with bechamel and grana padano. Simply delicious.

By the time the dessert rolled around, I was cheerfully drunk and full, an experience only made more pleasant by a portion of tiramisu.

Heavy on the mascarpone, it was my ideal.

And as if we hadn’t had enough, the perfect night ended with a complementary shot of limoncello. Authentic food, pleasant staff, and a great atmosphere. Lombardo’s is a win.

Lizzy O’Riordan 142 Hucknall Rd, Carrington, NG5 1FA @lombardoslasagne

Not to get too bogged down in hyperbole, but their menu is truly superb, offering vegan versions of fishcakes (vishcakes), battered sausage, mushy pea fritters, chicken nuggets, spicy (corn) ribs, and even battered fish, made with 2/3 banana blossom marinated in herbs, layered in nori seaweed and fried.

After much deliberation, I went for the battered sausage with small chips, mushy peas and gravy, and it was every bit as delectable as I’d hoped. The generous portion of chips tasted freshly cooked and not greasy, whereas the sausage, coated in delicious crispy, light batter was so good I was convinced it was the real thing. Having never been a fish eater, I had no frame of reference for the banana blossom, but my dining partner was full of praise.

I’m only slightly ashamed to say that I ordered Sea and Earth again, this time from home, three days later and was delighted to see that, unlike many other takeaways, it travelled well, and tasted just as good as it had done instore. With a menu that’s as accommodating for meat-eaters as it is for vegans, Sea and Earth has firmly planted its flag as one of Nottingham’s premier chippies. Jason Edgar 778 Mansfield Road, NG5 3FH

seaearth.co.uk

@pelhamstreetkitchen

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Email us at editorial@leftlion.co.uk

Finding Nemo If you’re still heartbroken that the Disney store shut down, you can now drown your sorrows in a fishbowl full of rum, curacao and lemonade. Lovely.

Red Legged If you like your rum a little fruitier, Red Legged is for you. Mixing spiced rum with apple, pineapple and lime, you’ll basically turn Low Pavement into a tropical paradise.

Absolutely Fabulous As well as being everyone’s favourite nineties sitcom, Absolutely Fabulous is a cracking concoction of fruit, vodka and an actual Fab lolly. See what they did there?

The Magical Garden We couldn’t finish without mentioning this institution’s trademark cocktail - a refreshing, summer blend of gin, apple and elderflower.

That’s proper magic.

themagicgardennotts.com 24-26 Low Pavement, NG1 7DL

words: George White

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To Follow The Kitchen On Pelham Street Cakes, bakes and coffee - what’s not to love? If you’re wanting to warm up your timeline, following The Kitchen On Pelham Street will do just the trick.

Known for their creative cocktails and fancy food, they’ve become one of the most popular places in the city. But which are their best bevs?

Here are five of our favourites…

Espresso Martini Unsure as to whether you want your heart rate to speed up or slow down?

This espresso martini will do a bit of both - and make you look posh as heck doing it.

But what if there was a chippy that not only fried their chips separately, but also offered a comprehensive range of non-meat alternatives to chip shop classic dishes? Step in Sea and Earth, the Woodthorpe-based eatery that entered my life as if sent by God himself, raising my spirits and cholesterol in one fell swoop.

Moving onto starters, we shared the Brushette all’Italiana. Patriotically coordinated with the Italian flag, we enjoyed three types of bruschetta: freshly made pesto, piccolino tomatoes, and ricotta and honey, the latter of which I still think about regularly. Served on fresh toasted sourdough, all three were worth writing home about.

Subtlety isn’t the name of the game here in the LeftLion offices, so when we decided to do a magic issue, there was only one choice for this section of the mag - The Magic Garden.

FOOD AND DRINK

Food review: Lombardo’s

Going Through the Potions

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literature

words: Lizzy O’Riordan photo: Gemma Wilks

Scary Tales

Cinderella, The Little Mermaid, Sleeping Beauty. Since they first arrived, these fairy tales have endured as childhood staples, shaping our first sense of right and wrong. But how often do we hear the original stories - the more gruesome and grisly iterations that don’t make it to Disney's final cut? Inspired by this month's magic theme, we catch up with Nottingham author and presenter Rehannah Mian about her podcast Magical Storybook, and why she’s bringing traditional fairy tales back to the present day…

Whether reciting ballads by firelight, or bingeing on Netflix by screenlight, human beings have always loved stories. Regardless of if you want escapism, wisdom, or education, a good story will wrap you in its narrative, and lead you to consider all the great existential questions, often through the simplest tale.

And what's a more poignant example of this than a fairytale? Uncomplicated, easy, and packed with insight- they encapsulate the core of all storytelling.

Or so Rehannah Mian thought at least, when she started her project Magical Storybook - the podcast bringing traditional fairy tales to a modern audience.

With the aim of bringing fairy tales to children, Mian set up Magical Storybook after working as a history presenter for Notts TV. “I used to work in television, so I’ve always been interested in storytelling and telling stories to make the world a better place,” Mian says. “Then I left television to work with children, and it was there I got the idea for the podcast.” Starting off as a volunteer in a scouts group, Rehannah realised that many children hadn’t heard of the traditional fairy tales. “Storytelling was a massive part of my life. I used to spend the whole weekend reading comics, or listening to stories, or making them up in the bedroom with my sister. And knowing these children didn’t have the same experiences I had - I started doing sessions in scouting where I would introduce the old traditional fairy tales.”

That’s what makes them interesting, they’re all based around a character who is suffering in some way and they reflect real life In this respect, fairy tales help the child listener to process some difficult emotions, often ones they wouldn’t have the framework to discuss otherwise.

“Also witches, wizards, murder. That’s fascinating for children! Plus they’re really well told stories.”

On top of that, Rehannah tells me that the podcast has turned out to be a great educational tool. Being online, her stories have the scope to reach all the way across the globe. “I realised a lot of children around the world are using the podcast to learn literacy, because I speak clearly and slowly. So I started to transcribe the story into e-books to read along with for free. They’re learning how the words are said and look.”

Alongside bringing old stories to the present, Rehannah also began to work on a side project.

“Going back to my history background, my initial love was actually the mediaeval history of Nottingham, then I became interested in European mediaeval history, and then I started making up stories about mediaeval characters. I discovered that lots of ethnic minorities (as we’d call them) were written out of history when it was whitewashed in the 1500s. I knew I wanted to write a children’s story about them.

“One of these characters was an African knight called Sir Morein who I found in the King Arthur folklore, described as the biggest and strongest and bravest of King Arthur's knights. I started writing this story called Mia and the Curse of Camelot, bringing all these forgotten characters in. It’s the story of a mixed race girl who goes back in time to visit Camelot, only to find they’ve all been cursed, and of course It’s up to her to break that curse.” Mian then uploaded each chapter to the podcast. “All of a sudden people were requesting more. Then I made it into a book after.

Now I have this novel that I send out whenever anyone wants one.”

I ask for any final words on the podcast and on Mia and The Curse of Camelot. “Children's stories have such an impact, they can create resilience, they can make them feel less alone, they are powerful,” she says “That’s why it was so important to me to write this book. If you’re always reading about characters that don’t look like you, then you have slightly less connection. So we need all these stories. We need black stories, Pakistani heroes, Saudi Arabian women heroes. And they existed in history, but they were written out. How many African knights do you see that save the day? I hope it inspires people to dig more into that history. And the next time someone writes about King Arhur, maybe they will actually include him.”

You can listen to Magical Storybook on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or any other podcast hosting platform

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Rehannah was pleasantly surprised at the reaction. “I was worried because the stories are more dark than stories they might have known, but the kids loved them, and it inspired them. They were thriving on these stories.” So much so, in fact, that Rehannah was motivated to set up her own business, “running childrens parties, all based around these original fairy tales.” It was then, through a chance encounter at a business training day, that Rehannah first heard about podcasting, and, spurred on by the course facilitator, she decided to give it a go.

I ask Rehannah why she thinks the podcast resonates with children, especially when the details of traditional fairy tales can be so gory, the polar opposite of contemporary children's media like Pixar, Disney, or Dreamworks. “I think kids do like something a bit more horror based,” she replies.

“Like you say, let's face it, the original stories are not very nice. The premise is usually around child abuse of some description. Like Hansel and Gretel is about throwing your kids into the woods, Cinderella is a girl who is a slave. But I think that’s what makes them interesting, they’re all based around a character who is suffering in some way and they reflect real life. There are children going through these things: poverty, starvation, difficult relationships, and even if the specifics aren’t the same, everyone can find a character they connect with if they’re going through a hard time.”

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bourn to be wild

fashion

interview: Addie Kenogbon photo: Curtis Powell

Nottingham-based jewellery designer Hannah Bourn has made a name for herself conjuring up stunning gold and silver pieces inspired by the natural world, using casts or sculptures of shells. Her work often mirrors the shapes found on the beach and in the sea, and aims to be a source of escapism, capturing the beauty of nature in a wearable format. We catch up with her to chat about the magic of recreating nature through jewellery, making heirlooms for the future and her current collection, Touch of the Sea… Can you tell me how you got into jewellery making?

I always wanted to go to uni and learn something new and I really love jewellery, so I did my degree in it at Central Saint Martins in London. There, I also got the opportunity to do a placement year for Alex Monroe, a jeweller who is famous for their iconic bumblebee necklaces. After that placement, I carried on working with them part-time and got the opportunity to do bespoke pieces for them too.

All the pieces in your Touch of the Sea collection are nothing short of magical, so can you tell me a little bit more about the inspiration behind them?

I’ve always been fascinated by the natural world and especially the beach. However, I’ve seen a lot of seaside jewellery that’s quite cheesy, so I was always really cautious to not go down that road.

Instead, I’ve drawn inspiration in a more subtle way and my pieces are often quite abstract, so that even if you don’t particularly love the sea, I hope you could still wear and love my jewellery. Some of my pieces are made using imprints from shells by pouring wax in or over the surface of them. I then sculpt and shape these casts to adapt them to the body. Other pieces are a bit more sculptural and are made to highlight the hidden shapes and lines found in nature. For example, one of my bangles is inspired by a Saccostrea shell, and the lovely wiggly line you see across the seam when it’s closed.

Jewellery can be really emotive. What emotions do you want your jewellery to evoke?

Often when you hold natural objects, it can bring up memories, whether it’s a special visit to the beach or a connection to nature, so I always hope my pieces evoke feelings of calm. I’ve had instances of people telling me how much they love to play with my jewellery because of its calming effect on them too – they love fiddling with the pieces and feeling the shapes and the textures. I also do a lot of bespoke pieces such as engagement rings and wedding bands, so that’s obviously received in a very different way too and will naturally trigger different emotions.

One of the things I noticed you do that is really special is breathing new life into old family heirlooms and gems. Can you tell me a little more about that?

I’m really passionate about sustainability and I love giving life to old objects. Rather than always looking for new stones and new pieces of metal, I often melt down old gold and silver and give it a new lease of life. I can also use any old stones from rings that someone has had passed down to them from previous generations. I think a lot of people are really lucky and have family jewellery that they just love but some also inherit jewellery that they think is really not them, and when I get to work on these pieces, it’s always amazing and so rewarding seeing the transformation.

You hear a lot about the negative side of gold mining and irresponsible metal sourcing, but where do you source your metal from and where do you stand on that?

I always try and make all my jewellery in solid silver or gold and never use base metals because the jewellery industry isn’t always the most sustainable. When I make my jewellery, I always want to make sure it’s made from long-lasting materials so they can withstand the test of time and become heirlooms for the future. The metals

I use are recycled gold or silver and I also have a licence with a fair-mined gold company so people do have the option of using gold sourced from there as an alternative.

What are your plans for the future?

Hopefully I can keep developing this collection because there are endless shapes, shells and natural objects that I can highlight and explore through my pieces. At the minute it’s just me and I would like to expand my team one day in the future. However, I’ve always said I’d never want to get so big that I couldn’t manage my team, as I wouldn’t want to lose that personal touch or not get a chance to be involved in the actual making or designing. All my pieces are also currently very sculptural and quite chunky, but next I’m going to be creating a fine collection which will have a similar concept, still celebrating nature, but be more delicate, with a lower price point.

The theme for this collection is all about exploring human connections with nature and how we crave them What have been your career highlights so far?

When I get asked by a family or friend to make something, I always find that really touching. My cousin asked me to make his engagement ring which was the first ever engagement ring that I made. That was a massive highlight for me.

I’ve also just launched in two local stockists, k. fines in Hockley and Last Night I Dreamt in Southwell. They’re both amazing jewellers.

If you’d like to get your hands on one of Hannah’s creations, visit her website or Instagram hannahbourn.com @han.bourn

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Nottingham is quite a way away from the beach.

Now you’re here do you think your pieces will move away from drawing inspiration from the sea?

The theme for this collection actually started when I was studying in London, and it was all about exploring human connections with nature and how we crave them. Even holding a pebble in your hand, for example, can have such a calming effect. Living in a busy city like London made me crave, study and appreciate nature more, and even though Nottingham is more chilled out, I definitely

want to keep exploring these themes, as being in a city always inspires me to reconnect with nature.

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WELLBEING

for tomorrow

I am protected Happy April!

The Spring Equinox brought a freshness to life! The flowers are in bloom and I’m here for the warmth.

We’ve touched on energy and what it means spiritually, but I want to give you some practical ways to keep your vibration high while dealing with the situations of life and making sure the low frequencies are not transferred to you.

Our thoughts create our reality and while asking for success and abundance is important, creating a safe environment for yourself is even more so So the easiest and simplest way to protect your aura is through intention and affirmations. You don’t need any tools, just the want and the words that resonate with you. Before you get out of bed in the morning, take a few moments to set the tone of the day.

“I have a challenging day ahead but I am protected.”

“I am willing to help my friend through their trials but I will not allow it to drain me.”

“I feel saddened by the events taking place but I will do my best to be kind to myself and others.”

Having lost their friend to suicide in April 2020, Bridie Squires is one of fourteen people undertaking Tough Mudder to celebrating the legacy of Harry McCormick, highlighting the issue of male suicide and raising vital funds for The Tomorrow Project...

Despite numerous, high-profile campaigns encouraging men to seek help when they’re feeling depressed, or aiming to destigmatise males opening up about their feelings, the latest Samaritan statistics show that men are still committing suicide at a rate more than three times higher than that of women. And COVID certainly didn’t help. Being snatched out of our everyday routines and thrown into, in many cases, a seemingly endless, shapeless period of isolation wreaked havoc on the mental wellbeing of countless people in all corners of the country.

While there isn’t much solid data yet, anecdotally it feels like we all knew someone who sadly committed suicide during lockdown.

Harry McCormick was only thirty years old when he took his own life in April 2020. A Nottingham creative, he was both well-known and wellloved in the city, and contributed articles to LeftLion during Bridie Squires' time as Editor. “It’s hard to put into words what Harry meant to us all,” Bridie says about her friend.

“His positive energy was incredibly

infectious and even with his amazing intelligence and talent, he was so humble with such a genuine interest in anyone he met.”

Bridie was joined by countless other people in being utterly shocked at Harry’s death, describing how “shock thundered through our hearts” at learning the news. And, with the issue of male suicide continuing to be the leading cause of death in males aged 20-34 (27.1%), Bridie has teamed up with a group of Harry’s friends to tackle the infamous Tough Mudder course in a bid to raise money for The Tomorrow Project, a cause established in response to a cluster of suicides in East Leake in 2012. A confidential, communitybased suicide prevention, intervention and postvention service, The Tomorrow Project are a team of individuals who understand despair, with many of them having faced similar difficulties.

For the uninitiated, Tough Mudder is a notoriously difficult test of strength, stamina and endurance, with participants tasked with

tackling a 15km obstacle course packed full of electric shocks, ice baths, three-story high rope ladders, mud mounds, barbed-wire clearances and plenty more.

With an initial aim of raising £2,000 for the charity, the group of fourteen of Harry’s friends are already close to the 50% mark, with the Tough Mudder event taking place at Belvoir Castle on Saturday 23 April. So if you’re reading this and want to help Harry’s friends celebrate his legacy and support The Tomorrow Project, take a look at their GoFundMe link and, if you can, chuck them a few quid.

“Whether it's a fiver or fivehundred quid, it will make a positive difference to the fundraiser, so please don't be shy,” Bridie finishes.

“We are determined to not let the pain and grief of the past two years override how thankful we are to have been blessed by that crazy, ginger, freestyling, metal-head scientist.” gofundme.com/harry-mccormickstough-mudder-bonanza

When I leave my home, I always say either aloud or in my mind “I am protected” and I go about my day, knowing I will be. Our thoughts create our reality and while asking for success and abundance is important, creating a safe environment for yourself is even more so.

So this month’s affirmation: “I AM PROTECTED” Remember, you create your reality - so if it’s all a little overwhelming at the moment, turn off the news, put down your phone and go outside.

Earth has come alive.

Until next time: leftlion.co.uk/issue146

Be Safe, No Fear & Stay Blessed.

Love

CECE X traceymeek.com

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words: Christina Geggus photo: Nigel King

do look up In nature we not only find forms, textures, sounds and smells; when we really sit with it, we briefly reconnect with ourselves, and to our wild roots. Whether it’s a brief encounter with a bumble bee, looking up at the many mature trees that line Nottingham's boulevards, or just watering some shop-bought herbs on your kitchen windowsill, nature holds the power to enchant.

The hard truth is we're miles away from having the sort of thriving habitats of the near past, with huge declines in insect life worldwide, and changing weather patterns, pollution, industrial fertilisers, and pesticides taking their toll. But this month we can all do our bit to help by taking part in the City Nature Challenge - a global citizen science project taking place from Friday 29 April to Monday 2 May. The City Nature Challenge invites citizens to record local nature by taking photos of the natural life we share our city with, and uploading them to the free iNaturalist website/ app. That data will then inform professionals trying to improve our ecosystems, to better target their efforts. The challenge is led locally by the Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust City Local Group and local education charity Ignite!, with support from Nottingham City Council.

The hard truth is we’re miles away from having the sort of thriving habitats of the near past Giselle Sterry from the National Biodiversity Network Trust, who are also supporting the Nottingham effort, said it was about “celebrating urban wildlife in all its forms, that means not just parks and open spaces, but also the birds in our garden, the ‘weeds’ on our patio, the bugs on our balconies, the spiders in our sheds and the butterflies on our allotments”, and calls it “an opportunity for people to look at their environments in a different way, and find beauty in unexpected places”.

citynaturechallenge.org.uk

words: Adam Pickering

In the face of widespread isolation and individual feelings of powerlessness over climate change, and where the supermarket food we eat often comes from far-flung places long out of season, local movements are springing up to fill in the gaps and restore balance. Christina Geggus investigates one such magical group - Incredible Edible Beeston - and finds shoots of hope and community growing in unlikely places…

Bonded by a vision of community-powered food growing is Incredible Edible Beeston. By engaging local people with growing their own food they, with the backing of Broxtowe Borough Council and a variety of local schools and other spaces, have conjured up vibrant and productive community gardening hubs filled with an abundance of fruit and vegetables for everyone to enjoy.

This uplifting mantra of hyperlocal, accessible, inclusive community food growing provides a hopeful approach to addressing the climate crisis from the bottom up The Beeston group was founded in October 2019, starting with ‘The City’ site by Middle Street Resource Centre, and they’re now looking after four sites dotted around the town. With the group growing from strength to strength over the last couple of years, they’re hopeful that more unloved community spaces can be transformed across the town.

Populated with pop-up planters, the mini gardens Incredible Edible Beeston have created not only provide neighbourhoods with locally grown produce, but also a place to gather and build connections, both with each other and the natural world. There’s plenty of overlap between members of the group and other local initiatives such as We Dig NG9, and the Broxtowe Green Umbrella, organisers of Broxtowe Green Festival (coming up on Saturday 23 April) - who collectively make Beeston one of Nottinghamshire’s most active and vibrant green communities.

A key volunteer, and the force behind Incredible Edible Beeston’s lively social media pages, Heather Sarno says the small actions that people take in local projects like Incredible Edible can make a massive difference to our environment and to the way they live their lives. “Since getting involved in Incredible Edible, my life has become so much more fulfilling,” she says. “I’ve met some lovely people through the group, along with it now giving me another focus to my life and the opportunity to make a difference”.

The idea of Incredible Edible started in West Yorkshire in 2008 with Pamela Warhurst, Mary Clear, and other enthusiastic locals - a TED Talk later, and with over 100 groups now set up in the UK, and a further 600 groups active world-wide, the Incredible Edible scheme has clearly caught the mood of the moment. Such initiatives help to address a range of issues, from tackling food

poverty to aiding social isolation, reconnecting people with nature and improving understanding of the food system, all from a locally driven, place-based perspective.

Volunteers from the group also help out at Hope Nottingham Community Allotment, who also run a food bank helping to get food to those most in need locally.

Alongside food growing, Incredible Edible also regularly get involved with activities such as wildflower seed sowing and tree planting. The idea is one that’s both holistic and inclusive in its approach to tackling our big social and environmental issues.

Shaun Dannheimer is another key volunteer within the group who expresses how the scheme has given locals the opportunity to get involved in their community and the lessons it has provided them about the value of locally grown food. “It’s given the people of Beeston an opportunity to grow their own fruit and vegetables, or get involved with our community sites, and our volunteers include a broad range of people,” he explains.

“For example, we have some older volunteers who live in care homes close to our sites who no longer have access to their own garden or allotment, and there’s lots of children who volunteer, which has taught many of them about where their food comes from”.

Could this idea work outside of a tight knit community like Beeston?

Incredible Edible Beeston has helped to bring the community together and improve local lives in surprising ways. Their uplifting mantra of hyperlocal, accessible, inclusive community food growing provides a hopeful approach to addressing the climate crisis from the bottom up, and it’s winning many hearts and minds in a public that’s increasingly recognising the need for local and natural connection.

Could this idea work outside of a tight knit community like Beeston, with its long-established art community, and grassroots groups like Beeston Civic Society providing such fertile ground for initiatives like Incredible Edible to germinate? Hopefully other areas around Nottingham and its shire will take up the challenge, and prove that any community can work together towards greater food independence. These early efforts are vital seeds of change.

Get in touch with Incredible Edible Beeston on Facebook and Instagram or head to their website for help starting your own local group

incredibleedible.org.uk

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So this April, let’s put our screens to good use - gazing outwards at the world around us, and allowing ourselves to be charmed by the beauty and solace of nature.

ENVIRONMENT

herb your enthusiasm

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CATEGORIES Animation & Digital Media / Creative Writing / Dance / Design & Architecture / Fashion & Textiles / Film / Graphic Design / Music / Photography / Theatre / Visual Arts

interview: Yasmin Turner

SCREEN

lager than life

movie magic In an issue dedicated to magic, it would be rude of me to not include some sort of reference to the ‘magic of cinema’. So that’s exactly what I’m going to do. It’s been a few months since Spider-Man: No Way Home came out, yet its impact is still with me even now. It was moviegoing at its most magical. Seeing (spoiler) all three live action Spider-Men (Spider-Mans? Spiders-Man?) on the big screen at the same time was exactly what the cinema is all about - transporting you back to the joy of your childhood, to simpler times, to having not a care in the world and not a place to be.

While the role of films as a vehicle for provoking introspection and reflection is undoubtedly important, big old dumb movies can showcase the magic of cinema as well as anything Sure, it might not have been an objectively brilliant film, but the experience of that cinema trip was one of the best of my life. Having a packed screening full of people, all reacting to the same thing with the same level of giddy enthusiasm was something special. I was sat there the entire time with a stupid smile on my face, like I was seven all over again - and I’ll be damned if I didn’t get emotional when Andrew Garfield walked out in his red-andblue costume once more (yes, he is the best Spider-Man, I don’t care what you say).

words: George White

What was your motivation behind making this documentary?

The thing that pops out at you straight away is its community feel. Debbie Law, the landlady, is such a character, and she’s the real driving force behind the place.

The documentary is called The New Foresters, but really it’s about Debbie and the safe space she has kept alive in Nottingham all these years, against the odds. I’ve always wanted to make a short doc about this place, it means so much to so many people. Places like this, you have to document the stories and the people because there are so many venues across the UK that have shut down due to the decline of the community, as well as COVID. I’m not saying the New Foresters are doing badly, it’s actually doing quite well. But it’s still nice to have it on film.

Have you come across any challenges when working on this documentary?

The biggest challenge was the pandemic. I started to make it in 2021, when you had to sit outside and it was table service. All I wanted was some footage of people inside enjoying themselves, but I had to wait and film when I could with masks on and distanced. Every interview has a shadow of COVID behind it - it’s not easy to build a rapport with people wearing masks, standing two metres apart.

I’ve always wanted to make a documentary about this place, it means so much to so many people Do you have any favourite moments from your filming process?

My favourite part was filming the Scream Queens, a group of drag queens that perform in the New Foresters regularly. One of them is David, the manager of the pub, and they’re just so good to be around.

Also, from the actual documentary, the stories that Debbie told from

years of working at the pub. So many funny things you’d only hear from someone that has worked there for twenty years.

What is the future looking like for the New Foresters and LGBTQ+ community in Nottingham?

Well, in 2012, Nottingham had around nine venues - and now we’ve only got one gay pub and a few gay-friendly pubs. So, it’s always a worry that things are going to close. Debbie is stepping down in a few months, but she is going to find someone who will run the pub with the same passion she has, and it’s still going to be a gay venue.

The customers will still support it and I think we’ll be seeing this pub serving pints to the LGBTQ+ community for years to come.

I was lucky I made this when I did. Getting the chance to talk to Debbie, celebrating her twenty years of running this pub, has been a pleasure. In many ways this film is a tribute to her and her contribution to the gay community.

The New Foresters is available on YouTube from Wednesday 30 March.

Just search ‘Short Documentary – The New Foresters’ facebook.com/gaybar.nottingham

To Do Toy Story In Concert

To Remember Reservoir Dogs

It’s been 22 years since Toy Story was released, and yet it’s arguably still the greatest Pixar film ever.

Now you can experience it like never before - with live music from the talented Novello Orchestra.

Thurs 7 April, Royal Concert Hall

Eight years ago, Reservoir Dogs returned to our shores for a re-release at Sundance Film Festival. The film has a close connection to our city, with Quentin Tarantino rocking up to the UK premiere at Broadway Cinema back in 1993.

To Follow Chris Cooke With a doc on the making of his 2003 feature film One for the Road set for release, there’s never been a better time to follow Chris Cooke - a prominent figure within Nottingham’s Screen scene. @Cooke_Mayhem leftlion.co.uk/issue146

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@LeftLionScreen

How did you come across the New Foresters?

I think anyone in Nottingham’s gay community has been to the New Foresters. It’s the oldest gay venue in the city and they have just been awarded Nottingham’s first English Heritage Pink Plaque. It was one of the first places I went to when I came out years ago, and I’ve been there so many times since. It’s just a cool place for the community.

Short reels

While the role of films as a vehicle for social commentary, for political statements, for provoking introspection and reflection is undoubtedly important, big old dumb movies like this can showcase the power of cinema as well as anything. No Way Home was a cultural moment, a rare occasion when masses of people across the globe came together to share their excitement after months of division and separation. That’s pretty magical to me.

Nottingham’s oldest gay pub, New Foresters, opened in 1958 and has been the hub of Nottingham’s LGBTQ+ community ever since. We catch up with local filmmaker Damien Ebanks ahead of the release of his new documentary, which highlights the significance of this venue as a safe space for self-expression, and the importance of its landlady, Debbie Law…

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MUSIC

MUSIC Reviews Distant Blue Dead (Single) Nottingham band Distant Blue have just released their latest single, Dead, to kick-start their tour in April. A hard-hitting, full-on indie alternative rock sound from the four-piece will be sure to keep their fans happy, with tight drums and bass providing a strong foundation for guitar riffs galore, and solid vocals shifting from rasping to rap throughout the three-and-a-half-minute track. If this is a taste of the tour, bring it on. Bassey

Juga-Naut Situationist: Stolen Art PT​.​III (Album)

Jazzy, Tion Wayne, Bru-C Belters Only – Make Me Feel Good Remix (Single)

Nottingham’s Juga-Naut has just released Situationist, the third addition to his Stolen Art series. The release is entirely produced by the hip-hop artist and was created in the span of only a month, and as usual is a testament to his ability to churn out fantastic release after fantastic release - with his artistry seeming to grow even stronger each time.

Taking you on a journey of hip-hop nostalgia, jazzy keys and crisp verses, this release brings it all, but we would expect nothing less from Jugz. Katie Lyle

Nottingham drum and bass artist Bru-C has featured on another single, but this time it’s different. Bru has returned on a remix of Belter’s Only hit Make Me Feel Good, notably featuring North London rapper Tion Wayne. Bru-C received a colossal backlash when releasing a preview; for referring to the famous meme in the line “she said hello chicken nugget. Very good, very nice.” I must admit I was sceptical of how I was going to find this, but I was pleasantly surprised to find a nice beat, and a well-crafted song with artists from different genres and backgrounds. And yes… the line may be a bit ‘cringe’, but a bit of cringe never hurt anyone! Matthew Benton-Smith

Gemma Danielle Hearts Devotion (EP)

In Isolation Anthology (Album)

Some artists have a voice that lends itself to a bit of everything - and Gemma Danielle is certainly one of them.

Across the six songs on her excellent EP Hearts Devotion, she follows faster-paced, exciting numbers like End Game with more relaxed, stripped-back tunes like Hearts Devotion, and is equally magnificent regardless of tempo or style. With a stunning vocal range and atmospheric, moving soundscapes, this is definitely one to keep an ear on. Five hearts from us. George White

Worshippers of Nottingham giants In Isolation are in for a real treat when they release a complete anthology of all their singles and albums from the past decade. Out on 23 April, this release will have so much to offer lovers of dark pop, including the latest single The Man Who Hides From Love, albums, film tracks and so much more than this review allows. Just make sure it's on your must-have list this year. Bassey

If you’re from Nottingham and want to get added to our music writers list, or get your tunes reviewed, hit us up at music@leftlion.co.uk

NUSIC BOX

Your new Notts music tip sheet, as compiled by Nusic’s Sam Nahirny.

Want more? Check out the fortnightly podcasts and live sessions on the Nusic website.

@goodgoodbyeband

Nanuk If Bon Iver booked a spontaneous weekend away at a cabin somewhere in the Nottingham countryside where he happened to fall in love, decided, ‘Hmm, maybe life ain’t so bad after all,’ and then wrapped it all into a set of new songs that the chin strokers and fourteen-yearolds alike went crazy for, well, that’s kind of what Nanuk sounds like.

Beautiful vocals and angelic almost-guitars with some real hearttickling energy. @nanukworld

leftlion.co.uk/issue146

GoodGoodBye Only on single two and already supported by the legendary French record label/brand that nobody is sure how to pronounce, Kitsune, GoodGoodbye are a jazz-y, pop-y, blood-y awesome-y smoothie of swag-fuelled bangers. Nonchalant, but filled with incredibly catchy hooks, we could see them dominating daytime radio as easily as those cool underground clubs that you also struggle to pronounce.

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ART

drawing inspiration

words: Georgia Guirguis

A Female Gaze crosses the generational divide, as Caroline Walker and Dame Laura Knight question the power of the gaze. As their portraits of women look back at us, we must ask who is really looking at who…

Laura Knight & Caroline Walker: A Female Gaze examines the work of two female artists who take the female figure as their subject. Spanning 100 years, the paintings on show ask us to consider how it is that these women hold themselves. In what contexts they exist, and how they relate to the world around them.

The title and the works on show point to a huge canon of feminist theory that has been constantly asking how women can reclaim their power.

The exhibition begins with Dame Laura Knight’s work, a celebration of her successes as a Nottingham-born artist and her fight to be included in the male-dominated art world. She is drawn, in her earlier work, to subjects living in poverty and hardship. In these earlier paintings, The Fishing Fleet (1900) and Dressing the Children (1906), her brush strokes are muddied and blurred, poignantly conveying the difficulty of working-class life in the early twentieth century in Staithes, North Yorkshire.

Thus, the empathy she feels for her subjects and the intimacy with which she paints them is at once apparent.

In her later works that study women of the Romany communities, Knight, now a successful and well-known painter, makes visible these women of marginalised communities. Her account is perhaps voyeuristic, but nevertheless offers a social commentary at a time when exclusionary conventions were rigorously enforced. Whether these women themselves found this representation to be empowering is another matter.

In these works, it seems she teases out a trust from her subjects. As made clear by the literature presented alongside this show, Knight purposefully positioned herself within social groups whose perspectives and lifestyles were erased from the visual language of that time. Her models are not commissioned; instead they are women she meets by chance, women that she must relate to in some way.

Walker is interested in film-like snapshots, as though arranging a mood-board for the scenes of a woman’s life. Almost all are focused on what the women are looking at: a new-born baby, their computer screens, telescopes, or other women’s hands as in Nail Bars (2016). In this respect, Three Maids (2018) stands out.

It is the only painting on show where the faces of the women are visible, and although their expressions are cold and vacant, an element of their agency is reclaimed.

Her account is perhaps voyeuristic, but nevertheless offers a social commentary at a time when exclusionary social conventions were rigorously enforced Walker, like Knight, is known for highlighting the often-overlooked roles performed by women particularly in politically fraught and gendered spaces of work: the home, hospitals, nail salons and science labs. Her focus is intimate and yet anonymous, her brushstrokes almost undetectable. She plays with light, as though a film camera working out the best ways to highlight what she sees or, indeed, what she wants us to see.

Walker’s paintings are bold in their lack of detail but also frustrating, not because they are not beautiful

but because they make you want to bang on the window to ask these women who they are and whether they are happy. This is perhaps Walker’s talent - while she is curious and interested in the lives of women, she does not want to intervene.

In some ways, Laura Knight’s and Caroline Walker’s works are incomparable. Knight’s work presents an optimism that is absent in Walker’s work. The women in Knight’s paintings are the proud subjects of their canvases, but Walker’s are embedded in their surroundings. Reliant on their crafts, skills, and chores. The task the title sets, of subverting the male gaze through the mere reality of women painting women, therefore is slightly lost on Walker’s work.

We only see her subjects as engrossed in what they do, and not necessarily who they are.

It is not new for women to be the subjects of painters.

It is their subjection to their gaze that can often be problematic. Nevertheless, visibility is powerful. The depiction of nude women, women from marginalised communities, women as scientists, working-class women, women who look after their homes, and women who dance, in this exhibition, is important.

This ‘making-visible’ of women painted by women shakes our subconscious understanding of how patriarchal societies have taught us to view women.

These paintings and the subjects, therefore, deserved a much more generous space. One that would have done justice to the weight of the theme the title draws from. And, one that could have accommodated a more diverse representation of women artists who take women as their subjects, of which there are many.

This is not to say that women who paint women should only be seen as divine and infallible, but it is to continue to challenge the rigidity of male-female subjectivity. This is where this exhibition triumphs; in its documentation of women who for one brief moment did not need to rely on the attention of the male gaze for validation.

Laura Knight & Caroline Walker: A Female Gaze is currently on view at Nottingham Castle until Sunday 5 June

nottinghamcastle.org.uk

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BRUSH STROKES

The arrangement of the exhibition is such that you follow the life and work of Laura Knight, tracing her time in Cornwall, her time spent at Epsom and Ascot painting travelling communities, and her

time spent with the entertainment classes as well as documenting the changing role of women at the turn of the nineteenth century. It finishes with some examples of her paintings commissioned by the War Artists' Advisory Committee to paint recruitment posters for the Women’s Land Army. While this would have been a huge achievement at that time, it begs the question of how accurate Knight’s representation of “real” women was. It is at this point we are introduced to Caroline Walker’s work, a showcase of rich but ambiguous paintings alongside sketches and drawings from the last four years.

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Gabriella Davies: Blue Italian Four/Four (Primary)

Abstract Contemporary Open Surface Gallery

Donna Fox: Carnival Gold City Arts Window Gallery

Private view: Friday 1 April, 6-9pm.

Exhibition continues until Saturday 7 May, by appointment only. weareprimary.org

More than 140 artworks on display across two galleries. On view until Saturday 9 April.

An exhibition of vibrant silk panels inspired the artist’s own Celtic roots. On view until Tuesday 26 April. city-arts.org.uk

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surfacegallery.org

Head Illustrator and CoFounder of The Nottingham Horror Collective, alongside one half of the witchy music duo Modern Coven, Ruth Skrytek has a knack when it comes to the creatively spooky.

After first featuring their illustrations in our October magazine, we knew that there was no one better to design a cover for our magic issue…

Tell us a bit about yourself…

I’m Ruth - I’m an artist, illustrator and design tutor. I trained in architecture and interior design - but have since transitioned to more graphic-design based work.

Tell us about some projects you’ve worked on in the past…

I co-found and now design The Nottingham Horror Collective’s indie zine, a mini illustrative magazine for the morbidly curious. We showcase iconic horror media and Nottingham local creatives who deal with the darkness.

Every zine, art print, poster and piece of media we have worked on so far has been a dream come true. We couldn’t do it without Emily (co-founder and editor at TNHC)!

What was the inspiration behind the cover?

I like creating nonsensical, non-euclidean universes - in these drawings I can take hyperbolic geometry to another level.

How does it compare with some other projects you’ve worked on?

The majority of this cover is derived from hand-drawn isometric illustrations, so I was working in one complete raster canvas, which is not something I often do these days - I’m usually swimming in dozens of layers. I haven’t done anything isometric in a while, so it was really fun to work with this again.

What was the biggest challenge that you faced in creating the piece?

Deciding which of the people was going to be assigned as the witch! Maybe your readers can find her?

thenottinghamhorrorcollective.co.uk @thenottinghamhorrorcollective

words: Alex Stubbs

Taking inspiration from the aerial flight of starlings, Nottingham-based visual artist Wolfgang Buttress presents new work at Beam Gallery, in his latest exhibition Murmuration…

With mark making and photographs turned into white fire, a reflective and experimental new series of works by Nottingham-based artist Wolfgang Buttress is being presented at Beam Gallery. Scratchy dark glass panes with mysterious sketched lines and faint shadowy shapes take the appearance of a floating gestural formation. Murmur, a work made specifically for Beam, consists of 42 hand-printed analogue photographs made in collaboration with photographer Daniel Wheeler - palimpsests of repeated and effaced writing - which confront us as we walk into the space.

The title of this exhibition is an interesting one.

A murmuration is a large group of birds, most commonly starlings that perform coordinated aerial stunts in the winter months. The birds do this semi-consciously; it’s instinctual, creating what appears to be a constructed dance.

Buttress plays with this idea of the deliberate through the constructed acts of his work. He captures the beating pulse and energy of the natural world - the reverberations, the rebounds, the reflections, a quietly murmuring life that exists in harmony with the human-built world.

Murmuration calls on us as humans to live within and reflect the grace of nature. It is an exploration of the importance and poetry of natural forms, and how they intersect with our built world. Buttress creates structures in our human-built environment that speak to a deeper, more natural and physiological instinct.

His work here is like a structural study of human life, as well as a study of the wild.

Buttress emulates these artefacts by drawing on the photographs to make these imperfections deliberate. He combines

the deliberate act with the natural process, highlighting the beauty in nature, of how a seeming imperfection or non-deliberate thing can become intentional. He turns the human act into the imprint of nature; the art is both a commentary on its own process of creation as well as on its subject matter.

He captures the beating pulse and energy of the natural world the reverberations, the rebounds, the reflections a quietly murmuring life that exists in harmony with the humanbuilt world Beam, with its tall, airy windows, is vividly reminiscent of the large panes of glass that Murmur is made from. It is almost as if Buttress is inviting us to just gaze out of a window. I could see flocks of birds flying in formations through the cold winter sky with bare tree branches, finally bringing me back into connection with the art in the room. Reflective in more ways than one, Murmuration invites us to take stock of the natural world that’s around us and ponder on the beautiful architecture of nature in our built world Wolfgang Buttress: Murmuration is on view at Beam Gallery until Saturday 23 April

Interested in art? Got a few things to say?

We’re looking for writers to cover Nottingham’s exhibitions, events, artists, and art-related news for this section.

For more information contact Alex Stubbs (alex.stubbs@leftlion.co.uk) leftlion.co.uk/issue146

leftlion.co.uk/issue146

What have you got planned for the future?

Zine V: The High Priestess came out in March for International Women’s Day - we will be working on more for the release of that one for a while! But our next zine, The Devil, will be coming Halloween 2022.

starling work

ART

OVER AR R C TI E S D T N U

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words: George White illustration: Natalie Owen

On the outskirts of Stapleford lies a striking phenomenon in the form of the Hemlock Stone. Believed to have been a focal point for communities ranging from the Celts to the Romans, this fascinating rock formation has baffled locals for millenia, with some claiming it was the work of the Devil himself. We investigate this magnificent marvel in further detail…

Stonehenge? Never heard of it, mate. There’s only one near logic-defying rock structure to care about around here - and it sits atop a hill in the glorious town of Stapleford. Formed of sandstone that is believed to have been deposited over 200 million years ago, the Hemlock Stone has mesmerised the people of Nottinghamshire for centuries - and has led to countless theories, both wild and rational, about how exactly it came to stand where it does now, overlooking the endlessly busy A6002.

Standing at just under thirty feet in height, this work of wonder consists of two different types of rock, both members of the Sherwood Sandstone Group - a family of stone that is prominent throughout the Midlands and was first formed in the Triassic period, back when dinosaurs were only just beginning to dominate Planet Earth. The Stone’s upper half consists of Nottingham Castle Sandstone, a strong rock that shaped - you guessed it - the city’s Castle Rock, which holds aloft the famous former home of the Sheriff of Nottingham.

Described as a “medium to coarse-grained, crossstratified sandstone” by the Mercian Geologist, this

yellowish grey formation is strongly resistant to the elements, helping it to avoid extensive erosion for millions of years.

The lower half of the Hemlock, though, is made of significantly more fragile Lenton Sandstone, which is far less resistant to erosion. This has led to a weakening of the structure, producing the distinctive jagged exterior that is now so well-known. Its markedly different red-brown colour also leaves the Stone with a striking two-tone hue, clearly defining the point at which one form of sandstone ends and the other begins.

Boasting astonishing colours and a surreal shape that is bordering on the supernatural, it is clear to see why many throughout history have come up with rather unusual theories as to how the Hemlock was formed.

None has proven more unusual than that of some mediaeval scholars, who claimed that the Devil himself launched the rock from forty miles away in Castleton, Derbyshire, because he was sick of the sound of church bells ringing in the area. Unfortunately,

though, this theory has been poo-pooed by geologists, who have highlighted the fact that there is no Triassic sandstone to be found in the Castleton region.

Another Devil-related theory was shared around this time. Some believed that a monk in Lenton Priory could sense the presence of Lucifer nearby, and began to pray for him to show himself. Angered at the rude interruption, the Devil arose from his sleep on Stoney Clouds near Sandiacre and hurled the rock to try and destroy the Priory, aiming to kill the monk too. His throw was off, though, and the Stone landed just short.

By the eighteenth century, the hypotheses circulated had become significantly more sensible (or boring, depending on who you ask), with William Stukeley - a key figure in the development of archaeology and one of the first to study Stonehenge - suggesting that the Hemlock was the result of quarrying, with the Stone simply left behind when operations ceased in the area.

This was disputed in 1908, with the Ordnance Geological Survey stating its belief that the Stone was the product of natural erosion. This is largely due to a lack of documented quarrying activity around

now and then

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Nottingham Royal Hippodrome, 1909 1 Goldsmith Street The theatre where Harry Houdini performed during his 1909 tour of Britain.

Oriental Mart, 2022 1 Goldsmith Street Decent ramen selection

Stapleford, leading experts in the early twentieth century to claim that the real reason for the Hemlock’s unique shape was the wear and tear caused by Quaternary glaciation, an ice age period that began around 2.5 million years ago.

However, the current stance of the British Geological Survey now favours the theory of Stukeley, believing the legendary figure had nailed the cause of the Stone’s formation even hundreds of years ago. This is because, while there may be a lack of formal evidence that mining activities took place around Stapleford, common sense suggests that this was still the case. As the organisation’s Andy Howard puts it, “Even a casual stroll around Stapleford Hill reveals copious evidence of former quarrying on all sides of the Hill and around the Hemlock Stone itself. This includes several old quarry faces and spoil heaps in various states of degradation, indicating a long history of quarrying.” Work was likely to have focused on the Lenton Sandstone, Howard continues, for the purpose of moulding sand, although Nottingham Castle Sandstone could also have been targeted in lesser quantities.

The creation of the Stone itself may well have occurred as those conducting the mining operations became wary of toppling the structure and brought their work to a halt, leading to the gravity-opposing pillar that is visible today. Further evidence of quarrying comes from the coating of industrial grime that Howard believes pre-dates the presence of modern air pollution, strongly vindicating the explanation put forward by Stukeley.

Whatever the origins of the Hemlock Stone, whether it was created by the Devil or by miners, it has become a popular focal point for a whole host of different communities - spiritual and otherwise - throughout human existence. One of the most prominent users of the site were reportedly the druids, the priesthood of the Celts. Legend has it that the Hemlock will have once been a centre of ritual for these religious leaders, who would have had easier access to the top of the Stone over a thousand years ago than is available now. They would use this as a natural altar for rituals, as well as

the location for Celtic festivals such as Beltane, during which fires would be lit on the surface of the rock on the night before May Day. It is believed the druids will have been particularly fond of the area because of the surrounding oak woodland, which was seen as divine by the Celts, as well as the nearby ‘sacred spring’, a no longer existent body of water which was dubbed the ‘Healing Well’ for extensive periods.

Some historians have claimed the Hemlock Stone was significant for communities even before this time, its importance stretching back to long, long ago. It has been argued that the rock was key in the Bronze Age as it was used as a monument marking the end of the Derbyshire Portway, the ancient track between Mam Tor in the north of Derbyshire and Stapleford Hill, which has been used by travellers for thousands of years.

A more unsettling section of local folklore arose, which suggested that witches would use poisonous hemlock plants while creating potions on Stapleford Hill Even the Romans became familiar with the Hemlock, establishing what has now become Coventry Lane as a nearby route to their fort at Broxtowe. After their reign in the county came to an end, the Stone is believed to have become a site for open-air preaching in religions including Protestantism, with large groups making annual processions to the spot for this purpose.

There has been a long-running debate over the origins of the rock’s name since these periods. Some believe that it could have been derived from its use on the Portway, potentially evolving from the term ‘hemm’, meaning border. Other theories have posited that it

may have been named by ninth century Danish settlers, with the word ‘hemmelig’ meaning overhanging - a suitable term for the imposing Stone. A more unsettling section of local folklore also arose, which suggested that witches would use poisonous hemlock plants while creating potions on Stapleford Hill.

While these witches have since vacated the site, the Hemlock Stone has been at the centre of numerous other activities in more recent years. In June 2002, residents started a bonfire on top of the Stone, joining a worldwide network of over 2,000 lit beacons as a celebration of Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden Jubilee. Since then, the popular annual Hemlock Happening festival has taken place in the Bramcote Walled Gardens near the rock, with hundreds of visitors gathering for a celebration of the talents of local schools, community groups and individuals - with fireworks set off from the Hemlock Stone to bring each event to a close.

The rock has become such an important part of local culture that it is now proudly placed on the logo of the East Midlands Geological Society, and the site of Stapleford Hill regularly attracts tourists from near and far. The Stone remains a fascination of British geologists, too; in 2015, a drone was used to create a 3D model of the feature for further research, in the hopes of gaining a deeper insight into the nature and formation of the phenomenon.

Whether the Hemlock Stone will remain for the rest of time is difficult to predict, though. Of course, there is no risk of the rock crumbling in our lifetimes, but Howard has stated that eventually the weaker Lenton Sandstone will erode away and the pillar is likely to fall. Although this will not take place for an almost unthinkable amount of time, the idea that this wonderful feat of nature - or of ancient industrialism - may one day crumble to the ground is a sad one.

Acting as a focal point for so many communities, and continuing to wow both locals and those from further afield, the Hemlock Stone is certainly one of the county’s most compelling commodities.

Object walk We’ve teamed up with the National Justice Museum to put objects from the past into the hands of people in the present. This month, we took a set of magic lantern slides promoting the temperance movement to Marc Davies of Ice Nine.

The temperance movement was a social campaign against the recreational use and sale of alcohol which promoted total abstinence in the mid-to-late nineteenth century. Often using testimonies from celebrated figures of the day, such as famed Arctic explorer Robert Falcon Scott, these slides were aimed at demonstrating the benefits of abstaining from alcohol as well as the dangers drinking could lead to.

1

2

It’s ironic that it’s Robert Falcon Scott telling people to abstain from drinking after how much whiskey they found from his expedition.

This looks interesting. I’m assuming they’re slides of some sort? Have they been displayed before? Like projected onto walls?

3

4

That’s the weird thing about the Temperance movement. Even during Prohibition, they were still issuing whiskey as a medicine as a way to get around the law.

I once did some work at the Museum of Childhood at Sudbury Hall. They had a massive box full of weird slides of humans with animals’ heads. It was ever so strange. nationaljusticemuseum.org.uk icenine.co.uk leftlion.co.uk/issue146

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What’s on?

FRIDAY 1 APRIL ​​

MONDAY 4 APRIL

THURSDAY 7 APRIL

MONDAY 11 APRIL

FRIDAY 15 APRIL

🎵 Moscow Drug Club Peggy’s Skylight £12, 5pm

🎵 The Fratellis Rock City £22.50, 6.30pm

🎵 Toy Story In Concert Royal Concert Hall £32 - £68, 6pm

🎵 Wet Leg: Live + Signing Rough Trade £14.50, 6pm

🎵 University Chamber Choir Djanogly Recital Hall £3 - £5, 5.30pm - 6.15pm

🎵 Devil Sold His Soul Rescue Rooms £15, 7.30pm

🎵 Limehouse Lizzy Rescue Rooms £16, 6.30pm

🎵 Goldfrapp - Felt Mountain Royal Concert Hall £32.50 - £40, 7.30pm

World Building with Ian Charles Douglas Nottingham Writers Studio £12 - £15, 6.30pm

🎥 Exhibition on Screen Season Nine: Easter in Art Savoy Cinema £9 - £11, 6.30pm

🎵 Celestines Presents... Our Night EP Release Show Rough Trade £6, 7pm

FRIDAY 8 APRIL

🎵 John Smith Metronome £16 - £16, 7pm - 11pm

🎵 The Jack Fletcher Band The Chameleon £6.60, 8.30pm

🎵 Spector Rescue Rooms £12, 7pm

🎥 Jennifer’s Body Broadway Cinema £5 - £9.50, 7.30pm

TUESDAY 5 APRIL

SATURDAY 2 APRIL 👪 Seed and Plant Swap Primary Free, 10am 👪 Vegan Market Hopkinson’s £2, 10am 🎭 Diversity: Connected Theatre Royal and Royal Concert Hall £31 - £41, 2.30pm 🎵 Sam Braysher Quartet Peggy’s Skylight £10 - £15, 5pm 🎵 The Psychedelic Furs Rock City £28.50, 6.30pm 🎵 The Hara The Bodega £15 - £37.50, 7pm

SUNDAY 3 APRIL 🎵 Djanco – Hot Swing Club Peggy’s Skylight £10, 12pm Sunday Dinners @ Malt Cross Malt Cross From 12pm 👪 Remi’s Snack Shack Mansfield Road 5pm 🎵 NEWDAD Rescue Rooms £12, 7pm

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🎵 Jack Savoretti Theatre Royal and Royal Concert Hall 7.30pm

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🎵 Stone Foundation: Live + Signing Rough Trade £13.50, 6pm Book Launch: A Good Year - in conversation with Polis Loizou Waterstones £4 - £5, 6.30pm 🎥 Exhibition on Screen Season Nine: Easter in Art Savoy Cinema £9 - £11, 6.30pm 📣 Creative Writing Workshop: How do I write thee? – A workshop on writing ‘Love’ with Nora Nadjarian Bonington Gallery Free, 6.30pm 🎵 Sunflower Bean Rescue Rooms £15, 6.30pm 🎵 Gnod The Bodega £12, 7pm 🎵 Imelda May - Made To Love Royal Concert Hall £30 - £107.50, 7.30pm

WEDNESDAY 6 APRIL 🎥 The Screen - A Subversive Art: Gimme Shelter Nottingham Contemporary £5, 6.30pm 🎵 Snazzback Peggy’s Skylight £12 - £15, 7pm 🎭 Jekyll & Hyde & Hilda & Martin by Nicholas Landon The Nottingham New Theatre £4 - £7, 7.30pm 🎭 The Official RuPaul’s Drag Race UK: Series Two Tour Royal Concert Hall £47.50, 8pm

🎵 Therapy?

Rock City £25, 6.30pm 🎵 Melt Banana Rescue Rooms £15, 6.30pm

TUESDAY 12 APRIL

🎵 Depravity/Tyrants/ Epressionless/Gunned Down/ Detriment UK Angel Microbrewery £6, 7pm 🎵 Noble Jacks Rescue Rooms £13, 7pm

SATURDAY 16 APRIL

SATURDAY 9 APRIL

🔧 Hands on Holidays - Be An Art Detective The Harley Gallery & Portland Collection £5, 11am

🔧 Spring Wreath Making STAA on St Ann’s Allotments £30, 10am

📣 Discovering the Sumerians Djanogly Theatre Free, 1pm

🎵 Peter Hook and The Light Rock City £32.50, 6.30pm

🔧 Junior Detectives The National Justice Museum £9.95, 10am

🎥 Artists’ Film: Creatures of the Lines Nottingham Contemporary Free, 6.30pm

🎵 Midnight Rodeo The Chameleon £6, 7pm

🎨 Launch: Ejaradini Primary Free, 1pm 🎥 Napoleon Dynamite Works Social £5 , 2pm 🎵 The Jazz Defenders Peggy’s Skylight £12 - £17, 5pm 🎵 Dirty Disco Sound System Malt Cross Free, 5.30pm 🎵 Hugh Cornwell Electric Rescue Rooms £25, 6.30pm 🎵 Evil Scarecrow Rock City £12.50, 6.30pm 🎵 Luther - A Luther Vandross Celebration Albert Hall £16.35, 7.30pm

SUNDAY 10 APRIL 📣 Watson Fothergill Walk with Afternoon Tea Tourism & Travel Centre £38, 10am 🎵 Teenage Fanclub Rock City £22, 6.30pm 🎵 Kiri Pritchard-Mclean: Home Truths The Glee Club £13 - £15, 6.30pm

🎵 Folly Group The Bodega £9, 7pm 🎵 Petrol Bastard, Petrol Hoers & The Ducks The Chameleon £11, 7pm

WEDNESDAY 13 APRIL 🎭 Kae Tempest: Spoken Word Performance + Signing Rough Trade £16.50, 6pm 🎥 The Screen - A Subversive Art: Jules et Jim Nottingham Contemporary £5, 6.30pm 🎵 Riot Jazz Brass Band Rescue Rooms £17.50, 6.30pm 🎵 Gardna The Bodega £10, 7pm

THURSDAY 14 APRIL 🎵 Way Out Wes – A Tribute to Legendary Guitarist Wes Montgomery Peggy’s Skylight £12, 7pm 📣 Veggies Crew Meeting The Sumac Centre Free, 7pm 📣 Reading: Elizabeth A. Povinelli & Rindon Johnson Nottingham Contemporary Free, 7pm - 8.30pm

🎵 Dirt Box Disco Rescue Rooms £13, 6.30pm

🎵 Simon Spillett Quartet Peggy’s Skylight £10 - £15, 7.30pm

SUNDAY 17 APRIL 🎵 Japanese Television + Sancho Panza JT Soar £9, 3pm 🎵 Holiday Ghosts / The Be Positives / The Avion + Special Guests JT Soar £10, 7pm 🎵 Neue Grafik Ensemble Peggy’s Skylight £12 - £15, 7pm 🎵 The Academic Rescue Rooms £12, 7.30pm

MONDAY 18 APRIL 📣 The Masked Booksellers ExLibris Free, 10am 🎵 Jeff Rosenstock Rescue Rooms £12.50, 6.30pm 🎵 Santino Le Saint The Bodega £9, 7pm 🎵 Uniform The Chameleon £10, 7.30pm 🎲 The Big Quiz Malt Cross 7.30pm

TUESDAY 19 APRIL

THURSDAY 21 APRIL

SUNDAY 24 APRIL

WEDNESDAY 27 APRIL

SATURDAY 30 APRIL

🎨 Clay Treasures Visual Arts Studio £8, 10am

🎥 Midnight in Paris Works Social £10, 6.30pm

🎭 Squidge Djanogly Theatre £8.50, 1pm

🎵 The Mission Rock City £32.50, 6.30pm

🎵 Dudok Quartet Amsterdam Djanogly Recital Hall £5 - £20, 7.30pm

🎵 From West End to Broadway Albert Hall £3.50 - £14, 3.30pm

📣 The Law in 60 Seconds Christian Weaver Book Launch Nottingham Trent University Free, 5pm - 7pm

📣 Malaysian & Singaporean Fairy Tales & Ancient Poetic Forms Online £20, 10am

📣 Surrender Book Launch with Cathy Grindrod St. Martin’s Church Free, 7pm

👪 For Frocks Sake Metronome £15, 7.30pm

😂 The Lady Boys of Bangkok Sabai Pavilion, Market Square £12.25 - 34, 6pm

🎵 This Feeling The Chameleon £8, 7.30pm

🎵 Harrison Rimmer Full Band Show JT Soar £6, 7pm

🎵 Bloodhound + Jonny Olley + Penny Moon Rough Trade Free, 7pm

FRIDAY 22 APRIL

🎵 Riding the Low The Bodega £13.50, 7pm

🎵 Holy F*ck The Bodega £15, 7pm

WEDNESDAY 20 APRIL

🎵 Bambara Rescue Rooms £12, 7pm

📣 Writing Poems on Place with Tuesday Shannon Nottingham Writers Studio £12 - £18, 6.30pm 🎵 Alice’s Ants The Chameleon 7pm 🎵 Ka Safar Peggy’s Skylight £12 - £15, 7pm 🎵 A Wilhelm Scream The Bodega £14, 7pm 😂 Smash Night! An Improvised Comedy Experience The Playwright 38 £3 - £5, 7.30pm 😂 Canalhouse Comedy Night Canalhouse £2, 7.30pm - 10pm

🎵 George Gadd + The Aftermath, Wood & Nails, Campfire Social JT Soar £5 - £7, 7pm

🎵 Lloyd Cole Albert Hall £27.50 - £44, 7pm 🎵 Lewis Watson Rescue Rooms £10, 7pm 🎵 Vipera (Single Launch Show) Rough Trade Free, 7pm

🎵 My Pet Fauxes Rescue Rooms £10, 7.30pm

🎵 La Luz The Bodega £12, 7pm

MONDAY 25 APRIL

😂 Test Match Special - The Live Tour Royal Concert Hall £32.50 - £52.50, 7.30pm

🎵 Bob Vylan: Live + Signing Rough Trade £12.50, 6pm 📣 Sheffield Wheat Experiment and the Population Loaf Primary Free, 6.30pm

THURSDAY 28 APRIL 🎵 From The Specials Rescue Rooms £20, 6.30pm

🎲 The Big Quiz Malt Cross 7.30pm

🎵 Dizraeli The Bodega £15, 7pm

TUESDAY 26 APRIL

FRIDAY 29 APRIL

🎵 Monuments Rock City £16, 6.30pm

🎵 Dua Lipa Motorpoint Arena Nottingham £35 - £50, 7pm

🎵 Celebrating Charles Mingus’ Centenary Peggy’s Skylight £13 - £18, 7.30pm

🎵 Karl Jenkins In Concert Royal Concert Hall £29 - £47, 7.30pm

🎵 Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox Rock City £29.50, 6.30pm

SATURDAY 23 APRIL 🔧 Make your own Open Planter Debbie Bryan £44, 10am

🎵 Live DJ Social Malt Cross Free, 8pm

🎵 David Ramirez The Bodega £18, 7.30pm

🎵 Gustaf The Bodega £10, 7pm 🎵 American Four Tops Show Albert Hall £24.50, 7.30pm

🎵Steve Backshall Royal Concert Hall £29, 2.30pm 🎵Ferocious Dog Rock City £25, 6pm 🎵FM Rescue Rooms £20, 6pm 🎵 Punk 4 The Homeless The Sumac Centre Free, 7pm 🎵 Unearthed Nottingham Presents: Hounds x Worship the Sacrifice x Black Mass x Brutal Ruin The Chameleon £8, 7pm 🎵 A Night at the Movies with the BBC Concert Orchestra Albert Hall £5 - £38, 7.30pm 🎵 Danny George Wilson + Katy Rose Bennett The Angel Microbrewery £14, 7.30pm 🎵 Koko Collective with Arran Kent Peggy’s Skylight £12 - £16, 7.30pm

FOR THE FULL RUNDOWN, VISIT LEFTLION.CO.UK/LISTINGS

ONGOING EVENTS 🎨 Land-Ing: Looking Back to Look Foarr Wallner Gallery Free Tue 1 Mar - Sun 3 Apr 🎨 Our Silver City 2094 Nottingham Contemporary Free Tue 1 Mar - Mon 18 Apr

🎨 Paul Matosic Djanogly Art Gallery Free Until Sunday 1 May

🎨 Carnival Gold City Arts Free , 10am - 5pm Until Tuesday 26 April

Ancient Iraq: New Discoveries Djanogly Art Gallery Free Until Sunday 19 June

📣 Paul Matosic: The Ancient City of Phibonak Djanogly Art Gallery Free Until Sunday 1 May

🎨 A Voyage of Discovery The Harley Gallery & Portland Collection Free Tue 1 Mar - Mon 2 May

🎨 Abstract Art Group Exhibition - Hong Kong Visual Artist Blue Dreamy Surface Gallery Free , 11am - 5pm Until Saturday 9 April

📣 Editing DH Lawrence Weston Gallery Free Tue 1 Mar - Sun 29 May

🎨 Green Light in the City Green Light in the City Free , 12pm - 3pm Until Sunday 10 April

🎨 A Voyage of Discovery Journeys with Jerwood The Harley Gallery & Portland Collection Until Monday 2 May

🎨 Laura Knight & Caroline Walker Nottingham Castle Free , 10am - 4pm Until Sunday 5 June

🎭 Animal Farm Nottingham Theatre Royal £13.50 - £28.50 Tue 5 Apr - Sat 9 Apr

🎨 Gabriella Davies | Blue Italian Primary Free Sat 2 Apr - Sat 7 May

😂 Barry Humphries – The Man Behind the Mask Nottingham Playhouse £45 , 7.30pm Thu 7 Apr - Sat 9 Apr

🔧 Start Anywhere with Jim Otieno-Hall Online £120 Sun 3 Apr - Sun 8 May

🎨 Charlie Dean | Triple Pop Colossus Backlit Free Fri 8 Apr - Sat 16 Apr 📣 Museum Tour The Haunted Museum £8, 11am - 6pm Until Thursday 17 July

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BEST OF APRIL Hypnotic Brass Ensemble When: Saturday 9 April, 8.30pm Where: Hidden Warehouse How much: £15 - £25

Living Goods x Little Bricks When: Wednesday 13 April, 7pm Where: Little Bricks How much: £35

The ‘bad boys of jazz’ are coming to Nottingham this month, bringing their eclectic mix of modern tunes all the way from Chicago. Known for their unique collaborations with everyone from Blur to Ghostface Killa, this eightpiece ensemble have mastered everything from hip-hop to jazz, funk to rock. So whatever you’re into, you’re going to be into these.

Living Goods, a Notts business specialising in all things fermented, are launching their first dining experience - and what better place to do it than Derby Road’s intimate Little Bricks restaurant? With delicious options including sourdough, kimchi and kombucha all on offer, as well as an expansive selection of beers and wines, ‘good’ is something of an understatement.

For Frocks Sake!

When: Thursday 21 April, 7.30pm Where: Metronome How much: £15

Nottingham International Film Festival When: Friday 22 - Sunday 24 April Where: Savoy Cinema and Nottingham Contemporary How much: £5 - £25

Bring along your best forgotten wardrobe finery and be ready to (politely) raid the rails at this pop-up clothes swap event.

With its ambitious strapline of “derobe for the globe” you could be forgiven for thinking this was something more salacious, but it’s actually a sophisticated, sustainably-minded fashion shindig for people wearing clothes. Also includes live music.

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Nottingham International Film Festival returns this month for an earlier-than-usual billing of the best features, documentaries and shorts from across the world. Featuring everything from an exploration of Brighton’s underworld to a doc on the first person to run 300 miles on the Dalton Highway, this promises to be one of the most exciting editions of the festival yet.

Red Ellen When: Wednesday 13 - Saturday 30 April Where: Nottingham Playhouse How much: £10.50 - £32.50 This powerful play explores the true story of Ellen Wilkinson, the Labour MP who was known for her battle to save Jewish refugees in Nazi Germany and her fight against fascism in Spain. Outside of politics, though, her life was much more controversial - and included affairs with communist spies and government ministers.

Get ready for a remarkable story in a remarkable setting.

Our Carnal Hearts When: Wednesday 20 April Where: Nonsuch Studios How much: £15 This singular experience promises laughs, shocks and self-reflection - and has picked up high praise from critics at The Stage and The Guardian. Featuring powerful original music and top quality performances, this is one for those looking for something a bit different. Having already toured everywhere from Austin to The Albany, take the chance to check this out while you can.

Beeston Green Festival When: Saturday 23 April, 12pm Where: Roundhill Primary School How much: Free

Ferocious Dog When: Saturday 30 April, 6pm Where: Rock City How much: £25

Climate change is bad. We all know it. But what can we do about it? Well, the Beeston Green Festival will help you to discover small ways to make a difference.

Organised by Broxtowe Green Umbrella and Broxtowe Borough Council, there will be stalls from a range of community groups that you can get involved with, including Greening Beeston and Beeston Wildlife Group.

Local favourites Ferocious Dog are making a triumphant return to Nottingham - taking over the main hall of Rock City as part of their spring tour for new album The Hope. After charting in the top 20 in the UK charts and travelling across the country, the six-piece will round things off in front of a home crowd, promising an exciting night of folk rock for us lot to enjoy.

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MICHAEL ROSEN

6-15 MAY 2022 JOELLE TAYLOR

NAFEESA HAMID

Nottingham Poetry Festival returns!

Join us for live and streamed performances, workshops, panel discussions and more.

Supported by Arts Council England, Castle Rock Brewery & Confetti Media Group.

Tickets and further info at www.nottinghampoetryfestival.com HENRY NORMAL

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JAH DIGGA