LeftLion Magazine - June 2021 - Issue 136

#136 June 2021

Credits

Supporters

Alan Gilby Cruella Dev-Al alan.gilby@leftlion.co.uk

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

Emily Thursfield Assistant Editor emily.thursfield@leftlion.co.uk

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

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

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

Curtis Powell Creative Digital Assistant curtis.powell@leftlion.co.uk

Hamza Hussain Web Developer hamza.hussain@leftlion.co.uk

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

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

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

Anna Murphy Fashion Editor anna.murphy@leftlion.co.uk

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

George White Screen Co-Editor george.white@leftlion.co.uk

Kate Hewett Literature Editor kate.hewett@leftlion.co.uk

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Fancy seeing your name (or the name of your band, small business, loved one, pet etc) in this mag every month? It only costs a fiver and the money supports this magazine. Plus you get all kinds of other treats too.

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

Laura-Jade Vaughan Art Co-Editor laura-jade.vaughan@leftlion.co.uk

Tom Quigley Photography Co-Editor tom.quigley@leftlion.co.uk

Rachel Willcocks Art Co-Editor rachel.willcocks@leftlion.co.uk

Cover Emily Thursfield Sub-Editor Lauren Carter-Cooke Writers Bassey Jason Edgar Elliot Farnsworth Amelia Flanagan Jenny Joss Sam Nahirny Kelly Palfrey Josh Osoro Pickering Jayne Pigford Eileen Pegg Georgianna Scurfield Bridie Squires

4

Photographers Alice Ashley Joe Bradley David Cooper Byron Hamzah Tom Haslam Tom Hetherington Emile Holba Georgianna Scurfield Chris Spencer Dan Welton Tracey Whitefoot

Illustrators Toby Anderton Peter Gray Kasia Kozakiewicz Jenny Mure Anastasia Vtorova Carmel Ward

Featured Contributor Amelia was born and raised in Nottingham, and was such a fan of her hometown she chose to stay put to study at the University of Nottingham. Despite studying Ancient History for three years, she has decided to give the Romans a rest and focus more time on her other passion which is writing. Her focus is currently on mental and emotional wellbeing, writing about her own experiences with anxiety and fear, but with a light-hearted and comical approach to sometimes heavy topics. You will most likely find her in Pret or Hotpod Yoga trying (and sometimes failing) to chill the hell out.

Editorial Illustrations Emily Catherine

/leftlion leftlion.co.uk/issue136

@leftlion

@leftlionmagazine

Contents 14

17

At the Wheel

For the first time in LeftLion history, we go indepth with a proper Notts institute, interviewing Raleigh Managing Director Lee Kidger

20

Lowering the Drawbridge

It’s been a long time coming, but the day is finally upon us… We preview the highly-anticipated reopening of Nottingham Castle

Fantasy Football

Ever wondered who would win between a Forest vs.

Derby match made up of players who appeared at the Euros? Wonder no more...

7

Notts Goss with Jenny Joss

24

My Photo Moment

10

Notts Shots

31

Here and Now

13

A Vaccinator in Notts

34

Golden Hour

19

Feel the Fear

37

A Poet Lives Here

22

Don’t Fear the Reaper

45

Out of Time: John Shaw

Our Jenny has got herself into a bit of bother due to her loose lips. She lets us know what the rumpus is while on the lam Our regular photography feature rounds up the best snaps you talented lot have taken in and around the city during the past month

Thanks to this lot, we’re able to enjoy a pint in town without worrying about the lurgy. We find out what vaccinating Notts is really like...

Amelia Flanagan explores the role fear plays in restricting her life, and the steps she’s taken to make sure it doesn’t stop her A lengthy battle with her mental and physical health has led to mindfulness teacher Jayne Pigford growing accustomed to facing death

Editorial

A double-page spread featuring a Notts-shot photo that captures a specific moment in life… What’s not to love?

Art co-editor Rachel Willcocks talks to award-winning artist Phoebe Boswell as her exhibition, Here, opens at New Art Exchange

We chat to Dave Ford about Golden Handshake, a new short-film project that shines a light on the city’s skateboarding scene Bridie Squires catches up with Anne Holloway, Creative Director of Nottingham Poetry Festival, to talk about her career We explore the life of Cossall-born John Shaw, whose death at the Battle of Waterloo 206 years ago made him a legend

I want to start things off by saying that everyone at LeftLion is sending their support to Nadia Whittome as she takes time off with post-traumatic stress disorder. We love having her as a regular columnist and, whatever your political allegiances, it’s hard not to be impressed with the impact she has made since entering the world of politics, particularly at such a young age. By talking bravely and openly about something many people struggle through on a daily basis, she has probably made a bigger impact than she could ever realise, and we all send her our love and best wishes.

King and try to figure out how they both started talking to each other – eventually you realise it doesn’t matter; they’ve got a good system going on that works for them. When I first started as Editor, Emily’s advice and support was invaluable and remains so to this day. We’ll miss her humour, enthusiasm and diva-ish outbursts, but know that she’s going to an amazing new job at Boots head office, and she’ll always be part of the LeftLion family.

Secondly, this issue will be the last one with our Editorial Assistant Emily Thursfield, who is sadly leaving LeftLion after four years as a valuable member of the team. After overcoming a difficult start to life, in as much as that she’s from B*rmingham, she made Nottingham her home and has had a hugely important contribution to the style and substance of LeftLion as both a magazine and an organisation.

Until the next one…

It’s down to the eclectic nature of the magazine that Emily and I even know one another. I once joked that if it hadn’t been for LeftLion we would have literally no business knowing one another. It’s like when you watch Timone and Pumba in The Lion

Enjoy the magazine and be good to each other.

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

LeftLion Magazine is fully recyclable and home-compostable.

We print on paper that is recycled or made using FSC certified sources, on a renewably powered print press. leftlion.co.uk/issue136 5

Notts

Goss Nottingham’s most opinionated grocers

with Jenny Joss

Euro 2020/21 Football…

We didn’t even know it was on – when is it? Is Paul Gascoigne still playing? I guess we’ll be rooting for England and Wales as always. But we probably won’t watch much of it. Can’t really see the point of it to be honest.

Football is a winter game and they’ll be sweating like pigs playing it in the height of summer. Why on earth would we want to watch that?

The Nottingham Open We suppose it’s more interesting than usual with Andy Murray, Venus Williams and more involved this year. But let’s face it, they’re all getting on a bit. We can remember back in the day when that tournament was called The John Player Special and it was held at the tennis courts in The Park, as in the area, not a park. We used to work for Redmayne and Todd and they supplied the tennis balls for all these marvellous players like Jimmy Connors and Vytautas Gerulaitis when they visited.

illustration: Carmel Ward

The Vaccine By the time you read this we’ll have both had our second jabs. We had the Oxford vaccine and we both felt completely fine after the first jab. It’s very reassuring after all this time and more than a year of uncertainty. We’ve been going to Mansfield for ours and it’s all been very well organised. We’d like to thank the NHS for their marvellous service.

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“H a n g b e t t e on a m i n u r s et minu a tim te... I'd t e child es to che r for 15 c ren h aven k the 't die d”

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leftlion.co.uk/issue136 7

‘

words and photo: Georgianna Scurfield

My name is Inês Sampaio, I am a Portgugese born-and-bred actress, musician and community arts practitioner.

I love the diversity in what I do; I get to meet lots of different people and expand and transfer all of my skills. I thought I really loved performing until I started delivering more engagement arts, and then I realised that it’s really fulfilling to share the skills in order to inspire and empower people.

I work with a lot of people who have learning disabilities and I aim not to wear strong patterns of colours as it can affect their focus. When I’m working and doing movement based stuff I like wearing skirts because you can see the fabric moving but then you’ve got to consider the logistics of having to have under layers, so I always wear shorts underneath just in case.

I think my style says I’m a laid back, approachable and fun person. But I’m also fierce and sexy and empowered by accepting my body and celebrating all the shapes. It’s still a journey for me, I was a lot bigger when I was younger and got bullied quite a lot which led me to always choose loosely shaped clothes that would hide my figure. About a year ago I started embracing my shape and wearing tighter silhouettes, exposing my skin and showing my body and it feels amazing.

I really believe that whenever there’s shadow, there’s light. I always try to see the bright side and the positives.

Inês Sampaio

Pick Six

This month, to celebrate the reopening of Nottingham Castle, we’ve tasked Engagement and Participant Officer Josh Osoro Pickering with choosing a few of his favourite things...

Book The adventurer in me loves Jack Kerouac’s On The Road, Herman Hesse’s Siddhartha and Knut Hamsun’s Hunger. My dad gave me all three as an eighteenth birthday present – they’re all about men on spiritual journeys.

I’m currently reading Paul Theroux’s account of a physical journey, The Great Railway Bazaar.

Holiday Destination My mother’s country, Kenya. I first went aged twelve and then again as an adult to work. The country is stunningly beautiful and has every terrain imaginable – savannah, mountains, cool highlands, deserts, pristine beaches. I’ll take my kids as soon as they’re old enough.

Film I’m not just saying this because I work at Nottingham Castle, but Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves is the one. The opening score, the fight scenes, Alan Rickman! And none of the accents are true to 12th century English before you say anything.

Song I like all folk music (music of the people), and I include reggae, punk and hip-hop in that. I did my masters at UoN on Grime, so I’ll go for Class of Deja by Kano, feat. Ghetts and D Double E. It’s the sound of the East London pirate radio stations I listened to as a teenager.

Meal I love cooking. Simplicity is key. A classic Italian Ragu with beef and spicy pork sausages, slow-cooked all day while you occasionally stir and regularly sip a Primitivo di Puglia. I enjoy that just as much as the meal at the end.

Notts Spot Easy. Field Mill Stadium, Mansfield. I’ve been going to watch Nottinghamshire’s second side for over thirty years now and it never gets boring. That’s a massive lie! But when it does, I’ve got my dad for company.

Nottingham Castle is reopening to the public on Friday 21 June nottinghamcastle.org.uk leftlion.co.uk/issue136 9

Notts Shots

Living in the heron now Tom Quigley - tomquigley.co.uk

Beau idéal Byron Hamzah - @byronhamzah

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

Rose-tinted glasses David Cooper - @david_g_cooper 10

leftlion.co.uk/issue136

The Dog and Duck Tom Hetherington - @shotbytomh

Family photo Joe Bradley - @jbphoto_official

Scooter to Hooters Chris Spencer - @cspencer.photography

Weather won’t make it’s mind up Alice Ashley - @aliceashley.co.uk

Time to make tracks Dan Welton - @ooublie_ leftlion.co.uk/issue136 11

A Vaccinator in Notts When COVID first hit, I think I felt pretty much the same as everybody else. Part confusion, part fear… part thinking that it probably won’t be as bad as the media – who, let’s face it, aren’t above fear-mongering – is making out. Then as time went by, and the cases and deaths started to skyrocket, it was all just replaced by this horrible feeling of hopelessness.

Towards the end of last year I was working at a hospital that was being pretty overrun with COVID patients and it was all a bit miserable. We kept getting told that things would get better, but what we were seeing with our own eyes and what was being reported were often two very different scenarios. People were talking about the NHS needing volunteers to help join the vaccination effort, and immediately I knew I was interested.

There came a point during the first lockdown where I think we all realised that this was only ever going to truly be over once there was an effective vaccine, and I thought that it would be a privilege to play a small part in making that happen. Usually I work in a different area of the NHS altogether, but it was a case of ‘needs must’, so I volunteered.

The training lasted for about a month and was pretty intense. We were taught about intramuscular injections, the process of screening people, dealing with GPs and pharmacists and a huge amount of information about how both available vaccines worked. We anticipated that people would be wary of taking a vaccine, and would therefore have a lot of questions, so we had to prepare ourselves for that. Some people have a lot of questions, some people are rude and entitled, and some people go out of their way to make you feel like they’re doing you a favour by being there, but on the whole people have been excellent.

illustration: Kasia Kozakiewicz

I mainly worked in care homes and assisted living facilities, or doing home visits for vulnerable or elderly people. I’ve vaccinated a lot of younger people since then, and it’s been really interesting to see the contrast. I know it’s a bit of a cliché at this point, but the older generation really are the ‘just get on with it’ type. I don’t know if it’s because they’ve seen and done it all, or if people are just generally more easy-going at that stage in life, but the contrast between the young and old when it comes to getting the vaccination is night and day.

I don’t understand how a plane flies, but when I get a flight to New York, I trust that the men and women who designed and built the plane do. It’s the same with the vaccine The AstraZeneca vaccines don’t have to be stored in low temperatures like the Pfizer ones, so I can take them around to multiple locations with me in a temperature controlled bag. The first time I did it was amazing – like I was carrying a precious jewel or something… I felt like Indiana Jones. We have a lot of volunteer drivers taking us to the people that need them, and I’d like to take the time to thank all of them for their time. A lot of people have used the word ‘hero’ for NHS and key workers during the past year, and there are plenty of them that deserve it. But there are also plenty of people who will never get the praise they deserve. It’s taken an army of ordinary people to try and get life back to normal, and

like any army, it’s only the people at the top that are going to be remembered. People should remember those of their friends and family who volunteered and do something nice for them to say thank you.

Obviously a lot of COVID discourse has been dominated by anti-vaxxers and conspiracy theorists, which is both infuriating and understandable at the same time. It’s annoying to see and hear it, because people will regularly abuse their bodies with fast food, drugs, alcohol and cigarettes, but as soon as it comes time to protect themselves and their loved ones against a deadly disease, all of a sudden they’re fixated on preserving the purity of their bodies.

We live in a time of misinformation, and I can see why people are scared – but at the same time, we spend our entire lives trusting people who are better educated than us. I don’t understand how a plane flies, but when I get a flight to New York (pre-COVID, of course), I trust that the men and women who designed and built the plane do. It’s the same with the vaccine.

But I also understand it to a certain extent, and think that it represents where we are in life. The things that we call problems in 2021 are a million miles away from the problems people faced a century ago. Obviously there’s poverty and lots of other problems, but for the most part, people in modern-day Britain have extremely comfortable lives. So when people have the time and energy to spend their lives undermining the incredible scientific research that has gone into developing the vaccine, it gives me a strange level of comfort.

If complaining about that achievement – which is nothing short of miraculous in scientific terms – is the biggest problem you have in life, then things must be pretty good, right?

leftlion.co.uk/issue136 13

At the Wheel

14

leftlion.co.uk/issue136

Originally founded in Nottingham in 1887, The Raleigh Bicycle Company went on to become one of the oldest and most well-loved bicycle companies in the world. From transforming Notts into the world-leader for bicycle manufacturing and creating countless jobs in the city to being the workplace of Alan Sillitoe’s Arthur Seaton in Saturday Night and Sunday Morning and crafting the iconic bikes that would help shape a generation of cyclists, the name Raleigh is as tightly woven into Nottingham’s DNA than any other. A lot has changed for the company over the years, but it’s still firmly based in Notts (in Eastwood these days). We spoke to their Managing Director Lee Kidger…

Tell us a bit about you. What were you doing before you started working at Raleigh? Have you always been enthusiastic about cycling?

I was always interested in cycling throughout my childhood. However, my main sports were always football or golf. I remember my first Raleigh bike being used as a goalpost at the local park with friends – I was always out riding it. The passion for cycling, and the industry, came after school when I was at University.

Whilst completing a degree in Sports and Business Management I worked for Halfords within their cycling department. This was the moment I realised that I had a real passion for working within the industry and really enjoyed the business element. I have stayed within the cycling industry ever since. It’s really good to be passionate about the products and the brands you work with on a daily basis.

to bring it back one day, we could be sure of a high amount of interest. All I can say is, watch this space…

You started at Raleigh in 2014 and worked your way up through various roles to take over as Managing Director last year. What did it feel like to become the main figurehead of the company?

Being appointed Managing Director of the business was an honour. The business has such a rich history in the cycling industry, Nottingham, and the surrounding areas. From Sir Frank Bowden acquiring the company back in 1887, his passion for the brand is still felt within the business. I joined the company back in 2014 because of the brand and have held various roles within the business. I think this development shows that the ownership of the company fully trusts their employees and for this I am extremely thankful to work for a company such as Raleigh.

Nottingham is in our blood, it’s where the brand was founded, and we continue to embrace all that Nottingham has to offer

How many people work for Raleigh these days?

We have about 120 employees working at our Raleigh Head Office in Eastwood – this spans across all facets of the business from sales, marketing, finance and all our warehousing/logistics comes from this one site. Raleigh are owned by Accell Group who are the European market leader in electric bikes and second largest in bicycles parts and accessories. From this we have colleagues across the whole of Europe who we work with on a regular basis. While we are known as Raleigh, we also manage the Haibike and Lapierre brands in the UK as well as distributing over forty Parts & Accessories brands.

The Raleigh Bicycle Company has a long and distinguished history in Nottingham, dating back hundreds of years. Do you find that legacy more of a blessing or a curse?

It is 100% a blessing. The legacy and the continual brand love for Raleigh is infectious. We have the highest brand recognition in the UK at >70% aided awareness. You only have to ask anyone about Raleigh and most people will have a story about the brand. We are a different business compared to even five years ago with our direction, but the heritage and brand love is still there. We continue to embrace our history however we will not be defined by it. We are a modernday business, with modern values and the team are vital to the success of the brand.

Did you ever ride a Chopper or a Burner while you were growing up?

My first bike was a Raleigh in the early nineties. I never had a Chopper or a Burner as that was a little before my childhood but the affinity for the brand remains.

Have you ever been tempted to launch a revamped ‘Chopper’ like Volkswagon did with their Beetle?

The Raleigh Chopper is probably one of the world’s most iconic bikes ever made. Launched in 1969, over 1.5 million models were sold. The love for the Chopper lives on; we see many of our brand fans collecting and refurbishing old models, so we know if we were

Personally I was a Raleigh Burner kid when I was growing up. I’m pleased to see that they remain part of your product range. Are they still a big seller?

We relaunched the Burner Trilogy (three specific models) back in 2017 as a brand marketing activity. We knew there was an affinity to the brand and our iconic bikes (the Burner) but these models blew us away with the brand love. We received an amazing response to these bikes and it’s great seeing the youth of today riding these iconic remakes. They aren’t staples in our range, but we will release them in limited numbers from time to time. Keep your eyes peeled for the next one.

What are Raleigh’s best-selling bikes these days?

In short, all areas of our business are performing well. The stand-out areas are electric bikes, whether these be leisure bikes or electric mountain bikes, more people are understanding the benefits of these products. Cargo bikes are now becoming increasingly important within cities for businesses to transport products quickly, without the use of motor vehicles and are being adopted by many local authorities also.

The Raleigh electric bikes are market leaders in the electric leisure sector and continue to impress their users. Recently our Motus Tour was crowned Indy Best Buy. Do you think people are consistently moving more and more towards electric bikes or will there always be a call for regular bikes?

There has been a resurgence of people wanting ‘regular bikes’. However, throughout 2020 the demand for electric bikes continued to outperform the market.

They are enabling people to ride further, faster and for longer. Electric bikes now look awesome and customers really like that. Look at the German market, over one million electric bikes are sold each year – as Raleigh we have a duty to educate all consumers on the benefits of electric bikes for leisure, business or commuting use.

What effects did the pandemic have on Raleigh? Did you see a surge in bicycle sales?

The industry has seen an influx of new cyclists into the market which is great. The Government has set out their recommendations to get more people active which has had a positive effect on the bicycle industry, as well as Raleigh. We must continue to do more to support these new cyclists; infrastructure, access to bicycles, government loan schemes etc. Back in July 2020, the Government announced the ‘Gear Change’ document. A £2 billion investment in walking and cycling over the course of the next five years to support consumers and businesses in going green. The Prime Minister's first sentence in this document is, “I have always known that millions more people in this country want to cycle, if the conditions are right, and the past four months have proved it”. This is absolutely critical to the development of the market, especially for the electrification of bicycles.

We saw that you’ve just launched a new co-working space called The Hive. What’s that all about?

The Hive is a brand new collaborative working space for our employees that embeds the magic of the brand alongside 21st century working conditions.

Gone are the structured desk areas, replaced with standing desks, quiet spaces and creative thinking areas – fully equipped with bean bags and deckchairs to sit on. The global pandemic has changed the way businesses operate and while we give our employees the choice where to work, we wanted to create a team working space that encompasses all our core values.

People love the flexibility to work from home when it’s beneficial for them but can come into our office environment and the Hive when they see fit. You cannot choose bike colours from a computer screen, for example.

The health benefits of cycling have always been embedded into Raleigh as a company, ever since Frank Bowden founded it and wrote papers like Cycling for Health and Points For Cyclists (1913). What would you say to people who are considering taking up cycling to get more exercise?

I think the benefits of cycling need to continue to be expressed to customers of the brand, or any bicycle brand, as the benefits far outweigh just exercise. Yes, there are many health benefits to riding a bicycle, but we must remember the environmental and social benefits also. The Government has very ambitious plans to remove carbon emissions and a bike can be a major player in this.

What does Nottingham as a city mean to Raleigh these days?

Nottingham is in our blood, it’s where the brand was founded, and we continue to embrace all that Nottingham has to offer. The city is vibrant and has a good cycling community. Also, the introduction of electric cargo bikes within businesses in Nottingham has been very well received – who doesn’t love having their produce delivered by a zero emissions electric cargo bike?

What are your personal favourite cycling routes? Got any to recommend within Nottinghamshire?

There are some fantastic cycling routes in Nottingham and the surrounding counties, so whether it’s a ride on the road, a mountain bike or a leisure ride the county has something for everyone. For me, a mixture of all is great – and either a cafe or pub stop are almost compulsory. I would recommend Caffe Velo Verde in Screveton or Fables in Edwinstowe as my two favourite cafes. Pizza at the Rustic Crust in Farnsfield to recover from your ride is highly recommended too.

Is there anything else you’d like to say?

I think the bicycle industry is at a crossroads; with the government investments, this really is a once in a lifetime opportunity for change – however we must seize it fast. Temporary measures are great, but they must be made permanent.

Look at our European counterparts, such as the Netherlands or Germany – cycling is a way of life, used for both leisure and transport. For us to capitalise on this, we must engage with not just cyclists, but everybody, to further explain the physical, economical and mental benefits of cycling.

We have just been through a full brand re-launch and you will start to see this come through in our messaging, product and photography – we want to inject the fun back into cycling.

raleigh.co.uk

leftlion.co.uk/issue136 15

The wait is finally over, and one of Nottingham’s most loved cultural attractions is gearing up to welcome the public back after an extensive redevelopment. We spoke to Alex Broughton at Nottingham Castle Trust to find out what people can expect from the reopening of Nottingham Castle...

When it was first announced that Nottingham Castle would undergo an extensive £30 million refurbishment in early 2018, Brexit was still the word of the day and no one had heard of COVID-19. Now, three years later and as the country moves out of lockdown, the centuries-old institution is finally getting ready to welcome visitors once more — with a host of new attractions to boot.

As well as the recently-announced Paul Smith exhibition, Hello, My Name is Paul Smith, which will display over 1,500 objects which both reflect the designer’s personality and showcase his contributions to the world of fashion, Nottingham Castle will offer the chance to explore the history of local legend Robin Hood, discover the abundance of artistic talent that has graced the city throughout the years, and take an in-depth tour of the site on an adorable, eco-powered Land Train, which will be in operation later in the year.

For Alex Broughton, Marketing & Communications Manager at Nottingham Castle Trust, the chance to host the great people of Nottingham again can’t come soon enough. “The public hasn’t stepped foot inside the Castle since June 2018, so the fact that we’re now only a matter of weeks away from welcoming people through the gatehouse and back into the Castle and its grounds is beyond exciting,” she admits. “Plus, we’re now offering a world-class visitor experience, bringing 1,000 years of Nottingham history to life like never before.”

Executing a multi-year, multifaceted investment plan has required a lot of hard work from the team behind the scenes but, ahead of the grand reopening on Monday 21 June, Alex is happy with where the Castle has ended up.

“In one sense it has been a long journey in that the transformation has taken over three years, but it also feels like it’s whizzed by. It’s been so exciting to see the brand-new features of the visitor experience take shape, and now we’re into the final stages of the transformation, it’s great to see all the finishing touches being made.”

The circumstances in which the Castle will open up would have been unthinkable back in that warm, joyous summer a few years ago — when escaping George Ezra’s Shotgun was near impossible and the England football team were actually doing well in an international tournament.

Since then, COVID has created unprecedented challenges for the Castle, with organisers taking extra

words: George White image: Tracey Whitefoot

steps to ensure the public is safe at the site. This includes accepting only pre-booked, timed tickets, enforcing social distancing measures in high traffic areas, and providing sanitisation stands around the venue. Despite the difficulties the pandemic has presented, Alex believes Nottingham Castle can provide a refreshing source of distraction after a difficult year-and-a-bit, all while educating people about the city’s rich history and culture.

The pandemic has been tough for everyone, and we hope that local communities visit the Castle and leave feeling fulfilled, having learnt something they may not have known about their city, or perhaps with a new perception of our original folk hero, Robin Hood “It’s so important to offer people escapism, entertainment, and information,” she explains. “The pandemic has been tough for everyone, and we hope that local communities visit the Castle and leave feeling fulfilled, having learnt something they may not have known about their city, or perhaps with a new perception of our original folk hero, Robin Hood.”

Through its new Robin Hood Adventures experience, Nottingham Castle will offer a brand-new, interactive event for fans of the hooded socialist. Visitors can engross themselves in immersive surroundings as they take a seat in a virtual forest clearing, getting the chance to absorb legendary tales and banging ballads on digital ‘in the round’ storytelling screens. Those looking for a more interactive encounter can spar with Little John or take on Hood at his own game, with the Castle allowing guests to try their hand at archery or quarterstaff combat in its digital play spaces — or attempt to survive a day in fourteenth century Nottingham through innovative gaming tables.

This focus on interactivity is something that runs through the entirety of the refurbished

venue, Alex explains. “What’s great about our new visitor offer is that we’re sharing so much fascinating and varied information in an entertaining way. In the Rebellion Gallery, for example, three of the city’s most rebellious moments in history will be uncovered on giant digital screens and interactive tablets. It’s a really immersive experience.”

Highlighting the rich and diverse talents of Nottingham’s artists is another of the Castle’s key focal points, with its Creative Galleries spotlighting world-class collections of fine and decorative pieces from throughout the city’s history. Displays will range from medieval artefacts shown in the Early Nottingham Craft Gallery to the ingenuity of present-day creatives as part of The Lab, a unique and special space which brings together the rich stories of Nottingham Castle and the daring, creative minds of Nottingham Trent University.

For those more interested in the city’s natural history, there is the Underground Adventure tour, a 25 minute route that snakes through the network of caves underneath the Castle – showcasing everything from drastic dungeons to wonderful wine cellars.

And should you prefer fresh air and luscious greenery, outdoor family trails are a particular highlight, offering fun tasks for the kids and a bit of peace and quiet for the adults. From the Hero in the Green Hat activity trail, which involves finding missing words for Robin Hood’s ballad, to Up Close with Nature trails that follow delightful environmental paths around the grounds, there is a hell of a lot going on outside of the Castle’s walls.

If this is still not enough to encourage you to take a look, however, there will be plenty of great stuff available at the gift store — which is, let’s face it, the most important thing. “The Castle Shop will stock beautiful bespoke products sourced from artisan craftspeople based in Nottingham, the UK and around the world,” Alex says.

Interactive exhibitions, local heritage and a cracking gift shop — what’s not to love?

You can find out more about Nottingham Castle’s reopening in our July issue…

Tickets to visit the venue are now available at the Nottingham Castle website nottinghamcastle.org.uk

Lowering the Drawbridge

Face Your Fears Clowns. Public speaking. Tories. Everyone has a fear that can stop them in their tracks. And in extreme cases, fear can even severely limit what we’re able to do in life. But it doesn’t always have to be that way, as Amelia Flanagan explores...

Everyone is scared of something, right? If you said no, you’re lying. Your fear might be of the arachnophobia or claustrophobia levels of common, or it could be as unique as arachibutyrophobia, the fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of your mouth. Either way, we all know feelings and signs of fear: sweaty palms, dry mouth, tummy doing flips... you know the rest.

My big fear, among others, is wasps. I have developed a superhuman sense of hearing when it comes to the sound of buzzing. I can hear it from a one-mile radius, and can even tell the difference between the buzz of different insects.

My general reaction is to put as much distance between myself and the wasp. One time, I bit into a fresh, warm jam doughnut when a wasp came to check it out, and I lobbed the rest of the doughnut halfway down the beach like a well-seasoned quarterback. On reflection, I had to ask myself why do I have such a strong fear of a tiny insect?

More importantly, why did I sacrifice my perfectly good jam doughnut?

We can blame the amygdalae for that: a pair of almond-shaped masses in the brain that process our emotions and responses. Some refer to them as the ‘fear centres’ of our brain. The amygdalae process information and if we are in a dangerous situation, let's say we run into a tiger, then the amygdala will hit the panic button and our body knows what to do. Fight, flight or freeze. The issue with this is, how many times have you run into a tiger lately? Unless you are Joe Exotic I assume the answer is none. These fear responses are what have kept the human species alive for thousands of years, but today how often are we in real lifethreatening danger? Yet, if you are anything like me, you probably feel the brain hit panic stations several times a week.

After doing a small amount of research, I have come to understand that fear can be split into factual and fictional (or imagined) fear. Factual

fear is that which we have mentioned – the lifethreatening dangers such as predators, weapons and the like. These are ‘factual fears’ because in these situations it benefits us to be scared, we need our fight or flight system to help us make the best decisions to keep us alive. On the other hand, fictional fear is all of that overthinking that we do like panicking about an interview or a date.

This is our amygdalae working overtime; in our overstimulated world and overstimulated brains, we constantly feel stress and fear. It is difficult for the brain to categorise what is life-threatening fear and what is imagined fear, so just to be safe it will put the body in fight or flight anyway.

want to overwhelm myself. Instead, I take little steps as often as possible. Whenever I get that nagging feeling of being uncomfortable or out of control, I try to push myself to go ahead with the task, slowly training my brain that I am more than capable of doing scary things.

One time, I bit into a fresh, warm jam doughnut when a wasp came to check it out, and I lobbed the rest of the doughnut halfway down the beach like a wellseasoned quarterback

With this current situation in mind, I feel that understanding where fear comes from and how it operates is more important now than ever.

Some people are scared of more lockdowns and limitations, some are scared of life outside the home returning to how it was. Globally, we are out of control of many parts of our lives and that is difficult for most of us. Therefore, I think it is useful here to try and remember those factual vs fictional sides of fear, as it can help rationalise our thoughts and gain a little perspective. I had to remind myself daily that my parents were, at that moment, fit and healthy, even if mentally I was grieving beside their ICU bed. It was exhausting but proved to me that in life I was always fearing the worst outcome and that my brain probably did need some love and attention. It is time to start getting my amygdalae to serve me, rather than the other way round.

After coming to the conclusion that most of my fears are imagined, at the beginning of 2020, instead of making any resolutions, I decided that I would simply fight some fears. I decided to go ahead with plans that I had wanted to do but kept putting off such as solo travelling or starting new hobbies. Also, I wanted to tackle my social anxiety and chronic people-pleasing.

Usually, I would rather chop my own arm off than have to mildly inconvenience somebody else, but this began having such an impact on my life and sense of self that something had to give. I’m a big believer in starting small, some might prefer to (literally) jump in at the deep end, but I don’t

Then the pandemic hit, and suddenly we had new fears to be aware of. Having older parents, I had been painfully aware of their mortality from a young age, but suddenly even the sound of them clearing their throat could send me into a panic. I had convinced myself I would be an orphan before my next birthday – I will take this time to admit I have a flair for the dramatic.

Finally, I want to mention the importance of getting help if you need it. Mindfulness and fear fighting are great exercises to push yourself and gain confidence, but ultimately it will not cure a medical issue by itself. Speak to a trusted person, or use the resources to find professional help – I did and I am so grateful for it. No more doughnuts shall be wasted from this moment forward.

words: Amelia Flanagan illustration: Yasmin Bryan

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Manager Chris Hughton Republic of Ireland: Euro 1988

Peter Shilton

England: Euro ’80 & ‘88 Forest: 1977-82

John Terry

Des Walker

England: Euro 2004 Forest: 2000 (loan)

England: Euro ’80 & ‘88 Forest: 1974-84

David Platt

Euros XI

Wales: Euro 2016 Forest: 2010-11 (loan)

Teddy Sheringham

Netherlands: Euro 2000 Forest: 1997-99

Stuart Pearce

England: Euro ’92 & ‘96 Forest: 1985-97

Aaron Ramsey

England: Euro ’92 & ‘96 Forest: 1999-00

Pierre Van Hooijdonk

Croatia: Euro 1996 Forest: 1996-99

–

Nottingham Forest

Viv Anderson

Nikola Jerkan

England: Euro 1992 Forest: 1984-92 & 2002-05

Bryan Roy

England: Euro 1996 Forest: 1991-92

Netherlands: Euro 1992 Forest: 1994-97

Branko Strupar

Mikkel Beck

Belgium: Euro 2000 Derby: 1999-03

Denmark: Euro ’96 & ‘00 Derby: 1999-00 Jamie Ward

Northern Ireland: Euro 2016 Derby: 2011-15

Derby County

–

Euros XI

AljoSa Asanovic

Joe Ledley

Croatia: Euro 1996 Derby: 1996-97

Wales: Euro 2016 Derby: 2017-19

Paul McGrath

Republic of Ireland: Euro 1988 Derby: 1996-97

Ashley Cole

England: Euro 2004 Derby: 2019

Bjorn Otto Bragstad

Igor Stimac

Norway: Euro 2000 Derby: 2000-02

Croatia: Euro 1996 Derby: 1995-99

Richard Keogh

Republic of Ireland: Euro 2016 Derby: 2012-19

Manager Wayne Rooney England: Euro ’04, ’12 & ‘16 Roy Carroll

Northern Ireland: Euro 2016 Derby: 2008-09

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fantasy football

words: Ashley Carter

With the delayed European Championships just around the corner, we’ve decided to answer the question that literally nobody was asking: who would win in a match between Forest and Derby if you only selected players that had been to the Euros? We picked the best XI for each (or the only XI in Derby’s case) and ran it through a wellknown Football Manager match generator, and this was the result…

Good afternoon, and welcome to Wembley Stadium for this one-off exhibition match between bitter rivals Nottingham Forest and Derby County. By Wembley Stadium, I mean the match generator on my worn out MacBook. And by exhibition match, I mean the outcome of an idea I had at 2am while pondering who would win in a match between Forest and Derby, if the teams consisted solely of players who had played at the European Championships for their respective countries. Surely Forest would have the advantage, with Stuart Pearce and Teddy Sheringham being such integral members of that blistering Three Lions team at Euro ’96 joining England legends John Terry, Des Walker and Peter Shilton, and the Dutch dual-threat of Pierre Van Hooijdonk and Bryan Roy. However, Derby also have… you know… former Norwegian utility man Bjorn Otto Bragstad. Even as a Derby fan (I know, I’m sorry), I can’t see anything but a bloodbath for the European Rams.

Forest line up with a back five consisting of former loanee Terry alongside Walker and Croatian unit Nikola Jerkan who, despite enduring a tumultuous time at the City Ground, was an integral member of Croatia’s Euro ’96 back line. They’re flanked by two of Forest and England’s greatest ever players, captain for the day Stuart Pearce on the left and Viv Anderson on the right. On paper, I can’t see Derby’s front line breaking that lot down, especially with manmountain and Twitter disaster Peter Shilton in net.

Sitting in front is David Platt and Aaron Ramsey, one of the standout players in Wales’ 2016 Euros campaign. They’re supporting a front-three of Teddy Sheringham flanked by Roy and Van Hooijdonk, who played for the Netherlands and Euro ’96 and ’00 respectively.

On paper, Derby have some decent players; most notably, the only man who could rival Stuart Pearce’s claim as England’s greatest ever left back, Ashley Cole, who made a handful of appearances for Derby during Frank Lampard’s reign at Pride Park. Two talismanic Croats from that Euro ‘96 team join him: Igor Stimac, who also captains the Derby Euros team, and cultured midfielder Aljoša Asanović. Leading the line is Belgian striker Branko Strupar, whose career was blighted by injury, but always looked a threat when he played, and represented his country at Euro 2000. However, the balance of the team is betrayed by a stream of players that always have a mistake in them: calamitous Richard Keogh, who gifted Brighton the keys to the Premier League in that infamous play-off final, Roy Carroll, Derby’s keeper during their record-breakingly terrible season in the Premier League and Danish striker Mikkel Beck, who couldn’t hit the proverbial cow’s arse with a banjo during his

spell with the Rams. Even though none of this is real, I’m nervous for Derby’s chances.

And I’m right to be. Forest burst out the gates like a team with a point to prove. Manager Chris Hughton, who represented the Republic of Ireland at Euro 1988, seems to have struck the perfect balance of counterattacking fluidity, and an Aaron Ramsey through ball finds Sheringham, who is hacked down in the box

by Derby’s makeshift right-back Keogh. The Irish defender has started the game the way he ended his Derby career, looking like a drunken disgrace.

Surely Forest would have the advantage, with Stuart Pearce and Teddy Sheringham being such integral members of that blistering England team at Euro ’96...

Forest’s captain Pearce steps up to bury the resultant penalty past Roy Carroll, who barely moves. Putting to bed the demons of Italia ’90, Pearce pumps his fist against the Forest badge and his team take an early 1-0 lead. A bad start soon becomes a disaster for Derby, as a David Platt corner less than five minutes later finds the head of John Terry, who thunders the ball into the bottom corner. We could be looking at a cricket score here.

Derby’s manager Wayne Rooney, who represented England at no less than three Euros tournaments, looks to his bench but, seeing only Chris Baird (Northern Ireland, Euro 2016) looking back at him, decides to stick with what he’s got. Better the Devil you know, and all that.

The rest of the first half plays out in much the same fashion, as Forest’s front three wreak havoc on Derby’s makeshift backline. If not for the heroic efforts of Igor Stimac, Derby could have gone into half time five or six goals down. Miraculously, they pull one back with the final kick off the half – a smart move instigated by that Rolls Royce of a midfielder Paul McGrath (Republic of Ireland, Euro 1988) smartly finished by Jamie Ward (Northern Ireland, Euro 2016).

Rather than offering hope to the disjointed Derby team, Ward’s late strike only served to anger the Forest players who emerge for the second half like a team possessed. Barely ten minutes has passed before Teddy Sheringham caresses a low shot past a

Nottingham Forest Euros XI f Pearce ‘3 (pen) f Terry ‘8 f Sheringham ‘55 f Van Hooijdonk ‘58 f Clough ‘64 L Clough ‘65 f Pearce ‘69 Nottingham Forest Euros XI: Peter Shilton 7 (Marco Pascolo 6), Viv Anderson 8, Stuart Pearce © 9, Nikola Jerkan 8, Des Walker 8, John Terry 9, David Platt 8 (Steve Stone 8), Aaron Ramsey 8, Pierre Van Hooijdonk 8, Teddy Sheringham 9 (Nigel Clough 8), Bryan Roy 7 (Nelson Oliveira 7) Manager:

Chris Hughton

6 - 2

sprawling Roy Carroll to make it 3-1. Sheringham then goes from scorer to provider, squaring the ball to Van Hooijdonk who rifles a first time shot to make it four.

He might have gone missing during his time at the City Ground, but Sheringham certainly knew where to find him there.

The three-goal cushion sees Forest manager Hughton start to ring the changes, and we see the introduction of Steve Stone (England, Euro ’96), Nigel Clough (England, Euro ’92), Nelson Oliveira (Portugal, Euro ‘12) and journeyman goalkeeper Marco Pascolo (Switzerland, Euro ’96).

The new recruits continue in the same way their teammates did, and Pearce and Anderson continue to cause Derby havoc down the flanks. Clough makes an instant impact, latching on to a tidy through ball from Aaron Ramsey to make it 5-1, extracting his own revenge against the team that sacked him in 2013. He peels his shirt off to celebrate in front of the ecstatic Forest fans, and is booked for his trouble. Fellow substitute Steve Stone then dummies past the hapless Richard Keogh to find Stuart Pearce, who rampages forward to unleash a blistering daisy cutter into the bottom corner to complete his brace. To add insult to injury, Keogh completes his nightmare afternoon by picking up a second yellow card, heading down the tunnel in disgrace as a clearly furious Wayne Rooney looks on.

The second half finishes in the same manner as the first, with Derby again scoring with the last kick of the game – a thunderous free kick from the impressive Strupar, who has arguably been Derby’s standout player of the day. It’s not saying much, but credit where it’s due – the Croatian-born Belgian striker has been the sole thorn in the side of a Forest defence that has otherwise had a comfortable afternoon.

The Forest fans are in good voice – many of them visiting the new Wembley Stadium for the first time – as the final whistle blows, and the final score is confirmed. 6-2 doesn’t come close to flattering Forest, who could have comfortably reached double figures if they hadn’t played out the last twenty minutes like a testimonial.

The debate against which of Brian Clough’s former teams is the bigger club will rage on as long as the City Ground and Pride Park stand, but today, in the match between the two club’s European Championship alumni, there was a clear winner. Now let’s see if England can replicate Forest’s great form in real life this summer.

Derby County Euros XI L- McGrath ‘33 f Ward ‘45+2 L Ledley ‘72 L Bragstad ‘77 L Cole ‘84 f Strupar ‘90+3 L’3 L’69 Keogh

Derby County Euros XI: Roy Carroll 3, Richard Keogh 2, Ashley Cole 5, Paul McGrath 7, Bjørn Otto Bragstad 5, Igor Štimac © 7, Aljoša Asanović 6, Joe Ledley 5, Mikkel Beck 4, Branko Strupar 8, Jamie Ward 6

Manager:

Wayne Rooney

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Don’t Fear the Reaper Over the last three decades, psychotherapist and mindfulness teacher Jayne Pigford has endured a persistent battle with her physical and mental health.

After adopting a routine of meditation and mindfulness, she’s been able to reroute her mindset from pessimistic to positive. Here, Jayne discusses the main themes of her new self-help guide, Rocking with the Reaper…

I’ve been ‘dancing with death’ for thirty years. I had blood clots in my legs at eighteen and 21 and a diagnosis of Lupus (SLE), followed a decade later by an unbelievable seven months in Queen’s Medical Centre. I suffered everything from internal bleeding, pneumonia, strange ‘irregular bleeding’ and MRSA to a heart attack, massive brain haemorrhage and complete organ failure. My loved ones were told I had about ten hours to live.

I left the hospital alive, but as a yellow, moon-faced skeleton with a prognosis that I probably wouldn’t play tennis again (I’d been attractive and sporty) but may have a “reasonable quality of life.” I was retired on ill-health grounds from my fulfilling job as a social worker, given the devastating news that I’d never be able to have children, stopped in my global backpacking tracks and swapped for a healthy model by my then-partner.

I’ve hardly been away from hospitals in the 23 years since that time; excruciating bleeds, traumatic and painful procedures, two life-threatening gut operations and nearly losing my leg and hand. I started haemodialysis in 2011 and for seven years have – terrifyingly – dialysed at home, alone; my chances of a transplant are very slim due to all the blood transfusions I’ve had, and I doubt I’ll reach a very old age.

So, on paper my quality of life could be seen as less than ‘reasonable’ with death constantly on my trail.

You’d imagine I’d be as miserable as sin and yet, physically excruciating episodes apart, my life’s been rich; I have played tennis and I’m generally pretty chipper with a great love of life – hence my writing a book about my experiences and naming it Rocking with the Reaper.

I wanted to encourage fellow patients – or just anyone who’s destined to die. I reflect on the trauma of being a helpless patient but also explore two illogical episodes of great peace that I had on death’s door. For my psychotherapy MSc dissertation, I researched near death experiences and discovered common love and peace related themes, and how a brush with death can transform people. I was excited, as I could completely relate to these changes; I too felt less materialistic, egotistical and driven, craved deeper, more ‘real’ relationships with myself, nature and other people, and had even more passion for wanting to help bring

words: Jayne Pigford illustration: Jenny Muir

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kindness and care to our crazy world.

In the midst of my research, my microbiologist friend Matt happened to talk about us being ‘historically overdue’ a mass pandemic which sparked my thought: “That’s it. We need a global brush with death to wake us all up to what’s important and to save the planet.”

Hmm… In my book, I outline neuroscience’s notion that we’re biologically ‘wired’ to connect and be loving – something I felt on my death-bed, when my ego had been smashed to pieces and as exemplified by our amazing NHS. It made me question whether COVID could be our gateway to challenging our current ‘neoliberal’ cut-throat system which brings the worst out in us, and to create a new world based on our true, loving natures.

But, of course, looking death in the eye isn’t easy. The (scientifically verified) art of mindfulness has helped

me to cope with ‘the beast,’ and I’d say my main life-saver is being grateful. Having travelled in Kenya, South East Asia and Central America, I’ve seen that we live like kings and queens in the UK and every time I turn the tap on or use my loo, I know how lucky I am. I’m also grateful that I can speak, eat, walk and breathe – after having been unable to at times. When I remember to look, there’s so much I’m grateful for, even on a bad day.

cuts us off from the pleasures of our bodies and miraculous planet.

If I am kind to myself and allow myself the space for a good sob, a wild dance or a ‘shriek-a-long’ to loud music, I always feel better

Of course, real physical and emotional pain is a part of life, and having self-compassion is absolutely central to my well-being. I was brought up in Yorkshire where ‘being soft’ was deeply frowned upon, but I’ve discovered over the years that if I’m not kind to myself (getting carried away on habitual, self-critical thoughts) and don’t allow myself the space to ‘sit with’ my emotions, I can feel anxiety and a low mood building. If I am kind to myself and allow myself the space for a good sob, a wild dance or a ‘shriek-a-long’ to loud music, I always feel better, as tears and movement literally release sadness and stress from our bodies. Mindfulness is all about accepting things as they are, and regular meditation is the key which expands our capacity to ‘stay with’ what is happening in any given moment.

Mindfulness has also given me the gift of living in the moment, where I try not to think about the past or the future but focus my attention on my body and senses. Have you noticed that it’s hard to feel unhappy while eating a good meal, listening to the birds, watching a sunset or feeling the warming water while taking a shower? Getting lost in thought and living in virtual realities

And can’t our virtual reality make us miserable?!

I used to spend so much of my precious life worrying, saturating myself in potentially lethal stress hormones, and wasting time planning, organising and trying to take control of my life when actually ‘life’ – and side-swipes like illness or COVID – mostly decide what happens.

Sharing your pain with others supports research which shows that a problem shared really is a problem halved. On the face of it, mindfulness is a solitary practice but Buddhism (the root of mindfulness) has ‘three jewels’: the Buddha, his teachings and ‘the sangha,’ or a supportive community. As my book argues, we need connection to feel at our best. My final coping mechanism for when I feel overwhelmed is to remind myself that millions of other people are feeling similar pain at any given moment and that this too will pass.

So, Dastardly Death is maybe not so dastardly; he’s got me to write a book, makes me value every moment and reminds me every day of the miracle of life.

Rocking with the Reaper is available on Jayne’s website and from Five Leaves Bookshop. A portion of the proceeds will go towards renal charities and research. mindfulnessnottingham.co.uk creativeleaps.co.uk @pjaynie

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My Photo Moment

Tom Haslam - @thomas_haslam_

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MUSIC

words: Eileen Pegg illustration: Anastasia Vtorova

Take Away Jazz Records: Letting Everyone In Machine Woman moved from releasing records to selling them via her pop-up shop at Nottingham’s The Carousel this spring. As she closes the door for now and considers the next move, she reflects on the experience, explaining it was always about much more than simply having music for sale…

I felt nervous before heading into Take Away Jazz Records – a year of restrictions has made inperson conversation hard to readjust to, especially when wearing a mask. Mainly, it’s because I was heading into a record store that sells a mixture of electronic and experimental vinyl and cassette tapes, owned by established producer and DJ Machine Woman (Anastasia Vtorova, away from the decks). Underground music has inclusive origins, but certain pockets can sometimes be more elitist, carved out by cultural gatekeeping and taste snobbery. Is my favourite label good enough? What sound am I even into again? One wrong word could expose me as out of touch.

Soon these worries melted away as I realised the feeling was common.

“I’ve always wanted to work in a record store, but the people in record stores didn’t think I was cool enough. So I opened up my own,” Anastasia tells me, as she explains a history of intimidation and a lack of wider diversity in similar spaces. It’s an honest, surprising and humble conversation with the artist who has a decade of releases behind her, working with respected labels like Ninja Tune, DFA, WTN? and Phantasy Sound. “Eventually I came to a mindset where I accept that I like what I like. It doesn’t matter what other people think. If I think I’m cool enough, that’s all that matters.”

Another story describes a situation that many fear, after she asked the store staff about which tune they were playing. “Apparently it was famous, and everyone was really shocked, asking me, ‘How can you not know this?’ It was quite intense and it put me on the spot.” This time, Anastasia had the confidence to respond perfectly. “I said to him, ‘I appreciate the surprise, but I’m here to learn about new music.’ You can’t expect everyone who comes in to know everything that’s playing.

I mean, they probably don’t know about some obscure band I was listening to in the nineties in post-soviet Russia. But that doesn’t mean they’re any less cool,” she adds, with a smile.

With this mindset, “wanting to create something where people feel comfortable, and showcase that music is for everyone,” Take Away Jazz Records – also the name of her self-run record label – opened up as a pop-up shop in The Carousel in April. Operating via pre-booked appointments,

guests can browse through the selection of music with as much or as little guidance from Anastasia as they’d like.

This is the first time she’s ever operated a shop, let alone navigated the ongoing challenges of launching a business during COVID-19. Guided by advice from her mentor, Kyle Marriott of Neuron Pro Audio, the experience is as much of a test and experiment for the owner as it is the opportunity to realise a lifelong ambition. “A lot of the stock is from my personal collection gathered from around the world – Canada, Japan, Georgia...”

Music is so beautiful. I want people to feel that when they walk in, and get ready to discover something.

Anyone who collects anything – whether records or comic books – will be shocked at this statement. Anastasia notes that it wasn’t always that easy to watch strangers handling her storysoaked possessions, some more carefully than others. She did indeed take home a selection of the more precious items, while others are on display on the wall. In the shop, my eyes are drawn to a signed Actress record sitting proudly in the centre of the room, gazing down at the crates.

“It’s there to look at but you can't buy it! It's like being a kid and showing off your favourite toy, but not letting anyone play with it. If my store was burning down, I'd grab that record.”

Looking back at Anastasia’s CV will give you an idea of the many other creative endeavors she’s been involved with in the past. Touching on the strange feeling of opening the shop and waiting for clients to call up, she recalls initial thoughts of feeling like she’d failed. Quickly though, there’s a realisation that this is only the first part of a longer journey of “learning every day and loving the process.” A few weeks later, word spreads and demands for appointments soar.

“This is also a test for me to share myself, and not

be materialistic. To separate yourself and your ideas. What’s bigger – my dream and my idea, or my physical possessions? It’s a psychological selfexperient as well, which I'm enjoying in a weird way…”

Further chats expose more of this deeper thinking; referring to each guest as a ‘client’ rather than a ‘customer,’ most records she sells leave a lasting personal memory from the experience. We touch on QR codes, a technology revived due to COVID and was used for the audio visual digital event that launched the shop, collaborating with artist James Seechurn/ thameswater. This love for old tech goes further, as Anastasia explains why she both collects and releases music on cassettes. “For me, cassettes aren't really for playing. It’s a piece of art.” She then reveals that these tapes are now also stored in the British Library, after being approached to archive her work in a very “proud moment” for the artist.

Underpinning all of this is a genuine passion to help other creative people, particularly in the music business. As a longstanding member of the Musicians Union and having just joined the Music Publishing Association, she often hosts talks for communities such as Rhythm Sister to share insight on how producers and businesses can navigate the industry, ensure fair pay and avoid any legal mishaps.

Knowing this, it’s easy to imagine the open and two-way approach she takes with her record shop clients. Even with this knowledge and experience, due to a fondness for travel the Russian-born artist feels like an outsider wherever she settles.

With Take Away Jazz Records it seems like she’s found a shared language that works. “With having this pop-up store, even the local people who come in don’t quite fit into ‘society’ and feel like outsiders themselves, so I felt like I really belong.

As outsiders we share the same energy, the same love for music.”

Take Away Jazz Records closed its pop-up shop at The Carousel on 1 June. Follow then on Instagram for more information. @takeawayjazzrecords machinewoman.bandcamp.com leftlion.co.uk/issue136 27

music Reviews Theorist These Difficult Times (Album) Formerly known as Zero Theory, Theorist is a producer who has been making tight instrumental music in Nottingham for nearly two decades and more people should know about it. The title track sounds like the lovechild of Portishead and Flying Lotus, Exit sounds like a particularly tense level on a nineties beat ‘em up and Risk Management could be an offcut from the Stranger Things OST. Eleven tracks on here in total, all of them a small emotional journey in their own right – it's well worth a delve through the back catalogue too. Jared Wilson

Jah Digga and Congi Therapy (Single)

Symbiosis Alex Mighten (Album)

Jah Digga opens a new chapter in his life, delivering a sobering lesson to us all. His storytelling bars confront his past – a childhood trauma and a cocktail of addictive habits – to lay down a new direction moving forward. Putting these obstacles to bed allows him to clear the path. Congi’s beat amplifies Jah Digga’s intimate lyrics, making sure the rapper’s message is at the forefront.

Elliot Farnsworth

One of the tightest freestyle rappers in the local scene, it’s surprising that it’s taken three decades for the artist formerly known as Karizma to put out his debut album. A prodigy of Big Trev’s St. Ann’s-based CRS staple, Alex was once part of the early noughties supergroup Outdaville. Mike Skinner has made a career out of music like this, but even he can’t sing soulful harmonies to his own raps this well. Jared Wilson

Diana Drill Working on Me (Single)

Space Dolphin featuring Harleighblu Energy (Single)

The intriguing, enigmatic Diana Drill’s latest single feels like another step forward on her path to establishing herself as one of the greats on the British drill scene. The masked rapper uses Working on Me as a platform to send a direct message to her doubters, showcasing her impressive vocal versatility in the process. We’re expecting big things, and can’t wait to see what comes next.

Jason Edgar

Space Dolphins release their second single Energy from the forthcoming debut album More Than Soul and it's the perfect sound for the Summer. The Leeds based hip-hop/jazz crew have collaborated with Nottingham's soulstress Harleighblu on this single and produced a sound that is full of love, hip hop beats and jazz improvisation. Hypnotic drumbeat and jazzy sounds form the perfect backdrop to Harleighblu's passionate vocals and a must for the late-night listener. 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.

Catmilk Take one listen to the debut single from Catmilk and you’re basically listening to the greatest hits of NG’s singer-songwriter world – featuring appearances from Daudi Matsiko, Fang Jr, Katey Dawson and more.

It’s quite a special piece of music. Catmilk themselves though (Alex, Cam and Kay) are basically the monarchy of haunting, soothing and quite magical music. It’s a bit of a musical journey through their collective brains and we are bloody chuffed she’s bringing us along.

@catmilkcatmilkcatmilk

hidingthehurt If you’re not across the Hyperpop world, in a nutshell, it’s the 2021 lovechild of PC Music, TikTok and broken hearts. Hidingthehurt – human name Ollie – sits somewhere in the Hyperpop universe, with a sprinkling of trap-rap-pop. Chaotic beats paired with endorphin boosting choruses. Already a posterboy for Spotify on their coverage of the genre, it’s fair to say Ollie stands a decent chance of being mega-famous in twelve months time. What we saying, Ollie? @hidingthehurt._

Art

interview: Rachel Willcocks photo: Emile Holba

here and now Phoebe Bowell's exhibition Here sat half-put together at New Art Exchange from April 2020, unable to open for just over a year while we on the outside battled with lockdown and months of separation. But in early May, the award-winning artist was back in Nottingham putting the finishing touches together, to finally prepare to open her show.

Here is a beautiful accumulation of the nuances and complexities of communities, voices, hearts, and histories which, like her own, are often systematically marginalised, simplified, pacified, homogenised, or side-lined as 'other'. These different perspectives collide and become monumental together. Combining draftswomanship and digital technology, layering drawing, animation, sound, video, and interactivity, the exhibition brings together new and existing artworks, some of which have not been seen in the UK before.

Rachel Willcocks caught up with Phoebe to find out about her work, and how she’s found the past year...

Having grown up in Arabian Gulf, originally from Kenya and having studied in London, how do you think this has affected your work?

I had a very nuanced, culturally layered, and international childhood so grew up with something of a naïve and hopeful sense of freedom, in that I was not conscious or concerned about the trappings of nation-state, race, or how I would be perceived by the world at large. I learned this when I moved to the UK, where I had to acclimate to societal and institutional perceptions of what a black woman is, what blackness is, how whiteness is upheld, and a big part of my work now is to celebrate and centre us, to make work robust and open and layered enough to house the whole of us.

What other themes or stories do you explore in your work?

The other side of the freedom I describe is a rootlessness, a deep longing for a tangible understanding of 'home', and a knowing that I'll never find it, but perhaps I can make it in the process of making. So I always say my work is anchored to a restless diasporic consciousness; it exists in the middle space between here and there, an open space where I can ask questions and seek answers, and where I try to gather as many of us together as I can. In this space I tend to explore themes of memory, belonging, history and coloniality, protest, care, and resistance.

There is such meaning and depth behind your work too, how do you decide what to draw and what to make art about?

I read a lot and listen a lot, and tend to get fixated on things I come across. So it could be an experience I have, an encounter with a person, a thought, a conversation, an article, a book or a photograph, a social media post, a historical moment, and I'll get an idea in my head and then this will unravel and spawn over time. Often it will involve a call for people to join me, adding

themselves to the work and informing it through their collective lived experience. Sometimes I will set myself a working methodology and a time limit and the work becomes whatever occurs at the end of that. I like serendipity and I like time loops. I like to commit to bodies of work as projects that can last anywhere from days to weeks to years, and I like to be surprised by the outcome, to build it over time as authentically as possible. I always like to feel like I'm growing from and into my work.

Trust yourself. Speak.

Find your people. Love them.

Identify the holes that exist in the world that you can so brilliantly fill with exactly what you wish to make What has the last twelve months and the pandemic been like for you as an artist and how do you think art can help us to heal?

I don't think any of us could have predicted what the year would be like, how long it would go on for, and how personally and collectively we would have all been affected by it. For me, it began with what was scheduled to be a busy 2020 being effectively cancelled or postponed indefinitely, including my show at New Art Exchange which we had just started to install, and that has lay dormant in the space until now when we've finally been able to open it. I flew back from a work trip to Johannesburg and then New York for the Armory Show, and as I landed back in London, it was a really strange sensation, and everything changed. I was initially told to shield, so I went into immediate lockdown.

My year seemed to go through stages, from bewildered, to deep grief, to finally, in this most recent national lockdown, being able to actually draw consistently again. Those drawings, a capsule of 49, are now being exhibited in a solo in New York. So yeah, that was my year, I feel elated and grateful to be here, intact.

I grieve for all the lives we've lost, and for those whose lives were turned upside down, or who didn't have the time and space to quarantine because they were feeding and healing and holding the rest of us. On the macro level, I think the pandemic has mainly articulated what we already know: that the systems that govern us do not work. They do not hold us. And we deserve so much better. And must imagine so much more.

And fight for it. And we can, will, and are.

Do you have any advice for emerging artists?

Trust yourself. Speak. Find your people. Love them. Identify the holes that exist in the world that you can so brilliantly fill with exactly what you wish to make. Decondition yourself from a lot of what you were taught. Find new teachers.

Write your own manifestos. Rest. Log off when you need to. Go for everything you want. Become as comfortable as you can with rejection. Know that many paths will lead to the same place. The world is yours.

Phoebe's work does more than make us think – it is like therapy; it makes us feel understood. In a recent video interview talking about opening the exhibition, Phoebe says, “I hope that this show is in some way healing… that we can just come here and see and sense ourselves.”

Here is open at New Art Exchange until Saturday 24 July. nae.org.uk

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UNDER COVER ARTIST

You art to check these out

Our Art team runs through the most exciting, innovative and immersive exhibitions and collections which will be taking over our city’s venues over the next five months...

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Making Place, Primary Who imagines the city? Making Places reflects on Primary’s project over the past three years, where they have collaborated with residents in their neighbourhood (Lenton and Radford) to explore issues of place-making, gentrification, and public sculpture. Who has the power to shape places, and how can communities interrupt and re-imagine the space? Through images, objects, sound, and video, the exhibition both reflects on the past and generates ideas for the future. Runs until Saturday 10 July.

Lauren Bendsley

Allison Katz, Mélanie Matranga and Erika Verzutti, Nottingham Contemporary Playful and tactile sculptures, humorous paintings layered by language games, and film and installation art inspired by our private lives and intimate experiences – these are just some of the things you’ll encounter in Nottingham Contemporary’s three solo exhibitions by Allison Katz, Mélanie Matranga and Erika Verzutti. The exhibitions, while distinct, all feature new works produced within the last year, offering a timely reflection on our relationship to touch, isolation, and domestic lives. Runs until Sunday 31 October. Lauren Bendsley

After four glorious years at LeftLion, Emily Thursfield is calling it a day and chucking us a beautiful cover on her way out the door. She tells us a bit about the process behind her artwork, and what she’s going to miss most about LL HQ...

What was the inspiration behind the cover?

During lockdown I’d decided I wanted to learn some new skills, so I turned to graphic design. I got stuck into Photoshop and after mastering masking and blending, I began to create dreamscapes of places I’d rather be using mash-ups of stock photos. For me, this one in particular symbolises new beginnings and bittersweet endings, as this is my final issue as LeftLion’s Assistant Editor.

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

The best part about working at LeftLion is that no two days are the same. Since my first ever article in 2016, which was essentially an idiot’s guide to the Nottingham art scene (me being the idiot), I’ve interviewed human rights lawyers, tracked down senders of antique postcards, swam in a freezing Colwick Park lake and stupidly decided to watch an episode of Most Haunted in a dark, empty National Justice Museum.

Apparently, at LeftLion, no idea is a bad idea – though after our chilling experience, Ash might have changed his mind on that one.

What have you got planned for the future?

I’m leaving LeftLion to join Boots, working as a copywriter at their head office specialising in health, wellbeing and such. I joined LeftLion straight out of uni, and I think anyone in the office will attest that the growth in myself both personally and professionally has been astounding. There are so many things I’ll miss about working on this magazine, but my heart genuinely breaks at the thought of saying goodbye to a team that has become my family in this city.

Is there anything else you’d like to tell the LeftLion readers?

Thank you for continuing to read and support LeftLion. It means the world to everyone who works on it, and we all get a little spark of joy whenever we spot you flicking through the pages. Thank you all for giving me an unforgettable four years.

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Phoebe Boswell: Here, New Art Exchange Here is an immersive exhibition that allows us to see and celebrate the nuance of people and their communities. The exhibition explores the meaning of belonging and freedom and is inspired by Boswell’s own personal history, which is rooted in colonial traces and contradictory legacies.

Her multifaceted approach, which combines drawing and digital technology, reflects the complex lives and histories of communities which are often marginalised, homogenised and side-lined as ‘other’. Runs until Saturday 24 July. Kelly Palfrey

Share Bears, BACKLIT Throughout the pandemic, BACKLIT’s creative community continued to connect online each week to share their experiences and works in progress. This group show presents fourteen new collaborations between 28 creatives, developed in the past year. The works collectively explore themes of self-reflection, locality and domestic settings as well as the processes of making work and the sharing of knowledge. Runs Friday 11 June Sunday 4 July. Lauren Bendsley

LIQUID i, Primary LIQUID i is a new and evolving work of performance, audio-visual installation and experimental text, by artist Rebecca Lennon. A three-channel video uses carps, vampires and shape-shifting liquid as a poetic metaphor for themes of finance, housing, the body, the voice, and the porous nature of selfhood. Runs until Saturday 10 July.

LLauren Bendsley

Matt Collishaw, Lakeside Art Lakeside’s Matt Collishaw exhibition pays homage to the work of the Nottingham-born artist. In this selftitled exhibition, Collishaw’s work plays with the idea of opposites to explore and challenge the moral dilemmas of the modern age: nature is artificial, beauty is despair.

Collishaw draws inspiration for these works from the history of art and photography, as well as modern technology and animatronics, to confront and remind us of the deceptive nature of imagery. Runs until Sunday 5 September. Kelly Palfrey

Power: Freedom to Create, National Justice Museum Featuring artwork in a range of mediums, the exhibition explores ‘power’ in its broadest sense, through a mix of contemporary and historic artwork made in criminal justice settings, alongside newly commissioned work by six artists and writers. The exhibition encourages visitor interpretation, through interactive walls and gallery guides. If you are not able to visit in-person, you can also view the exhibition in virtual reality on their website.

Runs until Sunday 31 October. Lauren Bendsley

BLACK: Yesterday, City Arts The first instalment in a three-part exhibition at City Arts, BLACK: Yesterday aims to amplify marginalised voices across the city. The exhibition features work by their artist in residence, Nottingham-based Honey Williams, spanning 2004-2018. Through sketches, collage, illustration, poetry, diary entries, artist interviews and blog posts, it highlights issues of systemic racism, colourism and misogynoir. Runs until Thursday 10 June. Lauren Bendsley

1. Allison Katz, Ssik, 2020, Oil on silkscreen, 160 x 145 cm. Courtesy the artist and Gió Marconi Milan. 2. Here, Phoebe Boswell. Installation view, New Art Exchange 2021. Photo by Reece Straw

Film

interview: George White

Shockingly Shunned...

Golden Hour From split balls to Sneinton market, Golden Handshake – a new short film from skate organisation Hooked – shines a light on the Midlands’ dedicated and expanding skateboarding community. George White chats to founder Dave Ford about the project, which is now available to watch on YouTube…

Skateboarding can be a painful sport; something that Dave Ford, founder of local not-for-profit skate brand Hooked, knows all too well. While putting together Golden Handshake, a new film showcasing the insane talent of skateboarders across the East Midlands and beyond, Dave witnessed the extreme lengths people will go to in order to become the best in the game, and the even more extreme impact this can have on their bodies – sensitive areas of their bodies, in particular.

“We’ve seen someone split his balls open on some railings,” he explains with an almost unnerving sense of calm. “Another guy somehow shouldered himself in the eye. These are quite mellow scenarios overall. Seventy percent of skateboarding is failing, so we see so many brutal moments.”

The half-hour video does far more than simply showcase the agonising injuries that skateboarding can deliver, though. Instead, it is a joyous celebration of a close-knit, passionate community with an unbreakable dedication to their craft – a community that spans not only this area, but across the world.

Through Golden Handshake, Dave is hoping to encourage more people to get involved in the scene and take a chance at skateboarding themselves. He encourages people not to worry about being seen as a “noob” and just go for it, admitting everyone is nervous before they first pick up a board.

“Don’t worry about what everyone else is thinking, just go to a skate park and cruise around. People aren’t watching you thinking, ‘What a noob.’ They’re doing their own thing, so don’t be scared.”

Whether Hooked, which was first founded in 2006, continues to make more films remains to be seen, with each video taking a lot of time to coordinate and shoot. Yet one thing’s for certain - the organisation will continue to promote the skills of local skateboarders and provide a voice for an ever-growing group of passionate people.

“We want to do more things like this but it’s a lot of hard work. You need to keep people focused, choose spots and tricks and build hype. It takes a lot of organisation,” Dave admits.

“But it is incredibly rewarding to know you’re showcasing talent. No matter what, we’ll always try to help young skaters get seen and sponsored.”

Golden Handshake is now available on the Rollersnakes YouTube channel.

short reels

“Golden Handshake documents the Midlands’ great skate scene, as well as the rest of the country and some of Europe,” Dave says. “It ties in with what Hooked is about.

We try to showcase young skaters’ talent and this film is a great way of doing that. This will be the fourth in our history. Our first was in 2006 and the latest was in 2017.”

Our great city is a prominent hub for the community and a central focus of the film, with Nottingham providing popular hotspots for kickflips and tricks, as well as a welcoming gang of both new and experienced skaters.

“Nottingham is really great, it has a massive skate scene.

We have a strong connection with the area, it’s great for both people and spots,” says Dave. “DIY Trentside has

been really important for us, we’ve got a lot of clips and captured a lot of skaters there. There’s also Sneinton and other smaller spots.”

To Watch - Anything, At Any Cinema Following months of closed doors and over a year of delays to Hollywood's biggest releases, Nottingham’s cinemas have undoubtedly had a tough time of late. Yet they are now open once again, and there are plenty of great films to check out.

A Quiet Place Part II will pick up where the first, groundbreaking movie left off on 3 June. The Marvel Cinematic Universe will finally return to the big screen with Black Widow on 9 July.

And fun flicks like In the Heights and Freaky will provide a much-needed boost of joy after an incredibly challenging year.

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To Remember - Sweet and Lowdown (1999) It may have been made by a certain controversial director, but Sweet and Lowdown was released in the UK just over two decades ago this month – and led to the first of two Oscar nominations for Notts’ own Samantha Morton.

In a film that starred huge names such as Sean Penn and Uma Thurman, the relatively unknown Morton stole the show as the mute laundress Hattie, earning rave reviews and a nod in the Best Supporting Actress category at the 2000 Academy Awards. It takes some talent to leave that big an impression without a word of dialogue.

To Follow - Jonathan Hawes Writer, camera operator, director – Beeston Rylands’ Jonathan Hawes is a man of many talents.

Providing behind-the-scenes shots of his awesome short films like Gone Fishing and Tea for Three, Hawes’ Instagram is a must-follow for fans of stunning cinematography and quality storytelling.

@onedoorfilms

It was recently announced that the Mayhem Film Festival is set to return to Broadway in all its full, gory glory this October, and this got me thinking about how – once again – horrors have been overlooked by Hollywood’s biggest awards shows.

Now, I’m certainly not the biggest fan of the genre; I’m the guy who, as a teenager, couldn’t sleep for a week after watching The Woman in Black.

Yet even I find it baffling that those at the top can continue to snub one of the most popular, most difficult-toexecute areas of cinema.

Those responsible for handing out the biggest awards should show a little more respect to the horror genre In recent years, Jordan Peele’s Get Out is the only horror to win big during awards season, picking up an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay in 2018.

What’s more, this was just the sixth scary movie to receive a nod at the awards – with a countless number of inventive and influential films coming and going without receiving anywhere near the level of recognition they deserved.

Just this year, Elizabeth Moss’ powerful, layered performance in The Invisible Man was snubbed by both the Academy and the Golden Globes, with the Californian’s phenomenal work likely ignored because of the type of film it took place in. And Host, Rob Savage’s groundbreaking, spinechilling flick recorded entirely on Zoom, was hardly even acknowledged as a contender for nominations, despite gaining a flawless score of 100% on Rotten Tomatoes.

These releases join a criminally long list of horror’s neglected titles, with talented filmmakers like Ari Aster and John Carpenter, much-loved films like Midsommar and The Thing, almost completely overlooked.

Whether it is outright snobbery, an old fashioned view of filmmaking or just an innocuous blind spot, those responsible for handing out the biggest awards should show a little more respect to the horror genre.

Making a movie that is both scary yet touching, grounded yet fantastical, is one hell of an achievement. It is time these achievements are more regularly rewarded.

words: George White

Poetry See Like A Poet I watched the starling doing nothing. Just sitting on the top of the stink-pole in the side street off Woodborough Road.

His feathers glinted like a cheap brooch, the kind my grandmother would call costume.

Costume jewellery is the kind of jewellery that caught my eye as a child, and now, if I’m honest.

A big fat diamond has so many negative connotations these days. A lot of baggage for a bit of sparkle.

Sometimes I want to be able to see a bird and just stop at that: a starling on a stink-pole on a side street. Instead my mind goes off licketysplit, leaving me to catch up and make the connections if anyone questions, “how the hell did you get there?”

I found the stink-pole when I parked the car to visit the café where the man makes most excellent coffee, if you like coffee, but hasn’t a clue how to make a proper brew for me, a teadrinking kind of girl.

I feel wicked harbouring these negative thoughts for a man passionate about his art, but really, it’s just a cup of coffee.

He has such an air of the regent about him and it really gets my goat. It’s just a bloody cup of coffee mate! I want to shout.

It makes me think of that time I saw a play, where John Malkovich, playing himself really, explained the art of tea-making in such a way I wanted to yell from the auditorium, for Christ’s sake John! It’s just a cup of tea.

Of course, that would have ruined the scene, so I stayed quiet. Like I do with the man, in the café, across the road from the stink-pole where the starling sits, doing nothing.

Sometimes I want to be able to see something, and just stop at that.

poem: Anne Holloway illustration: Toby Anderton

Read our interview with poet Anne Holloway on the next page...

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A Poet Lives Here As Creative Director for Nottingham Poetry Festival, founding editor of Big White Shed and a former member of Mouthy Poets, Anne Holloway has just about seen and done it all on the Notts poetry scene. She talked to Bridie Squires about her work, career and what to expect from the upcoming festival...

How’s lockdown been treating you?

Frustration has been the overriding emotion. I’ve been lucky that I have had work coming in, so financially I have been okay, and also I have had a sense of a future to work towards. At first though I felt a kind of rage. I felt cut off from everyone and everything that kept me going, and that included poetry. I hadn’t realised how important sharing words was to me – so I grabbed a pot of blackboard paint which had been lurking under the sink for years and painted a square on the side of my shed. Then every day or so I would write a short poem on it for any passers-by to see and I shared pictures of it on Instagram with a hashtag - #APoetLivesHere. That eased the feeling of isolation and impotence.

editing and refining the manuscripts, at that stage we were trading skills – you edit mine and I’ll edit yours!

You’re now Creative Director for Nottingham Poetry Festival. What do you hope to bring to the event? What do you want to see it become?

That was a complete bolt from the blue. Nottingham was where I found my tribe, and that tribe is a poetry tribe. Poetry can mean so many different things to people and for me I would love everyone to feel the power of that – it can be high art or it can be a ditty chanted in a playground – but bringing words together to tell stories and express emotions is what it’s all about for me – so my dream is that everyone in Notts knows that a festival of poetry is going on and feels like they are allowed to be a part of it if they choose. And if they don’t choose? Well that’s just fine.

So I hope to bring energy and enthusiasm and share some of the ways that poetry has made me feel that I belong.

But Big White Shed has done events as well as publishing books. Prior to COVID-times we held poetry events every few months at Debbie Bryan cafe in the Lace Market. We were given some funding by Apples and Snakes (Arts Council funded UK spoken word producers) to deliver a series of masterclasses and were honoured to be able to host The Last Poets, Malika Booker and Roger Robinson. We have also taken a group of poets on a week-long writing retreat and delivered a series of workshops called Drag Me Up with Thom Seddon and Lewis Barlow of Unnamed Drag where we explored identity through writing and learning about the history of Drag and how to drag-up.

I’d like The Nottingham Poetry Festival to be an event that people come to from all over the country and further afield. We have had great initiatives in the past years where we have made connections globally, and being a UNESCO City of Literature really lends itself to this. At the core though I believe the festival should be owned by the people of Nottingham and involve them. Notts folk are great storytellers, so I think it should be possible.

You are founding editor of Big White Shed. Why did you set this up?

I think most of my life I have wanted to be accepted by the establishment, validated by some invisible committee – I have no idea where this comes from, but I do know that I reached a point where I thought… “hang on, who are these people anyway?” In part that realisation was down to studying creative writing and the encouragement of tutors and peers. I had a boss at Nottingham Trent Uni when I was working there running an art supplies shop, who made it possible for me to study for an English degree part time. She believed in me, so that gave me belief in myself – and my family, my kids too, believed in me, and my friends. So when I started to understand how the publishing industry worked I began to wonder why we needed to wait for the established ‘gatekeepers’ to give us permission when we could give ourselves permission. I knew so many good writers who weren’t getting published and yet had stories to tell and the ability to tell those stories well. At the same time as this realisation was occurring I met Simeon from Bantum Clothing – he said he’d rather produce clothing that a hundred people absolutely loved, than clothing that a thousand people felt ‘meh’ about. The penny dropped and I realised that we could give each other that validation – so Big White Shed was born.

Tell us about some of your experiences so far with BWS – who have you worked with? How have you worked with them?

I have to thank Chris McLoughlin and Jim OtienoHall for putting their trust in me right at the start. I had published my own novel and learned a lot about the process, and knew that I wanted to publish poetry, as this would work particularly well with the model I was developing. We worked together on

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I have worked with NG:She on an anthology of work by survivors of domestic abuse, with Nottingham Writers Studio on Black Lives anthology, Nottingham UNESCO City of Literature on two separate anthologies, and they recommended me to Nottingham Castle Trust when they were looking for a local publisher to produce the new guidebook.

That has been a really exciting project and I’ve been working with their really supportive team and local designer Raphael Achache on that – he’s been brilliant and we can’t wait to see the final printed version any day now.

At the core I believe the festival should be owned by the people of Nottingham and involve them. Notts folk are great storytellers, so I think it should be possible.

You are a poet in your own right. What drives you to write? And why poetry?

I see things and want to point them out to people.

If nobody is with me to say, ‘look at that’, I feel like I have to write it down. That could be a bird on a lamp post, two men holding hands and dropping their hold when they realise people have seen them, or a red leaf on a green tree – moments that tell a bigger story. I think it’s about sharing with other people more than anything at all, and making sense of stuff.

Why poetry? I’m a bit of a rambler, as you can probably tell. I can talk for hours! About anything to anyone. I think poetry helps me hone in on what it is I’m really trying to say – cut the rambling, cut the fluff and be specific. My mind is so full, all the time, so poetry gives me silence, a bit of peace.

See Like a Poet is fantastic. Can you share how you approached the writing and editing process for the piece?

Thanks! That poem is a bit of insight into my scrambled brain. Someone once said a conversation with me is like verbal potholing – I just wander off down a hole and keep going. The starling was the starting point… or was it… actually the stink pole was… months before… it stayed in my head as something I wanted to share – and I had shared a picture of it on Instagram but not put it in a poem.

The poem came about during a writing exercise led

by Chris McLoughlin during our Write The Poem sessions. It was something to do with compass points, and that starling on the stink pole popped into my head and as it did all the other thoughts came shouting in right after. So the editing process is about putting the thoughts into some kind of narrative order, tidying up the connections, so that a reader can follow more comfortably – if you

drag your reader round too roughly you lose them.

It’s also a time to allow other thoughts which may have been sitting quietly while the rowdy thoughts were carrying on, to speak-up – my grandmother’s costume jewellery was one of those – me saying to my brain, ‘Does anyone else have anything they’d like to add?’

Beyond that it was about ordering the words on the page, looking at spacing, white space for quiet moments – line endings, where do I want people to rest before moving on – punctuation, where do I want people to take a breath. Then a title. A title should add something to a poem, give my reader a bit of context before they jump in.

You were part of the Mouthy Poets leadership team for some time. What did the organisation mean to you? Can you describe what it was in your own words, for the uninitiated, from your perspective?

Mouthy Poets was a poetry collective for young people aged 16 – 26 (or thereabouts). We held weekly workshops to develop new writing and performance and show participants how to produce poetry events.

Initially we worked on a voluntary basis, with the ticket money supporting running costs and The Playhouse offering the venue and their services for free - then we secured Arts Council Funding.

Mouthy Poets was/is my family, with all that family involves. It was at times painful, but that was balanced out by a huge sense of belonging and much love. We were supported by some incredible artists here in Nottingham and from across the UK. It was a lot of hard work, planning events and workshops, applying for funding, supporting and developing young people. For some it was a weekly safe space, for some a weekly social space and for others a platform to pursue a career as a professional poet. I learned a lot about poetry, developing an organisation, developing myself and other people.

Mouthy was a space to grow.

Nottingham Poetry Festival has some events coming up this month. Can you tell us about what to expect?

COVID put an end to a lot of the community activity that had been planned for Festival in 2020 and the team had to cancel a lot of their plans and shift activity online - so we wanted to build on those plans and get back to seeing some of our followers face to face again.

On Saturday 29 May we are hosting a Word Walk led by GOBS poetry collective. They will lead some writing activity which will generate poetry to produce a zine which will be available at a second event on Sunday June 27 at Antenna – a proper party atmosphere with poetry and music, some live and some online (for those who may not yet feel confident about attending live events). We’re also working on a film to celebrate the Poetry Festival so far, because we’ve been going for six years now and that is definitely something to celebrate.

Was there anything else you wanted to say to the LeftLion readers?

Just that we are all poets. A poem isn’t a certain number of words or lines or stanzas. A poem is a moment noticed and sometimes shared. Some of us use words, some of us use images, music or song, paint or chalk or food, or a mobile phone, or kicking a ball, or swimming or smiling at someone on the street. It’s all about connecting. And for some people a poem might be getting out of bed and letting their feet connect with the floor.

Nottingham Poetry Festival has events running throughout June. For more information and to book tickets, visit their website nottinghampoetryfestival.com

Back in the Day

We delve through the archives of LeftLion to let you know what was happening in Nottingham on this month many years ago…

fifteen years ago...

words: Jared Wilson

From the pages of LeftLion #11 May Contain Notts Before Overheard in Notts, our most popular regular feature was a news diary by ‘Nottingham’s Mr Sex’ Al Needham. He will be fondly remembered by many of our more seasoned readers for his baiting of the city council, his hatred of Notts County and his sheer vitriol at the Slanty N. He was hilarious. This issue featured his third column and it ran right up to Issue #53 (our tenth birthday). If you ever get a spare few days the complete archives are up online for you to relive that noughties glory.

Rob’s Records Rob’s Records had been going for twenty five years before LeftLion got going (he first opened the doors in 1987). We’re not sure how many records he manages to squeeze into that shop in Hurts Yard on a day-today-basis, but a conservative estimate would put it at 10-20,000. My brain can’t even compute how many records he must have turned over in that time.

If that shop ever goes under, town is dead to me. This interview (conducted by former Big Daddy and Grandslam Editor) with George Mahood is a thing of rare beauty.

1st Blood Back in 2006 Pete Chilvers (aka Peter Piper) was a fresh-faced young man making hip-hop beats that had the likes of Tricky trying to snap him up to sign to their label. Various other musicians and vocalists like Liam Bailey, Cappo, Louis Cypher, Emkah, Scorzayzee, Ty Healy, Rattomatic (honestly I could fill the whole space with this) all became guests and contributors to the collective.

Happily, fifteen years and thirty-odd releases since we first interviewed him, he’s still going. His face might not be quite as fresh, but the beats still are.

eleven years ago...

From the pages of LeftLion #35 Armando Iannuci His name might read like a rip-off fashion label, but he’s the fella who helped create much of the best TV of the 00s including Alan Partridge, The Day Today, The Thick of It and Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle. He was in town collecting a lifetime achievement award from Broadway Cinema and we had the pleasure of talking to him about working with Chris Morris, Steve Coogan and the true inspiration behind Malcolm Tucker.

Alan Sillitoe’s Penpal Jane Streeter runs both Lowdham Book Festival and The Bookcase, a charming little bookshop in the NG14 village. This in itself would make her an interesting LeftLion interviewee, but the fact that she ended up being the penpal of one of the greatest writers this city has ever produced more than sealed the deal. I love the convenience of email and social media, but it’s not quite the same as getting hand-written holiday postcards from Sir Alan, is it?

Kasper Schmeichel He’s just won the FA Cup with Leicester City and by the time you read this should be heading out to take part in Euro 2020 as Denmark’s number one. But when I did this interview Kasper was a 23-year-old kid still starting out after one of the weirdest seasons of football at Notts County you can imagine; we won the league, but on fake money and it was all starting to unravel badly. This was his goodbye to Nottingham and to the Magpies fans. Hello Premier League.

To read these issues and more from our archives visit overallmag.com and leftlion.co.uk/magazine

BEST OF JUNE Green Hustle Festival When: Saturday 5 June, 10am Where: Sneinton Market Avenues How much? Free An online festival celebrating the best of Nottingham's green scene and all of the city's amazing communities. Packed with music, creativity, learning, interactive discussions and workshops galore from all corners of the city - it promises to be a virtual gathering of global proportions.

From the soil to the sky, Green Hustle will be shining a light on all the ways regular people are making positive changes for their neighbourhoods and for the planet.

The Kanneh-Mason Family Concert When: Sunday 13 June, 3.30pm & 7.30pm Where: Nottingham Theatre Royal How much? £15-£20 Regularly billed as ‘Britain’s most musical family’, Notts-own Kanneh-Masons are made up of seven siblings aged between 11-24 who all play either the violin, piano or cello. Having achieved fame and success around the globe, they’re back to perform in their home city after the initial February date was postponed.

This will be one you don’t want to miss.

Extinction Rebellion: March for Wildlife When: Saturday 5 June, 2.45pm Where: Nottingham Train Station How much? Free

The Nottingham Open When: Saturday 5 June - Sunday 13 June Where: Nottingham Tennis Centre How much? £6-£48

Join the good folks at Extinction Rebellion Notts as they draw attention to the ongoing climate crisis, with the focus with this demonstration being firmly on the impact on the world’s wildlife.

Did you know that humans represent just 0.01% of all living things by weight? And of all the mammals on Earth, only 4% are wild animals? Since the rise of human civilisation, 83% of wild mammals have been lost…

Nottingham proudly welcomes the cream of the tennis world, including five-time Wimbledon singles champion Venus Williams, to the city for the 2021 Nottingham Open. Eight days of matches at Nottingham Tennis Centre marks the open of the grass-court season, and with last year’s event cancelled due to you-know-what, tennis fans will be itching to get courtside seats.

The Greatest Play in the History of the World...

When: Tuesday 15 June Saturday 19 June Where: Nottingham Playhouse How much? £18-£25

Reginald D Hunter at Just the Tonic When: Saturday 26 June, 8pm Where: Just the Tonic, Metronome How much? £19.80

John Holmes in Conversation When: Sunday 27 June, 3pm Where: The Bookcase, Lowdham How much? Free (booking required)

One of the greatest comedians on the circuit is back in Notts after a two-year, COVID-inspired hiatus. Expect his usual brand of brutally honest, often whimsical and always hilarious comedy as he performs at the Just the Tonic Nottingham, located at Metronome. He’s supported by comedians Glenn Wool, Leo Kearse and Hayley Ellis.

During his career at the BBC, legendary presenter John Holmes interviewed the likes of Margaret Thatcher, Spike Milligan and Brian Clough. Now, he’s transformed his remarkable life story into an autobiography, and will be at The Bookcase in Lowdham for an in-person Q&A hosted by Frances Finn.

If the title doesn’t draw you in, we’re not sure what will. A man wakes in the middle of the night to discover that the world has stopped. Through the crack in his bedroom curtains he can see no signs of life at all… other than a light in the house opposite where a woman in an over-sized Bowie T-shirt stands, looking back at him. Starring BAFTA nominated Julie Hesmondhalgh (Coronation Street).

Crime Club: Outlaws and Exiles When: Friday 11 June, 6pm Where: National Justice Museum How much? From £10 Our friends at the National Justice Museum are happy to welcome back one of the highlights of their impressive events calendar: Crime Club. Join them for an evening spent exploring the sometimes gruesome, always intriguing events from Nottingham’s past, with the June event focusing on the city’s outlaws and exiles.

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words: Ashley Carter ilustration: Natalie Owen

It was the most famous battle in human history, helping to shape Europe as we know it today and finally ending Napoleon’s dreams of a French Empire. While the Battle of Waterloo ensured that names like Bonaparte and Wellington would be forever etched into history, it was the exploits of one man from Nottingham that caught the public’s attention more than any other on that day in 1815. With 18 June marking the battle’s 206th anniversary, we take a look at the extraordinary life and death of Cossall-born John Shaw…

Battles are strange things. Even with the best laid plans, they’re confusing, chaotic and tumultuous – a dozen soldiers fighting on either side can experience their events in a dozen different ways and, in a sense, they’re all correct.

And the Battle of Waterloo, arguably the most famous battle in history and the final decisive engagement of the Napoleonic Wars, was no different. Over 150,000 men fighting over a front of two to three miles for six hours doesn’t tie itself into a neat, compact narrative. Rather, the day is broken down in a series of moments – acts of incredible bravery and tactical genius, moments of hope and triumph and tragedy. The fate of Europe hung in the balance of that series of moments on 18 June 1815.

John Shaw’s childhood could not have been easy. Born on a farm between Cossall and Wollaton in 1789, he worked as an apprentice to a joiner and wheelwright at the age of thirteen, before working as a carpenter at the Wollaton Estate. Labouring from such a young age would have hardened a man to the elements and, according to Thomas Bailey’s Annals of Nottinghamshire, Shaw was a man of incredible strength and stature.

The late eighteenth century was an age where boxing was considered among the noblest pursuits and, given his upbringing and physical prowess, Shaw soon found himself learning the art of pugilism. In his early teens he was fighting men much older and bigger than himself, and quickly developed a reputation for being handy with his fists.

When the 1807 Goose Fair came to Nottingham, Shaw enrolled to join the fight against Napoleon as a member of the Life Guards. Boxing was encouraged, and his skills improved to an extent that he soon became known around the country as an exceptional pugilist. “His height, weight, length and strength were of so valuable a nature,” writes William Knollys in Shaw: The Life of a Guardsman, “that, united with a heart which knew no fear, they rendered him a truly formidable antagonist.”

While Shaw was developing a reputation as a boxer, Europe was being plunged back into the war it had been fighting for over decades. After his disastrous Russian campaign, Napoleon had been forced to abdicate in 1814, consigned for a life in exile on the Isle of Elba. But within a year he had escaped and, despite being in failing health, was willing to risk it all for one final roll of the dice for a European conquest.

After riding the wave of the French Revolution, the lowborn man from Corsica had taken Europe by the neck and changed the continent like none other before him.

Sweeping away the remnants of the Holy Roman Empire, he carved out an empire dominated by liberal reforms that

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threatened the remaining monarchies like Britain’s. Policies of meritocracy, equality before the law, religious toleration, modern secular education were transforming Europe into a new world. Despite his defeat on the Peninsular and devastating failure in Russia, Napoleon’s return from exile meant that Britain and the rest of Europe had to act swiftly to stop him.

He killed as many as nine Frenchmen in single combat, cleaving one unfortunate man’s head clean in half as if it were an apple, and snapping his sword in the breastplate of another Britain, Russia, Austria and Prussia all mobilised armies in a bid to crush Napoleon before his campaign could begin.

Knowing that his only chance of success lay with defeating his adversaries one at a time, Napoleon – one of history’s most brilliant military tacticians – launched an offensive with a force of 300,000 men. He initially scattered the Prussian forces before they could join up with Wellington’s army, and Napoleon found himself in a promising position.

The battle for the soul of Europe would come down to one definitive battle in the heartland of Belgium: Waterloo.

John Shaw and his Life Guards had been dispatched from London to form part of Wellington’s 68,000-strong force. An eclectic array of German, Dutch, Irish, Scottish, Hanoverian and English soldiers had been patched together as a last line of defense against Napoleon, who would have an open door into Britain if they failed.

The battle played out as a bloody chess match between the defensive, stoic Wellington and the unflinching mastery of Napoleon. As the rain fell hard on 17 June, it’s hard to know what John Shaw would have been thinking on the eve of his first battle. All accounts paint a picture of a man blessed with outrageous bravery, but with so much was at stake, he must have known that fighting would be fierce and unrelenting. If Shaw had felt fear, he didn’t show it when the time came.

Amid the confusion, it was unclear whether they were winning or losing – a common theme that ran throughout the day’s events. Knollys suggests that “in the whole history of cavalry, there probably has never been so obstinately maintained a struggle between two bodies of horsemen” as the resultant clash. Lord Somerset, who was present, later said “the blows of the sabres on the cuirasses sounded like

braziers at work.” It’s not known exactly how John Shaw died, but several accounts offer a picture of the remarkable events that led to his untimely demise.

Coming up against a unit of French cuirassiers, adversaries squared off in bouts of individual combat – his boxing training had made his sword arm as strong as iron, and Shaw soon fell into his element. Some accounts suggest he killed as many as nine Frenchmen in single combat, cleaving one unfortunate man’s head clean in half as if it were an apple, and snapping his sword in the breastplate of another before continuing to fight using his helmet as a weapon. His size made him a natural target for the enemy, who continued to attack him relentlessly in what Alessandro Barbero would describe as a “brief and exceedingly violent” clash. Eventually, the numbers proved too great, and Shaw was unhorsed – either by sword or by a musket ball fired from distance. Terribly mauled and bleeding profusely from countless wounds, he found his way to the farmhouse of La Haye Sainte – the site of the day’s most ferocious fighting – where, propped against a wall, he bled to death.

With the battle won by the narrowest of margins, Shaw was buried in the grounds of that farmhouse. However, it wasn’t to be his final resting place, as word of his heroic exploits began to spread, someone excavated his grave, removed his skull and put it on display in London. A plaster cast was made by his comrades, which can still be seen in the Household Cavalry Museum.

While the exhumed skull adds a particularly grizzly final chapter to the story of John Shaw, it’s important to consider the act of exhuming his body in the context of the day. His exploits had caused a nationwide fascination.

Here was a lowborn labourer from Nottingham whose bravery in the face of the enemy had seen his name on the lips of prince and commoner alike. 25 years after the battle, his story was still being celebrated on the stage. As Knollys says, “By all classes his wondrous deeds of daring are proudly remembered, and by those of his own position in life the name of the gallant Guardsman has been at least as much associated with the battle of Waterloo as that of Wellington himself. Indeed, in many popular panoramas of the great battle, it is the Corporal, not the Field Marshall, who is the most conspicuous figure. “ It’s an odd caveat that, unlike the rest of Britain, who celebrated wildly in the knowledge that the monster that had threatened Europe for a generation had finally been defeated – Nottingham marked the victory at Waterloo with a more understated, humble gun salute. Maybe Napoleon’s meritocratic revolution would have been more warmly welcomed here, given our city’s own history of independence and rebellion…