LeftLion June Issue 196

#196 JUNE 2026

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Credits

Featured Contributor Editor Head Designer Sophie Gargett Natalie Owen (sophie.gargett@leftlion.co.uk) (natalie.owen@leftlion.co.uk)

Al Dente Alan Gilby (alan.gilby@leftlion.co.uk)

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

Editorial & Marketing Assistant Caradoc Gayer (caradoc.gayer@leftlion.co.uk)

Music Co-Editor Phil Taylor (music@leftlion.co.uk)

Music Co-Editor Karl Blakesley (music@leftlion.co.uk)

Fashion Editor Addie Kenogbon-Harley (fashion@leftlion.co.uk)

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

History Editor CJ DeBarra (history@leftlion.co.uk)

Environment Editor Adam Pickering (environment@leftlion.co.uk)

Stage Co-Editor Ian C. Douglas (ian@leftlion.co.uk)

Literature Co-Editor Grace Sanders (literature@leftlion.co.uk)

Literature Co-Editor Katherine Monk-Watts (literature@leftlion.co.uk)

Food Co-Editor Julia Head (food@leftlion.co.uk)

Food Co-Editor Lucy Campion (food@leftlion.co.uk)

Photography Co-Editor Sam Tariq (photography@leftlion.co.uk)

Photography Co-Editor Dani Bacon (photography@leftlion.co.uk)

Art Editor Benjamin Kay (art@leftlion.co.uk)

Screen Editor Emily Davies (screen@leftlion.co.uk)

Sports Editor Reuben Moynihan-Case (sport@leftlion.co.uk)

Community Editor Frances Danylec (community@leftlion.co.uk)

Investigator of...

Cheese-based violence Matt Blaney

Distribution Dom Martinovs

thanks to all our contributors...

Cover Art Emily Giddings Editorial Interns Tia Capper Freya Peters

Mallika Fraser Charlotte Chapman-Deas Tia Okungbowa Chloe Pratt Lottie Limb Natalie Braber

Writers Photographers Liz Johnson Upi Sandhu Nadia Whittome Deanna Gallacher Lewis Oxley Lux Gagos Claire Spencer Rob Maxwell (good news Holly Jessica Taylor Sachdeva Stefan Foster Clive Trusson Korng Sok

Tom Platinum Morley Glen Parva Matthew Gawronski Jack Muskin Harvey Tomlinson Amy Humphreys Lauren Freestone Natasha Miller Red Francisco Mike B Designs Sauce & Brown

Illustrators Isobelle Farrar Jay Tomlin Kirsty Gregory Emily Catherine Lily Keogh

Lottie Limb is a freelance journalist living back in her home city of Nottingham, after chapters in Dublin, Bath, Cambridge and London. She worked as a climate reporter at Euronews for four years, and has previously written for BBC Travel, the Sunday Times Magazine and Poetry Ireland Review.

Environmental issues and climate solutions are close to her heart – which is why you can find her in the environment section of this month’s issue, writing about a community climate action project in The Meadows. She also loves reading, creative writing and taking long train journeys across Europe – most recently from Nottingham to Ljubljana and back.

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contents

Forage against the machine

15

Darcy from Foragers’ Kitchen, tells us how he’s bringing a pantry of fresh, local, and organic produce to Sneinton Market Avenues.

The working class RADA Alison Rashley, director of The Television Workshop, talks about the legendary local institution’s past, present and future.

19

Bittersweet Streets Artist Julian Pinnick’s joyfully nostalgic paintings of Nottingham streets are on display this month at Broadway gallery – he tells us more…

22

12

Working class fairy tale Ahead of an Edinburgh Festival debut, we meet Randy Cain, the latest persona from Selina Molinski, better known as Charity Shop Sue.

the tea 30 Spilling Frances Russell talks two decades of whipping up delectable afternoon teas at

17

10,000 for the road Notts-based Dale Harvey has become a social media sensation with his page Great British Pub Crawl, documenting his attempt to visit every pub in the UK…

37

25

The Magpies’ nest Notts County’s new state-of-the-art live events venue is hosting everything from concerts to food festivals. Events Manager Sam Heaton tells all…

39 Transphoria In a time where prejudice is hard to avoid, local group Transphoria is providing

26

Wrestling at the baths Delving into the curious history of wrestling in Sneinton’s Victoria Leisure Centre, which goes right back to the 1930s.

city centre eatery White Rabbit Teahouse.

Green and pleasant land DIY training, toolshares and beautifying public spaces… the Green Meadows Project is helping residents live greener, richer lives and take local action on climate change.

a safe space for trans youth in Nottingham.

can’t get enough 40 Dust Local music legends Dusty 4 Track talk about their debut album of chilled blues, whiskey soaked vocals, and foot-stomping riffs.

Editorial Hello lovely people of Nottingham, and welcome to June.

to set and diners enjoy culinary offerings in the area.

where's this?

I write this having just spent a very fun day at Dot to Dot Festival enjoying some of Nottingham’s finest musical offerings. I love seeing the streets buzzing with culture at these city centre festivals, and as the summer season kicks off I’ll be looking forward to Green Hustle, Waterfront, the Poetry Festival and the Puppet Festival, plus many more coming up. Big up to all the organisers and everyone who makes Nottingham’s creative scene so continually exciting and fresh.

Elsewhere in the mag we’ve got articles on art, beer, theatre, fashion, music, food and much more. I was fascinated to hear the history of wrestling at Victoria Baths in Sneinton (p.26) going back to the 1930s, which is complemented by a gorgeous illustration by Isobelle Farrar. It was also really interesting to hear about how Allison Rashley came to direct The Television Workshop (p.19), Nottingham’s answer to RADA, plus all of the amazing actors that it has helped garner.

"Triple threat"

Reading through this mag this month I’ve found myself hungry and pining for some al fresco dining, especially as Restaurant Week is coming up - read more about that on p.32.

I was very intrigued to hear the story behind Foragers’ Kitchen (p.15), one of Sneinton Market’s most delectable additions. Emily Giddings’ gorgeous cover art is a perfect complement to this atmosphere, capturing Hockley at its most vibrant as the sun begins

I hope you’ve all been properly photosynthesizing in this lovely weather and are perhaps enjoying this magazine on a leisurely day with a cold beverage. As ever, a huge thanks to all of our writers, illustrators, photographers and Patreon subscribers who help make LeftLion a thing each month!

Until next time,

Sophie Gargett

Last month: “Abstract streets” Six Barrel Drafthouse

LeftLion Ltd is a carbon neutral company, having reduced our direct emissions by 99% since 2018. We offset the rest via direct air capture from Climeworks. LeftLion Magazine is fully recyclable and compostable, made from recycled or FSC® certified (C015932) sources, and printed using renewable energy.

The emissions of this paper are offset via the World Land Trust. leftlion.co.uk 5

What’s On

Grace Petrie

2026

November FRI Young Knives 13

June

WED The Bracknall 25

FRI Omar 05

FRI Moving Pictures 27 – Rush Tribute Band

SAT Nottingham 06 Poetry Festival presents Brian Bilston

FRI EXTC ‘This is Pop’ 12

July FRI Random Hand 03

August SAT The Smiths Ltd 29

The Bracknall

September WED Vundabar and 09 Yot Club FRI FLAMIN’ 18 GROOVIES FRI Nigel Planer: 25 Young Once

October WED Grace Petrie 07 FRI The Rezillos 09 TUE The Long Ryders 13

Flamin’ Groovies

Home of Just the Tonic Comedy Club, bringing you laughter every Saturday!

Book tickets

metronome.uk.com Huntingdon St, Nottingham, NG1 1AP

@metronomenotts

Girls on bus:

sorry. I “Oh mate, I’m so d to my ar rw fo g in am look ough…” th ch cheese sandwi

Girl 1: “People ar e queueing for fo od…”

Girl 2: “That's kin da when you're hung whatcha hafta do ry.”

"No, not that Da ve.

I mean big tall Da ve from Bulwell"

girl “At least buy the ve ha u yo if o’s nd a Na r.” he ise to traumat

d "She's my age. An that's no age."

earing e you w r a y h oday.” n 1: “W Postma 's 21 degrees t It gloves? get I don't n 2: “So fingers.” a m t s o y P uts on m less.” paperc e finger t they'r u B “ 1: n Postma

Nottingham’s most opinionated grocers on...

"I didn't learn how to click my fingers until I was 22."

coming here "Seems strange e I said to lik ; ay rd tu Sa on a Tuesday." a e lik s him, it look

ver "She's REALLY cle y er ev or ...f gh thou has a five drinks, she r." te wa of s glas

Man 1: "I've never see n anyone in a camo kilt be

Restaurants Last time we said there weren’t any restaurants left in Nottingham, but apparently there’s loads. So we take it all back. Piccallili, where Kushi-ya used to be, is apparently very good. Our three favourites back in the day – there was Sonny’s, World Service wasn’t bad, and Harts. Then there was Ben Bowers at the top of Canning Circus. You went downstairs and it looked like a ship.

Poetry Festival A few years ago we bought a poetry book with all the famous poems in it. We went to a normal comprehensive school and we were never taught all that, so we bought the book to see what’s what. They were fantastic. We might have appreciated it more nowadays, but when you are taught it at school you remember it.

fore"

Man 2 in camo kilt "Ju st shows you how good the camo is…”

Pick Six

Wrestling at Victoria Leisure Centre What’s amazing about Victoria Leisure Centre – it was one of the last places in the country to have public baths. So you can pay half a crown and have a bath.

In Sneinton not many people had baths in the 60s and before. They should bring them back. You can get in a hot tub but everybody’s weed in those. But it makes sense they’d do wrestling there, because there weren’t many places to do it.

They’d have covered the oval swimming pool and there’d be a bit of give as it wouldn’t be a concrete floor.

Film

Computer Game

I have a lot of favourite films.

Please note that I may be repeating that part a lot haha.

Right now, I’m thinking about Man on Fire. The Denzel Washington classic that has recently been adapted to a series (I’m nervous about adaptations.) It has all the feels I require from a film. No matter when it’s on, I find that I’m there till it ends.

I absolutely do not have one, unfortunately. I live vicariously via the kids playing their games. I have some zombie games waiting for me to press start, though. I have a real interest in horror. You did not ask about my favourite film genre. The new GTA is en route also. I just might! I don’t have as much time on my hands for games. I should, though, I should.

Book

For this month’s Pick Six we turned to award-winning Nigerian-British writer Yomi Sode who will be performing at Lakeside Arts on 11 June as part of Nottingham Poetry Festival.

None of these questions are fair, by the way. I don’t know if I have a favourite book. A memorable book is Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi.

It really is a beautiful novel around lineage, family and everything in between.

Sports team

Album

Notts Spot

I really enjoy Michael Kiwanuka’s Home Again album. It settles me a lot. I actually haven’t visited it in a while, but I think of it often. I don’t know if I’m the type to know songs off the dome like that, but I love music, and appreciate how outward it can be, hence the format of the show (THAT YOU ALL SHOULD BE ATTENDING!).

Not been in Nottingham long enough to venture around however, I’ve heard about the Old Market Square, the Castle, and also the caves?

The caves sound intense. Here for it though. I’ve heard about Secret Garden and Pit and the Pendulum? Either way – wanting local, wanting a vibe.

Arsenal, by proxy of close friends and family. Doubt it would be any other team to be honest. Premier League Champions.

Q @yomi_sode leftlion.co.uk 7

Poets Corner Where Raindrops Sparkle (For Basford United Football Club) In this weekend playground of the oppressed In this land of the local lad done good Drying raindrops sparkle on plastic grass.

In this ironwork and breezeblock landscape On this shaded terrace of shared sorrows Friendships acclaim chips and the longball pass.

In this sanctity from the daily grind Spanish beer flows from a crowded clubhouse As therapy into a flexi-glass.

In this Mecca of masculinity Weekend dads in low slung jeans nurture sons With love and belonging to kin and class.

Clive Trusson (Paper Cranes Poetry Collective, Beeston)

nottinghampoetryfestival.com

Reasons to be Cheerful

words: Freya Peters

UNDERCOVER ARTIST This month’s cover artist Emily Giddings spoke to us about artivism, being creative with a chronic health condition, and what inspires her illustrations.

Tell us a bit about yourself…

I’m Emily, I’m 24 and I’m currently taking a break from my Liberal Arts course at UoN. I’m ‘majoring’ in Sociology, and I’m interested in race, gender, and climate inequalities, and how these are interconnected through colonial and capitalist histories. For me, the past few years have largely been shaped by health issues, which has made it difficult to stay connected to things I’ve always enjoyed, especially art, reading, and writing. During my time off, I’ve slowly been redeveloping my love for illustration, so being this month’s cover artist was a wonderful opportunity for me.

What is the story behind the cover?

This junction is probably my favourite in Nottingham. The colourful jumble of cafes and restaurants is brightened by string lights and greenery, and it nicely captures the diversity of cuisines across the city. I think we’re especially privileged to have access to flavours and recipes from around the world, shared by immigrants and people of colour who have enriched our community for generations, and despite this continue to endure a very hostile climate. So this painting aims to appreciate the people who have shaped the city and its food culture.

I think it’s important that the aesthetics of the image don’t erase the reality of many in our city who are struggling with food insecurity.

Homelessness is a symptom of entrenched inequality that’s particularly prevalent in Nottingham, and at the top of Carlton Street is a common spot where unhoused people beg for food or change.

Under the hood This month, award-winning Nottinghamshire charity Switch Up has launched a new podcast. Under the Hood will discuss local issues and connect people in Nottingham who might be struggling from social disadvantages, while also exploring the stories, journeys, and experiences that have shaped the lives of people living in Nottingham. Hosted by Switch Up founder Marcellus Baz, the first episode will feature actor and community organiser Vicky McClure. You can find the podcast on Spotify, RSS Feed, and YouTube. Go check it out.

All the colours Nottingham Pastel Project has teamed up with It’s In Nottingham to launch the Nottingham Rainbow Quarter (think Manchester Gay Village but better).

The official launch date is Wednesday 17 June smack bang in the middle of National Pride Month. At 5pm outside Broadway Cinema, the opening of the city’s official LGBTQ+ area will include a ribbon-cutting ceremony, speeches from special guests and the unveiling of new heritage plaques celebrating Broad Street’s LGBTQ+ heritage. Post-event drinks will follow at the Lord Roberts.

Research shows very high food poverty rates across several wards in Nottingham, especially in children. Our local charities, collectives and environmental organisations (like Himmah, Emmanuel House and Nottingham Green Partnership) are addressing the broader context of systemic inequality that food poverty is part of. I hope this image inspires people to help work towards a city where everyone has food dignity, and can access the simple joy of a warm meal.

What inspires you as an artist?

Many things - small everyday moments, other art, music videos and films, people and stories.

Going outside is always a source of inspiration, but when my health limits this, I tend to spend time online. While the internet is a mixed bag, I've found artists, advocates, authors and

politicians who inspire and inform me. I love the political scope of illustration as a medium, and am a big fan of ‘artivism’.

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

I’ve made illustrations for uni exploring protest, immigration, hostile architecture and ecofeminism. In my gap year I worked at Himmah food bank, they gave me many opportunities as a volunteer, among them designing posters, t-shirts and certificates.

More recently I volunteered at White Rose to paint their window display. I’ve also loved taking part in free workshops at The Carousel and The Contemporary, who run the 1525 Collective. I’d encourage young people to check it out as it’s a welcoming place to meet others while crafting.

If you could sit down and chat with any artist in your field, who would it be and what would you talk about?

Probably Bee Illustrates. They have a very unapologetic and political conscious style. Their candid illustrations on mental health and selfcare document the ‘ugly’ parts of being human, and make it dignified, funny, even pretty. I’d ask them how they navigated the industry while protecting their values and voice (and their health). They’re also Edinburgh College of Art alumni (where I one day hope to study), so I’d ask them about their experience there.

Do you have any tricks for getting started and staying inspired as a creative?

Bearing in mind the quote ‘comparison is the thief of joy’. It’s difficult, especially online, not to compare yourself, feel disheartened and give up. But we’re all crafting creatures, including people who don’t consider themselves ‘creative’ or ‘artsy’. Everyone has something to offer – your unique perspective on the world is invaluable – so you should draw it.

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

To anyone going through a rough patch, dealing with mental, or physical illness and burn out; it’s important not to blame yourself, and to focus on small wins as big achievements. There are so many lovely people and organisations across our city that have helped me feel more myself, so I’d encourage people to rest without guilt and reach out to find community when they feel able.

Q @emi_illo_3

Memorialising Marian A contemporary sculpture by Alicja Biała will bring Maid Marian to Nottingham City Centre in collaboration between Nottingham City Council, BACKLIT Gallery and It’s in Nottingham. Standing in the new rain garden at the corner of Maid Marian Way and Upper Parliament Street, the sculpture will present Maid Marian as a silhouette formed from cast metal fragments, representing her shifting presence in Notts culture as a figure of myth and landscape. Cast bronze foliage from Nottingham plants will adorn the sculpture as it roots into its sandstone plinth.

leftlion.co.uk 9

Chronic Insanity Theatre presents...

Apple of Discord A brawl at a state wedding. War on the horizon.

A golden apple.

This is not theatre where you sit and watch.

This is theatre where you choose a path.

Experience the legendary myth that sparked the Trojan War in this ambitious immersive production from award-winning Nottingham theatre company, Chronic Insanity.

Explore three floors of a historic building, tackle quests and solve puzzles, talk to the Gods, oneon-one. Or, just grab a drink and watch the drama unfold. Every visit is unique!

Reviewers say...

⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Witty and insightful.”

The Stage “Chaotic, playful, and utterly charming” LeftLion

20-24 July | 7pm-10pm The People’s Hall NG1 3AA Suitable for ages 14+

BOOK NOW! Use the QR code, or go to: chronicinsanity.co.uk

Nadia on...

Renters' rights words: Nadia Whittome photo: Lux Gagos

Everyone needs a home. Whether you’re a student moving to university, a young professional in your first job, a family putting down roots or a pensioner wanting to stay close to your loved ones: home is the foundation on which everything else is built. With a major shortage of social housing and house prices so far out of reach that renting is the only choice, finding an affordable home with a reasonable landlord when rents are rising faster than wages has become one of the defining struggles of our generation. In Nottingham East, 38% of households are in the private rented sector.

Many renters are simply paying off their landlords’ mortgages and, in the end, won’t own any part of the home they’ve taken care of and paid for, while landlords hold outsized power and renters endure poor conditions, unaffordable rents, and a lack of security. 1 in 3 renters in this country are in poverty, often due to their extortionate housing costs. Meanwhile, no fault evictions by private sector landlords have been a leading cause of homelessness.

It shouldn’t be this way, especially when housing is a human right. It’s why I’m proud to have voted for the Renters’ Rights Act, which came into force in May – a huge, long-overdue step forward in giving renters greater security and protection.

It ended no-fault evictions, which was where a landlord could kick you out without having to give any reason, for eleven million tenants in England.

Landlords can now only ask their tenants to leave for a limited number of reasons and they have to

give them four months’ notice.

Among many other reforms, it also replaced fixedterm tenancies with ones that are rolling and openended, banned rental bidding, and stopped landlords from asking for more than one month’s rent in advance. These new rules apply automatically, including for existing tenants, regardless of what it says in your tenancy agreement.

higher than market rates, it still relies on tenants challenging larger increases through the tribunal system and on the market to set rents. It also doesn’t prevent landlords raising rents significantly when tenants move out.

I do not believe that this is enough to stop rents, which are already at unaffordable levels, being hiked further still. I therefore want to see more action to limit rent increases and I have long been calling for rent controls.

Making these reforms is not just I am also pushing for far more council housing to built. The reason that so many people are at the about doing what is right for tenants; be mercy of private landlords is because of Margaret Thatcher introducing the Right to Buy in the it is about doing what is best for our 1980s, which has seen social housing sold off at a far higher rate than it has been replaced at. I want whole society. Without tackling the the government to launch a mass social housing programme and scrap the Right to Buy once and problems in the private rented sector for all. these reforms is not just about doing and making our society less reliant Making what is right for tenants; it is about doing what is for our whole society. Without tackling the upon it, we will not be able to tackle best problems in the private rented sector and making society less reliant upon it, we will not be able homelessness, poverty or inequality our to tackle homelessness, poverty or inequality.

The measures in the Renters’ Rights Act are vital, but I believe that we still need to go further if we are to fix a system that is broken to its core. While the Act stops landlords increasing rents more than once a year and says that they should not be

I’m delighted that the Renters Rights Act is taking big strides in this direction, and I will keep campaigning for the government to go further still. nadiawhittome.org

leftlion.co.uk 11

A Working Class Fairy Tale

interview: Sophie Gargett photo: Tom Platinum Morley

Most people will know Selina Mosinski as Sue Tuke AKA the indomitable Charity Shop Sue. This summer she’s bringing a new character to Edinburgh Fringe – and Notts – in her one-woman show Puss In Boots: A Working Class Fairy Tale, directed by Notts own Matt Chesney of Dead Sweet TV. Ahead of the show, we spoke to Selina about writing for the stage, 90s culture and how the Notts accent is reaching audiences…

Selina, you’re a busy laydeh! Your upcoming show is a new character - Randy Cain. Tell us a little about her…

It's funny because basically Randy's just me. It's being a character actor – I struggle with just being myself as a stand-up comedian. I need a wig or an alter ego, so she allows me to do what I want. The show is about my journey to the stage, through the stripping world in the late 90s and noughties from a working-class perspective. It's a comedy with a lot of parody about third wave feminism – it's a bit of a wild ride.

Last year you starred in Notts writer Paris Lees’ excellent coming of age drama What It Feels Like For a Girl, which is set in 00s Notts. Did working with Paris on an autobiographical adaptation inspire you to look at your own life for inspiration?

I think her work, the show and the book, are just bloody brilliant. It's a really important story and it’s part of the [LGBTQ+] community which is really important to me.

It's great to see a Nottingham artist doing so well. It was a big honour to work on such an amazing project, the cast were amazing! But I'd actually already been working on the stripper idea for a long time. I wanted to go back into that world and talk to people working in the industry – I just didn't know where it was going.

What was the process of pulling stories from your own past like? Did you write at the time?

I wasn't writing anything then, and I never kept a diary – I'm not that organised. I didn't start doing anything creative until I was probably 25 or 26. I've only really got the confidence to write bigger pieces over the last five or six years. But I've got such strong memories.

This is a very weird show; it's based on real events but told in a very surreal way and massively exaggerated.

There’s a part in the show where they go to Ascot, and they’re stripping on the bus on the way there – that was meant to be a ‘VIP experience’. We were on a bus with no curtains, taking our clothes off for a fiver a time with truck drivers going past beeping their horns. I don't want to write something completely literal. I want to find different ways of telling it – even just that bus trip in itself is absurd, because it is bonkers. And that is life, isn't it?

the show is about my journey to the stage, through the stripping world in the late 90s and noughties. it's a bit of a wild ride And are you playing all the characters yourself?

Timothy Chesney, who is brilliant as a performer and creative in his own right, is doing the voices. He does the voice for Sylvia Young and the girls in the club.

He's doing all the voiceovers with blowup dolls. But yes, I'm playing the other characters.

You’re moving from screen to stage. Was rethinking how you perform quite a challenge?

This was the best way of creating the story, because I’ve been able to have free rein. I want it to be surreal – so if I might want Gillian McKeefe to pop up, or twenty tampons to pop out of a doll if I’m talking about toxic shock syndrome. If it was for TV, you’ve got restrictions. I’d have to think ‘is

12 leftlion.co.uk

this too weird?’ I also really wanted to perform live more, and a lot of the time with TV you’re waiting for things to get moving.

The show is set in the late 90s. What’s changed since then and what were some key elements you wanted to get in the show?

Look, me and my mates had a great time – you had this big ladette culture and it felt like everything was possible for women. But the media was all still male-dominated, and how far can you get with that? There were pictures of women falling out of clubs drunk, and upskirting was a huge thing. So you've got all this apparent sexual freedom that the press was pushing, but they were just completely commodifying the female form and then using it to their advantage. This is what happens when you're living in a male dominated world. You’ve got to address it and dip into that absurdity, but again, it's a comedy – otherwise it’d just be too dark.

You’ve been playing Sue for fourteen years. How does Randy differ from Sue? They are completely different! But they are both gals trying to survive in their own way. Sue is cunning but at heart means well. Barbara, a character in the show, has a few

'Sueisms' – a layered character that has bite… that's very Sue! But Randy is eighteen and clumsily trying to find her way to the big smoke, luckily for her she has her fairy godmother 'Sylvia' guiding her but seems to keep steering her in the wrong direction. Sue would most certainly not need a guide to get her anywhere!

You're performing over three weeks at Edinburgh Fringe.

How are you feeling about that?

Erm… apprehensive!? I'm getting IV drips up there, which sounds so bougie. I'm in my mid 40s and I need the extra boost so no judgement please… I performed a big chunk of the material in Leicester the other week and I just loved every second. I love the material, I love the process. We've got a couple of weeks to get it to the final draft, but it's there. I can feel it and I'm excited.

Puss In Boots: A Working Class Fairytale will be at Pleasance King Dome, Edinburgh between 5-30 August. You can also catch a Notts special preview at Fisher Gate Point on Saturday 4 July 7-8pm.

Look out for a longer version of this interview with Selina and Charity Shop Sue/Puss in Boots director Matt Chesney on the LeftLion Interviews Podcast later this month.

Q @selinamosinski_

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FORAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE

interview: Caradoc Gayer photos: Sam Tariq

Just around the corner from LeftLion, Foragers’ Kitchen is one of the newest and most exciting additions to Nottingham arts and independents hub Sneinton Market Avenues. Opened in October 2025, it’s run by Notts-via-North-Wales chef Darcy Jerome Duncalf and his partner via Paris, Marianna Coulentianos (with help from a friendly greyhound named Dexter), and blends a plant-based menu with resolutely local and organic produce. We popped over to chat to Darcy about what brought him to our cosy end of Notts.

Tell us about your background, and how you came into professional cooking…

I’ve always been into food. One of my first professional jobs was working in a really posh restaurant. Before that, I worked in smaller French bistros, and a Chinese restaurant.

So I’ve always been interested in it, and that comes from cooking when I was young, with my mum. My mum turned veggie for a few years, which I think was quite inspiring because it was very different from what my friends at school were eating.

I kind of burned out from cooking, and became an electrician for five years, from about the ages of twenty to 25, but was still cooking during that time. Then, I quit that, moved to Loughborough and became a barista. After that, I became a coffee roaster, because I became slightly obsessed with coffee. That didn’t end so well, but going from knowing nothing about coffee to becoming a pretty good roaster gave me the confidence to start this place.

People often talk about whether vegan diets are growing or receding. Currently, the stats bear out that they’re growing in popularity. Do you have an opinion on that, or experiences with it?

I think I would have had an opinion a while ago, but over time I’ve realised that good food speaks for itself. I don’t really follow the vegan scene like I used to anymore.

Unless you’ve been restricting yourself from using dairy, meat, eggs and cheese, I don’t think you’ve got the incentive to understand how to satiate those flavours, because you’ve always got the breaker of going back to, say, chicken, when you really want it. I’ve gone down the line of trying to ensure I was satiating in the same way that ‘chicken’ was, because I suffered through not having it.

So this place really does satisfy meat eaters, cheese eaters, vegetarians and pescatarians all the same. I’ve never swayed anyone with a good argument, but I have turned a few people vegan just from cooking for them, in close proximity.

If you feel like you’re compromising flavour for nutrition, you’re not going to do it. So, if I can remove the worry that you’re never going to get decent food again, it sparks more inspiration than a conversation, or finger wagging.

A lot of people are struck by how cool Forager’s Kitchen looks inside, especially its many shelves. What was the process of deciding on that?

Well, I came in here, painted the floor, and first it was completely empty, so I started imagining how I’d cook, how I want to stand, and where I want to be looking out, because I’m going to be spending a lot of time in here. And I kept on looking at the wall, and thinking, ‘This is going to be my pantry, where I want to store all my spices, ferments, pickles’ – I wanted it to be my wizard’s pantry, you know? It’s nice to be able to store that much visibly, because you don’t have to write a list of where everything is. It’s all there, to grab.

You’ve started working with businesses close by, in Sneinton Market and venues beyond, like Movers. Did you arrive wanting to do that?

I knew no one here – the community was bubbling away anyway. Martin’s workshop next door – the communities that surround By Our Hands We Make Our Way are amazing.

Sarah Manton and her fierce leadership of the tenant community, Cam at The Grove and his people – we’ve all become very close. I think I’m trying my best to glue them together – use this place as a stomping ground for meetings, for overflow… I want to cater for venues that don’t do food, but might need it for events. For example, I'm catering a couple fundraisers happening in the Avenues. And I'm of

course partnering with the other food businesses – we're always collaborating with Paddy at Working Man's Kitchen, with Luisa's Vegan Chocolates, and most recently with Mahalia and Jowayne at Yellow Yard (we're working on some jerk seitan).

What place does foraging have, exactly, in how you source ingredients?

Some of it’s foraged. For my dandelion ‘honay’ (as we call it), for example, I picked about a thousand heads of dandelions.

A friend of mine has come with foraged goods, one of which was wild garlic.

But the reason we’re called Foragers’ is not necessarily because we want to make foraged goods. I’m not sure it’s entirely ethical to be taking from what little nature has left for a business as small as we are. The reason we’re called Foragers’ is because we want to support a local food growing network, all the way from fruits and vegetables, to grains, and everything in between. Anything we can get as local as possible.

More in my mind is food security. I think it’s a good thing to support more diverse growing in the farms around us, and more of it coming directly from where it is growing, into the city itself.

I think it’s a good thing to support more diverse growing in the farms around us, and more of it coming directly from where it is growing, into the city itself What’s your process for evolving the menu?

I’ve got lots of inspiration – things bubbling away in my brain that I need to get out. I just haven’t got the time at the moment. I’m developing the recipes I have into better versions of what they already are.

I also want to mention that we want to promote the organic side of things. Seeing what an organic farm can produce, not just in terms of its agricultural output, but also in terms of its environment, is amazing. The hedges, trees, woods, fields – because they’re not sprayed, coincide with lots of rare birds, butterflies, bees… The revelation for me was that when you buy organic food, you pay into a system where you don’t receive those sprays, and chemicals, which aren’t just harming you but are also designed to kill everything around the field bar the crop.

What’s next for Foragers’ Kitchen? Anything else you want to talk about?

Yes, the Locavore Market! In light of us being here, and being mindful of taking from lots of local places, we want to promote them by bringing them here. The Locavore Market is coming soon, and is organised by me, and Dee from Minor Oak co-working space. Local farms will be invited, jam makers, whisky, kombucha makers, all these types of things we consume, and can source locally – we’ll be inviting people to come to Sneinton Market, and use it in a similar way to how it started – as a produce market.

Find Forager’s Kitchen at Unit 32, Sneinton Market, NG1 1DW. Darcy and Dee are looking for traders in-and-around the East Midlands who are available to participate in the summer 2026 Locavore Market. Follow them online for more information.

Q @foragerskitchen_sneinton

leftlion.co.uk 15

10,000 for the road interview: Jared Wilson photos: Glen Parva

Dale Harvey is a man on a mission to champion and save British Pubs. A former publican, in March 2022 he, alongside his partner Holly Booth, set themselves the challenge to visit every pub in Notts. A year or two later, having completed this, they expanded to covering all the pubs in England, Scotland and Wales too. Thus the social media sensation The Great British Pub Crawl was born. Four years, 9500+ beers and over 300k social media followers later ‘Professional Drinker’ Dale is fast closing in on visiting his 10,000th pub…

When did your love of pubs first begin?

My dad used to take me over to the local club as a kid growing up in Bedford and give me a packet of crisps and a Panda Pop. At the age of fifteen I got my first ever job as a pot washer in a hotel. At eighteen I went to work for Whitbread, then at 21 they gave me my own Beefeater – The Flying Horse in Clophill. So it all stemmed from there. I love pubs. I think it's a big part of our culture and our history and something that makes us quintessentially British.

Seeing them close down really upsets me.

What brought you to Nottingham?

I'm a Forest fan. Ever since the 1990 World Cup, when Stuart Pearce became my hero. I just loved everything about the guy. When he missed that penalty I was just like, "Whatever team he plays for, I’m going to support them." So I was driving up here to watch Forest all the time, and then I met Holly.

a lot less jobs. I've been crying out for a VAT reduction for hospitality. How many of us cut our teeth in the working world through hospitality? I learned people skills through those roles. If we lose them, the kids who are now looking for jobs will have nowhere to learn those things.

So how did the Great British Pub Crawl first begin?

Holly and I started it together, but it was only ever supposed to be a hobby. I read a Nottingham Post article listing the best five pubs in Notts. I said to Holly; "How do they know? They haven't been to every pub in Notts.

I'm going to do that and I'll tell them the best five”. So we started doing it on weekends. When we did our 100th pub, someone on social media said, "Have you got a list of where you've been? Can you put it on the internet?" What I do now kind of grew from there. I'm still surprised when I look at how many followers we've got and the reach that we have. I visited my 9,500th pub only last week.

Where did you and Holly meet?

I bet you can’t guess… It was in a pub! It was June 2018 – the day England played Panama in the World Cup. We won 6-1 and Jesse Lingard scored an absolute worldie, something he never did at Forest. Holly had another boyfriend at the time, so I threw my hat in the ring and made my intentions known. It took another year of me chasing her to convince her to go on a date. Now the rest is history.

I love pubs. I think it's a big part of our culture and our history and something that makes us quintessentially British. Seeing them close down really upsets me

Did you ever run any pubs in or near Notts?

I was at The Otter in Kegworth, which was a Vintage Inns pub. I was also at The Nuthall in Cinderhill, just off Junction 26. I've worked for all of the big pub companies. When I was with Whitbread, they'd send me to trouble sites – places where they'd lost a manager, or there were problems. I became, in a sense, the Roy Hodgson of Beefeaters.

What's the plan for the 10,000th?

It's going to have to be in London, because I need a few new pubs I've not done – in all the other big cities like Nottingham, Liverpool, Birmingham, Sheffield, Leeds, Edinburgh and Glasgow, I've been to the best places. I'm going to try and do it on a Saturday down south, get some press down, and make it a big invite-everyone occasion.

What are the modern day challenges landlords face?

The rising costs in this industry are a nightmare. When I first got into the game it wasn't anywhere near as hard as it is now. We're losing hundreds of pubs every year. National Living Wage has increased rapidly, but it just means there’s

For me on current form, it would take several years to visit 500 pubs. How long will it take you?

About five or six more weeks. It will probably be in late June or early July this year. I only drink halves and try to hit twenty pubs each crawl, but in some places it's more like

seventeen or eighteen. I usually do this five nights a week, so it will probably be 25 to thirty more crawls.

You were recently elected to CAMRA’s National Executive board. Tell us about that…

The Campaign for Real Ale has been around since the 70s and has always been the driving force behind keeping real ale alive. It’s accomplished that mission, so real ale is still a thriving industry. CAMRA's voice holds a lot of weight with the government. They've got the respect, they've been there long enough. However, it is very difficult for independent brewers to get their beer onto bars with the pubcos these days. If we don't have any pubs to sell cask ale in, there is no cask ale. I want to help make CAMRA the driving force behind saving pubs as well as real ale.

If you were to write a blueprint for the perfect British pub, what would it be?

I genuinely think the micropub is the way forward. Less overheads, less risk. 99% of micropubs are free of ties from big companies, and can choose what beer they serve. The pubcos are bloodsuckers – they will literally drive a licensee into the ground, then get rid of them and do it to the next poor soul who thinks they're getting a chance to run a pub.

Finally, how is your liver?

According to my doctor, three months ago, it's alright. I probably drank more when I was a landlord, and had people trying to buy me Jagerbombs and Sambucas all night. I don't do any spirits anymore. I've actually lost a bit of weight since I started this too, which is madness. Although obviously I get a lot of exercise walking between the pubs – I regularly get 15-20,000 according to my phone. Plus this country is so hilly! Have you ever been to Steep Hill in Lincoln? I swear it’s actually a mountain.

Follow Dale and Holly’s adventures on Facebook, Youtube and Instagram. Look out for a longer chat with Dale on the LeftLion Interviews Podcast later this month.

Q @TheGreatBritishPubCrawl leftlion.co.uk 17

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THE WORKING CLASS RADA

interview: Jared Wilson photo: Glen Parva

Nottingham’s Television Workshop is one the most magical things about Nottingham. Their students live and work near us all, yet barely a week goes by when one of them isn’t seen on national TV or in cinemas. The last decade has seen Workshoppers appear in Game of Thrones, The Last of Us, several Marvel and Star Wars franchises and soon the new HBO Harry Potter series. We spoke to Director Alison Rashley about the Workshop, some of the challenges they face and about their new Notts County-themed play…

First off, tell us about the new play, I Had a Wheelbarrow. What inspired it?

I wanted to do a play that encompasses all age groups and was pondering how to do that. Then on New Year's Day my husband and I decided to go and watch Notts vs Accrington. I was sat there in the Kop stand and thought, here it is! After that I kept going to all the matches with a notebook. I'd sit writing notes, getting strange glances from people. A few people might even recognise themselves if they come and see it. The play is set in the Kop and takes place over ninety minutes. You're at a game with them, but you don’t see the pitch, you witness it all from the supporters point of view.

I hear there’s quite a few big names involved…

Those on stage at the play are current students at our Workshop.

But we also filmed a load of scenes in the dug-out, which will be shown on screen during the play. For those roles I recruited several of our wonderful alumni. Michael Socha (The Cage, The Gallows Pole) plays the manager, Joe Dempsie (The Capture, Game of Thrones) plays the assistant manager, Oliver Huntingdon (Riot Women, Sherwood) plays the physio, Nick Preston (House of Gunness, Master of the Air) plays the tactics guy and Aisling Loftus (Sherwood, Mr Selfridge) plays the assistant physio. Shane Meadows filmed it all for us and Vicky McClure is the voice of the stadium announcer. All the money we raise from the play goes towards Television Workshop, so none of them asked for anything to do it, they even paid their own travel costs. We got them kitted out in Notts County tracksuits with their initials on. They gave me everything and each went home with a Notts County tracksuit top, thrilled to bits.

When people visit, you can see the initial disappointment in their faces. Here's this place that's produced Samantha Morton, Vicky McClure, Jack O'Connell and Bella Ramsey; but it’s really small...

Tell us a bit about you. How did you first get involved in acting and with the Television Workshop?

I grew up in Carlton in the 1980s and went to Frank Wheldon school. My best friend was the writer and director Julian Kemp and he got involved in the Workshop just as it was starting out. The original director Sue Nott came to see Julian and I in a school play and afterwards asked if I'd audition. I did and I joined about eight months in. I absolutely loved it. Within a year I was cast in a few TV shows like Boon, Your Mother Wouldn't Like It, Palace Hill and quite a few adverts. The money was useful, but I soon realised I didn’t like the attention. So I went off to do anything but acting. I trained as a nurse and worked in an accountancy firm. But eventually I went back to volunteer when Ian Smith was running the Workshop in the 90s. I worked as his assistant for eleven years, then went away to have my son. Then I came back to direct a few plays when Nic Harvey took over around 2015. When he left in 2021 I took the reins.

So I definitely have a very long attachment to this place.

So for those that don’t know what the Workshop is, can you explain a bit?

We’re an acting workshop for young people, based in Nottingham.

Right now we have 260 students, including our reserve groups. The youngest of those are aged seven and in our under-11’s group. Then there are 11-16 and 16-21 age groups. There’s also an over 21s group now, so our oldest students are in their late twenties. We teach every single night of the week and on Saturdays. We’re a registered charity but we have no core funding. All of our revenue comes from either donations or from funds we generate ourselves.

So how is the Workshop funded?

Originally it was set up by ITV and fully funded. But it lost all its funding after all the Central TV networks closed around 2005. Since then we’ve had to learn to survive on very little. We charge fees, but we keep them as affordable as possible; they're £45 a month at the moment, which is probably less than joining a kids football

team. We also offer young people places before we know if they can afford the fees. If they can’t, they get one of our bursary places. Those are funded by generous backers like some of our former alumni. We've also had some slightly more random ones - Kenneth Branagh paid for a few bursaries after he paid us a visit. He came in and was absolutely fascinated by the place.

Tell us about the core current team. How many of you are there?

I am the only fixed employee of the Workshop and everyone else works for us on a freelance basis. We’ve got the amazing Jayne, who does all the finance and Carly, who helps with admin. Then Alex and Karen are our tutors and do most of the teaching. We work out of a small oneroom office in the city centre. When people come and visit, you can see the initial disappointment in their faces.

Here's this place that's produced Samantha Morton, Vicky McClure, Jack O'Connell and Bella Ramsey; but it’s really small. But I'd much rather be offering the kids quality teaching than have fancy surroundings.

In July 2024, you became an Honorary Doctor of Arts from Nottingham Trent University. Tell me about that…

I thought there'd been a mistake when they first asked. But wow, how can you not accept something like that? I'm so proud I come from Nottingham and it was a lovely day; I wore a Paul Smith dress. Do I use the term Doctor regularly though? No. Am I right in thinking you were part of the team on the 2025 TV phenomenon Adolescence?

I was, yes. Warp Films in Sheffield are incredible and have been regularly involved with us, so their CEO got in touch. As it was all shot in one-take, my role on it was to get those kids ready to maintain a performance for an hour with no break. The work I did in preparation was very different and challenging, but it was a joy. I had the privilege of watching them shoot the episode in the school. I only played a small part, but it's a cracking thing to have on your CV. What’s next for you and the Workshop?

We’ll be having a Charity Ball towards the end of this year and we’re always looking for sponsors. But aside from that and this play nothing else major this year. It's already a busy job without any of the extra things we do. Longer-term my hope is to leave the Workshop in a better place than I found it. If in a few more years our funding is a little bit stabler and we’re in a slightly nicer premises, then I might feel like it’s time for someone else to take over and steer it their way.

I Had A Wheelbarrow is showing at The Nest on 15-16 June. Tickets are available from £5-8. Look out for a longer chat with Alison on the LeftLion Interviews Podcast later this month. thetelevisionworkshop.co.uk

leftlion.co.uk leftlion.co.uk 19

Alison talks through some of the Television Workshop’s best known actors and gives the lowdown on what they were like to teach…

Aisling Loftus

Amos Kitson

Bella Ramsey

Chanel Cresswell

Erin Kellyman

Felicity Jones

Jack O'Connell

Jake Dunn

Joe Dempsie

Michael Socha

Pete Dalton (aka MistaJam)

Perry Fitzpatrick

Samantha Morton

Toby Kebbell

Tom Blyth

Vicky McClure

I can remember her first audition. She would have been eight or nine and she made me laugh until I hurt. There's just something unique about her. Anyone that saw her in the one-woman play Girls and Boys at the Playhouse last year will know she’s a tour de force.

Erin was a student at the Workshop in the ten years when I wasn't there. So other than knowing the fantastic work she does and feeling very proud that it was rooted with us, I have to admit I don't know an awful lot about her. Other than how devastatingly beautiful she is.

I burst with pride when I watch him on screen. He's very quiet and unassuming and I don't think you'd ever pick him out and say he's going to be a star. But give him a script and he gives you everything, right from his gut. He's got no other way of doing it.

I'm not quite old enough to have taught Sam, but her connection with Workshop still goes on. I could talk for hours about her talent, but what I'd like people to know is how she always supports us. She’s a patron and I think she's mentioned us in every awards speech she’s ever done.

Amos is a current workshopper who is going to be in the new series of Harry Potter as Dudley Dursley. Both he and his parents are a delight. He’s going to get a lot of attention later this year but he’s got to enjoy the ride, take it in his stride, go back to school and stay normal.

Felicity was from the Birmingham Workshop, when we had an outpost there in the 90s to 00s, while I was an assistant.

She’s phenomenally talented and does beautiful, detailed work. And again, she’s just a really decent human being.

Have you seen him in The Cage? What a phenomenal performance. It was an award-winning performance. What Michael can tell you with no words, just with his eyes is incredible. He’s probably got the most expressive eyebrows in the business.

Toby played Romeo when I did Romeo and Juliet. He had a strange route to Workshop, he came to us late and taught us that we needed to let over-16s audition.

He's gone on to do stratospheric things like Fantastic Four and Planet of the Apes.

He made a cracking Romeo.

Gosh. How do you define Bella? Bella wanted to do the Notts County play but then got offered the chance to go into the castle to do The Traitors. Bella is so grounded and down to earth and wants to be an actor, but doesn’t want to be famous.

Those are my favourite type of students.

Jack is an enigma. I taught him, which was never easy but was always thoroughly entertaining. He never did as he was told, but there was a magic about him that you could hardly tame. It's no surprise he's gone on to do all the wonderful stuff he's done. He’s incredible.

He was a really good actor, but his life was always all about music. It’s lovely to see him succeed in a different creative industry. He DJed at a lot of Workshoppers birthdays and there are lots of exWorkshoppers, all now in their forties, who had him play at their 18th birthdays.

Tom wasn’t my era and I never worked with him, but he will often send in messages and comment on our social media. He’s attending big ceremonies these days, but it’s wonderful that he still does that. It's just so heartwarming and it's what makes Workshop so magical.

If you're in a room with Chanel, you'll know about it. She’s really selfdeprecating, yet gives these phenomenal performances. She’s so heartfelt and so funny. Not that many women on screen are comfortable being funny. But Chanel will always make you laugh.

Jake played the lead in a play I did in 2018.

He works really hard and turned up to that first rehearsal knowing every word of a huge monologue. I saw him play Kurt Cobain last year in the modern opera Last Days and he was phenomenal. The pain he conveyed without speaking!

Like many of our students he has a unique Midlands self-depreciating sense of humour. But then he can do Shakespeare or a role like he does in Sherwood with such detail. He's one of the great brooders on screen. He’s tremendous fun in the bar too.

She is the Queen of Nottingham and gives more to various causes in this city than anybody needs to. I taught her as a teenager, directed her in various plays and I was so happy she became a patron when I first took over because Vicky is the epitome of Workshop.

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Bittersweet Streets

words: Liz Johnson images: Julian Pinnick

Anyone who has lived in Nottingham for years will have snapshots in their mind of characters, shops and moments lost to time, but one local artist has gone a step further, memorialising fleeting scenes of Nottingham’s past in paint. Ahead of an upcoming exhibition at Broadway Gallery, Liz Johnson talks to Julian Pinnick about his creative journey and why slow art can capture a changing urban landscape.

Standing on the roadside early in the morning, camera at the ready, Julian Pinnick waits for that perfect moment when the sun hits the row of shops on the high street. He knows exactly what he’s looking for, as suddenly the whole street illuminates and comes to life.

“Just as I was standing there, the window cleaner turned up,” he says. “And then this guy with an orange jacket was sweeping, and it all came together in that moment.”

Now this isn’t just any street, but our very own Broad Street in Nottingham and this painting is called Broad Street Shuffle.

Julian is an artist who uses oil paints and coloured pencils to immortalise Nottingham’s streets. He has spent at least the last twelve years finding character and personality within the city’s walls and presenting scenes of familiarity and quiet drama within urban life. He studied Fine Art at De Montfort University in Leicester, where he learnt that “everything is disposable” and “to be less precious about what you’re producing”. That freedom gave him the space to grow and experiment as an artist. His work is now part of private and public collections, and in 2014, Julian was shortlisted for the A&I Artist of the Year award.

When he goes out on the search for something to paint, he

22 leftlion.co.uk

doesn’t always know what he’s looking for. Walking through the city, something catches his eye, and he just knows he wants to capture it. He is particularly “drawn to buildings that are a bit worse for wear” as they hold more character.

He says “you want to capture something that’s living, in that semi-state of decay”. The peeling paint, the graffiti – those details that we often overlook are a key part of the story.

work, as their history is slowly wiped off the map.

A lot of these independent shops are disappearing. They’re just blank shop fronts now. The character of the high street is disappearing, and I think that’s something that’s worth recording

But it’s not as simple as just painting what’s in front of him: “I don’t generally do the sort of painting where you go out with an easel and capture something there,” he says. “My work is a composition in the studio, which, in a way, is more traditional.”

There’s something bittersweet about Julian’s paintings, as they emanate a sense of nostalgia. Many of these stores, that are bursting with this character, don’t exist anymore.

They are being replaced with big brands and chains that suck the colour out of our once ever-so-vibrant streets.

Even people who used to work at these stores have expressed their excitement at being remembered in his

“A lot of these independent shops are disappearing.” he says. “The painting I did of Forest Road, I don’t think there’s any of those shops left.”

“They’re just blank shop fronts now. The character of the high street is disappearing, and I think that’s something that’s worth recording.”

When looking at Broad Street Shuffle, he says he brings different perspectives together. “You can’t stand and look at this scene as it is. I made it up, standing in front of each section, taking the photograph looking straight on. Then I piece them all together on the canvas.”

The window cleaner, the bin man, the window-shoppers, they all slot into his snapshot of life on Broad Street.

But, in his painting called Ever Present Past, displaying the shops on Forest Road, the perspectives go even deeper.

“I didn’t realise because I’d gathered these images over

a period of time – it’s spring reflected in this [top] window, but autumn reflected in this [bottom] window. That sort of brings another dimension, it’s the passage of time”. Two seasons sit side by side in the same image.

That’s how long Julian looks at these buildings, soaking in their personality, and also why he calls his work “slow art”.

“We are used to being bombarded with, not thousands, but millions of images continually. So people tend not to look at anything. The attention span is getting smaller and smaller and smaller. When you do art, when you look at a subject, you look at it for hours, sometimes weeks. So you get time to develop the idea and really find the meaning of the subject. And you hope that other people, when they look at it, they’re going to spend at least more than a few seconds looking at it, and then they will find other things within it.”

I don’t guide where the story is. I want the viewer to find a story in the scene Each of Julian’s pieces tells a story, but he says, “I don’t guide where the story is. I want the viewer to find a story in the scene. Rather than write a narrative myself, I let the viewer imagine what’s going on”. He encourages people to take those few extra seconds to truly see the depth of what’s in front of them.

And now people have the opportunity to do just that.

Julian is holding his first solo exhibition in a decade, where he will present the scenes he has found across Nottingham over the years.

Held at Broadway Gallery, the exhibition represents the end of a chapter for Julian, who is planning to leave Nottingham and move to Scarborough by the end of the year, where there is a whole new urban adventure for him to explore.

But he wants this exhibition to have an impact and be thought-provoking for visitors. He hopes that “seeing these places that are disappearing, makes people think that independent businesses are worth supporting”.

Through his work, he wants to encourage people “to keep them going and keep character to the High Street”.

Check out Street View – An Exhibition of Paintings by Julian Pinnick at Broadway Gallery from 16 - 21 June. julianpinnick.co.uk

leftlion.co.uk 23

interview: Jared Wilson photo: Glen Parva

The Magpies' Nest In 2024 Notts County FC turned an old metal fabricators warehouse next to their stadium into a state-of-the-art live events venue. Thus The Nest was born and has since led a double life as a football fanzone and as a major player in Nottingham’s live music and events scene. We spoke to their events manager Sam Heaton about those last two years and their big plans for the future…

Firstly, tell us a bit about yourself…

I'm Notts born and raised and I grew up going to gigs across the city. I've spent most of my life around music. I joined my first band when I was fourteen, booked my first UK tour at seventeen and that's grown into a career around managing venues. It's lovely to now be in a position where I help shape part of Nottingham's live scene myself. At the core of it all, I just really love bringing people together around culture, music, and shared experiences.

What venues did you work at before The Nest?

I've been lucky to work at Rough Trade, Rescue Rooms, Motorpoint Arena Nottingham and Saltbox. Each venue taught me something different. Rough Trade was incredibly artist-focused and community-led, Saltbox was about clever programming and business development, and Rescue Rooms showed me the scale and logistics behind major live entertainment and festivals. Collectively, I've now worked across more than 4000 events ranging from grassroots gigs to large-scale productions.

Tell us a bit about The Nest. I believe it’s celebrating its second birthday this month?

It’s Nottingham's newest large-scale live events venue; a 1370-capacity modular warehouse space neighbouring Meadow Lane Stadium. It originally launched the night before Euro 2024 as a huge football fan zone, but very quickly Notts County realised the potential was much bigger than just sport. Since then it's evolved into hosting everything from concerts and club nights to food festivals, markets, esports, comedy and corporate events.

The venue is unique because it blends this stripped-back industrial warehouse aesthetic with high-end production.

We've got the city's largest indoor screen, a concert-grade sound and lighting system, a large stage, mezzanine viewing areas, a huge courtyard and multiple bars and street food options. So it can completely transform depending on what each event needs.

How much did you know about football before you came into this role?

I knew enough to appreciate the scale and history of Notts County, but I came from the music and events world more than from football. What's been amazing though is discovering how passionate and community-driven the club

really is. There's a huge amount of pride around the club and I'm really chuffed to be part of such a great team!

Have you become a Notts fan since you took on this job?

Definitely. It's impossible not to when you're immersed in the environment every day. Football clubs are one of the few places left where entire communities still gather regularly in person across generations. You start by working with the club professionally, but then you experience the fanbase, the atmosphere, the history and the emotional investment people have in it. Matchdays are infectious!

What's The Nest like on a Notts County matchday?

Busy, vibrant and full of energy. Before games it becomes this huge social hub with DJs, food traders, big-screen sport, drinks and fans gathering hours before kick-off.

Then after matches it usually carries on as a post-game destination rather than everyone immediately disappearing home. There's also a really interesting crossover now between football culture and live entertainment culture.

The Nest sits right in the middle of that – we’ll open up for fans before kick-off, then do our event setups while the match is on to get the place ready for a big live event or club night. It’s quite an impressive operation.

There's a really interesting crossover now between football culture and live entertainment. The Nest sits right in the middle of that You've had lots of non-football events at The Nest too. Any highlights from those?

One of my favourite things about The Nest is how wildly different the crowds can be from event to event. Road To Nashville, Groovebox, Mayhem Rock Festival, Big City Boxing, EmoFest, K-Pop and the Big Indie Tribute Festival; they all feel like standouts in different ways. Our large football screenings have had unbelievable atmospheres too, especially England tournaments. We're very excited about the upcoming World Cup!

If you expand events out of the Nest and into the stadium, you have the capacity to become one of the biggest venues in the midlands. Any examples of that likely in the near future?

That scalability is one of the most exciting long-term aspects of my role here. The Nest itself operates at a capacity of 1370 people, but because it sits within the wider Meadow Lane footprint we have the potential to expand into bigger outdoor concerts and city-scale entertainment experiences. I can't say much due to NDAs, but I'm currently working on several huge 26k+ live concert offers.

It's a very exciting time and would have unbelievable knockon benefits to the whole city if we can get the agreements over the line. Back in the late 1960s Fleetwood Mac and Pink Floyd played Meadow Lane and we'd love to be able to get acts of their scale here again.

You’re also in a band yourself, Eyre Llew. Want to tell us a bit about that?

Yes. We are a Notts-born ambient rock band and have been touring internationally since 2017. We've played in twenty+ countries and at festivals around Europe and Asia including Glastonbury, selling out shows in places like South Korea, Japan and Taiwan. This September we're releasing an album Bloom, and funnily enough our launch show is at The Nest, which will be our biggest headline show to date.

Being both an artist and venue operator gives me a unique perspective on programming. I get how important it is for artists to feel looked after whilst understanding the stresses and commercial viability needs. Everyone needs to work harmoniously with each other.

What are your plans for The Nest during the World Cup 2026 tournament?

Euro 2024 showed us the scale of appetite for large communal football experiences, so the World Cup is something we're planning very heavily around. Expect massive screenings, fan zones, DJs, street food, fancams, podcast hosts, themed decorations, very special guests and hopefully some genuinely unforgettable nights of football.

If you’re interested in either attending or booking a show at The Nest, visit their website. nestnotts.co.uk leftlion.co.uk 25

Out of time: the colourful history of wrestling in Sneinton Wrestling matches at what’s now the Victoria Leisure Centre on Gedling Street happened recently enough to be a childhood memory for some, but for others, it’s an almost forgotten occurrence. Here’s the colourful and chaotic history…

The first baths and wash houses were constructed on Gedling Street by local building firm Dennett, and opened around 1850. Following a somewhat morbid chapter when it served as a morgue during the Spanish Flu Pandemic, fighting matches began at the baths, with boxing appearing to be staged at the site from at least 1922, before the switch to all-in wrestling in 1930. That could have happened because all-in wrestling was first introduced to England in autumn of that year.

‘All-in’ refers to the amalgamation of then-popular styles like Judo, Catch wrestling, and Graeco-Roman. The idea was to make this new form as entertaining as possible for spectators. By 1938, the BBC had broadcast the first-ever match, despite the station being so new that only a few Londoners could access it.

Wrestlers were encouraged to be flamboyant to draw crowds. In Notts this included one mystery wrestler dubbed ‘The Purple Mask’ who wore a ‘close-fitting shield of that colour’ for one match in 1937. Another was listed as ‘The Ghoul’ – he apparently stood over seven feet tall and weighed 25 stone.

One of the more bizarre matches appears to have taken place in November 1938 between a wrestler called The (French) Angel and a German opponent called Carl Reginsky. Successful wrestler and promoter Karl Pojello discovered The Angel, otherwise known as Maurice Tillet, and brought him to Britain in the late 1930s, where he fought 84 matches.

The Angel drew huge crowds to the Victoria Baths, which were then managed by Superintendent Frederick Fletcher.

This may be due to his promoter, Atholl Oakeley, who would exploit the fact that Maurice was diagnosed with acromegaly, a rare disorder that causes excessive growth hormone production. He frequently told newspapers that women fainted when he would walk into the ring. The press invented stories of Maurice that he couldn’t read or speak, but he was more frequently described in person as a thoughtful, kind and generous man. Despite this, the advert for the fight cruelly claimed he was ‘half man, half ape.’

It was an interesting choice to place him in a match with a German wrestler. Tensions were rising in Europe, due to the actions of Hitler. Reginsky played on people’s hatred of the Nazi party by bringing salutes and goose-stepping to his performances. Through the 1930s, he increased in strength and skill while developing his German image amid a rising threat of war. The fight was a chance for him to defend his European Heavyweight title.

The match began with Reginsky firing off a Nazi salute.

Interestingly, this wasn’t the first time something like this had happened in Nottingham, as just two years previously, the County Hotel had welcomed the German police boxing team by flying a Nazi flag. Also, Reginsky was well known locally after his earlier fights saw him arrive at the Baths with a dressing gown that featured a swastika. Crowds had booed him loudly. The salute had the desired effect on huge crowds. The Baths were so packed that many were turned away at the door.

One mystery wrestler dubbed ‘The Purple Mask’ wore a ‘close-fitting shield of that colour’ for one match in 1937. Another was listed as ‘The Ghoul’ – he apparently stood over seven feet tall and weighed 25 stone Journalists were quick to note that, despite previous reports about The Angel, no one fainted, although two people walked out. “The Angel, a Russian, had only one objective, that of crushing Reginsky with bear hugs and falling upon the German. He simply flattened him out to secure a fall inside three minutes,” reports read. He then picked up Reginsky and threw him into the crowd. They added that the referee had to spend time assisting Reginsky against his opponent by separating the two, then disqualifying the Angel. It’s here that Reginsky seized a chance to attack the Angel, causing “uproar” and some people to “flee for safety”.

He then attacked the next opponent and challenged him to a fight. The uproar prompted complaints from those at

words: CJ De Barra illustration: Isobelle Farrar

the fight who wanted to know how the Bath committee had allowed such scenes in a corporation building.

There were also protests against mud wrestling, which was introduced at the same time. The mud, a mixture of ‘glutinous ’ heavy clay and used sump oil, was added to the ring with buckets and spades, while newspapers were handed out to those in the front row to protect their clothing. Two fighters and a referee “floundered like eels into the ring” to start the match. The interlude, staged as a joke, lasted ten minutes but prompted days of protest.

The combination of all-in and mud wrestling prompted the police to object to the lease's renewal in 1938, describing it as “disgusting”. Mud wrestling had already been banned in London and Manchester. There have been no further reports of mud wrestling at the venue since the protests.

The Angel and Reginsky appeared again at the baths in 1939, though they did not fight.

Wrestling at the venue continued into the 1960s, with many remembering their trips to see different fights. Some recalled the audience on their feet, shaking their canes, shouting abuse and egging on the fighters – and that was just the grandmothers.

The wrestling didn’t even stop when renovation took place in the 1970s. The brochure for renovation states that: “The old Victoria Baths had a long history of indoor recreation apart from swimming, and at one time it was the custom to lay a floor over the Oval Pool and the Exhibition Pool for six months out of every year”. This was usually used for indoor bowls and badminton. By 1973, it had a serious leak, so it was closed before being converted into a sports hall with squash courts and a cafe. Wrestling continued at the venue into the 1980s.

It’s unclear when the wrestling stopped at the leisure centre, but it continues in other Nottinghamshire venues to this day, including at House of Pain, which is based in Colwick.

Illustrations @tacosfever3000

DRAWN THROUGH TIME

FREE

EXHIBITION In partnership with

Penny McCarthy, Titian, and Other Time Travellers

A collection of artists explores the past, present and future through drawing.

Saturday 9 May – Sunday 26 July Djanogly Gallery, Lakeside Arts Open Tuesday to Saturday, 10am-4pm Sunday, 12noon-4pm

lakesidearts.org.uk/DrawnThroughTime Image made from details of: How I wanted to be that sky – to hold every flying and falling at once, 2021

by Penny McCarthy and The submersion of Pharaoh’s Army in the Red Sea, c. 1549 by Titian

Part of the University of Nottingham

NOTTS SHOTS Want to have your work feature d in Notts Shots?

Send your high-res photos from around the city (including your full name and bes t web link) to photography@leftlion.co.uk or tag #nottsshots on Instagram.

Peeping Pigeon

otography

by Jack Muskin @jack.muskin_ph

28 leftlion.co.uk

Forager's Friend

by Sophie Gargett

Life Insurance

by Matthew Gawrons ki @magawrons

ki

Driving Miss Dai

sy

by Harvey Tomlin

son

A Dog's World

by Dani Bacon @danijuliette_

The Lion Kin

by Amy Hum p

Magic Moors

g

hreys @itsdis

posablefilm

by Lauren Freestone leftlion.co.uk 29

FOOD

plling S

words: Lucy Campion photos: Natasha Miller

Tea...

The

Serving tea, cake and scones, White Rabbit Teahouse is a quintessential British tearoom, providing a peaceful setting among the noise and crowds of the city centre. Behind the scenes, owner Frances Russell has weathered many storms to keep the business alive.

Food co-editor Lucy Campion sat down with Frances to talk about the evolution of her teahouse, how the hospitality landscape has changed and what the future holds.

Tucked away down the warren-like passageway that is Bridlesmith Walk, White Rabbit is immediately recognisable from its vintage, rabbit-themed interior. Founder Frances Russell opened the business at just 23, originally on Hounds Gate. “I think being really young was key – you have to be a bit stupid and naive to do something like that.

It wouldn’t be possible now, not with the level of competition and expectations.”

Those early days were intimate and, at times, improvised. “It felt like I was running things from my living room – it looked like that too! There was a big sofa, only a few tables and I lived in a flat above.

I was learning as I went because I had no experience before opening.”

The idea of White Rabbit Teahouse was around some time before the business began. “I planned to open a café after university, but life took over and I ended up in London. I worked at Ralph Lauren and realised it wasn’t for me. Opening a café in London felt daunting so I moved back to Nottingham.”

Now is the time to support local independents – not a chain that looks like one. We need your support more than ever Almost twenty years later and things have changed in many ways. “People’s expectations have shifted.

It sometimes seems like people come for afternoon tea and compare us to the one time they went to the Ritz. As a society, I think we’ve become quite critical.”

In spite of this, Frances is proud of the consistent service she has maintained. “I like to think we’ve kept a good level of service, which can be hard to find these days. I’m nearly always there, so I’m often the person serving. I think that’s how we’ve kept our regulars.”

Two of those regulars have even been coming since opening day. “We had a couple who were my first customers through the door. They stayed with us all these years. For the older generation, who have seen the city change so much, they like that we’ve stayed the same and value the personal touch.”

That sense of familiarity is also why people feel comfortable visiting alone. “Women often come on their own,” Frances says. “People feel safe. Local cafés and independents are crucial, they’re places where people meet, talk, and connect. We must fight for them.”

But running an independent business in 2026 comes with challenges. “It’s become increasingly difficult to find a good team and keep up with changes in wages and policies. Business rates have gone up.

Even if you have a full café, you can be operating at a loss. Hospitality just isn’t working anymore.”

“I do love it though,” she adds. “I’ve been running White Rabbit for so long, I don’t know who I am without it. There isn’t really a plan B. I want to stay small and unique and deliver good service. No ambition for more sites, just keep going.”

30 leftlion.co.uk

One thing that has grown is their afternoon tea offering, which is among the city’s best. At £32.50 per person (with optional Prosecco upgrade), it’s a generous spread: finger sandwiches, bitesize quiche, mini cakes, scones with jam and cream, and unlimited tea or cafetiere. “We make everything from scratch. We put a huge amount into our afternoon teas.”

They even offer an afternoon tea for one – a Nottingham first, and perfect companion for a slow afternoon with a good book. This year, Frances is also launching a Gentleman’s Tea for Father’s Day. “Everything is savoury. Mini pork pies, scotch eggs, sausage rolls, roast beef sandwiches, cheese scones, proper builders’ tea and local craft ales. If it does well, we might keep it.”

The initial rise in popularity of afternoon tea was unexpected. “We didn’t even do afternoon tea for the first ten years!” Frances laughs. “Then we heard there was this new thing going on and thought ‘let’s give it a go.’ We didn’t do anything special over Mother’s Day weekend before that, now we plan for months.”

Some of the teahouse’s most memorable moments have come from surprise crowds, like the recent Ice Hockey Championships at Motorpoint Arena. “It was mad, we had international teams booking afternoon tea for twenty.” The thought of burly hockey players sipping from china teacups is amusing, but also a reminder of the universal appeal of any meal that promises sandwiches and cake on the same plate.

While White Rabbit’s food menu has changed with time, many staples have stayed the same due to their popularity. “We’ve made our quiche since the beginning, and scones have always been on the menu. Sometimes people just love the simplicity of an egg mayonnaise and cress sandwich.”

But the biggest challenge remains the rising costs of running a business. “It’s staggering how quickly things rise now. It’s really hard to forecast prices. I hate putting our prices up. I worry about it, put it off, and then when I finally do it, I haven’t increased them enough because costs have risen again.”

When I ask Frances about the future, her answer is clear. “Keep things going, keep White Rabbit alive. That’s the goal for many independents at the moment. Stay small and run the business well.”

Before we finish, I ask for a tea recommendation.

She doesn’t hesitate: “Blue Lady. It’s like an English Breakfast mixed with a lemony Earl Grey, with tiny blue flowers in it. I ordered it because it looked nice, and now people come in just for a cup.”

Her parting message is urgent and undoubtedly echoed by independent business owners across the city. “Now is the time to support local independents – not a chain that looks like one, real independents.

We’ve kept going through recessions, through COVID, through everything, but now is the hardest time. If people don’t visit, places will close. We use local suppliers, we make everything ourselves and we offer something unique. We need your support more than ever.”

Visit White Rabbit Teahouse at 3 Bridlesmith Walk, Nottingham NG1 2HB.

Q @white_rabbit_teahouse

STARRING

CARRIE HOPE FLETCHER AS JENNA

WITH

MON 10 - SAT 15 AUG TRCH.CO.UK

ROYAL CONCERT HALL, NOTTINGHAM

LES DENNIS AS OLD JOE

FOOD

DINE HARD

words: Tia Capper photo: Red Francisco

Nottingham Restaurant Week is back this month; for not one but two weeks (running Mon 1 - Sat 14 June).

It’s a celebration of local food outlets with plenty of excellent deals, ranging from £10-£30, at restaurants across the city centre to entice you to try somewhere new. This year over 65 different venues are involved ranging from independent gems to big-name favourites. Here’s everything you need to know…

This fortnight-long event is facilitated by It’s In Nottingham – the city’s business improvement district. On offer there will be three-course meals for £25, lunchtime deals that beat your usual sandwich, and the chance to try somewhere new without stretching your wallet. Exclusively for the fortnight you’ll find deals priced at £30, £25, £20, £15 and £10.

To view menus, see a full list of who’s taking part and book your table download the free It’s in Nottingham app (on Apple and Android). There will be plenty to enjoy, from veggie delights, savoury cuisines and menus for the sweet-toothed, plus lots of global foods as well. Whether you’re peckish for overloaded pancakes at The Pudding Pantry, fancy a £10 burger and drink under the neon-lit backdrop of Penny Lane or fancy two courses of savoury satisfaction from the Queen of Hockley, there’s something to please everyone.

Beyond that you could head to The Magic Garden to indulge in two tapas and a soft drink for £15, or go to Nottingham’s newest Irish bar, The Shamrock Social, for two courses of English and Irish comforting classics. There’s more to explore at the New York-inspired dive bar, The Blind Rabbit – for only £10 you can purchase a premium burger and a drink. But these are just a handful of many to explore.

great look at hidden gems around the city, for just £40. Join the Vegetarian Vibes tour for prize-winning burgers, vegan sushi, Mediterranean platters and hearty pub grub, whilst exploring the best plant-based dining Nottingham has to offer. Or, for a weekend of exciting breakfast alternatives, join the Brunch Crawl for Asian flavours and American favourites that will have you indulging in both the sweet and the spicy.

Delve into veggie delights, flavours from around the world, savoury cuisines and mouth-watering menus for the sweet-toothed For a chance to win a £100 Nottingham Gift Card that can be spent in local shops, restaurants and bars, simply post your plate on the socials and tag both where you ate and @itsinnottingham, to be entered into the prize draw. You can also fill in a feedback form on the website, to give your honest opinion of your most loved and least favourite dishes through the weeks, for another chance to win a cash prize.

Nottingham Restaurant Week runs from Monday 1 June to Sunday 14 June at 65+ venues.

There’s also the opportunity to book into Hidden Food Tours, which run over six days during the fortnight. These provide a

FROM THE KITCHEN

with Chester Chamberlain Chef at Fothergills When did you first know you wanted to make food for a living?

When I was seventeen, at college. I started working in a kitchen as a trainee chef, and loved the fast pace, creativity, and teamwork.

What person has been the biggest influence on your cooking and why?

My current head chef, Piotr. I’ve learned so much from him, like cooking steaks, preparing salads and making brines and pickles. He’s an incredibly skilled chef and a patient teacher.

Describe your venue in three words?

Modern, vibrant, welcoming.

What’s the best-selling item on your current menu and why?

The classic favourites like steak and ale pie and haddock and chips. Premium dishes like our bacon tomahawk, aged ribeye steak, and plant based options like the curried cauliflower pie with dhal are also popular.

What’s your personal favourite item on your current menu and why?

Our Sunday roasts. I love preparing everything from scratch, from the bone marrow gravy and roast meats to our handmade apricot and cashew nut roasts for vegetarians.

What/where was the best meal you have ever cooked?

It was for one the Fothergills beer pairing evenings with Neon Raptor. I had the opportunity to create the full-five course menu, which was inspired by street food flavours. It was incredibly rewarding to see everything come together successfully.

Other than your own place, where do you eat out most in Notts?

Places like Sneinton Market, and The Garage, Chilwell.

Who are your five ideal dinner party guests alive or dead? And what’s on the menu?

My grandad, Mikael Åkerfeldt from the band Opeth, Tom Hardy, George Lucas, and my partner Emily. I’d serve a classic beef Wellington and finish with a selection of local cheeses.

32 leftlion.co.uk

Head to Fothergills at 5-7 Castle Rd, NG1 6AA. They will be taking part in Nottingham Restaurant Week offering their three course set menu for £30 from Monday to Friday. fothergillsnottingham.com

itsinnottingham.com

LIFE BEHIND BARS

with Sofia Kellas, Taproom Assistant at Neon Raptor Tell us something interesting about your pub/ bar…

Monday to Friday it’s a full on working brewery unit and Thursday through to Sunday, we are a taproom serving all drinks that are made in-house. You cannot get more local than our place.

What's the best thing about your job?

Getting to try the brewers’ experiments with beer, and definitely all the customers I get to chat with. And all the regulars are incredible people.

What's the worst?

Probably the fact that some beers just don’t get brewed again, like my all time favourite: Stomping Ground. It was a collaboration we did with Amity. Lovely while it lasted.

What's your best selling drink?

Definitely varies depending on the time of year, but right now it’s Naughty Luggage: a 6.8% NEIPA What's your most expensive drink?

Centaur Army, a 12% imperial stout. £6 for 1/3 which ain’t too bad for the high ABV. Describe your bar or pub in three words?

Creative, community, and innovative.

Who's the most famous person you've had drinking in your place?

Adam Richman: Man v. Food. He was across the road at Working Man’s Kitchen (shout out to Paddy) filming, and we persuaded him to try some of our beer.

What's the best thing a customer has ever said to you?

“I want something more local… like Madri.”

How would you persuade someone who's never visited your bar to entice them in?

The beers are always changing, with new bold flavours to try. You’re always spoilt for choice and there is something for everyone. And there’s pizza across the way, with a big beer garden. What more could you ask for?

Find Neon Raptor Brewing Co at Unit 14 Avenue A, Sneinton Market, NG1 1DT. They will also be pouring at Nottingham Craft Beer Festival on 19-20 June. @neonraptortap

Every Thursday & Friday Midday-2.30pm & before 5.45pm snack & 2 plates £25 (add a dessert for £7) Head to our website to book www.piccalillinottingham.co.uk info@piccalillinottingham.co.uk Piccalilli 1A Cannon Court Long Row West NG1 6JE 0115 648 6498

15% off Mon - Fri

tear me out and bring me with you!

Our menus

valid until 24 th July 2026 not available with any other offer.

Trinity Square | Beeston | Sherwood

art

artworks words & images: Mallika Fraser

Pulling strings words: Freya Peters photo: Mike B Designs

This summer will mark the fourth year of Nottingham Puppet Festival, and if you're yet to experience it, then you’re guaranteed a very memorable time.

For this month’s Art Works we heard from Notts-based Thai artist Mallika Fraser, whose work is currently being shown in the New Art Exchange Open Exhibition.

This piece is called The Chilling Chillies which came process of cooking therapeutic as making art. about while I was making crushed chillies for sunI have a piece of work in the NAE Open 2026 dried chillies – lots of red chillies chilling on the called Garuda of Fire, which is a fictitious tray under the British summer sun!

Sriracha sauce brand that I came up with. The My process for creating work can vary but work recasts the Garuda, a mythological bird generally I jot down any ideas when they come to from Asian folklore, as the fiery spirit of Sriracha me in small sketchbooks, or scraps of paper which hot sauce. It merges traditional Southeast Asian I collect together. I then marinate these ideas to iconography with pop art aesthetics, celebrating see which of them rise to the surface and have the the heat (literally and figuratively) that immigrant potential to develop further. I usually get started foods bring to new places. with initial sketches by hand, and then scan these to start working on the colours and details on the ipad. I love mixing traditional illustration with something graphic-y, either through collage or layering to create interesting textures or patterns.

I grew up surrounded by amazing cooks. My Grandma was always in the kitchen making curry paste from scratch I was born in Bangkok, Thailand and moved to the UK in 2019. I lived in Lincoln first and travelled to many places in the UK. I visited Nottingham quite a few times and really liked the place – the art scene, restaurants and events throughout the year.

I decided to move to Nottingham with my husband in 2024. I studied animation at university and since graduating I have worked as a graphic designer, UI designer, and art director while also working on my own projects.

I do art fairs throughout the year and will have new prints coming out later this year, so check I like to research a wide range of styles and out my Instagram. It’s really nice to meet people disciplines. There are many artists who inspire and hear what they connect with in my artwork. I me but just to name a few; Yayoi Kusama, David also have an online shop selling some of my prints: Hockney, and Grayson Perry. mallika.gallery.

Since I was young, I have enjoyed creating silly I’m really thankful for all the support I have doodles and portraits and my recent works have received locally and I am so happy to call focused on the topics that I love, one of which is Nottingham home. food. I grew up surrounded by amazing cooks. My Grandma was always in the kitchen making curry Head to the Open Exhibition at New Art Exchange paste from scratch and my mother cooked simple until 12 September to see Mallika’s work. dishes with just two or three ingredients. I started cooking more since moving to the UK – I find the Q @mallika.illustration

34 leftlion.co.uk

Between Saturday 27 June and Sunday 5 July streets, local libraries, community centres, cinemas, and theatres will come to life with puppets of all shapes and sizes for the Nottingham Puppet Festival. The event is an Arts Council England and Its In Nottingham funded partnership with the Royal Concert Hall and City Arts.

“When we ask ourselves, ‘why puppets?’” says Alison Denholm, Festival Director, “We keep coming back to the answer: puppets are good at telling stories about what it is like to be human.

We hope this festival brings joy, magic, and wonder into our everyday lives, for children and adults alike.”

Puppets are good at telling stories about what it is like to be human If you like the idea of marvelling at puppets via a weekend walk through the city, we recommend the City Centre Day, on Saturday 27 June. From 10.30am to 5pm, a trail of free performances and walkabout will stretch from Nottingham Central Library and Listergate, through Albert Street, and up to the Market Square.

The day will feature a leaping giant Mountain Hare, Kantaben the Roller Bird and kinetic statues like the four-metre-tall Worker Bee, along with recurring puppet shows throughout the day. Not half bad as a spectacle, we think.

As well as that, throughout the festival, a menagerie

of puppets will hit some of the city's favourite stages. At the Theatre Royal, there will be family friendly performances like The Enormous Crocodile

by Roald Dahl, and the sustainability-focused Robin Hood and his Animal Friends. Meanwhile, the Lakeside Arts team host Fly Away Katie, best suited for children and young people aged between seven to nine, while partnering with Bamboozle Theatre and the University of Nottingham to deliver a lineup of inclusive programming for kids with profound and multiple learning disabilities on Sunday 5 July.

There’ll be lots of opportunities for adults to get stuck into the fun too, with the awardwinning Scottish Falsetto Sock Puppets at the Royal Concert Hall, and the Blind Summit Theatre’s comical yet tender take on contemporary sex, The Sex Lives of Puppets.

Alternatively, for those who want to take a deeper dive into the industry, Broadway Cinema is hosting a programme of workshops and screenings featuring the stop motion animator Richard Pickersgill, and at Nottingham Trent’s Waverley Studio, Lucasfilm’s Martin Rezard will lead a masterclass in film puppetry.

We’re very excited about this one. It’s got some lovely local creatives who care a lot about the arts and culture involved, while attracting some hugely skilled artists and makers to the city. Thanks to our friends at It's In Nottingham for supporting this day!

Head to the website for more information. nottinghampuppetfestival.co.uk

S PEC TACU L A R IMMER S IV E E XPERIEN CE S “IT’S A “IMMERSIVE IN “AN ALTOGETHER SENSORY THE TRUEST SENSE BEAUTIFUL OVERLOAD” OF THE WORD” EXPERIENCE” THE HERALD

WIRRAL GLOBE

ELEMENTARY WHAT’S ON

“THE SHEER SCALE IS EXTRAORDINARY” GOOD NEWS LIVERPOOL

M OTO R PO I NT A R E N A | NOT TINGHAM

FROM 18 JULY 2026 TWO INDIVIDUAL EVENTS

BOOK NOW: beyondvangogh.co.uk @beyondvangoghuk | @beyondmonetuk

literature

BIG CITY READS Big City Reads is a free book giveaway campaign run by Nottingham UNESCO City of Literature to encourage reading for pleasure among young people in Notts. Returning for its fourth year, they’ll be giving away 2250 books this summer. Here, members of Nottingham City of Literature’s Youth Selection Panel have reviewed some of their favourites from the shortlist.

Arcana: The Lost Heirs by Sam Prentice-Jones Sam Prentice-Jones’ first novel in the Arcana series combines heartwarming queer slice-of-life with the cutthroat power struggles of a secretive magical society, blending wit with simmering tension. “I was sent here to investigate that farmhouse – I never expected to find a rogue witch.” Barista Eli Jones’ blossoming relationship with enigmatic customer James Birdwhistle is captivating, as they scramble to hide the existence of magic… from each other. Prentice-Jones’ depiction of LGBTQ+ experiences is grounded, with sensitive themes handled cautiously. Featuring vibrant artwork that feels like it’s straight from a coming-of-age movie, readers will be left with a sense of catharsis and anticipation for book two..

Charlotte Chapman-Deas

Malcolm Kid and the Perfect Song by Austin Paramore This coming-of-age graphic novel follows a young, and in many ways typical, boy who purchases a keyboard haunted by an old jazz musician that can only be freed by playing the perfect song. The plot itself is quite simple, but the book makes up for it with its bold art drawn by the wonderful artist Sarah Bollinger and jokes. Even though the book is only around 250 pages, you’re still able to be immersed in the setting and relate with the characters.

It’s light-hearted and fun, and I would recommend it to anyone looking to relax with something short and sweet.

Tia Okungbowa

Better the Devil by Erik J. Brown “His brown eyes stare into the distance. Oh God. There’s so much blood on the floor” – this is only the beginning to many thrilling moments in Erik J Brown’s new YA novel. Ever since the disguised ‘Nate Beaumont’ moved in with his new family, hoping for a safe haven from parents who wouldn’t accept a Queer son, he could sense something was wrong.

Unfortunately, this new home is anything but safe. If you love a good thriller and solving murder mysteries, this is for you! If like me, you're a wimp, be warned – it gets gory. Be prepared to bite down on your duvet cover when stepping into this traumatic plot.

Chloe Pratt KickFlip Vol. 1. by L. D. Lapinski Illustrated by Logan Hanning NTU Creative Writing graduate L.D. Lapinski’s debut graphic novel explores nonbinary teen Elliot’s struggle to reconcile conflicting identities; seen as a girl at school and mistaken for a boy on their skateboarding team. Hanning’s expressive art style captures Elliot’s mounting pressure of secrecy and the toll it takes on their friendships. Kickflip is a heartfelt story of teenage angst and self-acceptance that will resonate with LGBTQ+ youth, while also reflecting wider truths about adolescence. Elliot’s admission, “It’s like I don’t fit in anywhere,” echoes the confusion and fear of any young person trying to understand where they belong. The book is sincere and emotional, with humorous moments.

Holly Jessica Taylor Sachdeva Keep an eye out for Big City Reads between 29 June - 12 August and get your free book. nottinghamcityofliterature.com

36 leftlion.co.uk

interview: Katherine Monk-Watts photo: CJ De Barra

Queer in the 90s Journalist, author, historian, and LeftLion history editor CJ De Barra takes us back to Nottingham’s resilient queer scene from the 90s all the way through to surviving 2020, in their second archival history book Queer Nottingham.

With a whopping 198 interviews under your belt, you’ve become a curator of three decades of secret stories! Was there a particular myth or rumour about Nottingham’s hidden Queer past that you finally managed to verify (or debunk) through your research?

One of the things I am most proud of is being able to show that Nottingham has a far more diverse scene than people realised. It's been so lovely to uncover a lot of trans history and women's history, and to talk to communities that are part of the LGBTQ+ community – actually uncovering something of those histories, and how different people and parts of the community interact with the spaces. Nothing is new. It all goes back decades, and it's been nice to find stories about trans life going back to the 1770s. It debunks the myth that a lot of this is like ‘very modern stuff’, when it actually isn't.

it's been nice to find stories about trans life going back to the 1770s. It debunks the myth that a lot of this is 'very modern stuff’, when it actually isn't A lot of these stories come from a time when living authentically Queer meant living in the shadows. How did you build trust with interviewees to get them to share these deeply personal (and sometimes painful) memories?

I've approached this very carefully, and one of the ways in which people have trusted me is because I am of the community myself. I am a Queer nonbinary lesbian doing these interviews with other people whom I share parts of my life. I think that matters when you're talking to other people within the LGBTQ+ community, because they don't have to go through lengthy explanations of what things Your first volume (1960-1990) ended at the height of Section 28 and the AIDS crisis. Coming into this new volume, did you find the community’s activism

shift once some of those legal battles were won, or did the austerity years of the 2010s bring back a familiar kind of 80s-style resistance?

When you get into the '90s, you have the continuation of activism in a similar style to the 1980s. Things like the ‘kissin’ at Hyson Green supermarket – two lesbians were kicked out for kissing in the supermarket – then OutRage!, an activist group, organised a protest where lots of LGBT people went in, and you all had to kiss somebody of the same sex when they sounded a whistle. There were lots of these very visible protests, but there's also a lot of tiredness I think that starts to come in around the 90s. I was unprepared for how much violence, homophobia, transphobia started to creep in at that time, because you have state sanctioned laws, you have Section 28 that allows people to be more homophobic, because they can be.

The Queer community is also grappling with the new age of dating; Grindr, the cost-of-living crisis and recession has meant a lot of our spaces are closing as well. A lot of our support services start to fold. The 2010s bring in this absolute wave of grassroots activism and lots of campaigns which is very similar to the 1970s in a way. You had a real sense of, ‘Well, nobody's going to do this for us, we're going to have to do it ourselves!’

In 2019, we started to see an uptake in the amount of Queer spaces that were opening (then something happened in 2020, and we lost them!).

Now that you’ve covered 1960 through to 2020, do you feel the story of Queer Nottingham is told, or has this process revealed even more gaps in our local history that you’re itching to fill?

I really want to inspire the next generation of radical Queer archivists who pick up my books and go, ‘You know what, I can't see myself represented in this’. There is a need for someone to write about trans history.

There is a need for someone to do Queer sports, Queer trade unions – all of those subjects, even just within Nottingham alone, desperately need to be done.

Both the Queer Nottingham books are available to purchase at Five Leaves Bookshop. Head to our website for an extended version of this interview.

Q @nottsqueerhistoryarchive

environment

words: Lottie Limb illustration: Jay Tomlin

Green and pleasant land Five years ago, the Notts suburb of The Meadows got a major funding boost to help the community live greener, richer lives and take local action on climate change. With that grant now ending, local resident Lottie Limb takes a look at what the Green Meadows project has achieved and how it can evolve.

It’s a sunny day in Victoria Primary School garden, and a dozen people are gathered around a pile of planks.

Our task: find the right pieces to drill together and replace the old rot-softened raised beds. This is the first Meadows Action Day I’ve joined since moving to the area last year and, with an empty box of DIY skills, I worry I’m going to be a spare part. Even among a more practical group, it’s hard to see how we’re going to get this done in the allotted hour-and-a-half. But many hands make light work. Under the vivacious task-mastering of forest school teacher Jola Walker, we manage it with time to enjoy her homemade cherry cake and elderflower juice.

Wholesome community action days like these are a brainchild of Green Meadows: a programme to help Meadows residents live greener, more sustainable lives. Inspired by existing patches of grassroots activity, it was launched by Nottingham Energy Partnership (NEP) and community energy group MOZES in 2021, thanks to a £1.5 million National Lottery grant. NEP’s energy expertise is the bedrock of Green Meadows.

One of its first projects was to conduct an energy audit of the area’s housing stock, painting a detailed picture of potential upgrades for 61 house types.

Retrofit guides, DIY training sessions and a toolshare followed. Green Meadows has flowered into many other community projects too, including primary school workshops, a composting group and repair cafe. But with the five-year funding period ending in July, the team at NEP are busily working out how to keep all these great initiatives going.

“The starting point was strong demand from people passionate about addressing climate change,” explains project manager Patrick Keen. “But the things that we do are really practical; it’s a whole load of things which help people lead healthier and happier lives.” The toolshare for example, a free lending service based in the Climate Hub on Turney Street, has saved residents an estimated £85,000 in total since January 2024, and avoided 7,800kg in carbon emissions. NEP also estimates that fully retrofitting Meadows houses as per its survey recommendations would save residents more than £5 million every year in energy bills, while cutting carbon by 7,950 tonnes a year – the equivalent

of around 8,121 flights from London to New York.

an ongoing challenge.”

For Green Meadows’ most active members, the social value is significant too. “Helping with action days has enabled me to meet people in the local area,” Alex Wells tells me, after we return to the Climate Hub for cook-in-a-box dhal and a discussion about the future.

“It means that when I'm walking down the street sometimes I see somebody I know, which wasn't the case at all beforehand.”

No doubt urban planners of the 1970s have a lot to answer for. But as people will tell you and council ward reports show, this feels like an outdated portrait now. Green Meadows has mapped the area in its own way, marking a butterfly walk, hedgehog highway, wildlife pond in the Memorial Gardens, and refill station in the Arkwright Meadows Community Gardens. Artists are set to paint the underpasses with local schoolchildren’s green visions. It would be a stretch to say all this is transformational, but it’s there if you look for it – bits of a new story the Meadows can tell about itself. An invitation to scratch beneath the surface and get your fingernails muddy.

Student Marika Kerkham has particularly enjoyed getting involved with the festival – an annual event on the Recreation Ground which always brings in new faces. “I love the Meadows, I like the people here,” says Caroline Beaumont. “I just feel that the council hasn’t got enough time or money to make this place look attractive.” Other action days have focused on greenifying public spaces, including installing planters with built-in seating at the Bridgeway shopping precinct. “Not many people have got back gardens here,” Caroline points out, so the forest school and allotment sessions give them an opportunity to get green-fingered.

The things that we do are really practical; it’s a whole load of things which help people lead healthier and happier lives Around the time of the action day in April, I went to see Punch at the Playhouse – a soul-searching play about the life of a man who killed a stranger with a single punch in Nottingham fifteen years ago. The assailant is from the Meadows – represented by a single grey underpass that dominates the stage.

There’s an environmental determinism to the way the character playing Jacob Dunne describes his estate: “With the flats and houses stacked on top of one another at these oddball angles, it forms these, well, hidden tunnels and escape routes to scuttle off down, in the dark. The ‘anti-social behavior’ that resulted… is

“I suppose the things that you might not see which are perhaps more important are the improvements to the houses,” says Patrick. There have been over 600 attendances at retrofit workshops at the Climate Hub, including from inside a shed fitted out like a loft.

NEP is also fully retrofitting a terrace house on Pyatt Street with a ‘fabric first’ approach to insulation and a heat pump, providing a live building site in which to train people. This energy education will continue and projects will adapt; the toolshare, for example, is turning into a paid membership model for wider Nottingham. Meanwhile, the team is supporting Green Meadows-born community groups to become self-sustaining.

New funding is needed to secure other branches of the Green Meadows tree however, such as its climate education workshops in schools. These have a strong practical element to them, explains Patrick, which demystifies a “scary intangible concept” and makes the global local. As Jola said to me (shortly after I drilled my first pilot hole) “to be proud of the area you live in, you have to own it.” She was talking about the community ethos of the school, why the children take part in litter picking for example, and enjoy park visits. But it’s true for every resident here, who Green Meadows has tried to involve in a virtuous green cycle. Long may it continue.

For more information and to get involved, check out the Green Meadows website. greenmeadows.uk leftlion.co.uk 37

fashion Source Material

words: Addie Kenogbon-Harley photos: Sauce & Brown

Fashion editor Addie Kenogbon-Harley catches up with Anthony Wallis, co-owner of Nottinghamshire independent menswear brand Sauce & Brown, to find out how their Annesley Woodhouse shop and ‘one of one hundred’ ethos is helping men break the mould without breaking the bank.

What happens when two Notts best buds get tired of seeing the same old thing on clothes rails for men, and shops dominated by mass produced throwaway fashion? Well if you're Anthony Wallis and friend Andrew Frogson, it’s a catalyst for a move to redefine men’s fashion for good.

The brand launched in 2014, and is driven by the duo’s belief that menswear could and should be creative, thoughtful and built to last.

“When S&B started, we were dabbling in design and print supplying to other brands and fashion houses and we looked at what was currently on offer at a medium pricepoint,” Anthony says. “It highlighted that Next and M&S were very generic (M&S have upped their game though in recent years) and we thought that this demographic of men needed the feeling to belong a little more.”

The topic of sustainability and the toll of fast fashion on the environment and the world’s resources is still a topic of mass debate, with fashion brands of all sizes facing increasing scrutiny. Sauce & Brown believes a key part of the conversations around sustainability and waste lies in brands churning out repeated looks and styles, which can lead to a throwaway culture and a loss of connection with the clothes we wear.

To combat this, the brand has adopted a ‘One of one hundred’ ethos. This sees each collection limited to just 100 pieces, with each garment adorned with its own tag, riveted by hand and numbered from 1 to 100.

The brand believes that in doing so, shoppers won’t simply be wearing another product off a production line. Instead, they’re wearing something that only ninety-nine others in the world will ever own. And, once a design reaches its hundredth piece, it’s never re-released, with no reruns or second production.

This also allows the team to protect craftsmanship, celebrate individuality, and give shoppers the chance to experience the beauty of owning a rare piece they can have a genuine personal connection with, pieces that they want to keep hold of for years to come.

“For us, the limited runs have always been at the heart of what we wanted to do,” says Anthony. “It creates a sense of urgency for the customer, with some becoming more like collectors of the brand than menswear customers. We have some customers that collect numbers like on a bingo card, ticking off a number every time they find it on our brass rivets, with each product numbered one to one hundred.”

Sauce & Brown stocks a wide range of polos, t-shirts, outerwear, sweatshirts, hoodies, sportswear, accessories and more. Designs range from bold and colourful prints on the front or back of tees to more

38 leftlion.co.uk

minimalist polos, hoodies and jackets, with a small logo or embroidered icon.

Anthony and Andrew design each piece themselves in Nottinghamshire, influenced by their design backgrounds, with Anthony having always worked in art and design, including screen printing, embroidery and digital printing.

“Both me and Andy have similar design processes but most designs are solely designed by one of us,” says Anthony. “Each and every one is then amended or approved by the other, so every design by default has input from both of us. Some designs go through many versions and sit around for years until we see it's the right time to release the design.”

“Where possible we try to use organic cotton and PETA approved factories too. Our socks are printed within ten miles of our HQ, our embroidery is made in Cotgrave and our printing in Devon,” he adds.

fine tuning these from the original donkey jacket that the local miners used to wear. Obviously the needs have changed, the colours made more fashion based and the fabric made more comfortable, but the look remains the same.”

He adds, “Personally, my favourite pieces are the more simple pieces. Currently I’m living in our garment washed hoodies. These don't scream S&B, just a subtle birdcage logo representing you’re part of the club, gaining attention from fellow followers of the brand.”

Sauce & Brown pieces are available to purchase online or from its eye-catching store in Annesley Woodhouse, a location which is particularly fitting given that Annesley is based in one of the old heartlands of the mining and textile communities in north Nottinghamshire. The store features streetstyle interiors, with walls adorned with street art, skateboards, guitars and more, and a motorbike and vintage Lambretta adding to the overall feeling of a cool and inviting space.

the rise in sofa shopping through the likes of We’ve taken inspiration from our With Vinted and TikTok Shop putting more pressure than before on UK high streets, and Nottingham’s work experience students and how ever own independent fashion scene facing its fair share of in recent months, many shops are feeling they see life or menswear at seventeen casualties the strain of getting customers through the door. for Sauce & Brown, it was about creating a years old. We also like to use drops of However, space that’s exciting, authentic and has personality. nostalgia to help a product resonate “The shop brief was just to not look like a shopfitter Having grown up in Nottinghamshire themselves, the pair are also really passionate about incorporating Nottingham influencers into their pieces.

“Wherever we see fit, we try to add a Nottingham connection either in the inspiration or name,” says Anthony. “We believe Nottingham as a city doesn't do a great job of selling itself and the things the city should be proud of.”

But it’s not just the city that the team takes inspiration from, the pair are also influenced by nostalgic themes and memories they both share.

“A number of collections this year have had different inspirations,” Anthony says. “We’ve taken inspiration from our work experience students and how they see life or menswear at seventeen years old. We also like to use drops of nostalgia to help a product resonate.

Our polo shirt colours were influenced by some old wigan casino footage we had seen, classic colour combinations that had been lost for generations. And for our workwear jackets we have spent lots of time

had come in,” says Anthony. “We wanted personality and not the sterile environment that most shops have become. We listen to a lot of music, so the record player and vinyls were non-negotiable too.

“We think having a physical location is so important.

Our shop has become a safe place. We can vouch for the stats that show many males are struggling and don't quite know where to turn when things get hard. Sometimes the non judgemental brand owner is perfect to lend an ear and make you feel heard.”

It’s this thinking which has also led to an upcoming partnership with local band Champagne Super-Novice, with the team joining forces to host an intimate event to raise money for Young Minds charity, a mental health charity for children, young people and their parents. There are just one hundred tickets available, with all money raised donated to the charity.

Find Sauce and Brown at 138 Forest Rd, Annesley Woodhouse, Kirkby in Ashfield, Nottingham NG17 9HH. sauceandbrown.com

community

Transphoria words: Frances Danylec illustration: Kirsty Gregory

It can be hard to find support and community as a young person, especially if you are gender diverse and your peers and family might be struggling to support or understand you. Social group Transphoria exists to tackle that issue, providing a safe and inclusive space for trans and/or gender diverse youth. Frances Danylec finds out more about the work that they do…

What were your teenage years like? For many of us, it’s a time of self-discovery as we step into our identity and probably slam a few doors in the process.

The support and guidance of people around us help steady the boat of what can be a rocky stage of life.

But what if you look around and couldn’t see anyone else like you?

This is the experience of many teenagers who are trans or gender diverse, finding themselves a minority in communities and schools, leaving them isolated.

Their education can also be impacted: 64% of trans pupils are bullied at school for being LGBT (School report, Stonewall, 2017) and 32% of transgender young people miss lessons due to fear of discrimination (National Youth Chances, Metro Charity, 2016).

In a bid to support schools, The Department for Education has released guidance on supporting trans students. However, The Proud Trust, a national organisation for LGBTQ+ young people, have raised issues with this as their website says that the document is “not helpful for schools who want to support their trans students. [The guidance] contains many recommendations which will make life harder for trans young people.”

So, in the midst of these national challenges, how can we support our local trans youth? The founders of Nottingham group Transphoria – Hennie, Jess, and Riley – have asked themselves the same question.

“I think Nottingham has a high population density of trans people,” says Hennie, who is a Wellbeing Mentor at Nottingham College, helping run an LGBT society for students and a staff café too. “We have a lot of trans youth students, but there isn’t a lot of trans youth support out there. There’s a number of things for people over eighteen, but for youth, there just isn’t.”

“About a year and a half ago I was volunteering as a trustee for Notts Trans Hub, Hennie continues.”I reached out to Riley and Jess and we came together with our background experience in very compatible areas, to fill that gap and create Transphoria.”

Compatible indeed: Jess is a Diversity and Inclusion Lead at harm reduction service Health Shop, and previously worked for the LGBT youth group Outburst. Riley facilitated sessions with Genderphoria before they unfortunately closed due to lack of

funding, and worked with the Wolfpack Project, a youth organisation dedicated to reducing loneliness.

Between them, the trio have fifteen plus years of experience in youth work and a strong background in safeguarding.

“Transphoria is a social space for thirteen to seventeen year olds to access wellbeing support, but also engage with other trans young people,” says Jess.

“It’s an opportunity to access a bit of community because the little pockets of young people who are trans are probably feeling very isolated and scared about what their future’s going to be.”

Nottingham East MP Nadia Whittome has also verbalised her support for the group, telling LeftLion: “I am delighted that Transphoria is providing trans young people with the safe spaces and peer support they deserve. Affirming networks are a lifeline for trans youth. Every child in our city deserves to feel seen and safe, and I’m grateful that Transphoria is making Nottingham a more welcoming city for all.”

Young people don’t have to come to every session – they’re welcome to dip in and out as they want to.

There’s also no need to book, just turn up on the day.

That said, lots of people feel nervous about coming to a group for the first time, so young people and their parents are welcome to email the team (transphorianotts@hotmail.com) or message on Instagram for a chat first. They’ll even meet you at the bus stop so you don’t have to walk in alone.

They can be open, have a conversation here. We want young trans people to know that the whole “Everybody is always welcome, regardless of background, ethnicity, ability, anything,” says Jess, world isn’t against them, even though continuing, “even if you are just starting to have a few questioning thoughts about being trans or gender diverse, you know? Even if you have no idea.” it feels that way Fear, isolation and discrimination take a toll on mental health. Worryingly, more than four in five trans young people have self-harmed and more than two in five have attempted to take their own life (School report, Stonewall, 2017).

“The moral panic surrounding trans people in the last ten years has already created an environment where people probably don’t feel safe to talk about these things,” says Riley. “Having that space is important for mental health because you’re allowed to just talk about it and be yourself rather than hiding it from school, parents, friends.”

Transphoria meets every Tuesday, 5pm - 6.30pm, at Friar Lane’s Café Sobar. “Sobar has been great,” says Jess. “They’ve given us a room to use for free, and quiet breakout rooms too. It’s completely confidential and private from the public, and it’s an accessible building. We’ve had a lot of support from local businesses. The Dice Cup Café donated board games to us and The Spencer Trust have given us some funding to buy refreshments and get flyers printed.”

With the group in full swing for several months now, what’s it like to come along? “I like it here,” says Ash, who attends. “It’s important to come to make friends like us and to talk to people with relatable experiences." El, another young person part of the group, agrees: “It’s good to get out and speak to people and feel less lonely.”

Being a teenager can feel rocky at times, and that experience can be amplified for isolated trans teens.

“People need somewhere to go where they know that they’re not going to be judged,” Jess emphasises.

“They can be open, have a conversation here. We want young trans people to know that the whole world isn’t against them, even though it feels that way. That would be our message.”

Check out Transphoria’s social media for dates and times of their events. The national charity Mermaids also supports trans, non-binary and gender-diverse children, young people and their families. Visit mermaidsuk.org.uk

Q @transphorianotts leftlion.co.uk 39

music

DUST CAN'T GET ENOUGH

interview: Sophie Gargett photo: Upi Sandhu

Musical duo Dusty 4 Track have been a Nottingham live music staple for several years now, and a must-listen band for anyone looking for chilled blues, whiskey soaked vocals, and foot-stomping riffs. Not long ago they put out their debut album: How Did I Get Here?, so it seemed like a good time for us to catch up with Benjamin James (organ/guitar) and Will Jeffery (guitar/vocals).

You're both seasoned musicians, tell us about your previous musical projects…

Ben: I've done jazzy covers as KaBen for YEARS before making myself obsolete by giving Kat guitar lessons! Thanks to Harleighblu, I supported the likes of Chaka Khan, Charles Bradley (RIP), Roy Ayers, Rag'n'Bone Man, the Hot 8 Brass Band, and travelled all over Europe. With Natalie Duncan I played at Ronnie Scott’s, watched by my teenage crush, Cerys Matthews, and Goldie!

I got to raise hell with the infamous Invisible Orchestra, tried my hand at electro with Indiana, dabbled in reggae, afro-beat, jazz, soul, and played with sci-fi sunshine pop (yes that is a genre) pioneers Spaceships are cool. They took me to Glasto, NXNE, Canada and Iceland (the country rather than the Heron foods rival). Twenty years ago I even played at the Whisky a Go Go (Los Angeles) with an unsigned rock-funk band, but that's another story…

A few years later, I replied to a Facebook ad Will placed, looking for a guitarist for a blues duo which we've been doing ever since... long before we were Dusty 4 Track.

Ben (on behalf of Will): He doesn't talk about it much but many years ago, Will was in a signed band called Hhymn (recently reformed). Back in the day, at a record label party, (with Primal Scream) he was asked who his favourite band was. He replied "The Stone Roses" without realising he was talking to Mani, (RIP) their bassist.

He was also a great solo artist, and the gristly half of Girl and the Stone… but perhaps best known for co-creating Nottingham foot stomping legends 94 Gunships!

Your new record How Did I Get Here? is out on (orange!) vinyl and sounds great. Who was involved, what was the recording process?

Will: The recording was mostly Ben, to be honest. I recorded my parts either in his music room or the little corner I have at home. We’d send each other stuff and the tracks just built that way. I did give a bit of a brief that they had to sound like they’d been recorded on a four track recorder, but I think some sound bigger!

Ben: Yes, Will mostly smashed out his vocals and acoustic guitar and left the rest to me.

The album finale Dancing Shoes is a raucous live

40 leftlion.co.uk

recording featuring Tom Dempsey (drums) and Russ Clark (bass), but other than that it was all our own work!

cheating and I’ve been getting away with it since my twenties. With that voice I don’t necessarily have to sing in tune… I think smoking did help a little!

The album touches on themes of love, revelry, and redemption. It feels like a 24 hour loop of indulgence, questionable choices and atonement. Is there a story behind it?

Will: There’s not really. There’s definitely a theme to a few of my songs where I’m thinking that the world is a bit shit at the moment, run by dickheads and how I need help to get through it. In Wake Me Up, the wolves and monsters are a nod to a depression that could’ve been. Get Down is on the ‘get down and boogie’ thing, but the song is actually about how everyone seems to be struggling and that we should cause chaos!

Ben: Legend has it, he fell into a barrel of bourbon as a baby, and had to use a cigar as a snorkel for two weeks to survive.

Ben: How Did I Get Here? is about waking up with a hangover, or with someone you shouldn't be. Stay probably fits your ‘debauchery loop’ description best! The Cross is about a destructive, unhealthy/ codependent relationship from the point of view of someone who still romanticises it from the inside.

You've played lots in Notts, do you have any music venues you'd like to shout out?

Will: Rock City is an iconic music venue. It would be nice to be asked! My favourite that we've played is probably Rough Trade.

Ben: I'd like to shout out The Grove at Sneinton Market, which is a tiny independent gem! Also, Jam Café , The Chapel and Peggy's Skylight.

You're signed to I'm Not From London. What is it like working with Will and the gang?

Ben: Anything can happen... or indeed not happen.

It is an exciting adventure, like herding cats… in a monsoon… while wearing a blindfold. But Nottingham would be a significantly less fun and colourful place without a Will Robinson in it!

What other acts in Nottingham are you currently

Ben is the blues man. I like weird enjoying?

Will: I really like Connexion Man. Got surprised the day by a young up-and-coming artist called Ol little melodies and hooks, and also other Bailey. Vivien Ivy is awesome as well. the juxtaposition of depressing lyrics Ben: It's not new but Georgie - Live! At Trinity Church, is amazing. Chloe Rodgers' Delphian Lullaby along with a foot tapping feel is always on at my house! I also recently heard Tilly You've got quite a mix of sounds. Was this deliberate and do you have a preference when writing?

Will: My preferences when writing songs can vary.

Ben is the blues man. I like weird little melodies and hooks, and also the juxtaposition of depressing lyrics along with a foot tapping feel.

Ben: We each bring different sonic palettes. Will is 1960s folky/twee.. like a pair of corduroy trousers.

I'm more tasteless and 1970s, like a pair of tiger print cowboy boots.

Will, your voice seems to come from the same husky realm as Tom Waits and Rod Stewart. Is it fags/whiskey/practice or did you sound like this as a child?

Will: I can’t sing normally. That’s the sound of me

Greenwood for the first time. What a voice!

Where can people hear the album and what's next for Dusty?

Will: We’ve got LPs for sale at gigs and available online.

Ben: In a world exclusive for LeftLion, we can also reveal that I'm Not From London accidentally put the album on Spotify a month early, so it's available to stream right now! (But please buy the LP! It's orange vinyl!)

How Did I Get Here? is out now on orange vinyl and available to listen to online. See Dusty 4 Track and friends live on Friday 26 June at Fisher Gate Point.

Q @dusty4track

Gig Guide

FOR TICKETS AND INFO VISIT ALTTICKETS.COM

SAT.20.JUN.26

Archy & the Astronauts BODEGA

THU.11.JUN.26

Voivod & Midnight RESCUE ROOMS FRI.12.JUN.26

The Milk BODEGA

Anthony Green

WED.24.JUN.26

glare / glixen / midrift BODEGA

SUN.28.JUN.26

The March Violets BODEGA

TUE.30.JUN.26

SAT.18.JUL.26 SUN.19.JUL.26 WOLLATON PARK

The Dirty Nil BODEGA

SAT.04.JUL.26

Pansy Division BODEGA

SUN.05.JUL.26

Earl Sweatshirt & MIKE

PAINT BY NUMBERS BODEGA

SUN.05.JUL.26

This Is The Kit RESCUE ROOMS

TUE.07.JUL.26

Vandoliers FRI.28.AUG.26

ROCK CITY

THU.09.JUL.26

FRI.28.AUG.26

WED.09.SEP.26

BODEGA

Earl Sweatshirt & MIKE

Anthony Green SUN.12.JUL.26

THE PALAIS

BODEGA

Splendour Festival

Downward

MON.13.JUL.26

Archy & the Astronauts

BODEGA

WED.09.SEP.26

The Flatliners

BODEGA

Bat Sabbath

All Them Witches

TUE.18.AUG.26

Sumo Cyco

THU.18.JUN.26

SAT.20.JUN.26

THU.09.JUL.26 BODEGA

WED.08.JUL.26

ROCK CITY (BETA)

A Thousand Horses BODEGA

RESCUE ROOMS

ROCK CITY

SAT.29.AUG.26

Day Fever Festival

ARBORETUM GARDEN BAR & BANDSTAND

SUN.30.AUG.26

Foolhardy Folk Dead Pioneers + Festival MON.13.JUL.26

Petrol Girls RESCUE ROOMS FRI.17.JUL.26

Crash of Rhinos BODEGA

SAT.18.JUL.26

Smoove & Turrell BODEGA

SAT.18.JUL.26 SUN.19.JUL.26

Splendour Festival WOLLATON PARK

THU.23.JUL.26

Soledad Brothers BODEGA

SAT.25.JUL.26

Hot 8 Brass Band RESCUE ROOMS

FRI.07.AUG.26

Stiff Little Fingers ROCK CITY

ARBORETUM GARDEN BAR & BANDSTAND TUE.01.SEP.26

Anna von Hausswolff RESCUE ROOMS

FRI.04.SEP.26

King Prawn BODEGA

UT FRI.04.SEP.26 SOLD O

The Molotovs THE PALAIS

MON.07.SEP.26

Altered Images RESCUE ROOMS TUE.08.SEP.26

MISSIO BODEGA

TUE.08.SEP.26

Model/Actriz RESCUE ROOMS

WED.09.SEP.26

Allegaeon & GOROD RESCUE ROOMS

ROUGH TRADE

GHOSTWOMAN

TUE.08.

SEP.26

Model/Actriz RESCUE ROOMS

BODEGA

WED.09.SEP.26

Primal Scream ROCK CITY

Primal Scream

THU.10.SEP.26

ATLAS

RESCUE ROOMS

FRI.11.SEP.26

Alfie Sharp BODEGA

FRI.11.SEP.26

WED.09.SEP.26 ROCK CITY

Ally Venable RESCUE ROOMS

SAT.12.SEP.26

Gaerea

RESCUE ROOMS SAT.12.SEP.26

The Jacques / The Sukis / Pistol Daisys BODEGA

SUN.13.SEP.26

SUN.20.SEP.26

The Afghan Whigs THE PALAIS

Boyce Avenue RESCUE ROOMS

WED.16.SEP.26

Havok

RESCUE ROOMS

THU.17.SEP.26

Francis of Delirium BODEGA

FRI.18.SEP.26

GIFT BODEGA

Good Kid WED.23.SEP.26 THE PALAIS

Foolhardy Folk Festival

SAT.26.SEP.26 SUN.30.AUG.26 ARBORETUM GARDEN BAR & BANDSTAND

Poets Of The Fall THE PALAIS

music reviews

The Littlemen feat. Hector Moralez House for Change (Album) Spearheaded by Steve Lee, of East Midlands ravers Smokescreen Soundsystem, and Gavin Belton, of the Giddy Fruit Collective, this new album from the duo, who together compose The Littlemen, sees them collaborate with California house legend Hector Moralez. The album is infused with the nostalgic 90s spirit of coming together to dance and create, with the first half focused around a squelchy, acid house atmosphere, and the second interwoven with an upbeat Chicago House sound, with certainly no shortage of funky organs and drum machines.

The project also extends beyond its originators, with artists Inland Knights and Positive Divide featuring as remixers. All proceeds from the album aid the Notts homelessness charity Framework, so buying it supports both resolutely local causes and dance music. It’s out in June, and you can pre-order via juno.co.uk. (Caradoc Gayer)

JJ Lovegrove / @jjlovegrove Celandine (Single) Cinematic drama, a long build, subtle layering of powerful guitar with piano and vibey synths... with Celandine, JJ Lovegrove has created another intensely evocative soundscape. Her inspirations are rooted in our locality, but her vision extends to far reaches of the universe, and that is where her music will take you to. Her vocals haunt the song, fading in and out, leading but not overpowering, and above all providing a sense of intimacy even within the vast landscape the music leads us to inhabit. Celandine is the second single taken from JJ Lovegrove's new album which was inspired by local writer D.H. Lawrence. (Phil Taylor)

No Peeling / @nopeeling_band EP2 (EP) Variety is the spice of life where No Peeling are concerned on their second EP... or should I say ‘slice’..? Each of the seven slices on this EP lasts for around a minute; altogether clocking in at 8:54. However, these snippets of modern life tell stories with as much detail as one song the same entire length. The tracks range from themes of localised hooliganism on Mascot Fight to youth hi-jinks on After School, to toxic work environments on Stationery.

Headed by local poet Sophie Diver and JT Soar Tsar Phil Booth, the band's knack for creating musical montages is no mean feat with this barebones approach to music as radical as cut-up literature and Soviet montage cinema of the 20s.

EP2 feels like a simple menu at a cafe where instead of a meal, we are given the ingredients. But the ingredients are the most delicious part. Instead of making an egg punk omelette, they've taken the eggs out and hummed them at the wall in a matter of seconds which is the most egg punk thing ever (literally). (Lewis Oxley)

Cathedra / @wearecathedra Justified (Single) Cathedra is a new alt-electronic project from Ian Cunningham, previously of local outfit NOVA. It sees him join forces with the gorgeous soft vocals of Lilly Sphire for their first single Justified, a blissful synth-driven track that blends atmospheric production with emotive songwriting. An immediate, very dreamy earworm, it combines their shared love of 80s bands like New Order and Depeche Mode while exploring the tension of feeling unheard in a relationship.

Blending minimal electronics with gothic songwriting and Sphire’s passionate vocal delivery, it’s one hell of an opening statement. Already building buzz in the Notts electronic and underground scene, look out for this band all over town this summer. (Karl Blakesley)

Lucy Crisp / @lucycrisp_ Snakes and Ladders (Single) Lucy Crisp has gone from strength to strength in the last couple of years with some really positive reviews of her music as well as radio plays on BBC Introducing. Lucy’s latest single follows hot on the heels of her previous release, and is a real banger that you’ll find difficult to extricate from your ears. She’s a strong-minded individual, who bares her soul through the medium of her music which in turn empowers her and offers inspiration for us all to be strong in the face of life’s ups and downs. Snakes and Ladders is a number that oozes power and self-confidence reinforced by a catchy dance pop instrumentation rich in synth-led melodies along with a danceable bass line. The heartfelt lyrics speak bravely of these obstacles, but Lucy dismisses them all by saying that the very difficulties that she faces in life’s game of snakes and ladders only galvanise her to keep on climbing ever upwards. (Claire Spencer)

If you’re from Nottingham and want to get added to our list of music writers or get your tunes reviewed, hit us up at music@leftlion.co.uk To listen to these tracks and more, check out the LeftLion channel on Spotify.

42 leftlion.co.uk

leftlion.co.uk 42

EHCP CREAT I V E EDUCAT ION PROGRAMMES

CREATIVE

Located In Nottingham City

September 2026 Enrolment Open

D i s c ove r C re a t i ve Pa t hw ay s T h rou g h M u s i c, M e d i a & Esports

www.fastforwardcreative.co.uk

What’s on THIS MAY MONDAY 1 JUNE Open Art 2026  Mansfield Museum Free, 10am-5pm Runs until: Saturday 27 June

Fleur Patrick  Lakeside Arts Free, 10am-4pm Runs until: Sunday 26 July Stretched to the Limit  The National Justice Museum 10am-5pm Runs until: Sunday 1 November Architecture & Product Design  Nottingham Trent University Free, 10am-4pm Runs until: Friday 5 June

Drawn Through Time  Lakeside Arts Free, 10am This is an exhibition at Lakeside Arts, displaying artistic reinterpretations of The Submersion of the Pharaoh's Army in the Red Sea , a rarely seen woodcut that was created in the 16th century by Italian artist Titian. The idea was first conceived by Sheffield academic and artist Penny McCarthy, who spent time researching the woodcut, before inviting celebrated artists George Shaw, James Pyman, and Billy Hughes to create works drawing from its themes of travel, time, and the cosmos, which combine drawings, AI techniques, and comic art.

Considering it’s free, this should definitely be worth checking out.

Runs until: Saturday 25 July Serena Korda: Triple Goddess  The Harley Gallery & Museum Free, 10am-4pm Runs until: Sunday 6 September

NAE Open 2026  New Art Exchange Free, 10am-4pm This annual celebration of art from Nottinghamshire and the global ethnic majority at Hyson Green’s New Art Exchange Gallery is back again. If you haven’t heard of it before, the NAE Open selects a group of artists via an open application process, whose work is then showcased in an eclectic and exciting group exhibition. This year’s instalment features many interesting voices, including film and photography artist Dafe Oboro, locally based Thai artist Mallika Fraser (read more about her work on page 34), Bristol painter Eliza Rawlings, Birmingham-based Abraham Cole who works across drawing, sculpture and textiles, plus loads of other names.

Runs until: Saturday 12 September

The Anglo-saxon Cemetery at Broughton Lodge  Lakeside Arts Free, 12pm-4pm Runs until: Sunday 12 July We the People: America's Fight for Freedom and Beyond  Lakeside Arts Free, 12pm-4pm Runs until: Sunday 13 September 1525: Calligraphy - Tracing cultures and finding flow  Nottingham Contemporary Free, 1pm-4pm Runs until: Sunday 14 June Binns Organ | Peter Siepmann  The Albert Hall 1.10pm Nottingham Organ Society…

Andrew Nix  Bonington Theatre & Cinema £10, 7.30pm

Jayler: Acoustic + Signing  Rough Trade £15.75, 6pm

TUESDAY 2 JUNE Still Pointless: BalletBoyz at 25  Nottingham Playhouse £27-£33

Jazz Steps: Jon Lloyd Quartet  Bonington Theatre & Cinema £16, 7.30pm

Little Simz  The Level

FRIDAY 5 JUNE

Jokes at The Juice Bar  Juice Bar £5, 7pm-9.30am

The Story So Far  Rock City £30, 7pm-11pm

Nott Queer Enough  Hockley Emporium Free, 7pm

Your Presence is a Danger to Your Life with Samar Yazbek  Five Leaves Bookshop £5-£16.99, 7pm-8.30pm

An Evening with England Legends  Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall

Freschard & Stanley Brinks  The Grove £15, 7pm

WEDNESDAY 3 JUNE A Midsummer Nights Dream  Mansfield Palace Theatre

Ms Rachel Tribute  Mansfield Palace Theatre

Blue October  Rock City £35, 6pm-10pm

Free Fixing Thursday  Nottingham Bikeworks 10am-1pm

Joe Carnall Jnr  The Bodega £20, 7pm

Forbidden Forest 2026  Belvoir Castle £39-£389, 12pm-11pm Runs until: Sunday 7 June Meet Fred Puppetry Workshop with Hijinx Theatre  Lakeside Arts £8, 3pm-5pm The Greek Kitchen  New Art Exchange Free, 5pm-7pm Rosa Walton: Live + Signing Rough Trade £18.74, 6pm

Richard Ayoade: Reflections  Nottingham Playhouse £42-£47, 7.30pm The BAFTA winning actor, comedian, and writer is coming to Nottingham this month, while touring his latest book with the double-take-inducing title of Afterthoughts, or Some Pistachios Won’t Open: Wisdom for the Unreflective . The book explores lots of comedic and existential themes like ‘what box should you tick if you ARE a robot’, and ‘when one door shuts, and another opens, there’s something wrong with your doors’. Richard Ayoade is pretty legendary in British film and TV, well known for his roles in the IT Crowd, Travel Man and Crystal Maze. Unfortunately, for those of you who haven’t already nabbed tickets this show is sold out.

A Night with BIND.  The Grove £8, 7pm-11pm Speech Therapy  Fisher Gate Point Free, 7pm-11pm

THURSDAY 4 JUNE Ruby Wax – Absolutely Famous  Nottingham Playhouse £32.50

Paint and Sip  The Malt Cross

Omar ‘Brighter The Days’  Metronome £25, 7pm-11pm

A Musical Open Jam Night  Billy Bootleggers Free, 8pm-11pm

The Playhouse Pub Quiz  Nottingham Playhouse

Scenes from a Friendship  Nottingham Playhouse £18, 7.45pm This is a new play written by Notts playwright Jane Upton, whose previous work (the) Woman was shortlisted for a Bruntwood Prize.

The story is a local one, following the life story of two friends who grew up in 1980s Long Eaton. A trip to the Nottingham Playhouse always comes recommended, as their comfortable facilities and intriguing productions guarantee a good time. The play is also especially warm and funny, taking a deep look and friendship, so if you schedule just one Playhouse gig this month, we’d definitely recommend this one.

Runs until: Friday 12 June

Family Art Club  The Grove £10, 7pm

People Planet Pint Meetup  Angel Microbrewery & The Chapel 6pm-8pm

Troy Osmond (Moron Butler)  Peggy's Skylight £12.50, 7pm-10pm

Jekyll and Hyde  Mansfield Palace Theatre

44 leftlion.co.uk

Fawlty Towers The Play  Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall

The Beefy Boys  Waterstones £5-£24, 6.30pm Finn Forster  The Bodega £12, 7pm-11pm Butch Bastard  The Grove £15, 7pm Audition for Bette & Joan  Lace Market Theatre Violeta Vicci x Bruno Bavota  Angel Microbrewery & The Chapel £16.80, 7.30pm Meet Fred (Hijinx Theatre & Blind Summit)  Lakeside Arts £12-£16, 7.30pm-8.50pm The Hallé  Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall 7.30pm

Nottingham Poetry Festival 2026  Various Locations 12pm Our city’s nationally recognised celebration of poetry returns this year. There’s some really great shows lined up, including one at the Poppy and Pint in West Bridgford with Bristol poet Vanessa Kisuule and Nottingham’s nature poet laureate Cara Thompson, songwriter and poet John Hegley at the Canalhouse, Yomi Sode, who was shortlisted for the TS Eliot Prize, at Lakeside Arts, and nationally renowned poet Brian Bilston. As well as that, there’ll be plenty of community sourced events, so, even if you don’t consider yourself a huge poetry fan, the sheer variety of things to do will definitely make this a week to check out.

Runs until: Friday 12 June The Blaze Vs Bears  Trent Bridge Cricket Ground £7.50-£26, 2.30pm-6pm Summer Fiesta 2026  Binks Yard £6-£27, 4pm-10pm Deadletter - Existence Is Bliss  Rescue Rooms £17, 6.30pm An Evening with John Craven: Stories Behind the Headlines  Nottingham Playhouse £42.50-£48.50, 7.30pm Beverley Knight  Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall 7.30pm Mall Grab  Unit 13 £18-£20, 10.30pm-4am

Worst Record Covers in the World  Mansfield Museum Free, 10am-3pm Runs until: Saturday 29 August

Whisky Stain - Single Launch  Mist Rolling Inn £9, 7pm For those in the know, rock duo Whisky Stain are an unmissable act in the Notts scene, with songs delivering bluesy riffs, powerhouse drums, and a tinge of The Black Keys and Royal Blood. This month they’re launching their new single Hellfire at Derby Road’s relatively young guitar music venue, Mist Rolling Inn. Support comes from Ryan Farmer, who writes music grounded in Americana traditions, like the Mississippi Delta Blues.

When it comes to guitar gigs, you’ll be hard pressed to find anything quite as atmospheric as this, so we definitely recommend that you give it a try.

Adriana Brownlee: Death Zone  The Squire Performing Arts Centre £16-£19, 7.30pm Comedy Hotspot  Bonington Theatre & Cinema £15, 8pm Scott Steer: Concord X Redline  Calluna £4-£10, 8pm-3am

SATURDAY 6 JUNE

Clifton Family Music Festival  Norman Archer Memorial Ground Free, 12pm-10pm Hand & Pattern: Block Printing with Sarah Konudala  Nottingham Central Library 1pm-11am Runs until: Friday 12 June Insomniacz: This is Hard House Festival  Unit 13 £29.50-£50, 1pm-10pm Country Day Party: Fan Club  Tunnel Club £7-£9, 3pm-9pm Wolfgang Buttress presents TO BE – Performed by Karman Line Collective  Broadway Cinema Cuckoo Pres: Dan Stone, Steve Allen, Peter Steele + Support  Secret Vault £15-£25, 2pm-12am Loud Poets Slam  Metronome £7.50-£10, 3.30pm-5.30pm DayClubbers  NG-One £11.99, 4pm-8pm Headsticks  The Bodega £18, 6pm

EPA presents IGNITE  Mansfield Palace Theatre Lemonade Bangs: Summer Garden RAVE - Chopper & Ryan Nicholls  The Secret Garden £8-£16, 9.30am-3.30am

JJ Lovegrove & Chloe Rodgers  Buonissima Aperitivo Bar £10, 6pm-11pm

Augustas Serapinas: Physical Culture  Nottingham Contemporary Free, 10am-5pm Runs until: Sunday 6 September Chico da Silva: And the soul is for the birds  Nottingham Contemporary Free, 10am-5pm Runs until: Sunday 6 September Danny Bhoy – Dear World  Nottingham Playhouse

RnB Throwback Night  Square Bar £6, 6pm-1am City Flowers  Rough Trade £10, 6pm SAMER - Album Release Show  Mist Rolling Inn £10, 6.30pm A Taste of Italy  The William Gunn £30-£35, 7pm-10pm

Evening Plans  The Grove £7, 7pm Honesty / Bathing Suits  The Carousel £11, 7pm Britallica (Britney Spears Metal Tribute)  Saltbox Bar £10-£15, 7pm-10.30pm Finding Albion: An Evening With Zakia Sewell  New Art Exchange 7.30pm-11pm Grown & Sexy - DJ Nico D  Lace Bar £5.50-£8, 8pm-2am Bush Doctor 32  NG-One £5-£30, 8pm-4am

Brian Bilston  Metronome £15-£20, 7pm Brian Bilston headlines the Nottingham Poetry Festival this year. If you’re less familiar with the UK poetry scene we can tell you that this is a bit of a coup – born Paull Millicheap in Birmingham, he made his name as the ‘Poet Laureate of Twitter’, and when he later got traction, he was also dubbed the ‘Banksy’ of poetry, hiding his face in publicity shots.

He’s had a host of sell out shows across the country and published various best selling collections.

You can see him this month at Metronome. Support comes from Nottingham based poet Annie Cross, who is chair of Nottingham City of Literature’s Youth Board.

Resonate  Fisher Gate Point Free, 10pm-3am 4Play: Garage & Basslines  Tunnel Club £10-£15, 10.30pm-4am

s t o l s ’ e ther n o g n i o g m o c . s t t o at n

SUNDAY 7 JUNE Ub40  Motorpoint Arena Nottingham The Garage Market  The Garage Blaze Vs Falcons / Thunder  Trent Bridge Cricket Ground £7.50-£26, 11am-2.30pm Nottingham Ratha Yatra 2026  Old Market Square Free, 11am

Alice In Wonderland: Journey Through Absurdity  Revolucion de Cuba £9-£12, 6pm James Brown: Dynamite Soul – a Celebration  Peggy's Skylight £12.50, 7pm-9pm Copper Studios: Wrong for the Role  Bonington Theatre & Cinema £15, 7pm

The Dinosaurs are Back!  Lakeside Arts £9.50-£11, 11.30am-12.30pm

Dr Louise Newson Breaking The Cycle: The Power of Hormones  Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall 7.30pm

P!nk Live - Vicky Jackson  Binks Yard £16, 12pm-4pm

MONDAY 8 JUNE

Pride Special, Affirmation Plates & Drag Acts!  Rough Trade £36, 1pm

On Screen: Frida Kahlo  Broadway Cinema Overpass Rough Trade £16.68, 6pm The Long Sensational Life of Lady Chatterley’s Lover, with Guy Cuthbertson  Five Leaves Bookshop £3-£20, 7pm-8.30pm

Outburst Colour Run  The Squire Performing Arts Centre £8-£18.50, 1pm-3pm Arranged by Base 51, a charity which supports the mental health of young people aged 11-24 in-andaround Nottingham, the Colour Run is a family friendly event which this month is happening for the fourth time. You’re invited to be covered in paint powder and walk, run, or skip around a route which starts from outside of the Squire Performing Arts Centre. All proceeds go towards the charity’s work, and each year this proves to be a really great time with lots of laughter, joy, and community involvement, so if you want to contribute to an important local cause, don’t miss it.

The Big Faces  Angel Microbrewery & The Chapel Free, 3pm Riverdance 25th Anniversary  Savoy Cinema 5.30pm Runs until: Thursday 11 June

DIY Poets  The Grove Kraftwerk  Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall

TUESDAY 9 JUNE Scandinavian Baking Class  Pippley Walled Garden £85, 10am-3pm CMPCR Annual Lecture in Media and Citizenship  Nottingham Contemporary Free, 6pm-7.30pm Adele Zeynep Walton  Waterstones Katie Gregson-Macleod  Rough Trade £19.73, 7pm Ruby Tuesday’s: Celebrate the Voice  The Pelican Club £9, 7pm-10pm

Whatever you’re into, find it first at notts.com

The most up-to-date guide to events and activities in Nottingham. Updated daily, free to use, and feeding the itsinnottingham app and leftlion.co.uk leftlion.co.uk 45

The Choir of Man  Theatre Royal and Royal Concert Hall The Choir of Man is an Oliviernominated production which has received acclaim across the world, and this month is coming to Notts.

It’s primarily a musical, set in a pub called The Jungle, at which nine regular punters tell stories and sing songs. Each character is a different archetype – ‘The Beast’, ‘The Romantic,’ etcetera – and the soundtrack has a diverse array of hits which offer something for everyone; encompassing Queen, Luther Vandross, Sia, Paul Simon, Adele, and Avicii, to name but a few. Reviews describe it as an uproariously good time; why not get some joy and good music in your life?

Runs until: Sat 13 June Andrew Metheven  The Grove £10, 7pm The Archers: Live at 75  Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall 7.30pm

Into the Breach  Bonington Theatre & Cinema £10-£12.50, 7.30pm-9.30pm

Now Hear This: World Cup Fever!  Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall

THURSDAY 11 JUNE

The Hallé: Drivetime Choir  Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall

Real Farmer  JT Soar An Evening with Claire Lynch  Waterstones £5-£14, 6.30pm ARAÁ RÍ (The Body Sees)  Lakeside Arts £12-£18, 7pm-9pm Voivod & Midnight  Rescue Rooms £30, 7pm Stefan Mahendra  Peggy's Skylight £20, 7pm-10pm Rats! Rats! Rats!  The Grove £8, 7pm-11pm Queer Open Mic Night  Hockley Emporium Free, 7pm-10pm Music of the Mystics: Sufi Qawwali nightFanna-Fi-Allah  The Albert Hall 7.30pm

FRIDAY 12 JUNE

Loose Goose Improv Jam  Fisher Gate Point Free, 8pm-10pm

Shoot From The Hip  Nottingham Playhouse

WEDNESDAY 10 JUNE

K Pop Forever!  Mansfield Palace Theatre

John Kearns: Tilting at Windmills  Nottingham Playhouse £27.50 Beautiful Trauma: The Ultimate P!nk Experience  Mansfield Palace Theatre Fink: Live  Rough Trade £16.89, 6pm YA Panel: Caitlin Breeze, Kate Weston and Dhonielle Clayton  Waterstones £5-£6, 6.30pm The Haggis Horns  Peggy's Skylight £18-£25, 7pm-10pm Two Films By Dan Shutt 

By Our Hands We Make Our Way £8, 7pm-10pm Delightful Debra's Laugh-In  Dunham On Trent Village Hall £10, 7pm-10pm Pub HD - Research Talks  Barley Twist £0-£3, 7pm-10pm Bob Sumner (Duo)  Angel Microbrewery & The Chapel £15, 7.30pm Child  Ye Olde Salutation Inn £15, 7.30pm

46 leftlion.co.uk

Dance Express 2026  Nottingham Playhouse Fashion Tips  JT Soar

Zach Bryan UK  Binks Yard £18-£60, 6pm-10pm

Magic of Thailand  Forest Recreation Ground £6, 10am-7pm Runs until: Sunday 14 June

The Milk  The Bodega £20, 7pm

Spy at the Archives  Nottinghamshire Archives £6, 10am-11am

EXTC 'This Is Pop'  Metronome £25, 7pm-11pm

Sherwood Vegan Market  Sherwood United Reformed Church Free, 10am-2.30pm

Tom Hewitt  Angel Microbrewery & The Chapel £10, 7pm-10.30pm

Beanbag Music Club Superheroes  Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall 10.15am

Palindrones, Hurtsfall & Hexial  Mist Rolling Inn £7.27, 7pm Nottingham Poetry Festival: John Hegley  Canalhouse £12-£15, 7pm Miqayel Voskanyan Quartet  Lakeside Arts £5-£23, 7.30pm-10pm Comedy In the Caves: Duncan Oakley  The Whistle & Flute £10, 7.30pm-10.30pm Music of Simon and Garfunkel:

by The Sounds of Simon  Bonington Theatre & Cinema £18, 7.30pm

John Hegley - I AM A POET  The Carousel £5-£8, 1pm-3pm Fat Digester 30th Anniversary Yard Party The Vat and Fiddle £3-£10, 1.30pm-11.59pm Back To The 90s Outdoor Fest  Binks Yard £32-£40, 3pm-10pm Nottingham Poetry Festival: Poets Off The Endz  New Art Exchange 6pm-10pm Harry Meets Shania  The Nest £12-£30, 6.30pm-10.30pm

Wigflex 20 years with Ivan Smagghe b2b Lukas Wigflex  The Model

Possum Kid  The Grove £10, 7pm

SATURDAY 13 JUNE

Burn The Floor: Nikita: Supernova  Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall

Nottingham in Infrared  The Drawing Room Gallery Free, 11am-5pm

Quiz night 2026  Lace Market Theatre 7.30pm

This is a new exhibition by Harvey Tomlinson – a Notts photographer in his twenties – who, as well as featuring in LeftLion ’s Notts Shots multiple times, has won two awards at the British Photography Awards 2025: Architecture Photographer of the Year, and People’s Choice in the documentary category. The exhibition, Nottingham in Infrared, paints our city in, literally, a whole new light, with an infrared lens portraying everything in Nottingham Forest Garibaldi red, creating some sci-fi-esque images. The Drawing Room Gallery in Cobden Chambers is hosting, and there’ll be drinks and snacks on opening night, plus calendars and prints on sale.

Runs until: Saturday 11 July

Beary  Hockley Emporium £6-£8, 9pm-2am

Into the Light  Broadway Gallery Phases Presents: Bunker  Calluna

Em-Con Nottingham 2026  Motorpoint Arena Nottingham £20-£85, 10am-4.30pm Em-Con is a film and TV convention, and our city’s biggest pop culture event, which this month returns to Notts after the huge success of previous instalments. They’ve been regularly announcing the appearance of some pretty big actors from the world of fantasy, sci fi, and action media, including Paul Anderson who was Arthur Shelby in Peaky Blinders, David Bradley and Sylvester McCoy, previous doctors from Doctor Who, and Alfie Williams, star of the 28 Years Later films, plus many other big names.

As well as actor meet and greets, there’ll be film sets, exclusive props, merchandise, and plenty more fun aspects of the immersive atmosphere for you to absorb.

Lemonade Bangs Presents: Jamie Fielding (3 Hour Set)  Stealth £8-£16, 10pm-4am Summer Secret Garden RAVE  The Secret Garden £5-£10, 10.30pm-2.30am

SUNDAY 14 JUNE The Garage Market  The Garage Irish Trad Sessions  Angel Microbrewery & The Chapel Free, 3pm Vanessa Kisuule & Cara Thompson  The Poppy and Pint £8-£10, 7pm

Future Sound of Nottingham 2026  Rock City Free, 6.30pm-10pm Future Sound of Nottingham is back again this year. If you’re unaware of how it works, eight of the city’s artists and bands play Rock City’s main stage through one night, competing before a judging panel for the chance to play Wollaton Park’s Splendour Festival, in the summer. There’s a fantastic line-up this year, including funk band Sancho Panza, neo soul quintet Sun & Moon, folk singer Emily Ashberry, jazz rap artist Omari Marsalis, pop singer Louie Walsh, grime collective Two 2’s, soul singer Chantelle Marquez, and alt rock trio Content Provider.

Ray Butcher: Kind Of Blue, Kind of Cool  Bonington Theatre & Cinema £12, 7pm Riffriot Promotions Presents...

Grim Lamentations  Mist Rolling Inn £7, 7pm-11.55pm Richard Dawkins: Genes and the Meaning of Life  Theatre Royal &Royal Concert Hall Scott Bennett: Stuff  Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall World Cup Exclusive House  Liquid Library £9, 8pm-4am

MONDAY 15 JUNE

'I Had a Wheelbarrow' A play by the Television Workshop  The Nest £5-£8, 7pm-9.15pm Legendary local institution The Television Workshop has created a new play which should be a great experience for any Notts person, even those with just a passing interest in football. I Had A Wheelbarrow is a play about Notts County FC, set entirely in Meadow Lane during a 90 minute match, exploring themes of family and community. It’s happening at The Nest, which is the club’s, still relatively young, dedicated fan-zone and a versatile multipurpose venue. The live cast are Workshop members aged between 11 and 40, and there’s some famous faces involved too (but not in person), like Vicky McClure, Joe Dempsie, and Shane Meadows.

Rund until: Tuesday 16 June

STARRING

ADAM GARCIA

AS FRANK FARMER

SIDONIE SMITH

AS RACHEL MARRON

TM

MON 13 - SAT 18 JUL

TRCH.CO.UK I 0115 989 5555 ROYAL CONCERT HALL, NOTTINGHAM

Community of Courage – An Evening of Celebration  Nottingham Playhouse

King Arthur and the Holy Fail  Wollaton Hall and Park £14-£20, 6pm

How Queer Bookshops Changed the World, with AJ West Five Leaves Bookshop £3-£16.99, 7pm-8.30pm

Forbidden  Rescue Rooms £25, 6.30pm

Punchlove & Bored Marsh  Billy Bootleggers £10, 7pm-11pm

M.A. Kuzniar in Conversation with Frances White  Waterstones £5-£26, 6.30pm

Ruena, Broken Narrative, Cherry Stone and Confyde  Mist Rolling Inn £10, 7pm-11pm

Fifteen rounds with Horace: Aidan Everett  Five Leaves Bookshop £5-£10.99, 7pm-8.30pm

Words Of Wisdom: Poetry Open Mic  The Angel Microbrewery & The Chapel Free, 7.30pm

WEDNESDAY 17 JUNE

A Void  JT Soar

A special 35mm screening of the 1973 martial arts classic that made Bruce Lee an international icon. Enter The Dragon follows martial arts master Lee as he is recruited by British intelligence to infiltrate the remote island fortress of a mysterious crime lord named Han. Working undercover, Lee must navigate dangerous waters whilst confronting his own demons and uncovering Han's criminal operations. The film is packed with legendary martial arts sequences including the "boards don't hit back" lesson, epic nunchaku battles against Han's guards and that brutal underground mirror room showdown. A rare opportunity to experience this influential action film in its original 35mm format

TUESDAY 16 JUNE The Magic of The Bee Gees  Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall Nottingham Playhouse Schools Shakespeare Festival  Nottingham Playhouse

Green Thinking: Unlearning Outdated Ideas in Science, Economics and Politics, with Natalie Bennett  Five Leaves Bookshop £3-£19, 7pm-8.30pm

Sip & Sculpt  The Malt Cross Deadbeat Brass  Peggy's Skylight £10-£15, 7pm-10pm India Arkin  The Grove £8, 7pm

THURSDAY 18 JUNE The Carpenters Story  Nottingham Playhouse One Foot in the Dark  Nottingham Playhouse Horrible Histories: Terrible Tudors & Awful Egyptians  Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall Graham Woodward  Lace Market Theatre All Them Witches: House Of Mirrors Tour  The Palais £25, 6.30pm-10pm Stuart Ironside  The Grove £10, 6.30pm

The Weekend Has Landed.  Billy Bootleggers £2-£3, 10pm-3am

Mansfield Music Festival  Mansfield Rugby Club £21-£94, 12pm-10pm

3 Migrant Women  Nottingham Playhouse

It's Raining Bens  Langar Airfield £12.50, 12pm-6pm

Community of Courage – An Evening of Celebration  Nottingham Playhouse

RnB Mania  Meadow Lane Stadium £25-£40, 2pm-12am

Spill The Paint - Queer Crafts  Hockley Emporium £5, 7pm

FRIDAY 19 JUNE Abi Moore - The Aftermath of '96 - 20th Anniversary Show  The Angel Microbrewery & The Chapel £11.20-£13, 7.30pm

Simon and Garfunkel Story  Nottingham Playhouse £32.50 Neil Sands Presents: Remember When  Mansfield Palace Theatre

Enter The Dragon - 35mm Presentation  Savoy Cinema £5.50-£8, 8.30pm

Leave Your Body Behind, Shoelace & Hopeful Dream Cult  Angel Microbrewery & The Chapel £6.13-£8.30, 7pm

Nottingham Craft Beer Festival 2026  Sneinton Market Avenues £12-£20, 5.30pm-10.30pm It’s that time of year again, when arts and independents hub Sneinton Market hosts the Nottingham Craft Beer Festival. It’s set to be a good one, with some great East Midlands breweries such as Blue Monkey, Neon Raptor, Bang the Elephant, and Emperors, returning to the festival with favourites from further afield, like Northern Monk, Brew York, Little Earth Project and Siren.

There’s also some new names this year, like Trappist brewery Tynt Meadow and Loch Lomond, who are coming down from Dumbarton, Scotland. As always, there’ll be plenty of excellent live music from local artists and street food as well. Don’t miss it!

Runs until: Saturday 20 June Da Lata  Peggy's Skylight £18, 6.45pm-8pm bUTTONpUSHER: IO, TV Wife& 72%  JT Soar £10-£12, 7pm-11pm The Music Of George Michael | The Candlelight ConcertXperience Live  The Albert Hall 7.30pm

s t o l s ’ e r e h t g n i k o o l e l p o of pe t n e v e r u o for y m o c . s t t o n t a

Local singer-songwriter Abi Moore is celebrating the 20th anniversary of her debut album The Aftermath of 96 with a very special show this month at The Chapel. We’re big fans of Abi at LeftLion – she’s one of the two minds behind local event A Crazy Little Sing Called Pub, which has toured across the country, with its spiritual home being the Malt Cross on St James’ Street. Her adjoining music career, meanwhile, has been long and storied – her songs often sit within an Americana and roots rock realm, telling very personal stories about her life and growth as a person.

Head along to enjoy a loved local artist at the peak of her powers.

SATURDAY 20 JUNE A Country Night in Nashville  Nottingham Playhouse £29.50-£33.50 Smoke  Nottingham Playhouse Believe Academy: A Cinderella Story  Mansfield Palace Theatre Summer Open Studios  Long Eaton Art Room Free, 10am-4pm Pinhole Camera Workshop  Clifton Library 10.20am-12pm

Slur Fest Fisher Gate Point and The Carousel £10-£15, 2.30pm-11pm If you’re someone of an alternative or creative inclination who is looking for their crowd in Notts, you’re unlikely to find many opportunities quite like this one.

Slur Fest is a day-long, ‘choose your own adventure style’ music festival, spanning two of the city centre’s most exciting, asgrassroots-as-you-can-get music and arts venues: The Carousel and Fisher Gate Point. There’s some very cool bands lined up to play, including Possum Kid, who make slow and dreamy folk-tinged rock, Izzie Drizzle, a ‘gothic post-rap’ artist, and well-loved local pop punk outfit Gender Envy. Head along to cut loose and enjoy some experimental, self-affirming music.

Garage Republic  The Nest £20-£22.50, 2pm-12am Whatever Oasis, Happy Mondaze, Laid James Tribute  The Big Shed £18, 3pm-9pm Absolute Amy  Ghost £12.50-£17.50, 6pm-10pm Hang Massive  Rescue Rooms £28, 6.30pm England Eruptors Vs Stuttgart Stallions  Motorpoint Arena 6.30pm

Free to list, add your event at notts.com

These listings are pulled from notts.com — list your event for free and be in the running for print here, the itsinnottingham app, and leftlion.co.uk 48 leftlion.co.uk

The Night Sky Show  Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall 6.30pm Dave Lewis’ 1Up  Peggy's Skylight £20, 6.45pm-8pm Archy and the Astronauts  The Bodega £10, 7pm Stop, Stop!  Billy Bootleggers £10, 7pm Kee  Mist Rolling Inn £8, 7pm Venom & Virtue  The Whistle & Flute £9.99, 7pm-11pm The Anna Howie Band with Electric Blue Yonder  Angel Microbrewery & The Chapel £12.50-£15, 7.30pm Tenebrous Liar, Drift & Richard Warren 

By Our Hands We Make Our Way £7-£10, 7.30pm-11pm Done to Death, By Jove!  Bonington Theatre & Cinema £12.50, 7.30pm

The Garage Market  The Garage Flöat EP Release & Songwriting Workshop  The Grove £10-£15, 1pm Ade Anifowose Quartet & Kai Kinsley Trio  Peggy's Skylight £8-£11, 7pm-9pm

MONDAY 22 JUNE Arooj Aftab with London Contemporary Orchestra conducted by Robert Ames  Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall 7.30pm Accidental Death of An Anarchist  Lace Market Theatre 7.30pm Runs until: Saturday 27 June

TUESDAY 23 JUNE The Spy Who Came in From the Cold  Theatre Royal &Royal Concert Hall An Evening with Peter F. Hamilton  Waterstones £5-£29, 6.30pm

Strictly 90's The Gold Era Father's Day Edition  The Mixologist £7, 9pm-2am

SUNDAY 21 JUNE

Fête de la Musique  French Living Free, 3pm French Living is a family-owned restaurant on King Street, which has been serving up delicious cuisine from all parts of French culture since 1994. This month they’re hosting a new event marking the Fête de la Musique, an annual celebration of music, spontaneity, and collaboration, which since 1982 has happened every year across France. This will be a great opportunity to enjoy one of the city centre’s most welcoming restaurants in a whole new way, with tables moved to make space for dancing. Entry is free and hopefully there’ll be some suitably French style warm weather that evening too.

50 leftlion.co.uk

An Imagined World  Nottingham Playhouse £6.50 Sip and Sounds with Steve Turner (Groucho's Bar)  Mansfield Palace Theatre The Big Lunchtime Quiz  Revolucion de Cuba £12-£22, 1pm-3pm

Lily Allen is a legend of British pop, and this month she’s coming to Notts and performing at Nottingham Arena as part of an arena tour promoting her latest album West End Girl. This tour follows a set of UK theatre shows in March which instantly sold out. In a nutshell, these shows are very bold, honest, and for some controversial artistic statements that see Allen interrogate the failed marriage with actor David Harbour which the album is about, while alternating between music genres and theatrical devices. This should be a great one for any fans of her stuff.

Contested Commons, protest in Britain with Katrina Navickas  Five Leaves Bookshop £0-£20, 7pm-8.30pm Non Canon  The Grove £10, 7pm Write Night  The Malt Cross £5-£10, 7pm-8.30pm Loose Goose Improv Jam  Fisher Gate Point Free, 8pm-10pm

Bryony Kimmings: Bog Witch  Nottingham Playhouse £29.50

Interstellar Audio: Transmissions  Angel Microbrewery & The Chapel Free, 8pm-1am

The Garage Street Food Club  The Garage

FRIDAY 26 JUNE The Greatest Hits of Motown  Nottingham Playhouse £36 That’s Not My Name  Nottingham Playhouse £15

Glare & Glixen & Midrift  The Bodega £19.50, 7pm

Comedy Club - Live at The Garage  The Garage

Andie & Isobel Knight  The Grove £10, 7pm

The Rod Stewart Songbook  Mansfield Palace Theatre

ALBO(a)E - A little Bit Of (almost) Everything 

By Our Hands We Make Our Way 7.30pm-10.30pm

THURSDAY 25 JUNE The Event  Nottingham Playhouse £6

Queen of the Night: A Tribute to Whitney Houston  Mansfield Palace Theatre Lily Allen  Motorpoint Arena Nottingham 7pm

Full Blast All Stars  The Grove £7.50, 7pm

Mark Edwards in Conversation with K.L. Slater  Waterstones £5-£21, 6.30pm

To Be  Nottingham Playhouse £6

Gladrags: Official Notts Trans Pride Afterparty  Rough Trade £14.17, 8pm Strictly Reggae Revival Clash  Lace Bar £10, 8pm-2am

WEDNESDAY 24 JUNE

Crime Club Repeat: Victorian…  The National Justice Museum

Hidden Food Tour  Tough Mary's Bakehouse £85, 10am

Improv Fundamentals Course  The Malt Cross £105-£125, 11am

Boiler Room: Overmono  Colwick Country Park £10-£45, 3pm-11pm

Miss Imp are a welcoming and very well-established improvised comedy group in Nottingham, who really know their stuff.

This month, over the course of a weekend, they’re providing a comprehensive introduction to improv theatre, in the grand and cosy surroundings of St James’ Street’s Malt Cross. Attendees will experience an excellent rundown of the skills needed for this fun art form, including stagecraft, active listening, teamwork, and the well known principle: ‘yes and’. Even if you’ve never thought of yourself as a stage performer, we’d still very much recommend this, as it’s a workshop specifically aimed at people of all skill and experience levels.

Dusty 4 Track Fisher Gate Point 6pm

Summmer in Bloom  Nottingham Playhouse £6.50, 11am

The Bad Day: The BD Horns  Peggy's Skylight £18, 6.45pm-8pm

Robin Hood & his Animal Friends  Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall 11am

Matisse - Exhbition on Screen  Mansfield Palace Theatre Death Cult Electric  JT Soar £10 Nottingham Cocktail Week  Various Venues Runs until: Sunday 5 July Late Night Lindy  Fisher Gate Point £5-£7, 7.30am-11.55am

bUTTONpUSHER: Death Cult Electric, EveryHell & Maebe  JT Soar £10-£12, 7pm-11pm Les Liaisons Dangereuses  Arc Cinema (Beeston) £15.95-£17.95, 7pm

Rivia and guests  The Grove £10, 7pm-11pm

The National Theatre Live presents a new production of Les Liaisons Dangereuses, which was first staged in 1985. Based on an 18th century novel, the story is set in the salons of the corrupt French super rich, and follows a destructive rivalry between two less than savoury characters, a marquise and a viscount. The starring actors are Lesley Manville, who was in Phantom Thread, and Aidan Turner, who starred in the famous BBC TV series Poldark. It’s obviously filmed live from the London stage, and the comfortable, stylish facilities of the Arc Cinema in Beeston are perfect for enjoying some top tier British drama like this.

Rumours of Fleetwood Mac  Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall 7.30pm

Nottingham Puppet Festival  Various Locations 12pm

Phases Presents: Parea  Calluna £4, 8pm-3am

This month will mark the fourth (non-consecutive) year of Nottingham Puppet Festival, and if you’re yet to experience it, you’re guaranteed a very memorable time. Between Saturday 27 June and Sunday 5 July streets, local libraries, community centres, cinemas, and theatres will come alive with puppets of all shapes and sizes. There are both ticketed events, and spectacles which you can see for free. It’s going to be a great day, with some lovely local creatives who care a lot about local arts and culture involved, along with some hugely skilled artists and makers from further afield.

Runs until: Sunday 5 July

Fiction Book Group reads: Beloved by Toni Morrison  Five Leaves Bookshop Free, 7pm-8.30pm

Rewind Friday  Beeston Social Free-£5, 9pm-2am Captain Bass B2B Toxinate  Secret Vault £6-£8, 10.30pm-3.30am

SATURDAY 27 JUNE A Luncheon Meat on The Blue Danube  Nottingham Playhouse £15

BAND DRUMS: JAMIE SYKES

KEYBOARD: LUCAS WALTERS

GUITAR: MARTIN PEARCE

SUPPORTING ACT BY

SERENA JASMINE NEW ART EXCHANGE 3 JULY FROM 7PM-10PM TICKETS

£5 (DRINK INCLUDED) HOSTED IN

OUR MAIN GALLERY

AN EXHIBITION FEATURING ARTWORK FROM OVER 40 ARTISTS, THIS EVENING BRINGS MUSIC AND ART TOGETHER FOR AN IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE. SCAN FOR TICKETS:

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Mel Fest: Supporting the Melissa Grace Hatton Children's Foundation  Whiteborough Farm £0-£20, 1pm-8pm Rum & Reggae Fest 2026  Colwick Country Park £8-£60, 1pm-11pm Cat Patrol Fundraiser 2  The Grove £9-£15, 1.30pm

GirlyPop Fest  Colwick Country Park £7.20-£39, 12pm-5pm Brown Paper Puppet Workshop  Nottingham Playhouse £5, 2pm Slavic Masterpieces: Nottingham Philharmonic Orchestra  The Albert Hall Adult Puppet Workshop  Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall

Radfest  The Recreation Ground Free-£37.60, 2.30pm-9pm

The March Violets  The Bodega £15, 7pm

Metal to the Masses Final  Saltbox Bar £10, 2.30pm

Cheap Dirty Horse  The Grove £10, 7pm

RnBland - Summer Rnb Day Party  The Mixologist £12.50, 4pm-10pm

Elkie Brooks: The Long Farewell Tour  Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall £39-£47, 7.30pm

Raging Speedhorn  Rock City £17, 6.30pm

MONDAY 29 JUNE

Music of The Lord of The Rings.

Tribute to Howard Shore  St Mary's Church (Lace Market) £23-£38, 7pm-8.45pm

Andrew Sean Greer  Waterstones £5-£21, 6.30pm

Scottish Falsetto Sock Puppets  Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall 8pm KittyArama Av Show  The Malt Cross 8pm

SUNDAY 28 JUNE Vanessa Jay's School of Dance presents By Special Request  Mansfield Palace Theatre The Garage Market  The Garage Sock Puppet Workshop  Nottingham Playhouse £5, 10am Childrens Puppet Workshop  Theatre Royal &Royal Concert Hall 10am Long Nose Puppets: Flyaway Katie  Lakeside Arts £10.50-£11, 11am-11.50am

The Sex Lives of Puppets  Theatre Royal and Royal Concert Hall 8pm This intriguing and very funny show will be part of the Nottingham Puppet Festival 2026, and it comes to Notts fresh from two tours in the US and Denmark. Created by the Blind Summit Theatre, a London based company, the show is inspired by the National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles, and it uses puppetry to present some humorous, tender, and often very chaotic comedy sketches about modern intimacy, portraying the variety of quirks that we have in that less talked about part of our lives. It’s obviously 18+.

Irish Group Discusses The Time of the Child by Niall Williams  Five Leaves Bookshop Free, 7pm-8.30pm

TUESDAY 30 JUNE Watercolour Workshop  Pippley Walled Garden £60, 10am-3pm Big Bike Reviva: Family fix-along  Nottingham Bikeworks Free, 10.30am-2.30pm

The Dirty Nil  The Bodega £21, 7pm-11pm

Mardy Bum  Billy Bootleggers Free, 10pm-3am

Dandelions summer poetry, with Amy Acre  Five Leaves Bookshop £3-£5, 7pm-8.30pm

FRIDAYS

WEEKLY MONDAYS

This show tells the story of the band Franki Valli and the Four Seasons, who made their name in the 60s, and in 1990 joined the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

October last year also marked the 20th anniversary of this play's first performance, so there’s never been a better time to see it than right now. This production features the songs the band are best known for, including Can’t Take My Eyes Off You and December 1963 (Oh What A Night), plus a stellar cast including Luke Baker, who’s had leading roles in Everyone’s Talking About Jamie and Billy Elliot, plus Ellis Kirk, who starred in Dear Evan Hansen .

Heritage Talk: Queer Nottingham  Beeston Library £3.50, 6pm-7pm Binks Terrace Games Night  Binks Yard £5, 6pm Little Barrie: Live and Signing Rough Trade £21.01, 6pm Mike Brooks in Conversation with John French  Waterstones £5-£14, 6.30pm

Fandom Fridays  Rescue Rooms £4-£8, 10pm

The Big Quiz  The Malt Cross 7.30pm

Get Lucky  Rock City £0-£5, 10pm

TUESDAYS

Live DJs  The Angel Microbrewery & The Chapel Free, 8pm

Bod FM  The Bodega Free, 10pm Jersey Boys  Theatre Royal and Royal Concert Hall £15-£62.50, 2pm

The Pop Confessional  The Bodega 11pm-3am

WEDNESDAYS Indie Wednesdays  The Bodega £5, 11pm-3am Adult Steel Pan Class  Fisher Gate Point £5, 8pm-10pm The Lion Pub Quiz  The Lion at Basford £1, 8pm Billy’s Bandy Wandy  Billy Bootleggers Free, 11pm-3am

THURSDAYS Tuned  Rock City £0-£5, 10pm Analogue  The Bodega Free, 9pm Get A Wiggle On  Fisher Gate Point Free, 5pm-6.30pm Nottingham Thursday Board Game Socials  Games Haven £7.50, 6pm-10.30pm Quiz Night  Beacon Hill Free, 8pm-10pm

s t o l s ’ g e r n i e s th t be mis h g i m m o u c . yo at notts

Nottingham Kill Team Club  Games Haven £7.50, 6pm-10pm The Goodness  Billy Bootleggers Free, 4pm-3am

SATURDAYS Live DJs  The Angel Microbrewery & The Chapel Free, 8pm Rebel Rebel  Rock City £5-£6, 11pm-3am Shameless  The Bodega £6, 11pm-3am Ink. - Saturdays  Ink Nottingham £5-£10, 10.30pm-3.30am Laundromat (Daytime Party)  Das Kino Free, 2pm Romance Saturdays  Rescue Rooms £0-£5, 10pm

SUNDAYS Billy’s Smash Hits  Billy Bootleggers Free, 11pm-3am

Whatever you’re into, find it first at notts.com

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O R H T TR U

LEG END?

Unpicking Nottingham's Weird History The Case of the Cheese Riots words: Matthew Blaney

illustration: Lily Keogh words: Natalie Braber (Professor of Linguistics at NTU)

Toilet Humour

in the Something made you laugh ps to qui st nie fun r you lavs? Send editorial@leftlion.co.uk

Nottsword Down 1. Sweet Hockley cafe bar, goes great on toast (7) 3. This Sneinton pub is the GOAT (4, 5) 4. Market Square row of buildings is just fowl (7) 7. Contemporary cafe is a real mix (5)

Across 2. Why, why, why does this city centre deli have such delicious food? (7) 4. Time for goths to descend on Poe’s pub (3, 3, 8) 5. Powerpuff Girls villain and late night karaoke spot (4) 6. Maid Marian Way restaurant is 4550 miles from this city (5) 8. Lennon and McCartney would love this arcade and cocktail bar (5, 4)

Without trying to sound like too much of a broken record or a grandparent who yearns for the good ol’ days (when 99p flakes were sold at face value) it’s clear that things have gotten slightly more expensive over time. With Nando’s on a steady trajectory to becoming a fine dining experience and Apple making up monthly payments where they see fit, our money really doesn’t go as far as it used to. Yet whilst these financial pressures can leave a sour taste in our mouths when buying almost anything, I highly doubt anything compares to the way in which Nottingham locals reacted to the increased price of a certain wheelshaped dairy product in 1766.

England at the time was plagued with bad weather, which meant that food harvests suffered leading to mass food shortages across the country. With a lack of grain for farmers to feed their livestock, this meant a reduced amount of animal produce was available.

Unfortunately, when there is a reduced supply of a certain good, prices tend to rise.

Historians described the population of Notts as a highly combustible populus, which essentially means rough as houses.

Now when you combine a lairy population with a dairy drought, things can ironically get a bit tasty.

At the annual Goose Fair, held back in those days in the Old Market Square, cheese stalls sold fifty kilo wheels of cheese at 36 shillings (£180 in today’s money). This new price was double the price of cheese wheels being sold in Coventry which meant locals were priced out. As a group of merchants from Lincolnshire attempted to leave with a carriage full of brie, a group of ‘rude lads’ approached the merchants and demanded they spread the cheddar amongst the residents. When they refused, all hell broke loose.

Whilst the merchants were getting their heads filled in, women and children began to fleece the carriage of feta. Due to their sheer size and weight, the only plausible way of transporting the wheels was to roll them along the streets.

The Mayor of Notts, Robbie Swann,

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stepped in to disarm the brie bandits but unfortunately for Mr Swann, he was pummelled by an oncoming brigade of rogue cheese wheels. He rose to his feet and retreated to his home where he sent a messenger to Derby to call in the army.

Prior to their arrival, local authorities arrested the ‘rude lads’ and held them in a coffee shop.

The lack-of-cheese-fuelled mob caught wind of their arrest (due to their lingering stench) and began breaking windows and pavements to the sound of Limp Bizkit’s Break Stuff. If you listen to the tune whilst reading this article, it completely changes the meaning of the song.

The authorities had no choice but to release the turophiles.

Unfortunately, the riots continued for a total of five days. When the cavalry regiment arrived from Derby, they began opening fire on the rioters leaving many injured, and fatally wounding one farmer. Mr William Eggleston was the only victim of dairy-related violence which is rather tragic given his familiar association with another round shaped dairy product. Eggleston was mistaken for a rioter and shot as he was protecting his own pile of queso.

The riots continued outside of the city centre as a warehouse and cargo ship were both looted.

Hungry for Taleggio, a small number of rioters headed towards Trent Bridge to burn down a windmill. Fortunately, one of the cheese aficionados remembered he had some Red Leicester and crackers back home. The rioters put down their pitchforks and went for a picnic to calm their nerves.

On the final day of the riots, wagon-loads of cheese were sent out of the city under armed escort to prevent further chaos and de-brie.

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