LeftLion May Issue 195

#195 MAY 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)

Ecologic-Al 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...

Maypoles Matt Blaney

Distribution Dom Martinovs

thanks to all our contributors...

Cover art Heather Hodkinson Editorial Interns Katie Thompson Freya Peters Writers Kieran Lister Max Christian Rachel Imms Claire Spencer Hongwei Bao Natalie Braber

Iulia Matei Lewis Oxley Danielle Boaler Marta Tavares Nadia Whittome Photographers NottinghamNinja Dan Lord Paul Hampartsoumian Camilla Greenwell Femme Fatale Akram Huseyn

Nick Fewings Jade Martyn Pete McKee Nigel King Rae Dowling Anne Elcock Amy Humphreys Phil Howcroft John Ashton Claire Kerry Jon Robson Tom Platinum Morley

Liam Maxwell Lux Gagos Illustrators Lily Keogh Emily Catherine John Ashton Tom Camp Nevaeha Yearwood Veronica Nilsson Iulia Matei Amy Bunting

Freya Peters is a trainee journalist based in Sneinton, just a stone’s throw from the LeftLion offices. She loves telling human stories in her writing. As a kayak athlete, she finds the sporting world rich with stories of connection, resilience and self discovery. Freya is passionate about art, comedy and the local histories hidden in the city’s architecture. She has a background in geography and the charity sector, having worked in a refugee charity before her current role at Paddle UK.

Supporters These people #SupportLeftLion 123 Learning, 35A Creative, Aaron Murray, Alan Underwood, Alex McFarlane, Alison Gove-Humphries, Alison Hedley, Alison Knox, Anamenti, Andrew Button, Audrey & Lizzy & Margot, Ash A & Merro Events, BadGrammar MakesMeSic, Barbara Morgan, Ben Martin Saxophone, Ben Stewart, Beth and Cam, Big Bob McPlop, Carl Inglis, Caroline, Caroline Le Sueur, Cat Kearney, Cerys Gibson, Charlie Baylis, Chris Jarvis, Chris Underwood, Claire Foss, Clare Foyle, Cyra Golijani-Moghaddam, Dan Hemmings, Daniel Ison Jones, David Belbin, David Keyworth, David Knight, Dominic Morrow, Donna Rowe-Merriman, Eden PR, Ellie, Erika Diaz Petersen, F C and E Ledger, GC, Gemma Barfoot, Grant Butterworth, Grass Roots Garden Care, Graye Wilde, Half Moon Holistics, Harry Turner, Hayley Howard, Holden Johnson, Holly's Merry Moggies, Ian Carroll, Ian Phillips, Ian Storey, Ian Yanson, Ian Webster, Jack Moore, James Horsley, James Place, James Verran, Janine Lees, Jason Clifford, Jean Forsey, John Dunstan, John Haslam, John Hess, John Holmes, John & Jackie Scruton, Jonathan Day, Jon Roberts, Joshua Heathcote, Judy Gray, Julian Bower, Julian McDougall, Justyn Roberts, K, Katy Marshall, Kay Gilby, Kaye Brennan, Kelly Scott, Kiki Dee the Cat, Lawrence Poole, Laura Wilson, Leigh Woosey, Lilian Greenwood, Livi & Jacob Nieri, Liz Hollier, Louise Duffield, Luke Richardshon, Lyn, Marc Weaver, Mark, Mark Barratt, Mark Dickson, Mark Jacobs, Martin Curtis, Mary, Matthew Riches & Justin Clark, MC, Mike & Margaret Astill, Mike Carter, Mike Cole, Miri Debah, Monica White, Nic, Nick Palmer, Nigel Cooke, Nigel King, NottingJam Orchestra, Paul, Paul Boast, Peachy Ground Designs, Pearl Quick, Pete Nash, Philip Renshaw, Rachel Ayrton, Rachel Morton, Raphael Achache, RevJonn, Richard Donovan, Richard Epton, Richard Goodwin, Rob Arthur, Rob Maddison, Robert Wyles, Rose Harvey, Roy Manterfield, Ruby Rex and BB, Russell Brown, Ruth Hoyland, Saara Maqbool, Sam Fia, Sam Hudson, Sam Stiling, Sandra Pink, Sarah Colborne, Sarah Manton, Selectadisc, Shane P, Sheridan Chilvers, Simon Evans, Simon Malcolm, Tessa Duell, The Sparrows’ Nest, Tim, Tom and James, Tom Dee, Steve Benton, Steve Lyon, Steve Wallace, Sue Barsby, The Edgar Family, Tom Huggon, Tony Shelley, Tracey Newton, Vanessa Shaw, Wayne Norrie, Will Horton.

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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

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contents

Golden Era

12

Ahead of their Rescue Rooms headline show this month, electronic-rock duo, local sisters ALT BLK ERA talk about their journey into musical stardom.

17

Shared goals

Local football club Red Sea FC provides a welcoming found-family for refugees living in Nottingham. Founder Ezedin Osman talks about their shared journey of self-betterment.

33

Boo the bad guy

If you can imagine an off-the-wall movie event, Notts promoter Will Bailey probably imagined it first. He talks to us about providing unique cinematic entertainment in Notts.

15

Breakin’ Convention As breakdance festival Breakin’ Convention returns to the Theatre Royal and Concert Hall, its founder Jonzi D talks about pushing the boundaries of Hip Hop.

27

18

Sow good At the end of May, Notts city centre again celebrates our connection to nature for the Green Hustle festival. Festival co-director Adam Pickering, and other festival partners, talk about what to expect.

28 Artworks Iulia Matei is a regular contributing illustrator to LeftLion, and her latest

Out of Time Two hotels once stood on Derby Road, and have since been lost to time.

Here’s the odd roles that they played in Nottingham history.

the past 30 Processing Made over nine years, My Granny is Changing is a picture book intended as a

23 24

Festival season Can you feel it in the air? It’s time for big pints, big fields, and big speakers again. Here’s our guide to all the best festivals of this year held in-and-around Nottingham.

Editorial Greetings folks, and welcome to the May issue of LeftLion.

At last it feels like spring has sprung and begun to wash away the worries of winter.

I’m writing this on the other side of a lovely weekend, inadvertently centred around Sneinton Market – a pint in the King Billy beer garden, a wander around the buzzing Beltane Pagan Market, and to top it off a delightful gig at The Grove – all without wearing a coat!

In keeping with this salubrious vibe, we’ve got a fabulous selection of upbeat articles for you this month, celebrating and shining a light on some of the wonderful things happening in the city.

Along with a run down of all the music festivals happening around our fair county on p.24-25, we’ve got the lowdown on everything happening at Green Hustle festival at the end of the month. Taking over the Market Square for one day only will be a huge range of talks, workshops, music, activities and more – growing shoots of

Life on the farm Stonebridge City Farm is Nottingham’s only urban farm, welcoming as many as 160 volunteers each week. Their CEO, Rick Harrington talks about their role as a ‘third space’ and financial adversity.

project, PRF, is a dystopian graphic novel about punk rock fairies. She tells us more about it, plus her journey as an artist.

thematic tackling of dementia for children. Its creator, local artist Amy Bunting, tells the story behind the project.

31

Teenage Dream In Nottingham Forest’s dynamic youth division, seventeen-year-old, Northern Ireland-born midfielder Kalum Thompson is shining bright. He talks to us about his journey into pro football.

sustainability, community and celebration.

This is truly one of those events where Nottingham shines, and if you’ve ever thought about joining a community group you’re bound to find your clan here. Read more on p.18-19.

where's this?

"Abstract streets"

Elsewhere in this issue, I very much enjoyed reading about what some of our city’s creative movers and shakers are up to, from Iulia Matei’s graphic novel about punk rock fairies (p.28) and Amy Bunting’s touching picture book about her grandma’s dementia journey (p.30), and inspiring reflections on getting out and about from this month’s cover artist Heather Hodkinson (p.9).

As always, a big thank you to all of our talented writers, photographers and illustrators who help make this magazine a reality each month, and to our Patreon subscribers who help to keep us going.

Big love and see you on the other side of May.

Sophie Gargett

Last month: "A wander with Tumnus" Bromley House Library

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

Beth Rowley

June

November

FRI Omar 05

FRI Young Knives 13

SAT Nottingham 06 Poetry Festival

WED The Bracknall 25

presents Brian Bilston

FRI EXTC ‘This is Pop’ 12

FRI Moving Pictures 27 – Rush Tribute Band

September

What’s On 2026 May FRI Beth Rowley 08 WED BBC Introducing 13 in the East

FRI Nigel Planer: 25 Young Once

John Robb

October FRI The Rezillos 09 TUE The Long Ryders 13

Midlands

FRI NTU Big Band 15 Live with Dennis Rollins

Omar

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

WED NTU Arts 20 Showcase:

Myths, Monsters and Magic

SAT Pete McKee 23 exhibition +

The Everly Pregnant Brothers

SUN Dot To Dot 24 Festival 2026 FRI John Robb: 29 Punk Rock

Ruined my Life

Book tickets

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

@metronomenotts

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deal “Someone is going to …” ally Fin ! les tho po with

Pick Six

For this month’s Pick Six, we turn to political comedian and impressionist Matt Forde who brings his show Defying Calamity to the Theatre Royal on Sunday 31 May.

“How did she break both her legs?”

“She's always been a bit gobby”

"I've got to stop in doing headstands ." bs random pu

Derby Road The Strathdon… where’s it gone? We used to drink at the Boston Bean Company underneath. It was a nice hotel! We’ve seen it boarded up but we know nothing about it. They’ve ruined Derby Road now though, haven’t they? There used to be four lanes going out but now there’s only two. There’s too much pavement. If you go to the top of Mansfield Road, near St Andrew’s, you’ve only got four foot of pavement, but up Derby Road you’ve got about forty foot.

Stonebridge City Farm We used to deliver next door, which was charming, but we never saw any animals.

It’s like White Post Farm, you don’t see any animals there either. We don’t want anything massive like giraffes and we don’t want cows, they’re dangerous. They’re the biggest killer animal in the countryside. They can kill more people than anyone. They’ll squeeze you in and then trample you!

Festivals We don’t go to any, because one of us is allergic to wasps and one of us is allergic to colouring in food. So we don’t want any of that sort of business. And we can’t stand the summer. Well, we like the summer, but it’s too hot. The last time we stood for ages was to see the Pope in York. If there’s a strong wind the sound disappears. When the Heineken tent was on, which is now of course Splendour, Kirsty MacColl was there, and the stage was at the bottom where the pond is and the crowd was on the bank. That was acceptable.

Film The Goonies. This film has everything.

Secret treasure. Gangsters. Booby traps. And a one-eyed pirate whose name sounds like a euphemism for a penis. I still listen to the soundtrack for a bit of nostalgic escapism. That weird sensation when you came out of the cinema as a kid, feeling like you were in the film and not just some oik.

The Goonies made you want to take off on your bike and go exploring.

Although I never found any pirate treasure in Colwick Woods.

Personal hero Hanny Anwar – he is the surgeon who saved my life by operating on me in 2023. I’d been diagnosed with chordoma, a rare form of spinal cancer. Not only did he do a superb job of removing the base of my spine, he said something I’ll never forget. Explaining that my cancer has a very high recurrence rate, he told me that they treat patients with recurring cancer who live for decades. “So it’s not a death sentence?” I asked. “No more than life is,” he replied.

Notts Spot It’s got to be the City Ground. I was tempted to say Market Square or even my mum’s house. Possibly the chippy on Stoney Street. But come on – the City Ground is totally unique. You can still feel the spirit of Cloughie there.

As a kid it felt massive but compared to modern stadiums you realise how intimate it is. An evening game under the lights, the waft of chips and beer (and piss). Heaven.

Notts Pub The Dragon. If you drink ale, you’re often served a pint of something so disgusting that Severn Trent would tell you is perfectly clean drinking water. But not at The Dragon. They look after their beer and they have cobs on the bar. It’s a cosy, friendly place and they have DJs who play music that’s actually good. And isn’t so loud YOU HAVE TO SHOUT AND SPRAY YOUR COB EVERYWHERE. So thank God for that.

Album Be Here Now by Oasis. People slag it off for being overblown, overlong and a damned racket. They’re all the reasons I love it. It’s where Oasis had to go. Bigger, louder, more mental.

D’You Know What I Mean is pure agg, All Around the World is a sprawling brass section masterpiece and My Big Mouth is an unprovoked act of war on the eardrums. Stand By Me is so good even Halifax used it. What more do you want?

Sports team Nottingham Forest. Supporting Forest is chaos. Getting promoted back to the Premier League was the single most euphoric moment of my life. Getting back into Europe felt like we’d fully arrived back in our rightful place. Nothing compares to a matchday at the City Ground.

A few beers beforehand, Mull of Kintyre, watch Elliot Anderson be a genius, then off to The Dragon after.

YOOOOU REEEEEEDDDDS!

Q @mattfordecomedy leftlion.co.uk 7

Poets Corner City Symphony Gloomy sky casts over the grey city.

Red bricks glisten under orange streetlights.

Sodden cobblestones grin with their broken teeth.

Black bins laugh their guts out, proudly exhibiting pizza boxes, beer bottles, crisp packets, dated newspapers; a homeless hoodie here, a divorced white trainer there.

Cabinets of lights above.

Some windows open, airing happiness with the blast of disco music, the smell of cooked curry.

Some curtains drawn, keeping indoors mysterious sexual liaisons or fierce domestic rows.

There are also countless sleepless nights sitting by the shimmering screen.

Every day, I fall asleep to the refrain of the neighbour’s computer games and wake up at the beeping sound from bin lorries.

Hongwei Bao

nottinghampoetryfestival.com

Reasons to be Cheerful

words: Caradoc Gayer photo: Nick Fewing

Truly inspiring Cultural organisation Inspire: Culture, Learning and Libraries are this year celebrating their 10th birthday. Working on behalf of Nottinghamshire County Council, they’re a very hard working team in an era when libraries are sadly facing lots of adversity despite their importance. Throughout the year, Inspire delivers innumerable events, courses and activities this year helping people of all ages from across Nottinghamshire to read, learn, create, and connect with others. You can also find a copy of LeftLion magazine in every one of their libraries across Nottinghamshire.

Community action Local institution Emmanuel House Support Centre – a non-profit who work as a vital resource for people sleeping rough in Nottingham – recently put out a call, revealing that they needed to raise £75k to ensure they could purchase their building and ensure their immediate future. Within just a few days, the Nottingham community more than rose to the occasion, an achievement that should make us all proud, demonstrating that when it comes to shared community causes Nottingham really does excel.

Getting the spotlight Based on writer Paris Lees’ memoir about growing up Queer in Nottingham, What It Feels Like For A Girl was released via BBC Three in June last year, and received almost universal acclaim, becoming a big hit with audiences across the country. Wonderfully, it’s now been nominated for no less than five BAFTAs at the British Academy Television Awards, set to take place on 10 May – Best Limited Series, Best Writer, Best Leading Actor, Best Scripted Casting, and Most Memorable Moment (which is decided by public vote).

UNDERCOVER ARTIST Our Green Hustle festival-inspired May cover is the work of artist Heather Hodkinson who, as well as helping to shape the visual identity of Green Hustle, has lent her talents to promote lots of other green initiatives around Notts. She talks to us about her love of collage and why it’s important to get out and about.

Tell us a bit about yourself…

I’m an artist, nature lover, gardener, wannabe poet and climate activist, and I’ve been involved in community events across Nottingham since I moved here to study art thirteen years ago. I grew up in a little village in Spain and my family still live there, but Nottingham has felt like home from the moment I arrived. I found my people and so many creative opportunities in this city. I’m always inspired by what’s going on, and I love that I feel like I know everyone, while still meeting amazing new people every week.

What is the story behind the cover?

Green Hustle Festival is on 30 May! I have volunteered and worked with Green Hustle since it started five years ago. I love how it brings together so many different groups to celebrate community and climate action in the centre of the city. I wanted to evoke the feeling of the festival and give an insight into this year’s programme, which includes a community dining table and veg stalls at Old Market Square, Lego and poetry by the library, and the sports and gardening at Nottingham College. This year the theme is Sow Good, which inspired my little leafy characters – the Sprouts.

What inspires you as an artist?

I grew up with scrapbooks and collage, sticking and gluing school books and the inside of my wardrobe. I used to pack kitchen scissors on flights as a child because I had a deep desire to collage on the plane (sorry mum for all the scissors lost to airport security!). Even though I work mainly digitally now, that cut‑out, handmade style still shapes how I draw.

I’m really drawn to world‑building and storytelling in art. I love medieval art with flat and wonky characters, and old mappa mundis which map the world through folklore. I love art that has lots of hidden details and you could spend hours exploring it with your eyes, like pieces by Hieronymus Bosch or Grayson Perry.

I love playful illustrations with clever nods to societal stuff, like Notts mural artist FFWIH, and colourful wacky characters, like Bean Pig Puppets from Bristol.

And honestly, just spending time around other creatives at Green Hustle, coworking at the Carousel, or hanging out in Sneinton Market is what sparks ideas and pushes me to try new things.

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

This past year I’ve worked on a lovely variety of projects. I made a bunch of illustrations for a small ice bath company and a wellbeing organisation, creating little assets they can use across their websites and marketing. I made a Christmas Market Map for the venue Movers, and I started illustrating my journey learning horticulture at St Ann’s Allotments. Last month I turned two of my illustrations into screen prints for the Green Hustle Festival. Look out for them on banners and volunteer t-shirts at the event!

Outside of illustration I have also led creative workshops with young people for events like Light Night, Festival of Science and Curiosity, and Clifton Arts Festival. I love getting creative with young people because their ideas are always so wild, it inspires me to be more playful.

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

My top tip is to get out and get involved.

Nottingham has so much on, and a lot of it is free, or low‑cost. Open mic poetry nights, cosy gigs at The Grove, writing workshops, exhibition openings, even just wandering around looking at street art. Don’t feel you need to wait for someone to go with you, I go to loads of things on my own and they are very welcoming spaces.

Another big thing is letting yourself get bored.

Go for a walk in the woods without music or podcasts and just let your thoughts drift. I get so many ideas when I’m moving, whether that’s cycling, running or walking. And take a sketchbook with you, but with no pressure to use it. Messy books with bad handwriting and half‑formed sketches are the best.

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

Tove Jansson. She was a strong, independent woman, the creator of the Moomins, a writer, a painter and even a political cartoonist. She’s very inspired by nature too! I’d love to sit with her and ask about her world‑building and how my art can speak confidently about the things I believe in.

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

Support independents, keep the arts alive, and tell your friends that you love them!

Q @heatherhodkinsonart

leftlion.co.uk 9

Nadia on... jury trials words: Nadia Whittome photo: Lux Gagos

SELL TEXT: Labour MP for Nottingham East Nadia Whittome discusses the Government’s plans to remove the right for defendants to choose a jury trial.

In the early 13th century, in an effort to fund his expensive overseas wars, King John of England imposed taxes on his barons at a scale they had never seen before. When they couldn’t pay up, royal tax collectors showed little mercy, seizing their land and imprisoning them. Eventually, the barons demanded that he obey the law, and when he refused, they captured London in the summer of 1215 to force him to negotiate. The result of the negotiations is now known as the Magna Carta – the first document to put into writing the principle that the king and his government were not above the law. As well as addressing mandatory taxation and other issues, the Magna Carta enshrined in Clause 39 that “no free man shall be seized, imprisoned, dispossessed, outlawed, exiled or ruined in any way, nor in any way proceeded against, except by the lawful judgement of his peers and the law of the land.” This clause would ultimately give rise to the jury system, a right that has become a cornerstone of our democracy – and which the government is now seeking to restrict.

Last December, the Justice Secretary announced plans to remove the right for defendants to choose a jury trial for crimes carrying a likely sentence of up to three years and in cases that can be dealt with by either a magistrates’ court or a Crown Court. The government claims that this will reduce the backlog of cases in the Crown Courts, which in recent years has reached a record 80,000. When these proposals were presented to Parliament in the Courts and Tribunals Bill in March, I voted against them because I believe them to be fundamentally undemocratic and unjust, with dangerous consequences for people and our society.

It is undeniable that the courts’ backlog has created a crisis, with both complainants and defendants waiting far too long for justice to be served. We can only fix this

problem by addressing what caused it in the first place: long-term, systemic underfunding, which has led to court closures and buildings falling into disrepair; legal aid cuts; limits on how many days courts can sit; a critical shortage of qualified court interpreters; failures in prisoner transport provided by private contractors and a lack of capacity in the legal profession.

There has been widespread pushback against proposals to restrict jury trials as a solution to the courts’ backlog.

In March, more than 3,200 lawyers wrote to the Prime Minister to say there is no evidence that the plans will

Jury trials are a safeguard against the concentration of power. When this safeguard is removed, even for more “minor” offences, the risk of miscarriages of justice inevitably increases, undermining fairness and public trust in our criminal justice system solve unprecedented delays. Using the government’s own figures, the Institute for Government’s analysis predicts only 1.5-2.5% of crown court time will be saved through judge-only trials. More recently, Geoffrey Robertson KC, the founder of Keir Starmer’s barristers’ chambers, described the restriction of jury trials as a “betrayal of the values for which Labour purports to stand” and called the proposals a “cure worse than the disease”.

Jury trials are a safeguard against the concentration of power. When this safeguard is removed, even for more ‘minor’ offences, the risk of miscarriages of justice inevitably increases, undermining fairness and public trust in our criminal justice system. I also disagree with the framing of offences carrying three-year sentences as ‘minor’, when we’re talking about something as serious as depriving a person of their liberty. A wrongful conviction

and imprisonment can ruin a person’s life.

Judges and magistrates, however diligent, will have their own biases affecting their decisions and are not representative of the public at large. While members of a jury will also carry biases, collectively, these are more likely to be addressed. David Lammy’s own review into the criminal justice system found that jury trials were one of the few parts of the system that are statistically free from racial bias. As Tyrone Steele, the Deputy Legal Director at the cross-party charity Justice, writes in Tribune, “In an age when trust in institutions is brittle, the jury remains one of the few places where ordinary citizens can see, and shape, the law in action.”

I am also deeply troubled by the government’s instrumentalisation of victims of sexual violence to justify these proposals. 13,000 people are waiting for their cases to be heard, with many facing delays of several years.

Every single one of them deserves swift justice, but victims’ suffering must not be used to legitimise a reform that will not deliver this. In March, thirty organisations representing victims of violence against women and girls wrote to the Justice Secretary, urging him to drop the plans as they are “deeply concerned that the curtailment of jury trials risks unfair outcomes that undermine justice for everyone”. I was moved by Charlotte Nichols’ powerful speech in Parliament, where she spoke about her own experiences of the criminal justice system as a victim of rape and accused the government of using rape victims as a ‘cudgel’ to drive through changes that will not benefit them.

The courts’ backlog is a crisis that must urgently be addressed, but the government is proposing the wrong solution entirely. I welcome its decision to lift the cap on court sitting days; the announcement of a £92 million investment in criminal legal aid after years of Tory neglect; and the further £2.785 billion settlement for courts and tribunals for 2026/27. I also welcome the over £1 billion as part of the Violence Against Women and Girls strategy, allocated to victims of domestic abuse to access support and rebuild their lives.

However, the Law Society is clear that this investment

leftlion.co.uk 11

THE GOLDEN RA E interview: Sophie Gargett photo: Liam Maxwell

In 2022, sister duo and Notts natives Nyrobi and Chaya Becket-Messam emerged onto the local music scene as electronic-rock act ALT BLK ERA. Since then, they’ve gone from strength to strength, from winning a MOBO award in 2024 to touring late last year with drum and bass band Pendulum. It’s been a while since we’ve caught up with Nyrobi and Chaya, so they set aside time to walk us through their crazy journey to this point.

Last time we spoke, you were about to release your debut album Rave Immortal. How has life been since then? Any highlights?

Nyrobi: It’s been hectic in the best way. We’ve done so much, been to so many countries, and we’re really grateful.

Chaya: My highlight was definitely Jools Holland. It was our debut TV performance, and we used to watch Jools Holland so it felt very surreal.

Nyrobi: I feel like people wouldn’t expect this – when we started performing in Notts it was at Rough Trade, The Angel, and The Bodega – but when we announced that our May show would be at Rescue Rooms there was a feeling of accomplishment. It was the one stage we’ve never performed on, and we’ve seen some of our favourite bands there, so it felt like a level up moment.

Tell us a bit more about your early days singing together.

Is your family musical?

Chaya: In our house we’ve always had music on, so we’ve sung together for as long as I can remember. Our one chore when we were younger was to do the washing up. It was a twenty minute job, so we’d play karaoke and experiment with our voices and harmonies. We also got to know each other’s voices so well. It would take like three hours to get done but it was really productive.

Nyrobi: We didn’t realise it, but that would fundamentally make us better singers. When we’re singing live for instance, I’ll just get a feeling that Chay’s going to do a certain run and can join her on the harmony. It’s kind of freaky, but I just get a sensation.

You’ve released two singles this year – Tissues and Lost in the Back of my Mind – which, along with 2025’s Okay (Cyber Racing), will be on your next EP Our World – out 22 May. How do you feel your sound is evolving from Rave Immortal?

being rigid about it.

Tell us a bit more about that songwriting approach…

Nyrobi: Chaya is always going to be good at writing a melody. Unusually, we start with the first verse. I love a verse. But we don’t go into the studio to write – we write at home and figure out the overall vibe, and how we want the instruments to sound, so when we go to the studio we’re pretty much just recording.

Chaya: I think that whenever we go to a gig, we get inspired, and are up until 3am writing songs. But most of the time, it’s in our bedroom.

Nyrobi: Any time we come across someone creative – they don’t have to be musical – who really shines, owning their personality and vision – when you can feel the strength radiating off them – it doesn’t make us want to be like them, but to shine ourselves.

Any time we come across someone creative – they don’t have to be musical – who really shines, owning their personality and vision – when you can feel the strength radiating off them – it doesn’t make us want to be like them, but to shine ourselves Last year you toured with drum and bass legends Pendulum. What was it like to be in Europe, and on the bill with such a huge act?

Chaya: We’ve had people say we are like if girls did Pendulum. So when we got that email asking if we’d like to support we were just freaking out.

Chaya: We’re actually writing our second album, which is a continuation of Rave Immortal, but in this time period we wanted to release a little project that came about very authentically – about how we’re feeling about the state of the world.

Nyrobi: I think the best thing about the tour was the fans – they completely got us. There are quite a few people that maybe don’t get the genre-blend of rock and drum n’ bass, but we were going into rooms where thousands of people were instantly like, ‘Hell yeah. We know what you’re about, open the pit – let’s go’.

Nyrobi: Every song is like a stage of grief that we’ve covered in five tracks. It was really reactive. We have pushed ourselves genre-wise and sonically. We don’t really do an ALT BLK ERA style – we just go with the flow, instead of

Nyrobi, you talk quite openly about being a touring musician with a chronic health condition. Have you managed to prioritise your needs over the demands of your work?

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Nyrobi: I think the thing I’ve learnt the most is to rely on other people. On a personality level, I’m very much, ‘No I want to do it myself’. I’m hands-on – not someone who wants to watch other people unload the van when I’m thinking I’m super strong – I can help. But I’ve learnt I don’t have to feel ashamed or awkward. I’m really fortunate to have a team – the band, management and my sister. They go the extra mile to make sure I’m physically and emotionally okay, which is phenomenal.

On 30 May, you’ve got a Rescue Rooms show with St Agnes and Notts band Luna & The Limeslices. What made these acts your choice of support?

Nyrobi: I went to a Luna & The Limeslices show with our drummer. Chaya wasn’t with us, but from the first guitar strum I was like ‘Chaya would absolutely love this’. So I facetimed her and filmed it. It’s a grungy emo, indie vibe, but heavy as well. So I was excited that they were down to play.

Chaya: Nyrobi came home, and was like ‘Chaya, Luna & The Limeslices are so good’. And I said ‘Well we need them as a support then don’t we?’

Nottingham has such a blossoming music scene and if you dig a little bit there’s something for everyone. After playing big venues across the country, how does playing in Notts feel nowadays?

Nyrobi: It’s not just the artists, but also the Nottingham community. There’s a level of openness and willingness to listen to something that you might not typically listen to.

When we first came on the scene, the amount of people who came up to us and said, ‘I’m an 80s rock fan’, or ‘I only listen to dad rock but I love you guys’... I think we’ve thrived because of how encouraging the Nottingham scene has been.

Chaya: We haven’t performed in Nottingham for about a year. So playing here does feel different – like a homecoming.

Nyrobi: It can feel emotional. Seeing people in the audience who have seen you perform in front of five people and still show up just as excited – it’s almost like seeing old friends.

ALT BLK ERA plays at Rescue Rooms on Saturday 30 May. You can listen to an extended, podcast version of this interview at leftlion.co.uk.

Q @altblkera

Breakin' Free

ase interview: Reuben Moynihan-C | ian soum part Ham l photos: Pau le Camilla-Greenwell | Femme Fata

kin’ Convention p dance festival Brea Ho p Hi D, i nz Jo by d -class artists de tts - founders allFoun inging together world Br . th on m is brings Hip Hop to No th ll Ha t yoncé - and local Royal and Concer choreography for Be nd hi be e tiv ea returns to the Theatre cr ry studio, in a Blackstock – a visiona n Green’s Take1Dance so Hy to a gg Di h Ja such as Ivan Michael pushing rmer d spoken word perfo teed to be a boundary an an er ar pp gu ra ’s m at fro wh s of ice d vo g. Ahea t challenging music and storytellin Jonzi talks to us abou h, tc wa to s celebration of dance, rm fo t ar the most exciting celebration of one of ngs… t where Hip Hop belo preconceptions abou are you to bring back First question, just how excited ? ham ting Breakin’ Convention to Not always kills it! Notting ham Very excited because Notting ham developments of Hip Hop has been central to some of the ng. inni beg culture since the very ned Breakin’ Convention to In our previous chats you’ve like bringing Hip Hop into spaces – hy Notts’ Robin Hood philosop privileged. Does the idea still traditionally reserved for the y? toda guide breaking convention the concept of peace, love, It has changed a little bit because ething that I really want som unity and having fun is y, my take is that the atel ultim So to. e to subscrib who understand it, ple peo audience I expect are This .

Hop Hip love who is an opportunity for you to come to a space like this and get real Hip Hop culture and values. But equally, it's important that the people who don't know about Hip Hop culture can attend the events – so they can imagery that we get in demystify some of the negative we're countering that. the media; I'd like to think that ging the Talk to me more about challen re Hip Hop is whe and how of ing understand displayed… gs about Breakin’ I think one of the beautiful thin to present a lot ng tryi e we'r that is ion vent Con

t Hip Hop can be. I blame the more varied perceptions of wha ensional image of what it is. systems that present this one dim ion are able to show a lot vent Con kin’ Brea I think events like use it's not even like we’re beca more sides of what Hip Hop is, re are many sides… presenting ‘the other side’. The 's authenticity while presenting How do you preserve Hip Hop rily initially built for it? essa nec it on stages that weren't stion you are already assuming Interesting… by asking that que Hip Hop. I don’t think that’s that these stages aren't built for e built for dance, theatre, wer es plac e thes the case. I think ’ve been dominated by they music; all of these things. Yes, not to say they weren’t ’s that but s, form art l more classica think we’re doing exactly to like I g! built for what we are doin what these spaces are built for…

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I think one of the beautiful things about Breakin’ Convention is that we're trying to present a lot more varied perceptions of what Hip Hop can be for it.

tion change people’s sense Have you seen Breakin' Conven of possibility for the genre? ities that have typically Most definitely, I think commun being ‘real art’, these rily essa nec not been dismissed as able to discover their n bee communities and artists have creativity here at ue uniq own r thei in l voice and reve Breakin’ Convention! breaking conventions, and If your early years were about the next years about? building a platform, what are is a constant. Fundamentally I think that building a platform . I think we'll all continue form plat a is ion Breakin’ Convent essional development prof our developing our art, through and ‘Back To The ery’ Surg Art n ‘Ope ple, work, for exam people find ways help to d gne desi Lab’. These schemes are e. to use Hip Hop in the theatre spac cert Hall as a venue?

Con al What do you think of The Roy ly love The Royal Concert It’s absolutely spectacular! I real venues we come to, it’s the all Of . tiful beau it’s Hall. I think n we fill it out! whe py hap one of the biggest! I’m so tion translates in such How do you feel Breakin’ Conven sidering Hip Hop grew a classic old building ? And con s it leave you conscious doe , ions itut outside of these inst of protecting its originality? it perfectly! Hip Hop is Good question. I think it suits its cool. It’s like when or ness raw its g abou not losin , I do worry about the way ce’ dan people talk about ‘street about the form. How these terms create assumptions ets? I’m questioning stre the on t can Hip Hop only exis associate Hip Hop with that narrative! I think when we word that's been used a me beco it's be the ‘streets’ may al position in which soci to suggest something about the socio-economic its to e mor ks spea it ts; Hip Hop exis hic art. I think in grap of l leve association. This is a high the boundaries hing pus is ure cult Hop Hip that sense, the universe! claim to us t wan I . and the potential of this Royal concert Hall on Breakin’ Convention comes to the start from £11 and are ets Friday 15 - Saturday 16 May. Tick k. .co.u trch available on at breakinconvention.com leftlion.co.uk 15

Shared Goals words: Freya Peters illustration: Veronica Nilsson

Red Sea FC are a hardworking local football team. Founded in 2019, they provide a welcoming found-family and shared cause for refugees living in Nottingham. Freya Peters heads to the Forest Rec to meet founder Ezedin Osman to find out what motivates him and how the players are finding community far away from home…

It’s a crisp Sunday morning. Football boots slide across the astroturf at the Forest Recreation Ground. Shouts in Arabic, Trigrinya, and English fill the air. I am here to watch the training session of a football club with a difference, and to meet a man with a vision.

Red Sea FC was founded by Ezedin Osman, the recent men's football ‘Coach of the Year’ at the Nottinghamshire FA Grassroots Football Awards.

Ezedin founded the team in 2019 to deliver a positive message about refugees and asylum seekers, while providing a space for them to feel at home and make friends in an unfamiliar place. He aimed to create the kind of support network he wished had been available to him when, ten years ago, he came to the UK, as a refugee from Eritrea.

The club’s motto is ‘home away from home’, reflecting Ezedin’s hopes that it will combat the isolation that comes with being forced to flee your homeland.

“I think having this environment is really good,” he says.

“It means a lot for the newcomers. Imagine them leaving their families, people that they love, their parents. When they come here, when they find somebody from their place, somebody who speaks their language – they feel like they belong somewhere, so that loneliness will be gone” The players echo that sentiment. “The community is very nice, and the atmosphere, the vibes, everything. I really like it so much,” says Sudanese striker Hussein Muhammed. “It's refreshing to be here among people from my country, and of course the British people”

Last season, Ezedin coached and managed the team through a successful run in the local league. This season, they are taking a break from the league to focus on becoming financially self-sufficient, but the team is still undefeated so far in their friendly matches. Ezedin has earned respect, not just from Nottinghamshire FA, but also from his players. Sudanese striker Saif Musa describes Ezedin as his “role model” and midfielder Abdulah Musa says “He's a good man. He's helped people a lot”.

Managing the team is a far cry from Ezedin’s corporate day job as project manager. However, he feels that some of the skills carry over: “It's something like my hobby to bring people together. Coaching is not even my thing. I'm not even into football. I don't even watch football, but, because I'm a project manager, I have the ability to bring people together and I have the ability to organize people.”

These guys came here not just to have fun, or to enjoy the UK weather. They came here because they were forced to, but they can contribute

The camaraderie among the players is palpable. They are laughing, celebrating each other’s goals, and the only time anybody seems to stop running is to check on fellow team members who have slipped.

“This is quite an important thing to me,” he continues.

“Refugees, asylum seekers – I speak for their voice. We are saying by action that we are here, we can contribute, we can do something, we can be part of this environment.

These guys came here not just to have fun, or to enjoy the UK weather. They came here because they were forced to, but they can contribute. And they are quite young people that have a future ahead of them. They are all into full time jobs now.”

When Ezedin founded this team in 2019 there were only eight players. There are now more than seventy – the number attending training sessions each week is restricted by the capacity of the pitch, rather than the number of players available.

Last season the team was sponsored by the charity Refugee Roots. Now that momentum is growing, Ezedin has plans to become self-sufficient – something he views as essential in resisting narratives that refugees are here to take advantage of the system.

“We need to create an environment where we can generate our own incomes and we don't have to depend on any external body, because we want to show that we can depend on ourselves,” he says. “We don't want to be a burden on the system or a burden on people, so we just want to be self-reliant. That's why the guys are getting into full-time jobs and I’m asking them to contribute on a regular basis.”

“So I think the narrative at the moment, or the understanding that people have, is these guys coming to this country just want to depend on the system – live on benefits with the mindset that we always wait for handouts.

We want to create an impression that we don’t want handouts. We want an environment where we can progress, develop, and depend on ourselves. So whoever wants to support us, they can show us the path and the way.”

The message is pertinent, as the far right continue to stoke fear and spread misinformation about refugees. The dangers of this rhetoric are not lost on Ezedin.

“I think now the environment is quite hostile to be honest – for no reason at all. These guys are not culprits, they are not murderers, they just fled their home countries, war and conflict. All they want here is peace of mind – freedom to live, study, live their dreams, work and support their families.” He hopes that football can spread a message of inclusion to the local community. “Whether you like it or not, we are here, but we don't want to be a burden to the system.”

Ezedin has big plans for the future of Red Sea FC. As the club continues to grow, he wants to look towards securing corporate sponsorship rather than rely on charity support.

He’d like to turn the club into an academy and welcome in the wider migrant community in Nottingham, as well as locals born here. He wants the football club to become “a place where an English guy comes to and feels at home and feels that he belongs. A place where a migrant comes here and finds somebody who speaks their language, or behaves in the way that they do back home.”

Q @redseaclub_notts leftlion.co.uk 17

words: Adam Pickering photos: Tom Platinum Morley

After five joyous, community-celebrating and grassroots action-galvanising Green Hustle Festivals, the team behind the event are this month putting on the most expansive and exploratory edition yet. With the theme of ‘Sow Good’, Green Hustle CIC Co-Director and LeftLion Environment Editor Adam Pickering guides us through how the crew hopes to seed a sustainable and thriving Notts through creativity, inclusion and inspiration.

In the grand twenty-year tradition of the Hustle Collective (we started Hockley Hustle in 2006!), we’ve gone and got another festival on our hands. On Saturday 30 May Green Hustle Festival returns under the seedinspired theme of Sow Good, where you can expect food, gardening, music, performance, circus, literature, sport, fashion, community, and much more (no, really).

You could call it a festival of life – the things we do, and how we can do them better when we get together. It’s a feast for everyone, with pay-as-you-feel food and drink on offer at our main Old Market Square community kitchen, and completely free activities. It’s also designed with accessibility in mind, featuring level access sites set on a wheelable route around the city.

Firstly, why are we theming it Sow Good? Because it’s all about seeds – a million mini revolutions and what we can achieve when we nurture our own and others’ potential… If a seed’s a start, and we’re here to make an impact and make our community stronger, then our festival’s a whole packet of potential. And you’re in it, innit.

Before (and after) the big day..

Green Hustle Festival comes around just once a year, but we’re at it year-round, supported by many hundreds of volunteers over the last six years. Collectively we’ve planted 10,000 local trees, like the now skyfaring 1,000 tree Hustle Holt Miyawaki Forest at Woodthorpe Park,

What people are saying...

18 leftlion.co.uk

or the over 5,000 tree Aspley People’s Forest. We’ve also picked a lorry-load of litter and done fancy creative and planty things at our Wilford Street Wildlife Ramp.

The whole festival was co-created with our brilliant partners It’s In Nottingham, Experian, E.ON Next, Savoy Systems, Nottingham College, and Nottingham City Council, via walkshops and pop-ups at Hockley Hustle and Young Hustlers last October. From all these inputs, we developed the theme of ‘Sow Good’ and invited open applications for activities – we’ve just about managed to cram all of them in!

It takes a city to make it, and there are loads of opportunities to get involved in creating the festival with us in May. You can get crafty with our decor team 5-8pm at the People's Hall on May 14 and 23, and Tuesdays at Fishergate Point May 5, 19 and 26. Or, you could help stitch together our Slow Fashion catwalk upcycling sessions, whilst learning to repair and glow up your own wardrobe, at 5-9pm at Fisher Gate Point on 5, 14, 19, and 26 May. All occasions are free to join.

At the Festival: Sow Good on Saturday 30 May… After five previous Green Hustle Festivals, starting online in 2020 and moving up through Sneinton Market Avenues and the square, we wanted to switch this one up and explore even more of the city – especially all the nice new green bits near the train station. So we’re spreading out – shift over duck. Here’s where you’ll find us.

You could call it a festival of life – the things we do, and how we can do them better when we get together

For me, this is what it’s all about - people coming together, sharing skills, supporting one another and creating something real. We are not just cooking meals, we are building connection, confidence and hope.

Adam Pickering - Festival co-director

Mutsa Makaka - Shifting Your Mindset

Old Market Square Still our main squeeze, slab square’s going to look a lot less slabby on 30 May. Food (growing and eating), slow fashion and family fun is the vibe.

Expect a very long dining table for everyone to gather round, fantastic creative installations, circus, puppets, plenty of crafty activities, and a lot of green things to see, do and learn. We’re bringing new life to the fountain where there’ll be a huge live art billboard, a pop-up forest school from Woodland Trust, and the Sherwood Forest Trust. There’s also a bespoke garden

by GrowNotts, populated by pro propagators from local community gardens It’s all about getting together, sowing, growing and sharing the good stuff – there’ll be pay-as-you-feel food at the Community Kitchen served by Shifting Your Mindset and DISHED, a new refreshments stall coming from the wonderful Pulp Friction, a lot of nice foody treats to buy like Veggies and Abeyo Ethiopia, and locally made goodies.

There’ll be a brand new ‘geodome’, where you can get stuck into science, learning and wellbeing activities.

Alternatively, you can get creative alongside our Listen Inn and Action Cafe, where you’ll find a tonne of local groups you can get involved with – such as getting yourself a damn good listening to with Resolve Notts.

Of course, we’ll also host all the big local nature and community action crews you’d expect, including Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust, Green Guardians, Clean Champions, and more. There’ll also be plenty of artists, musicians and creatives sharing their talent.

Sussex Street, Nottingham Central Library, The Green Heart and beyond You might think that’s plenty to get your teeth into – it’s not even the half of it. We’re sprout‘n’ about town, creating a whole tour of the city’s finest new green spaces with lots of fun popping up along the route.

Sussex Street, Nottingham College, or the Tramline

spot – the area’s so new it doesn’t really have a welltrodden name – will be a space for getting moving.

It’ll be singing with city gardening, community performances, and sport including the likes of The Pythian Club and Switch Up. Skate Nottingham will be offering skate lessons (including a girls-only one to start the day) and skate-ramp building.

We’ll be teaming up with Art Fest for live mural painting all over the place, and there’ll be parades, pop-ups and ‘oh wow!’ moments galore. Sussex Street is also one of the spots (alongside Old Market Square) where you can check out the amazing Slow Fashion Catwalk.

Of course this new route also takes in the Green Heart, which is a little festival of urban nature in itself, but you’ll find the literary action in the adjacent Nottingham Central Library. Try your hand at some poetry, practice your writing, and imagine a new world into life. Beyond and between all that, there’s Nottingham’s amazing street art, Bridlesmith Gate’s ‘bee highway’, and several satellite events like GOBS artist gathering, a full-day creative programme of workshops and performance taking place at New Art Exchange in Hyson Green, and an exhibition at Backlit from interior design students exploring sustainable materials.

That’s not all we have on show, but if we were able to tell you everything going on in a thousand words it wouldn’t be much of a festival. Take your pick – your programme is yours to make, and there’s plenty to make your day.

Whoever said that tackling the climate and nature crisis and putting the power to make change back into regular folks’ hands had to be miserable was wrong – we only do it with love, joy and creativity.

Green Hustle Festival: Sow Good takes place from 11am6pm on Saturday 30 May. Activities are free and you don’t need a ticket. For more info visit their website or follow them on socials @greenhustlefest greenhustle.co.uk

We’re building an interactive garden installation which will home loads of Nottingham’s amazing community gardens you name it, we’ll be there making it greener, making it better.

We’ll be looking to do some engagement with young people and their families on the day – some sports, some fun games, but most important is to bring positive vibes to the community.

Jack Harris - Grow Notts

Ben Rosser - The Pythian Club leftlion.co.uk 19

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.

Between Two Columns

by Amy Humphreys @itsdisposablefilm

Beauty in the darkness

by Anne Elcock

Daffodil Island

by John Ashton

20 leftlion.co.uk

Take Flight

by Amy Humphre ys @itsdisposabl

efilm

Fire in the sky

by Claire Kerry

Re-cycle

by Jon Robson @henkyrobson

Contre Jour

Exchange

by Phil Howc roft @phil_h owcroft_nott in

gham

leftlion.co.uk 21

Architects of Air

LUMINARIUM: TIMISIEN Explore a vibrant, sensory, and immersive sculpture filled with light and colours.

A unique experience for everyone to enjoy.

Saturday 23 May – Sunday 31 May, 11am-5pm Tickets £6.50 Highfields Park, NG7 2RD Also available: SEND sessions, Baby session, Grown-ups only session, and Guided Tour.

lakesidearts.org.uk/Luminarium @LakesideArts

Out of time: a tale of two hotels

words: CJ De Barra illustration: John Ashton

Two hotels once stood on Derby Road, and played roles in some unusual Nottingham history – one facilitated a dramatic confrontation featuring local suffragettes, the other housed a ‘mini Scotland’. Here’s the hidden history in those now-innocuous locations.

For many years, Derby Road has been a lively drinking trail into the city centre, and today it’s still home to many pubs and shops. It was, however, once known for its hotels, two of the best-known being the Albert and the Strathdon.

Often confused with each other, there is a common misconception that the Albert Hotel previously stood on the site where the Strathedon Hotel is today, when in fact one opened as the other shut.

The Albert It’s unclear when the Albert Hotel actually opened, but Brewster sessions (annual meetings to arrange licensing) held in1886, hint that it was around that time. Mr Howitt – landlord at the Albert Hotel – objected to a license being sought for a ‘house’ known as the Old Three Horse Shoes. Although it had operated as a coffee shop for some time, the house wanted a full licence to sell more than beer and caffeine, which would place pressure on Howitt’s hotel. He highlighted that when he bought the vacant lot from the corporation, he had been assured there would be no other beer houses for 99 years in the vicinity. This had successfully seen the end of two – the Leopard and the Struggler.

There were, by 1886, at least ten, which must have meant competition was intense. Howitt had spent £7,000 on a hotel, possibly linked to his arrest in 1891 for illicit afterhours drinking and gambling in the bar. He was caught when a policeman looked in the window and saw a group of men playing cards. Although they argued that they had been discussing a famous London case, before one of

them offered to show how to play the game of baccarat, the judge was not convinced. Howitt was fined £10 and his license was endorsed.

The hotel was in a convenient location for music halls and theatres – especially the Albert Hall, where many performances were held. This is possibly why it was used as a safe space for suffragette Miss Annie Kenney, when a rally she was holding at the hall on Circus Street faced a riot. A crowd of men and youths stormed in through the back entrance, letting off fireworks and revolvers while hurling abuse and missiles at the women, who bravely held their ground.

The extensive design leaned heavily into a Scottish theme, creating a shooting lodge-inspired bar that had rustic logs on the walls and ceiling and a giant mural of a stag in the glens Local organiser, Miss Marsh, said the women had escaped through the back entrance to the Albert Hotel, where they waited for a policeman to call them a taxi. Although this proved almost impossible due to the angry crowds.

The hotel was a growing business, which recorded just four members of staff living on the premises in 1921. By 1939, this had almost doubled to include maids, housekeepers, cooks and bartenders.

A decision was made to demolish the Albert Hotel in the late 1960s amid a time of great change in Nottingham. In keeping with the ideas at the time including ‘all in the name of progress’, and modernity, it became the site of IBM offices by the end of summer 1970.

Before it was demolished, emotional locals turned up to the auctions to save treasures from the hotel, including its baby piano. One woman, a former member of staff, sentimentally bought the old typewriter she had typed all the correspondence on for 25 years.

The Strathdon The Strathdon Hotel still stands today. A more non-descript and modernist facade than the Albert, it has admittedly seen better days. It was opened in 1970 under Thistle Hotels, a subsidiary of Scottish and Newcastle Brewery, by a very special guest – Miss Dorothy Adams, a 67-year-old spinster who had worked at the Albert Hotel for 57 years, but hadn’t missed so much as a day of work since she joined in 1918. She was invited by the manager, Alastair Appleton, to open the Strathdon.

The brewery transformed this corner of Derby Road into a mini Scotland, with renovations totalling £400,000 across eight stories, one restaurant, function rooms, four bars, and 64 bedrooms. The extensive design leaned heavily into a Scottish theme, creating a shooting lodge-inspired bar that had rustic logs on the walls and ceiling and a giant mural of a stag in the glens. The downstairs bar was turned into a cottage for the occasion with bullseye windows and a thatched roof.

Finally, a Scottish-themed menu of toasted cheese sandwiches was added, including a ‘Strathdon Sassenach’ , a haggis and cheese toastie. The Scottish theme was gone by 1986, in favour of ‘real American Kitsch’ as the bar facing Wollaton Street became a Boston Bean Company American bar, complete with New Orleans-style jazz Sundays. This appears to have been a chain of American-style hotel restaurants with branches in Newcastle and Edinburgh, serving Boston clam chowder and New England pate. It had a series of themed bars, including Captain’s Locker, but its last name was Bar 44, which can still be seen on the side of the building today.

The hotel was popular for weddings and conferences, but by the late 1990s, it was showing signs of slowing down. It was reported that Thistle sold a third of its underperforming hotels, including the Strathdon, to Pamco, a subsidiary of the Lehman Brothers, to be managed by former Thistle Chief Executive Robert Peel under Peel Hotels.

It’s unclear when it officially closed, but it appears to have been in 2020, as it was listed as empty by 2021.

It suffered extensive damage when a fire broke out in a stairwell in August 2021 and remains closed in 2026.

Sadly, both hotels join a long list, including the Black Boy Hotel on Long Row, which have closed, but not been forgotten.

leftlion.co.uk 23

2026 Music

Festivals words: Marta Tavares photos: Rae Dowling, Nigel King

nings are lighter and the You can feel it starting... The eve ody into optimism, and first warm weekends spark everyb up in a group chat and suddenly someone shares a line writes, ‘We have to go!’ wider east midlands, Across Nottinghamshire and the r packed one. Big-name 2026 is shaping up to be anothe city takeovers and quieter headliners, grassroots weekends, want to start planning escapes all sit side-by-side. If you are some suggestions... your festival season soon, here

BEARDED THEORY

When: 20–24 May Where: Catton Park, Derbyshire How much: £264.95 (camping)

one genre, tation on refusing to sit neatly in Bearded Theory has built its repu T and Kae CMA , bage Gar es, Pixi The h. roac and this year continues that app indie to punk to ned in a lineup that swings from Tempest sit alongside The Dam spoken word without hesitation.

can actually to feel relatively unpressured. You Despite its size, it still manages and the crowd n, ratio ope tary mili a like it ting move between stages without plot ng familyity than chaos. There’s also a stro tends to lean more into commun ere that sets osph atm ng omi welc a and s vitie acti friendly side to it, with space for uit. circ weekends on the it apart from the more relentless

GLASTONBUDGET When: 21–24 May orough Where: Turnpost Farm, Loughb How much: £55-£161.65

on the Glastonbudget is exactly what it says ring cove acts te tribu of tin. A full weekend delivered with gne, Lavi Avril to U2 from yone ever pretence. surprising attention to detail and zero t it. No There’s something quite freeing abou – just hit clashes, no agonising over who to see fully in on are who d crow a by back sung after hit, the joke. ends It’s also one of the more accessible week choice for groups lar popu a it s make h whic , cially finan out the full who want the festival experience with festival cost.

DOT TO DOT

When: 24 May ham venues, Notting Where: Various 5 £3 How much: From

e constantly checking o a moving map. You’r int tre cen y cit am gh can realistically walk Dot to Dot turns Nottin venues and trying to work out how far you een tw be ing timings, hopp missing the start. between sets without eam-radar t under-the-mainstr either emerg ing or jus o often are wh s o ist wh s art al act d on un ati foundly cool, intern The lineup is built aro pro – a eup, lin ian al Ind loc y, g nd din ad, Ma also an outstan – Lambrini Girls, NewD ing very big. There’s ers, The eth dg Ro som loe of Ch ge x, ver lco the Wi feel like they’re on auts, Emidora, Leah es Archy & The Astron which this year includ more.

Harbours and much ll not have heard of, of artists who may we ds loa to n tio uc rod chaotic int .

It's a fast and slig htly t’s exactly why it works for comfort – but tha d ne sig de ’t isn ich wh

BOILER ROOM

When: 26 June Where: Colwick Park How much: £60.50–£66

like a statement. Known for ry live format to Nottingham feels Boiler Room bringing its legenda about watching from a distance ty dance music sets, this is less its close-quarters, high-intensi experience. and more about being inside the ding electronic music and UK and Giggs sit across a lineup blen Overmono, Joy Orbison, Bakey ce to remember rap which guarantees an experien e often than not, to hopefully slightly overwhelming – and mor It’s designed to be immersive and and a crowd fully locked into directions, no real escape routes, go viral online – sound from all the music.

LOST IN THE HILLS

When: 8–9 May District National Park Where: Watts Russell Arms, Peak How much: £40-£68 its more unusual corners.

Festival season opens in one of the Peak District, into deep ed tuck is Hills Lost in the ding rivers and the win ys, valle e surrounded by limeston briefly forget your kind of landscape that makes you phone exists. e of a gathering than It’s deliberately small-scale – mor programme leans The e. festival in the traditional sens ic music, with tron elec and folk , ntal rime towards expe shaping a 2026 pson Sim a Mar artists like Haiku Salut and ked. stac bill which feels curated rather than between sets, sit on There’s no real rush here. You drift thousands of people, by d ene flatt ady grass that isn’t alre d. A quiet start, ahea and ease yourself into the summer . one le but a memorab

SPLENDOUR

When: 18–19 July Where: Wollaton Park How much: £85.60–£133.75

a familiar mix by now – ’s biggest homegrown festival. It’s Splendour remains Nottingham erations. gen l heroes, and a crowd spanning big indie names, legacy acts, loca lineup designed to w Patrol and Editors headline a The Wombats, Primal Scream, Sno n Park. As ever lato Wol of s field the in party starters cater for both local families and re Sounds of Futu ed uding the yet-to-be determin there’s a great local line-up, incl rce.

Divo and , eam ADr , JayaHad Nottingham winners, ALT BLK ERA e but still feels like a balance and convenience. It’s larg What makes Splendour work is go when it’s all over. to far have ’t don lity meaning you community day out, with the loca

BOHO

ds, more festival and retreat. Smaller crow Boho sits somewhere between as fort com into ily heav s lean that ing curated programming, and a sett much as music. e’s just provide the soundtrack, but ther Utah Saints and The Dub Pistols It’s a slower pace e. ntim dow and ness well ps, as much focus on worksho – but that’s the appeal.

GATE TO SOUTHWELL

RADFEST

emerging acts like The lineup focuses on smaller and real appeal is the the but Ella, othy Dor and p Blu Syru refreshingly and , iliar fam ng, -goi atmosphere – easy al. erci omm unc

s, Gate to Southwell Set around lakes and open field acoustic music and s root , Folk . pace is a shift in and Richard ers laim dominate, with The Proc and countless rs line head the ng amo on Thomps ld (including some wor the over other artists from all tch the definition leftfield acts which admirably stre of ‘folk’).

You turn up, wander There’s no real pressure here. leave without needing a and ic, mus e som h around, catc recovery day.

to slow down.

It’s a festival that encourages you for hours, and spot one People bring chairs, stay in y than a series awa kend wee long a like e treat it mor of sets to chase.

NOTTINGHAMSHIRE PRIDE & TRANS PRIDE

which also has This is an international festival kshops and wor with feel, ity mun com ng a stro e the main gsid alon ing runn informal sessions programme.

When: 4 July Where: Canalhouse, Nottingham How much: £11 tingham’s Waterfront Festival is one of Not out. Brought most dependable summer days I’m Not to us by stalwart Notts promoter acts across From London, catch over forty rmaids and one site, all in aid of charity (Me backdrop the nst agai Emmanual House), set l. cana of the drifting It’s busy in a relaxed way – people and here set a half hing in and out, catc st discovering a new band there, whil ens in enjoying one of the best beer gard darkly Notts. Alongside a visit from the lining romantic DSM IV, who are head Picnic, alongside Dura Mater, Gangsta ll, Slug fut, check out Baddy Issues, Hurtsfa t and Floa s, dow Win ty Whisky Stain, Pret e. mor lots ival isn’t Of course, even at this size, a fest up. This sing dres of bit a out a festival with re’, which year’s costume theme is ‘adventu ways – so dig can be taken in lots of creative and Indiana rs, cula bino out your safari gear, . togs s Jone

When: 7 June Where: Wharf Lane Recreation Ground, Radcliffe on Trent How much: £8.60–£37.60

of the spectrum to Radfest sits at the opposite end firmly rooted in the and , cost low day, Download. One local area.

When: 2–5 July shire Where: Kirklington, Nottingham How much: £42–£190.05

WATERFRONT

When: 24–27 July ts, Nottinghamshire Where: Millview Glamping & Even How much: £35–£140

SOUTHWELL MUSIC FESTIVAL

When: 28–31 August s, Southwell Where: Various venue sale 18 May on s How much: Ticket

y different season in a completel Southwell closes the of ies ser a t jus camping, register. No fields, no in the town. s ing ild bu ic tor his performances across eh-Mason cal pianist Isata Kann With Notts’ own classi classical, ns spa e mm gra pro the as Artist-in-Residence, to the ish fin er iet rks. It’s a qu choral and operatic wo t festivals don’t tha er ind rem a – e on summer, but a fitting all look the same.

) Pride) & 25 July (Pride When: 20 June (Trans einton Market Sn & tre cen y cit am Where: Nottingh How much: Free Nottingham’s st significant days in Pride is one of the mo ed by a full low fol ough the city calendar – a march thr t. rke Ma ton ein Sn day of celebration at e of ngs its own programm Trans Pride in June bri nts, eve ed y-l nit mu and com protest, performance . rity ibility and solida creating space for vis nts ly as both cultural eve Together, they sit firm being ut abo ch mu as – and political moments ed. heard as being celebrat

...GET BOOKING From Peak District fields to city streets, late-night DJ sets to afternoon folk sessions, festival season in 2026 is as vari ed as it’s ever been. With both Y Not and Dow nload sold out already, now is the time to snap up your tickets for your festival of choice.

All that’s left is to decide where you’re going first and hope you remembered to book the days off – because summer isn’t going to wait for your boss to approve it.

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Photo: Warwick Saint

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interview: Danielle Boaler illustration: Tom Camp

Life on the farm

Stonebridge City Farm is Nottingham’s only urban farm, located just around the corner from Sneinton Market. Home to piglets, goats, sheep, cows, turtles, and more, it’s also a rich community hub which welcomes 160 volunteers a week and hosts an impressive array of events. There’s also been recent news about an uncertain financial future for the farm – recently established CEO Rick Harrington tells us more, and reflects on what makes this space special.

Tell us about the farm’s current financial situation…

In the three years before I joined, the farm recorded significant, consecutive losses, so our immediate priority was to stabilise the finances – something we have achieved with the support of our community. With a more business-focused approach, we are now investing in a new shop and cabins to create more reliable, year-round income. This will reduce our dependence on factors like weather and seasonal footfall while strengthening our long-term resilience. Challenges remain, but we are in a stronger position with a clearer plan to secure the farm’s future.

You have mentioned that you are more than just a visitor attraction. What else does the farm offer to the city?

The farm offers more than access to nature. It provides a consistent, open space where people can spend time without pressure or expectation.

Regular contact with others, alongside simple, shared activity, supports wellbeing in a practical way. It creates opportunities for informal learning, volunteering and skill-building, particularly for those who are not well served by traditional settings. As a free, accessible space, it acts as part of the city’s social infrastructure, offering connection, routine and a sense of belonging in an area where options are limited.

purpose across generations. Many of our volunteers have learning difficulties, or are neurodiverse and rely on the consistency and structure the farm provides. Losing this safe space would place costs for care onto local authorities, estimated at more than £500,000.

Can you highlight some other examples of the benefits that the farm brings to your volunteers?

Stonebridge provides, and often restores, routine and structure. Many people who volunteer with us are out of work, managing long-term conditions or recovering from periods of instability. Stonebridge provides low-pressure social contact. Not everyone can walk into a therapy room. Many can walk into a barn, garden or café. Shared activity reduces social intensity. You talk side by side rather than face to face. It’s important for people with anxiety, trauma histories or low confidence. For volunteers, we see improved confidence, reduced social withdrawal, gradual return to work pathways, improved daily functioning, reduced isolation, informal peer support, and cross-generational contact.

The farm offers more than access to nature. It provides a consistent, open space where people can spend time without pressure or expectation

The UK is currently experiencing a mental health crisis. What is the impact on local communities when ‘safe spaces’ close?

The closure of public spaces such as post offices, banks, Sure Start centres, pubs, and community centres has left fewer places where people can safely connect with others. These were everyday environments where conversation and relationships happened without effort or cost.

We are social beings, and when shared spaces disappear, particularly in poorer areas, people are left with nowhere to go. The result is increased isolation, which contributes to depression, anxiety, higher crime, and rising suicide rates.

Some places may still be free, but that does not mean they feel safe enough for people to use.

Would you introduce an entrance fee?

We won’t charge as it’s not what we are about.

The farm exists for people. We welcome donations, and like many organisations in our position, securing consistent funding can be challenging. Local authority funding is often structured around specific service outcomes, which don’t always align neatly with how the farm is traditionally perceived as a ‘visitor attraction’.

We have local people who visit every day… We want people to be able to turn up and belong.

Why is the farm vital for volunteers?

For younger volunteers, the farm is their safe place, often where they first learn what safety feels like. It is where trust, self-worth and confidence are built, sometimes in ways not possible elsewhere.

Older volunteers are often motivated by giving something back, creating a shared sense of

Stonebridge has some beautiful gardens, can you talk a bit about why this is important for the local environment?

Stonebridge supports the environment through what we do every day. We grow vegetables, produce our own honey on site with zero food miles, and we do it without using pesticides. Our planting is set up to support pollinators, and we regularly see bees, butterflies and other insects using the space. We compost what we can and reuse materials, and through plant sales and gardening workshops people take that knowledge and confidence back home, which spreads the impact beyond the farm.

This is local, practical environmental work rather than something that sits in headline carbon figures. We are providing accessible green space in a dense urban area, supporting biodiversity, and reconnecting people with food, nature and the seasons. It is small scale, but it builds the habits and awareness that environmental change depends on, without losing the openness that makes it work.

What can the people of Nottingham do to help the farm?

People can visit, bring others and use our café and shop. Advocate locally, talk about the farm, write to councillors, volunteer. Survival is not sustainability. Short-term cash keeps doors open.

Investment builds a viable model. Becoming a Friend of the Farm or setting up a small monthly donation. Businesses can sponsor, donate skills or hold CSR team days. We are investing in revenue-generating assets so we are less exposed to shocks.

If you want to help guarantee the future of one of Nottingham’s safe spaces, head to the Stonebridge website to donate and see what’s coming up. stonebridgecityfarm.com leftlion.co.uk 27

art

home. It has everything I could need: gigs, culture, a really cool energy and a great scene with a will to create.

I studied animation at university, but before that I was drawing mostly for myself, faffing about! While uni was interesting, I’ve found the best training for me has always just been to sit down and do it.

Whether it’s doing studies of art I love, or practising new techniques, you never know how you feel about something until it’s on the page in front of you.

their own society, relying on the people around them and trusting that goodness still exists.

The aesthetic was inspired by some earlier pieces I created, where I wanted to fuse the fantastical and delicate beauty of fairies with a more industrial, hard-edged setting. From there, it was a relatively short leap toward punk, as music is in general a big presence in my life. I was going to name it something else, but I've been referring to it as PRF for so long that it stuck.

artworks words & illustrations: Iulia Matei

For this month’s artworks, illustrator and regular LeftLion contributor Iulia Matei shares the concept behind her new graphic novel PRF (Punk Rock Fairies) and why we need independent art now more than ever.

My comic is called PRF, which stands for Punk Rock Fairies. It’s a dystopic fusion of punk and fantasy, and is the story of a mother called Rox and her daughter Pip, who has a mutation. Because of this, they must flee the authoritarian regime that is hunting them down.

Together, they have to navigate being unwelcome in

The Boy with a Leg Named Brian interview: Lewis Oxley photo: Pete McKee

The process for the comic is very hands on! I’m using ink on A3 paper, to really try to capture a lot of detail and focus on the DIY aspect that punk is so revered for. I wanted to keep the bulk of the artwork being done by hand as a kind of response to AI. That said, everything is shaded digitally because I was scared of not having ctr+z on that, but I sometimes break from that and have paintings or paper collages that pepper the comic. I’ve also created mini-zine sketchbooks and even some handmade earrings, again to keep that human aspect.

The comic also features posters from Nottingham bands like Rights for Flies or Cheap Dirty Horse. I reached out to them and they agreed to be in the comic which is so cool! Nottingham has an incredible music scene, it would be a crime not to highlight it.

I’m originally from Bucharest in Romania, and I’ve lived in Nottingham for about seven years now, moving here after uni. I couldn’t really imagine being anywhere else now and Notts very much feels like

The exhibition tells the story of my childhood - the toys, mates, music and culture - It's a childhood that I think a lot of people would identify with from my era

Later this month Sheffield-based cartoonist and painter Pete McKee brings his exhibition The Boy With A Leg Named Brian to Metronome, along with an evening of music from his northern‑tinged comedy ukulele band, The Everly Pregnant Brothers. We had a chat with Pete to find out what to expect...

28 leftlion.co.uk

An artist I really love is Peter Polach, whose work inspired the first pieces I drew that eventually led to PRF. When it comes to comics specifically, I adore Tank Girl. I find the chaos and style of that world really cool.

The comic launches in May after the Kickstarter ends. After that, I’ll be exhibiting at Inkblot, which is a comic festival happening at The Vat & Fiddle! It’s always just such a lovely place to be. The organisers put a lot of work into making it a place for everyone and a celebration of all things comics and art. I’m grateful to be involved with it.

If there is something that you want to make, please, I’m begging you, do it. Make it for the sake of it. Make it for others, even if it’s just your friends. Make the thing when you feel like a fraud. The world has too much polished, optimised, algorithm-approved, garbage art that lines the pockets of millionaires and bleeds the world dry. We need independent art now more than ever.

Head to Inkblot Festival at the Vat & Fiddle on Saturday 30 May to check out Iulia’s work and many more artists.

Q @iulia.jpg

even playing football, is not as accessible now. You’ve got to pay subs and attend organised sessions that can only happen from the ground up. On the flipside, whenever I see bands interviewed they always speak with a posher ‘middle England’ accent. Nobody sings with an accent anymore.

This is a very personal exhibition. Is it your most honest work to date?

Definitely. It’s much more introspective than previous ones. The first section deals with my mum, who died when I was only seven. It was quite therapeutic being able to dive into an element of personal grief. It’s only when you get older that you can try and grasp grief, especially from childhood.

You’ll also be performing with the Everly Pregnant Brothers - your comedy folk band. Do you think humour has helped in processing grief?

In our family we have this phrase called ‘the luck of the McKees’ - there’s always something going off, but we laugh about it in the end. Everyone who’s grown up skint has had bad luck sometime; it’s how you deal with it. If you don’t laugh, you’ll cry - as the saying goes. Humour was always big in our house. My dad loved Laurel and Hardy and The Two Ronnies. That fed up into both art as well as music.

What made you decide to bring the exhibition on tour?

The show ran for a year in Sheffield and the exhibition tells the story of my childhood and teenage years; the toys, mates, music and culture. It's a childhood that I think a lot of people would identify with from my era and I didn’t want the Sheffield run to be the end of it. I wanted people from other places and communities to see it and experience it too.

You’ve said before that you’ve got a lot of love for Nottingham from your previous pop-up exhibitions here. Do you think the two cities share a similar heritage?

Definitely. Well, for starters it’s a city that has two football teams so there’s that inter-city rivalry as well.

But both Nottingham and Sheffield have strong working class roots of heavy industry and council estates; which gives them a similar DNA. Music plays a big part too.

Make it for the sake of it. Make it for others, even if it’s just your friends. Make the thing when you feel like a fraud. The world has too much polished, optimised, algorithmapproved garbage art

Sheffield sits near to Nottingham, Manchester and Leeds and bands don’t come to Sheffield as much as they used to, so you’ve always have to choose where to go gig-wise. I really like Nottingham though - it's a great city.

Do you think routes into culture for the working-class are fading?

That’s very much the consensus. Being in bands, or

My work has always had elements of humour and pathos. You’ll either have a tear in your eye or a good old chuckle. With the Brothers, it’s pure laughs and it's great to be able to come for an hour and a half and enjoy yourself. As long as we’re enjoying ourselves, everyone else should too.

The Boy With A Leg Named Brian comes to Nottingham on Saturday 23 May at Metronome.

Head to leftlion.co.uk for an extended version of this interview.

Qpetemckee.com

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literature

Processing the past

interview: Katherine Monk-Watts images: Amy Bunting

A recent exhibition at Hucknall Library showcased the nine year artistic process behind My Granny Is Changing – a children’s picture book dealing with dementia, created by artist and graphic designer Amy Bunting. Based on Amy’s own experience of navigating her gran Olive’s dementia, we talk to Amy about her creative process and how her story could help families talk more openly about dementia with young children.

Dementia is often a hushed subject matter... What was the moment or conversation which made you realise that this story had to be told for children?

When we found out that my gran had vascular dementia, I realised that my own understanding was exceptionally limited until it was literally part of our everyday lives.

I thought dementia was a type of Alzheimer's. As I investigated it, I found out that dementia is the overarching umbrella. It's that feeling of not knowing what's going on. So, I was working through, processing it, feeling helpless, but also trying to do what's best for my grandma.

I've always had a passion for children's picture books. I did illustration at university, and I think children's picture books are incredible because they're able to put across complex information and break it down in an accessible way. All those things happened slowly together, and that's what gave me the drive of ‘there's an area where I can help, and it is speaking to children about dementia’.

You dedicated this book to your wonderful gran, Olive Bunting.

Are there any specific 'Olive-isms' or personality traits of hers that readers can find hidden within the character in the book?

Some of her Olive-isms come straight from my memories. Like how she always had a scarf with this little round metal thing on it (I still don’t know what it’s called!), her locket, plus these huge gold glasses that got bigger the more I drew her. There’s a dinner scene in the book where everyone’s got gravy except Gran, because she never liked it. Later, as dementia took hold, she forgot, and started eating gravy: something I really wanted to show but had to lose due to its storytelling.

Little moments from her care home days are tucked in too, like the bear on her nightie.

Blankets were a big thing for her – she always had a knitted one on her lap. There’s the bakery box with elephant’s feet and apple turnovers, ice buns and chocolate mice that she’d buy for me and my sister. These little things make the Olive-isms feel real in the story.

If Olive could see this book today, what do you think she would be most proud of?

Honestly, I just think she would be incredibly proud of me. I have so many memories of just sitting with

leftlion.co.uk 30 leftlion.co.uk 30 leftlion.co.uk

a board on my knee and drawing whenever I was at my gran's. She would always be checking what I was doing, and having a look.

And she was always so uplifting.

I always felt really good showing her what I'd drawn. I think she'd just be most proud that I'd drawn all of this!

Writing about a loved one can be a form of catharsis. Did the process of creating My Granny Is Changing change the way you personally remember or relate to your grandmother?

We lost my gran in 2015. When I first started working on this book about a year after, I couldn't draw her without crying. Immediately after we'd lost her, all I could remember was the version of my gran that had dementia. She was so different and frail. It was very emotionally draining. But again, it was that drive of ‘I want to help people!’ So it was a catharsis and personal remembering.

I only realised upon opening the finished story that it helped me fully process my grief. I can draw my grandma now and just feel joy! It's brought me back to who she was before all of this At that early stage, I was working on the main memories that I had in the front of my mind. I only realised upon opening the finished story that it helped me fully process my grief. I can draw my grandma now and just feel joy! It's brought me back to who she was before all of this – it feels like I've made something good out of bad.

How did you find the balance between being honest about the changing aspects of dementia while still keeping the story hopeful and accessible for a young audience?

That was very much on my mind in the early years. I knew immediately that I didn't want to end it with the ending we'd just gone through, because I wasn't trying to write a book about how to deal with bereavement and grief. There are amazing children's picture books out there that deal specifically with loss, and that wasn't the area I wanted to focus on.

I’d done an illustration degree at Nottingham Trent University many years prior, but they also do these great short courses. I really enjoy working with people in illustration – it makes my creativity just feel bigger. We worked through the story and narrative, and I got the ending: ‘no matter how much she changes we will always love Granny’. The idea was that no matter what happens, love is still there. I held on to that because that was the emotional balance in keeping it accessible, and hopeful enough for it to not be too overwhelming a story.

You also illustrated and designed the book. How did you go about visually representing the concept of change in a children’s book (without making it scary)?

At the start, I found it quite hard, because like I said, I was too close to the loss of my gran and her experiencing dementia. But I went to a summer art school in Cambridge in 2023 and I got to focus on it, for the first time, solidly without any work in the way. This helped me to really dig into the visual representation – asking the character some questions and answering them as if I was Granny.

I tried to do the changes between pre-dementia and post-dementia quite subtly. Some of it is a change in clothing to sort of signify less of her control over her own image.

There are bits where I flatten her hair a little and her hair is not as big. She always had this little quiff going on, and she loses this. I tried to change her physical demeanour. In the later pictures, she's not actively hugging, she's being hugged.

She's got the blanket over her, so she becomes less active in the images.

What do you hope readers will take away from My Granny Is Changing?

That they're not alone, others have been through this too, and that people are there for you. I tried to pick the bits of my gran's dementia journey that were very universal so that people could see in it their own experiences.

I want them to know they're not alone in it.

My Granny is Changing is available now on Crowdfunder. £1 from every book sold supports Teesside Dementia Link Services.

Q @amybunting.creative

sport

TEENAGE DREAM interview: Reuben Moyihan-Case photos: Jade Martyn

It’s been a turbulent year at Nottingham Forest FC. While prospects of Premier League survival have become brighter and the dream of European silverware more enchanting, in all the uncertainty there is one definite; the club has some serious talent waiting in the wings.

We paid a visit to the Nigel Doughty Academy to check in with the latest academy lads. The club has boasted some fine academy graduates over the last decade including Ryan Yates, Brennan Johnson and Matty Cash. So don’t be surprised if a certain Kalum Thompson is next to join that list! Now aged seventeen, Thompson crossed the Irish Sea last summer to join the Reds from Linfield. Like a duck to water the youngster has quickly marked himself as one of the most exciting prospects in youth football…

Tell us about the kind of player you are…

I’m an attacking midfielder who loves to have the ball in tight spaces. I'd say I'm very good technically and always know where I’m going to play the ball next. I’ve got a cutting edge in goals and assists, at the start of this season especially I was able to chip in with a lot. But, it's equally important for me to be involved in the other side of the game. I can press and I’m very versatile in my positions. I’m a hard worker as well!

You’ve had a breakout season for the B Team and were nominated for PL2 Player of the Month in December.

What does that recognition mean to you?

To get that recognition it means a lot!

Not everyone sees the hard work that you put in just to get here. Coming from Northern Ireland, in a part time environment, it was a bit scary at first going full time at Forest. You never know how you're going to settle and the extent of the change but it’s all been positive. I've been working hard in the gym trying to prepare my body for under-21 and even men’s football.

You’re only seventeen, but you’re already getting recognition and attention online. How do you stay grounded when social media can amplify both praise and criticism?

I’m very close to my family and they keep me humble. Since I was a little kid my parents tried to make sure I wasn’t getting too high with the highs and too low, whenever I was low. I’ve always been used to playing football, but back home it's not on the same scale as it is here in England so I’ve been used to not getting much attention. Now it's something I’m trying to take in my stride.

Have you had any exposure to firstteam training yet? If so, what did that teach you?

under different managers. I’ve had two or three sessions with each manager and each time it’s taught me something different! The main thing I would say is that you always need to be prepared for what you’re going to be asked to do, and the standard is very elite. For me, as a midfielder I always need to know where my next ball is going because that’s the constant wavelength the first team operates on. It was just top! The standard and level of information you’re given is something that I’ve not been used to before coming over here and I just try to take it on board as much as I can because it’s such an experience!

Coming from Northern Ireland, in a part time environment, it was a bit scary coming into a full time environment at Forest.

You never know how you're going to settle and the extent of the change but it’s all been positive Is there anyone in the first team who’s particularly good with helping young players find their feet in the men’s game?

The Club Captain, Ryan Yates. He’s just an inspiration to everyone! Through his career and his personality - he helps every boy coming up. Another is James McAtee. He's very nice to me when I come up and I rate him very highly as a footballer as an attacking midfielder. It's good that someone I look up to is able to give me feedback!

You’ve moved over from Northern Ireland to Nottingham. How have you found the city so far? What do you enjoy outside of football?

It’s been lovely. I live in West Bridgford, which is a nice area. I’ve been into the city centre a couple of times and especially in the summertime it’s really nice. At the minute I like padel, I started with a few of the boys in the U18s. Especially now with the sun coming back out I might start golf again, although you don’t want to know my handicap. I just play for enjoyment, haha! nottinghamforest.co.uk

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Boo the Bad Guy interview: Emily Davies photo: Dan Lord illustration: Nevaeha Yearwood

Will Bailey is a Nottingham film and events promoter, producing just about anything you could imagine (and a few things which only he could imagine), from Stars In Their Eyes all-dayers to so-bad-it’s-good movies screened at the Notts Bad Movie Club. His latest venture – Boo the Bad Guy – is a new multi-activity celebration of cult cinema, taking place in multiple venues which, more often than not, aren’t cinemas. He tells us more about it, while also reminiscing on past moments of movie magic he’s brought to Notts…

What drew you to cult and ‘so-bad-it’s-good’ films, and why do you think audiences love them?

I’ve been into films all my life. Me and my friends would do the Kevin Smith all-dayer – watch Kevin Smith films all day. During lockdown, we streamed loads of bad movies, and it's never as fun to watch an Oscar worthy film with friends – it’s not what I want from the group cinema experience. Bad films are so much fun because we can cheer and shout out the lines.

When I was at uni, there was a screening of Withnail and I, and everyone was trying to drink along with the film. Rocky Horror is another amazing cinema experience. It works – anything that gets you singing, or is quotable.

What makes Boo the Bad Guy distinct as a filmscreening event?

I wanted to come up with a name that sums up what I do. I want you to boo the bad guy and if we’re watching The Room - why not throw spoons at the screen. It's not about bad movies – it's about whatever works. It doesn’t always work, and sometimes doesn't land with an audience. It's given me more scope to try different things – I'm all about screening films in venues that aren’t cinemas.

I like this idea of people in a cabaret style environment, eating hot dogs. I want to upscale those Kevin Smith all-dayers. Those nights with five mates sitting on the sofa are what I’ve tried to do – people are looking for more for their money.

Your events are more than just film screenings – there are interviews, and lots of other fun additions. How did you realise that audiences want an interactive experience?

They’ve got the film on DVD, at home. But I’m trying to turn the DVD special features, or the trivia part of IMDB, into a real-life event.

I'm not just looking for the most famous person in the film. I want to find someone who swept the floors, and hear their story. Quite often, they're like, ‘Are you

sure that you wanna speak to me?’ Sometimes, I get to interview the director – I video it and play it before the film. I layer it with a raffle, and some games. It’s like a mad, poor man’s Butlin’s show!

You track down cast and crew for recorded intros.

What’s been the most surreal or memorable response you’ve had?

One that really got me; I remember being sat on a bus receiving a video from Brian Blessed. Plus Stephen Fry was pleased to talk about being a judge in Spice World: The Movie – he was flattered that someone remembered him in the film.

I'm trying to make the DVD special features or the trivia part of IMDb into a real-life event How do you choose which films to screen, and what makes something the ‘right’ kind of bad?

A lot of what I do depends on whether I can add an interesting spin. I don't want to say, ‘here's the DVD, let’s screen this’. With Tammy and the T-Rex, I’d been chatting to the director, so I set up an interview. It made the event more interesting. Wayne's World has a nostalgia for it. Ace Ventura would be a lot of fun.

Sharknado is one of those films that they knew was rubbish. There's a difference between cheap films, and a director trying to make it good, but it turns out bad. Troll 2 wanted to be good, but everything went unfathomably wrong. Everyone who read the script was American, but the director was Italian.

On Monday 18 May you’re screening Troll 2 at the Savoy. Tell us about that.

I've been screening Troll 2 for years in Nottingham.

I've done it in the Broadway lounge and at The Maze.

Notts Bad Movie Club screened Troll 2 and Mac and Me. I contacted the cast and crew, and about six people sent me videos. The main actor, George Hardy, is a dentist – he went down to be a bit part and ended up getting the starring role. He lives in Alabama, and they made a documentary about him.

We chat on WhatsApp – I've been trying to get him

over to the UK, but haven't been able to because he's a very good dentist.

Chatting to him made him howl with laughter at the fact that he was in the film. He made it and then forgot about it. Years later, he found out it existed, and both he and Darren Ewing watched it for the first time on a VHS that they rented from a video shop.

You made the leap into full-time promotion.

What were the biggest risks, and has it paid off as you hoped?

It's scary. I've been a promoter for twenty years. I like to think of myself as a DIY promoter. I book bands I like – that I wanna see. If I’m lucky, I make money. This is year three of being freelance. Year one was scary.

Year two was the best year so far. I’m a creative person who has to come up with ideas, or I make no money.

Your work spans cinema, music, comedy, and even wrestling. How do you juggle so many different projects?

I've always been good at juggling. The life of the promoter is Facebook, email, WhatsApp, and carrier pigeons. It's a case of spinning those plates. I just love it. I don't know how I juggle it. You'd have to ask my wife!

Where do you want to take Boo the Bad Guy next? Bigger venues, bigger guests, or something completely unexpected?

I’m sure there will be something completely unexpected. I enjoy putting things on sale, and people not knowing what they're going to be.

I've tried to get Brian Blessed to Nottingham – I'd love to get someone of that calibre to speak to me. I'm keen to keep creating these unique nights out that people can't get elsewhere – at a Vue or an Odeon. As long as I'm enjoying it, then the audience will enjoy it.

The next Boo The Bad Guy screening is of Troll 2, at The Savoy, on Monday 18 May. Tickets are available from the Savoy Cinema website.

Q @boothebadguy

leftlion.co.uk 33 leftlion.co.uk 33

FOOD

public Domain words & photos: Lucy Campion

We secured a ticket for Public’s sell-out lasagne night in April, which saw local foodies gather at the coffee shop after hours for a taste of Public’s take on two Italian classics…

Independent coffee shop and bakery Public landed in Nottingham in 2024, opening its fourth East Midlands store on Lower Pavement. Unlike most places that launch with a bang and naturally quieten down over time, Public is still one of the most popular destinations for coffee or brunch in the city centre, with people queuing out of the door at peak times.

From the decadent stuffed croissants and extravagant iced drinks to the Scandi-style interior and iconic wall of plants, Public feels like a trendy Soho coffee shop. It’s easy to see why it appeals to students seeking a cool spot to catch up over matcha.

Given the hype surrounding the Nottingham store, it was only a matter of time before Public brought

its after hours dining events to the city. These evenings are already a regular fixture at their Loughborough store, so news that they were coming to Nottingham was always going to attract plenty of interest.

The tiramisu was a crowd-pleaser in its own right. Heavy on cream but light on coffee, it was delicious and tasted that much sweeter knowing my sleep wasn’t at risk from a 8pm caffeine hit. Despite telling myself to savour every bite, it went down too smoothly and I finished my dessert in record time.

Tickets for the inaugural pasta night were £23, which included lasagne and tiramisu, with drinks, starters and sides available to buy on the night. The lasagne had a distinctly homemade feel - hearty, comforting and generously portioned - and that was part of its charm. Unlike the perfectly presented dishes you’ll find at Nottingham’s best Italian restaurants (if you haven’t tried La Storia and Bar Gigi yet, you’re missing out), this dinner wasn’t trying to compete with the city’s finest Italian cooking. It was simply very good food for a very fair price, served in a relaxed and welcoming setting.

The highlight of the evening for me, however, was the atmosphere. Public after hours has a softer, calmer, more intimate feel. Even though it was a fully booked event, I didn’t feel rushed or hurried out of the door, a stark contrast to Public during the day where you are conscious of hogging a table for too long as it’s always busy. Conversation flowed easily and so did the drinks. The staff team was friendly and attentive, allowing diners to move through the meal at their own pace.

There was something refreshing about the simplicity of the evening.

No curated plating or daring flavours, just proper, good-for-the-soul comfort food. The lasagne portion was big enough for us to skip the sides, but I saw many people happily tucking into freshly baked focaccia.

FROM THE KITCHEN

with Stephane Luiggi, Owner & Chef at French Living

What is your earliest memory of loving food and cooking?

Mum frying steak in butter, then wiping the pan with fresh bread. So unhealthy but scrumptious..

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

Mum again, who always found time for varied, balanced and well-seasoned meals.

Describe your venue in three words...

Franco-French, homely, true.

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

Steak-frites, made from the onglet cut, daily changing sauce, and the best twicecooked fries.

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

Our signature dish: Chevreuil aux Myrtilles. Just seared, melt-in-mouth venison medallions, with sweet blueberry and red wine sauce, and gratin dauphinois to die for!

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

A pièce montée (croquembouche) made for a wedding reception. 125 choux filled with Grand Marnier crème patissière, constructed with sticky caramel into a pyramid, transported at a crawling pace to the wedding venue!

What was the best meal you have ever eaten? And who cooked it?

New year’s day in 1977 Paris with oysters, foie gras, scallops, roast lamb, cheeses, bûche cake, coffee, liqueurs. Lunch ended at 9pm! My elderly cousin Alice was the host/chef.

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

Kayal in Hockley. Refined, authentic Keralan cuisine served with kindness.

34 leftlion.co.uk

The lasagne had a distinctly homemade feel hearty, comforting and generously portioned - and that was part of its charm

Hopefully this is the start of many after hours events at Public. I know I’ll be fighting for tickets to the next one!

Visit Public at 11 Low Pavement, Nottingham NG1 7DQ.

Q ourpublic.co.uk

LIFE BEHIND BARS

With Isad ‘Happy’ Habibovic, General Manager at 400 Rabbits

Tell us something interesting about your bar…

We’re probably the only bar in Nottingham to have been shouted out by Jimmy Fallon. Other than that, we definitely have the biggest range of tequila and mezcal in the whole city!

What's the best thing about your job?

Probably the chaos. You can go from zero to 100 in no time at all. You meet some great people in a bar like 400, so if you haven’t come down already – you’re missing out!

What's your best selling drink?

The Tommys Margarita. A lovely blend of tequila, lime and agave. On a hot day it’s an absolute thirst quencher.

What's your most expensive drink?

Clasa Azul Reposado at £19.50 a shot. Pretty tasty stuff. Cocktail wise, we’d be talking a Mai Dead Rabbit at £10. Tequila, almond, mezcal and lime all mashed together into fresh goodness.

Describe your bar or pub in three words?

Truly an institution.

What's your personal favourite tipple?

Nothing like a cool frosty pint of Lucky Buddha at our sister bar, Loose Ends, with a cheeky little shot of calvados on the side!

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

Ed Sheeran! But in my heart, the most famous person who’s drank at 400 Rabbits is Vicky Pattison.

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

Napoleon, John Lennon, Johan Cruyff, Jacques Brel, and Dad. Corsican lamb à-la-stretta.

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

Community, good booze, and just a good laugh is what we’re all about. We’re the kind of bar that becomes what you need it to be on the night – a date spot, a hang out, a party. It’s pretty neat like that.

Find French Living at 27 King St, Nottingham NG1 2AY.

Find 400 Rabbits at 15-16 Hurts Yard, Nottingham NG1 6JD.

frenchliving.co.uk

fourhundredrabbits.co.uk

Illustrations @tacosfever3000

Find us!

Gig Guide

GANS

FOR TICKETS AND INFO VISIT ALTTICKETS.COM

SAT.16.MAY.26 RESCUE ROOMS

THU.07.MAY.26

WED.20.MAY.26

ROCK CITY

SQUIRE PERFORMING ARTS

The Wonder Stuff Jack Broadbent SAT.09.MAY.26

Haggard Cat RESCUE ROOMS

SUN.10.MAY.26

Dodgy

RESCUE ROOMS SUN.10.MAY.26

Laura Cox TUE.26.

MAY.26

BIIRD

RESCUE ROOMS

BODEGA

MON.11.MAY.26

Suburban Legends BODEGA

WED.13.MAY.26

Blue October

Psychonaut + Cobra The Impaler RESCUE ROOMS

THU.14.MAY.26

WED.03.JUN.26 ROCK CITY

RESCUE ROOMS

SAT.23.MAY.26

Weatherday BODEGA

MON.25.MAY.26

Seafret

RESCUE ROOMS TUE.26.MAY.26

BIIRD

RESCUE ROOMS

UT TUE.26.MAY.26 SOLD O

Dead Pony ROCK CITY (BETA) WED.27.MAY.26

Spear of Destiny

SAT.30.MAY.26

GANS

ALT BLK ERA

SAT.16.MAY.26

UT SUN.31.MAY.26 SOLD O

Beth Hart

ROYAL CONCERT HALL TUE.19.MAY.26

Thomas Dolby THE PALAIS

ROCK CITY

BODEGA

WED.03.JUN.26

WED.08.JUL.26

Joe Carnall Jnr

Sumo Cyco

FRI.05.JUN.26

SUN.12.JUL.26

BODEGA

Bat Sabbath

SAT.06.JUN.26

MON.13.JUL.26

RESCUE ROOMS

Headsticks BODEGA

THU.11.JUN.26

Voivod & Midnight RESCUE ROOMS

FRI.12.JUN.26

The Milk BODEGA

THU.18.JUN.26

RESCUE ROOMS

Los Campesinos!

RESCUE ROOMS

SUN.31.MAY.26

SUGAR ROCK CITY

UT TUE.02.JUN.26 SOLD O

The Story So Far ROCK CITY

THE PALAIS

Archy & the Astronauts BODEGA

SAT.27.JUN.26

Raging Speedhorn + Mastiff ROCK CITY (BETA)

SUN.28.JUN.26

The March Violets BODEGA

TUE.30.JUN.26

The Dirty Nil BODEGA

Bat Sabbath SUN.12.JUL.26 ROCK CITY (BETA)

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

Splendour Festival WOLLATON PARK

BODEGA

DEADLETTER

SAT.20.JUN.26

SAT.16.MAY.26

MON.18.MAY.26

Vandoliers

FRI.29.MAY.26

RESCUE ROOMS

TUE.07.JUL.26

Blue October

All Them Witches

RESCUE ROOMS

BODEGA

BODEGA

THE PALAIS

We Lost The Sea

Wolfsbane

Worldpeace DMT+ The Femcels

All Them Witches

FRI.22.MAY.26

Colm R. McGuinness

RESCUE ROOMS

THU.18.JUN.26

CENTRE

WED.03.JUN.26

ROCK CITY (BETA)

Foolhardy Folk Festival

A Thousand Horses BODEGA

MON.13.JUL.26

Dead Pioneers + Petrol Girls RESCUE ROOMS

FRI.17.JUL.26

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

Crash of Rhinos BODEGA

SAT.18.JUL.26

Smoove & Turrell BODEGA

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

Splendour Festival WOLLATON PARK

Model/Actriz TUE.08.SEP.26 RESCUE ROOMS

TUE.18.AUG.26

The Flatliners RESCUE ROOMS

FRI.28.AUG.26

Earl Sweatshirt & MIKE

Mimi Barks

ROCK CITY

SUN.30.AUG.26

Foolhardy Folk Festival ARBORETUM GARDEN BAR

& BANDSTAND

SUN.13.SEP.26

ROUGH TRADE

FRI.18.SEP.26 SAT.19.SEP.26

The Sisters Of Mercy ROCK CITY

On the surface, LIE and its B-side ALONE seem to be worlds apart. The first is a loud, explosive rock ballad. The sharp grittiness of its intro cuts through listeners' ears beautifully, as the fiery lead guitar, booming drums and chaotic distortion transports them to a dark, underground punk show. The lyrics are reflective and deeply real as they capture the artist's struggle between truth and lies. ALONE is its opposite, a quiet acoustic track allowing every word its moment. LOCAL LOSER’S vocals here are magical, echoey, and wistful; miles apart from the raucous energy of those in LIE. Yet both tracks do have something in common: a bold, raw representation of the queer experience – the rage, frustration, and drive for something different. LOCAL LOSER’S songs have it all. These singles are their record debut, after they performed live at Billy Bootleggers in 2025, but they seem already poised to become a one-in-a-million artist. (Max Christian)

Leah Wilcox Hollywood (Single) There’s something deeply and knowingly playful about Leah Wilcox’s latest release Hollywood, which revels in a shift toward maximalist folk-pop. Still drenched in 70s influences, Hollywood sees Wilcox self-assured and ambitious as she reels off entries from her glamorous to-do list. Musically, the song is entertainingly restless, trying on sounds like so many outfits as it flits from glam-rock guitars to a ukulele – from marching drums to layered vocal harmonies. There’s a CMAT-like energy in how the song rattles around within the confines of its runtime, but it’s a credit to Leah that none of the myriad ideas ever become a distraction, with the song retaining cohesion that could easily have been lost.

This is a fun, fierce Americana infused romp. "You try and stop me and you just watch what happens", she sings. With this evidence, who would want to? (Kieran Lister)

music reviews

Local Loser LIE / ALONE (Single)

Origin One & Snowy Jah Bless (Single) Grime veteran Snowy has been busy of late. As well as featuring on Sleaford Mods’ latest album and producing new tracks with Truth, Snowy has taken the time to create a boundary-pushing fusion of jungle and grime with Nottingham producer Origin One. Jah Bless is a deep and contemplative piece delivering a dexterous and effortless blend of both artists’ styles with fast-paced faith-based lyrics offering a take on self-love, appreciation and divine protection. Driven by a heavy dub bassline, the piece rolls through meditative breaks and tripped-out piano-led textures for a reviving study on genres, lifting the listener into other dimensions. (Rachel Imms)

Book of Churches Book of Churches (Album) Book of Churches is the solo project of Divorce’s co-lead-vocalist, Felix Mackenzie-Barrow – a rare talent, with the ability to say a lot with very minimal song structures. Felix invites you to explore the recesses of his mind with some wonderfully meaningful lyrics embracing a dreamlike disconnect from the complications of everyday life. The opening track, Song for a Stranger, is contemplative, likewise All The Good Things, with its gentle banjo, which delicately revisits memories of previous relationships. Two songs about flying, North Atlantic Ocean and Catalpa in the Sky, add emphasis to the blurred timeline experienced while travelling, as does I Lean. The Quiet Was A Heron is about discomfort after witnessing the shooting of such a lovely creature, before Stones In Your Bag highlights the pleasures of togetherness, sublimely concluding a remarkable album. (Claire Spencer)

Pict Without Warning (Single) Five-piece post-folk group Pict are Nottingham through and through. Their latest single was recorded at The Grove, a place dear to their hearts (and ours). It’s a beautifully arranged and moving combination of layered guitars, yearning vocals and organic rhythms, pierced through like an unerring arrow by a forcefully melancholic trumpet line. The precision of the composition and skilful way in which voices and instruments blend reveals the talent of this group; another band we can be rightly proud of. (Phil Taylor)

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.

leftlion.co.uk 37

What’s on THIS MAY FRIDAY 1 MAY

The Prodigy  Motorpoint Arena Nottingham £44.85-£155 Dance music legends The Prodigy are returning to Notts this month for a huge arena show, as part of their World Heavyweight Champions Re-Unite tour. Following their triumphant appearance at Glastonbury 2025, this tour sees them provide a high energy run through their catalogue which for decades has defined rave culture. Joining them is acclaimed house DJ Carl Cox, who will warm things up with a two hour set from doors.

Fans can expect a showcase of his signature style, delivered via his classic three deck vinyl setup. This will definitely be a big night for electronic music fans and rave disciples in Notts.

Beautiful Crazy - The Luke Combs Collection  Mansfield Palace Theatre

Goostavo - Life Of a Misfit  Fisher Gate Point £7-£15, 7pm-11pm

Blackgold  Rescue Rooms £14, 6.30pm

Conscious Pilot & Big Girls Blouse  The Grove £9, 7.30pm

Landon Conrath  The Bodega £13, 7pm-10pm

African Head Charge  Metronome £20-£25, 7pm

Battle Of The Bands  Fisher Gate Point £5, 7pm-11.55pm

Zealous - Funk Cartel  The Secret Garden £5-£16, 9.30pm-3am

Doc'n Roll Film Festival - How Tanita Tikaram Became A Liar  Savoy Cinema

Speech Therapy  Fisher Gate Point Free, 7pm-11pm

Taj Farrant  The Bodega £22, 7pm-10pm

Kepler  The Nest £16-£22, 10pm

Mike Wozniak – The Bench  Nottingham Playhouse £25, 7.30pm Runs until: Wednesday 14 October

Our Yard Foundations Exhibition Closing Party w/ V Rocket International  New Art Exchange 5pm-11.30pm

Pink Coconut Summer Ball  The Palais £15-£35, 10pm-4am

The Future In Our Past, the General Strike one hundreds years on, with Callum Cant and Matthew Lee  Five Leaves Bookshop £5-£12, 7pm-8.30pm

Murder Mystery: Death by Pineapple  The National Justice Museum £29, 7pm-10pm

Binns Organ Lunchtime Concert: Stefan Donner  The Albert Hall 1.10pm

Professor Elemental, Mr B The Gentleman Rhymer & Thomas Benjamin Wild Esq.  The Old Cold Store £15, 7pm-5pm

Hyphen  The Bodega £15, 7pm

Robert Finley  Rescue Rooms £20, 7.30pm-11pm

Ninja Sex Party  Rock City £32, 7pm

THURSDAY 7 MAY

Hansard  Lace Market Theatre Runs until: Saturday 2 May And Then There Were None  Duchess Theatre £8-£10, 7.30pm-10pm Runs until: Saturday 2 May Wigflex 20 years with Mad Miran b2b Lukas Wigflex  The Model Calibre (3hr Set)  The Brickworks £16.50-£18, 10.30pm-4am

SATURDAY 2 MAY

Jennifer Vanderpool  The Harley Gallery & Museum Free, 10am-4pm Runs until: Monday 4 May Shahana Rajani: Lines That World a River Nottingham Contemporary Free, 10am-5pm Runs until: Sunday 10 May Dala Nasser: Cemetery of Martyrs  Nottingham Contemporary Free, 10am-5pm Runs until: Sunday 10 May Bonington Vitrines #30: a Semester In Nottingham, 1976  Bonington Gallery Free, 11am-3pm Runs until: Friday 8 May 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 Masheena  Angel Microbrewery & The Chapel £12, 6.30pm Let's Celebrate Showcase!  Lutterell Hall £15.50, 7pm-11pm

38 leftlion.co.uk

Murder Mystery: Death by…  The National Justice Museum Dirty Disco Sound System  The Malt Cross Lemonade Bangs: Bank Hol Garden Rave with Danny P  The Secret Garden £7-£13, 9.30pm-3am Solstice: Dance Anthems  Stealth £5, 10pm-3am

Celebrating Nottingham Football Fanzines: Brian and The Pie (Film screenings + Q&A)  Nottingham Central Library £5, 11am Thanks to a digital archiving project by LeftLion, in 2024 two of Nottingham's loved football fanzines The Pie (Notts County) and Brian (Nottingham Forest) were given a new lease of life.

This event will showcase two short films about these fanzines; each twenty minutes long. A Q&A with producer Jared Wilson plus representatives from both fanzines will end the event.

Both publications have storied histories: The Pie was launched in 1987 and run by a team which included Selectadisc manager Jim Cooke. Brian was launched in 1988 by Julie Pritchard. This screening is also in honour of Julie, who recently passed away.

TUESDAY 5 MAY Contemporary Textiles Exhibition - Storytelling  Nottingham Society of Artists Free, 10am-4pm Runs until: Sunday 10 May People Planet Pint Meetup  Angel Microbrewery & The Chapel 6pm-8pm

SUNDAY 3 MAY

If We Tolerate This: How the British establishment made the far right respectable  Five Leaves Bookshop £5-£14.99, 7pm-8.30pm

Tozer Studios presents 'From Page to Stage'  Mansfield Palace Theatre

Ella Clayton - Could it be you?  The Grove £10, 7pm

Activating Poetical Science: Mysticism, Tech & Future Poesis  Nottingham Contemporary Free, 10am-4pm

Greazy Alice  Angel Microbrewery & The Chapel £15, 7.30pm

Bank Holiday Mayhem  Liquid Library

Pots and Pints: Carved Tumblers  Rough Trade £32, 1pm Groovebox In The Park  Wollaton Hall and Park £8-£22, 1pm-11pm Muzak Bank Holiday Dxnby & Daetor  The Swan £3-£7.25, 1pm-11pm

Love the 90s Fest  Wollaton Hall and Park £12-£47, 1pm-11pm

Irish Traditional Session  The Malt Cross

Art Club with Ziroziro  New Art Exchange

Catfishing the Bottlemen  Rescue Rooms £10, 6.30pm-10pm

Smash Into Pieces  Rock City £22.50, 6.30pm

MONDAY 4 MAY

Matt Pryor (The Get Up Kids)  The Bodega £16, 7pm

WEDNESDAY 6 MAY Toyah  Mansfield Palace Theatre Spring into Poetry with Lizzie Dunford and other Poets  Bromley House Library Free, 2pm-3.30pm Bridgford Blast takeover  The Lawn at Central Avenue Free, 3.30pm-5.30pm Assunta and Lou Art Club  Nottingham Central Library 4.30pm-5.30pm Sci-Fi & Fantasy Book Club: The Martian Chronicles  Waterstones Free, 6.30pm

Jokes at The Juice Bar  Juice Bar £5, 7pm-9.30am Nott Queer Enough  Hockley Emporium Free, 7pm

Riddim and Roots  Nottingham Playhouse Free, 11am The Ethiopian Kitchen  New Art Exchange 5pm-7pm The Covasettes: Live + Signing Rough Trade £14.62, 6pm The Wonder Stuff  Rock City £32.50, 6.30pm Yellow Days  Rescue Rooms £21.50, 7pm-11pm

Iron Maiden: Burning Ambition  Savoy Cinema £5.50-£13, 8pm One for the heavy metal lovers…

Burning Ambition is a featurelength documentary directed by Malcolm Venville and produced

by Dominic Freeman, chronicling Iron Maiden's iconic five-decade career in music. It traces the band's evolution and influence, through interviews with band members and prominent figures in rock music, while exploring the creative decisions, challenges and milestones that shaped their legacy. With 17 studio albums, approximately 2500 gigs across 64 countries and over 130 million album sales, there’s plenty to go on. Pub trivia: did you know that the lead singer for most of their career, Bruce Dickinson, was born and brought up in Worksop?

Lost Faculty  The Grove £7, 7pm Five Over, Meridian & San Marino  Mist Rolling Inn £7, 7pm Knifedoutofexistence  JT Soar £8, 7.30pm-10.30pm

FRIDAY 8 MAY

Wing Fest  OUT Nottingham £19.50-£23.50, 5pm-5pm Runs until: Sun 10 May The world's largest chicken wing festival and home of the official UK chicken wing awards lands at the new OUT Nottingham venue.

As well as lots of chicken you can also expect live music, DJs, bands, entertainment, games, axe throwing and eating competitions.

Every year the event showcases the best chicken wings the UK has to offer, with Nottingham’s very own Michelin-starred chef Alex Bond (from Alchemilla and Mollis) taking part this year.

Rhymes Against Humanity Presents: ImproVision  The Squire Performing Arts Centre £14 Nape Neck  JT Soar £12 Stephen Sanchez  Rock City £25, 6.30pm-10pm Stop Making Sense Live  Rescue Rooms £25, 7pm Alastair Clark: On The Record  Rough Trade £14.63, 7pm The Radiohead Project  Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall 7.30pm

Beth Rowley  Metronome £20, 7pm-10pm

Haggard Cat  Rescue Rooms £12, 6.30pm-10pm

Super Soapbox Challenge  Old Market Square Free, 10am-5pm

Pleasure Incorporated  Fisher Gate Point £8-£10, 7am

As part of her UK-wide Pale Jewel Volume II tour taking place this Spring, Bristol-raised artist Beth Rowley visits Metronome this month. Known for her rich, expressive voice and heartfelt lyrics, she blends blues, Americana and gospel influences into something profoundly authentic.

Initially she gained experience as a backup singer for the likes of Enrique Iglesias and Ronan Keating, before stepping into the spotlight and creating a career that has spanned two decades.

Along the way, she has shared stages with artists including David Gray, Jools Holland and Crowded House. Expect a set with plenty of warmth, honesty and soul.

It's a night that any underground rock lovers in Notts would be loath to miss, as Haggard Cat, made up of Matt Reynolds (vocals and guitars) and Tom Marsh (drums) make their live comeback in Notts after several years out.

This locally-based hardcore duo was formed as a side project from previous bands Baby Godzilla and Heck. However, since those split this has become their main project. They’ve both been signed to labels before like Earache, but now they’re out there on their own terms. Expect a wall of noise and some intense on-stage energy. Support comes from Mother Vulture and Every Hell.

Expect a day of thrills and excitement as the Market Square is transformed into a high energy race track. Soapbox racing: competitive racing in motorless vehicles, has featured in various UK cities in recent years, and this month comes to Notts for the first time, featuring everything from cleverly engineered racers to wildly imaginative creations.

The event will run throughout the day, with multiple heats leading to a final, and it's free to attend.

Alongside the racing, there are a variety of food and off track entertainment options, including the opportunity to meet and have a photograph with champion racer Sir Sidney Cartalot and the Robin Hood mascot. This event will be supporting its charity partner: Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance.

A one-woman theatre performance that reimagines sex work through the lens of corporate bureaucracy.

Written and performed by Jemima Foxtrot, the show uses HR policies, performance reviews and workplace rituals to explore labour, autonomy and survival.

Drawing on the artist's lived experience of escorting in Berlin, the production employs corporate satire to examine how bodies and power are managed within capitalist systems. Combining live performance with video art and an original soundtrack, the show balances humour with moments of tenderness. It's recommended only for ages 16+.

Content note: mentions of sex work and child sexual abuse.

MONDAY 11 MAY

Artificial Go  JT Soar £12

FIB: Social Climate Justice  New Art Exchange 7pm-11pm Fandom: It Girls  Rescue Rooms £5, 10.30pm-3.30am

SATURDAY 9 MAY Nottingham Forest v London Mavericks  Motorpoint Arena Nottingham Arkayla  The Bodega £12.50, 7pm Live DJ Social – Mista Shotta  The Malt Cross 8pm Hip-Hop House Party  Stealth £5, 10pm-3am Fearlessly Taylor  Bonington Theatre & Cinema £15, 2.30pm Liberace & Liza: A Tribute  Nottingham Arts Theatre £25, 4pm-5.50pm

SUNDAY 10 MAY Tony Wright (Terrorvision)  The Old Cold Store £15, 4pm-8pm People without History Are Dust: Queer Desire in the Holocaust, with Anna Hajkova  Five Leaves Bookshop £3-£15, 4.30pm-6pm Art School Girlfriend: Live Stripped-Back Performance  Rough Trade £15.75, 6pm Dodgy  Rescue Rooms £25, 6.30pm Laura Cox - Troubled Tour  The Bodega £20, 7pm Lindisfarne  Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall 7.30pm Nirvanher & Bras N’ Roses  Saltbox Bar £15, 3pm-7.30pm

Battle of Notts 2026  Motorpoint Arena Nottingham £7 Victorians: From Workhouses to Asylums  Nottingham Central Library 12.30pm-2pm Suburban Legends  The Bodega £18, 7pm A Neurodivergent Survival Guide to Adult Life When You’re Dyspraxic or ADHD with Maxine Roper  Five Leaves Bookshop £5-£14.99, 7pm-8.30pm Paper Lily  Rough Trade £6, 7pm Hamza Yassin - My Life Behind the Lens  Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall 7.30pm

TUESDAY 12 MAY

Italian Breads Baking Class  Pippley Walled Garden £85, 10am-3pm Tide Lines  Rescue Rooms £25, 6pm-10pm Basement + Signing  Rough Trade £16.68, 6pm Raging Clue  The Bodega £10, 7pm Non-fiction Book Group discusses: Angela Y. Davis – Abolition: Politics, Practices, Promises, Vol. 1  Five Leaves Bookshop Free, 7pm-8.30pm Ben Auld & Band + Direwolf + Action Figures  The Grove £6-£8, 7pm

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We Are The Weirdos x Billie Skreamz Nottingham  Mist Rolling Inn £9, 7pm James Morrison  Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall 7.30pm Loose Goose Improv Jam  Fisher Gate Point Free, 8pm-10pm

WEDNESDAY 13 MAY

Northern Ballet Gentleman Jack  Theatre Royal and Royal Concert Hall 2pm The Northern Ballet presents Gentleman Jack, an biographical depiction of Anne Lister – a 19th century Yorkshire-woman who was one of the most countercultural people of her time, and who history dubbed ‘the first modern lesbian’. Her diaries are pretty timeless and have been creatively adapted in lots of ways, from TV, to books, to music, so you’re guaranteed an intriguing narrative should you choose to check this out.

The team are also particularly well respected in the world of ballet — the choreographer is Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, who won an award for her work on A Streetcar Named Desire , and the music comes from experienced composer Peter Salem.

Stop Your Self-Sabotage Masterclass  Nottingham Central Library £5, 1pm Doc'n Roll Film Festival - A Way To Die: The Short Films of Coil  Savoy Cinema 6.30pm LEAP  The Bodega £17, 7pm BBC Introducing  Metronome When We Ruled: Twelve African queens and warriors, with Paula Akpan  Five Leaves Bookshop £5-£12.99, 7pm-8.30pm Pub H. D. - Research Talks  Barley Twist £0-£3, 7pm-10pm Psychonaut & Cobra The Impaler  Rescue Rooms £16, 7.30pm-11pm Top Gun (40th Anniversary)  Savoy Cinema 8.15pm Also showing on Sat 16 May

THURSDAY 14 MAY Women in Rock  Mansfield Palace Theatre

The Showhawk Duo  Rescue Rooms £18.50, 6.30pm

Witches Mortuary  Mist Rolling Inn £8, 7.30pm

DIY poets Showcase  Middle Street Resource Centre £0-£5, 7.30am-9.30am

Breeze - Nottingham  Angel Microbrewery & The Chapel £10, 7pm-10.30pm

BIPC Women's Network  Nottingham Central Library 10am

The Secret Garden Burlesque & Cabaret Show  The Secret Garden £20, 7pm-2am

The Duchess of Malfi  Lace Market Theatre 7.30pm Runs until: Saturday 23 May

Introduction to John Webster  Lace Market Theatre 12pm

George Gadd + The Aftermath  The Grove £10, 7pm

Mary Anning and the Dinosaur Hunters + Q&A with Sharon Sheehan  Savoy Cinema 6pm

Gypsy Pistoleros: Dark Faerie Tales  The Old Cold Store £12, 7pm-11pm

girli: Live + Signing Rough Trade £18.02, 6pm

Breakin' Convention  Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall 7.30pm

Colm R. McGuinness  The Bodega £20, 7pm

Dennis Rollins  Metronome £5-£10, 7.30pm-9.30pm

Urban Voodoo Machine  The Old Cold Store £20, 7pm

DJ Social – Hemulen Soundz  The Malt Cross 8pm

Picky New Promotions Present The Cutter  The Grove £10, 7.30pm

Substance: Chad Harrison, DJ Pantha + Trilla  Stealth £10-£16, 10pm-4am

FRIDAY 15 MAY

Mr Traumatik  Tunnel Club £12.50-£22.50, 10pm-3am Fandom: Decade Dance  Rescue Rooms £5, 10.30pm-3.30am

SATURDAY 16 MAY Riding The Low  Rock City £15, 6.30pm-10pm Alternative rock band, Riding The Low, take over Rock city on Friday 15 May, bringing their distinctive and gritty sound to our city centre's historic guitar music hub. Fronted by actor and director Paddy Considine, the Staffordshire based group is also composed of Chris Baldwin, Dan Baker and Rich Eaton, and they've built a reputation for their dynamic and boundary pushing sound since forming back in 2006.

They will be joined by support act , Burton-on-Trent raised punk rocker Joseph Hooligan, who will set the tone for an evening of intensity and joy. This should definitely be a loud and immersive one: Rock City couldn't be more conducive to bands like this being their best selves.

This May, Coins for Charon, Chloe Rodgers (pictured), and We Are The Station will co-headline what's set to be a pretty unforgettable night at The Chapel, which is upstairs in Hockley cultural hub The Angel Microbrewery pub.

Coins for Charon recently debuted to lots of buzz at the Mist Rolling Inn on Derby Road, while We Are The Station make noisy, indie rock, and Chloe Rodgers is wellknown on the Notts circuit for her dreamlike and Bjork-tinged indie sound. Each act is a well loved part of our city's local scene, so it's definitely worth attending this gig if you're looking to support that.

Louisey Rider Cup Charity Tournament 2026  Harvey Hadden Sports Village £5-£9, 9.45am-5.30pm Drew Thomas  Rough Trade £13, 6pm GANS - The Connected Tour  Rescue Rooms £15, 6.30pm-10pm WorldPeace DMT + The Femcels  The Bodega £11, 7pm-10pm Chris Brain  The Grove £10-£20, 7pm Hexx  Ye Olde Salutation Inn £5, 8pm-3am

Mayhem Rock Festival 2026 Nottingham  The Nest £60-£70, 1pm-1am

Live at Lunch: Li Min Ong  Theatre Royal &Royal Concert Hall 1pm

This will be the ultimate Scandinavian rock experience, with added sleaze rock and hard rock, taking place at The Nest: one of our city' newest and most versatile high tech events spaces. Headlining are Swedish powerhouse groups H.E.A.T and Eclipse, with an added line-up of Confess, Toxic Rose, Suicide Bombers, Smoking Snakes, Trench Dogs and Wasted Wizards. UK special guests, South of Salem, will also play alongside this mix of established names and rising talent. Performances will start at 1pm and a livestream will be available to watch so no one has to miss out on the full day of guitar-led wildness.

Bad Betty Live  New Art Exchange 6pm-9pm

Eurovision Watch Party 2026  The Garage 6pm-1am

Upbeat Beatles  Mansfield Palace Theatre

Coins For Charon + Chloe Rodgers + We Are The Station  The Angel Microbrewery & The Chapel £6, 7.30pm-11pm

Residential  Stealth £5, 10pm-4am

Jonathan Van Ness: Hot and Healed  Nottingham Playhouse £57.50-£67.50, 8pm

TUESDAY 19 MAY

Exhibition On Screen: Frida Kahlo  Arc Cinema (Beeston) £17.45-£18.45, 6.45pm-8.35pm The extraordinary story of one of the world’s most influential female artists, Frida Kahlo, is back by popular demand at The Arc Cinema in Beeston. Everyone knows Frida by her big eyebrows, floral crowns and bright colours, however, the film uncovers the true story of the painter's passionate yet turbulent life. Her artwork was heavily influenced by her upbringing and the physical and emotional pain she endured.

You'll get to enjoy Exhibition on Screen’s trademark combination of interviews with world experts and a detailed exploration of the art.

Directed by Ali Ray and created in close collaboration with world experts and those who knew her.

Marion Raw  JT Soar £12 Watercolour Painting  Pippley Walled Garden £60, 10am-3pm

SUNDAY 17 MAY

Legally Blonde  Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall £28-£65, 2pm

BTVParks Family Field Day  Bell Tent Village Parks Free, 12pm-4pm

The Hoosiers + Signing Rough Trade £12.06, 6pm

Ultimate Classic Rockshow  Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall 7.30pm

Thomas Dolby  The Palais £38.50, 6.30pm-10pm

Crazy Little Sing Called Pub  The Malt Cross

Isabel Ibanez in Conversation with M.A. Kuzniar  Waterstones £5-£24, 6.30pm

MONDAY 18 MAY The Lemon Twigs  Rescue Rooms £25, 7pm-11pm Gareth  Rough Trade £23.49, 7pm Beth Hart - You Still Got Me  Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall £45-£75, 7.30pm

Witchcraft & Paganism Book Club Book discusses A Spell in the Wild by Alice Tarbuck  Five Leaves Bookshop Free, 7pm-8.30pm The Supremely Talented "Jon Boden & The Remnant Kings"  Lakeside Arts £20-£26, 7.30pm-10.30pm leftlion.co.uk 41

Lenny Henry – Still at Large  Nottingham Playhouse £41.50-£46.50, 7.30pm

WEDNESDAY 20 MAY

Keith Brymer Jones and Marj Hogarth – Us, Pots and Our Welsh Chapel Dream  Nottingham Playhouse £41.50-£46.50, 7.30pm

An Afternoon with John Nichol  Waterstones £5-£29, 12pm

Eric Rushton: Innkeeper  Canalhouse £14, 8pm-9pm

Little Barrie + Signing Rough Trade £21.01, 6pm

FRIDAY 22 MAY

DMA'S  Rock City £35, 6.30pm-10pm Runs until: Thursday 21 May Myths, Monsters and Magic  Metronome £5-£10, 7pm-10.30pm Cluedo  The Dales United Reformed Church £10, 7.15pm-10pm Runs until: Saturday 23 May Smash Night!  The Malt Cross £3-£5, 7.30pm-9.30pm Philip Sayce  Rescue Rooms £27.50, 7.30pm Warsaw Philharmonic  Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall Mansfield Open Mic  Ravensdale Hotel Free, 7.30pm-10.30pm

We Lost The Sea  Rescue Rooms £22, 6.30pm Example  Rock City £32.50, 6.30pm-10pm Queer Nottingham, we celebrate the 90s and this century!

Nottingham Central Library £3-£10, 6.30pm-9pm Paradise Circus  Angel Microbrewery & The Chapel £10, 7pm-11pm Oh, Douglas & Martha White  The Grove £10, 7pm Craig Revel Horwood – Revelations  Nottingham Playhouse £36.50, 7.30pm The Hallé: Disco Dynamite  Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall 7.30pm Big Sky Orchestra  Rough Trade £18.03, 7.30pm

SATURDAY 23 MAY

Joseph Decosimo  The Grove £10-£17, 7pm

Dinosaur Week  Manor Farm Park & Woodlands £2.95-£16.95, 9am-5pm Stomp into mega-saurus fun this halfterm, with dino-mite roaring adventures! Dinosaur Week is back at Manor Farm Park & Woodlands for the May half-term and offers you and your kids a chance to turn back time for a full week of family fun and dinosaur discovery.

Laugh and cheer during the fast and funny dinosaur races, dig for fossils like a palaeontologist, explore the Dino Roar Trail and dance with Vonnie the Velociraptor! Wander the World of Dinosaur Roar, a discovery trail and find seven roaring giants. Your ticket includes full access to the farm where your kids can also play for hours in Nottinghamshire’s biggest indoor playbarn!

Runs until: Friday 29 May Razzamataz presents Get On Your Feet!  Mansfield Palace Theatre Hidden Food Tour  Tough Mary's Bakehouse £85, 10am

Dirty Disco Sound System  The Malt Cross

Pete McKee: The Boy with the Leg Named Brian Art Show  Metronome Free, 12pm-5pm

Atmosphere: Kara, Bish + OKO  Secret Vault £10-£17.95, 10pm-3am

Tonehenge Nottingham  Liquid Light Brew Co Tap Room £25, 12pm-11pm

Island Boy - Skippa Live  Liquid Library £33.25-£55.25, 10pm-6am

Pianopalooza: Amapiano Festival  The Nest £20-£40, 2pm

Vixxen  The Grove

Fandom: Plot Twist  Rescue Rooms £5, 10.30pm-3.30am

Sing-a-Long-a-Wicked  Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall 2pm

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

X Georgia: Laidlaw  The Brickworks £10, 10.30pm-4am

Alpha Whores  Angel Microbrewery & The Chapel £12, 6.30pm

Screensaver  JT Soar

Weatherday  The Bodega £15, 7pm-10pm

After Hours: Dale Storr  Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall 9.45pm

THURSDAY 21 MAY Paella Evening  French Living 5pm-9pm Buttonpusher: Poly-Math  The Carousel £12-£15, 7pm-11pm

Dave Formula & Noko  Rescue Rooms £27.50, 7.30pm-11pm

Nottingham’s free events platform

Dmitry Zagumennikov  Beeston Methodist Church £5-£10, 7pm-8.15pm

s t o l s ’ e r e h t g n i k o o l e l of peop event for your om at notts.c

The Everly Pregnant Brothers  Metronome £20, 7.30pm-11pm

Luminarium: Timisien  Lakeside Arts £6.50-£10, 11am-5pm Captivating visitors of all ages, the Nottingham-based company Architects of Air has delivered amazing experiences for local families for over 30 years.

Discover a new immersive world of beauty, light and art through their latest design. Composed of a series of plastic domes, the Timisien inflatable structure is designed to create a sensory and stimulating phenomenon of light and saturated hues, where the outside world can be forgotten.

Heavy inspiration has been taken from 19th century Catalan architect, Antoni Gaudi, as well as the detailed ceilings of Iranian Mosques. All children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.

Runs until: Sunday 31 May KittyArama Av Show  The Malt Cross Isabella's Disco  Stealth £5, 10pm-3am

Dot to Dot  The Bodega £35, 12pm Dot to Dot Festival returns to Nottingham for another year, hosting a number of emerging global bands and artists all across the city. Acclaimed acts like Fcukers, Lambrini Girls and NewDad will headline, joined by a range of rising names including Lucia & The Best Boys, Chinese American Bear and Mitch Santiago, bringing even more vibrancy to one of the most lively music cities in the UK for the late May bank holiday weekend. This year’s venues include Rock City, Rescue Rooms, Bodega, Palais, Stealth, Rough Trade, Metronome, Jam Cafe, the Angel Microbrewery and more. One wristband gets you entry to all of them.

Vau-DeLuxe-Ville Burlesque  Canalhouse £12, 6.30pm-9.30pm Mat Anderson and the Bonington Jazz Company- ‘Decades’  Bonington Theatre & Cinema £10, 7pm KerPunk  Mist Rolling Inn £7, 7pm Detonate: Kanine + More  Unit 13 £12, 10pm-4am

MONDAY 25 MAY

Lemonade Bangs  The Secret Garden £7-£13, 10pm-3am Overdrive x Hostile Takeover  Secret Vault £7.50-£20, 10pm-3am

SUNDAY 24 MAY Saint Lukez with Swayde  Mssng Pieces 6, 6pm-2am

Welcome to Rainshadow City: An Evening with Naomi Ishiguro  Waterstones £5-£26, 6.30pm Seafret  Rescue Rooms £27.50, 7.30pm-11pm Ray LaMontagne  Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall 7.30pm Ein Komisches Talent  Lace Market Theatre

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TUESDAY 26 MAY

Carlton Operatic Society - Come From Away  Theatre Royal and Royal Concert Hall £17.50-£37.50 An experience for both musical and non-musical lovers from the Carlton Operatic Society. Get ready to be part of the global phenomenon that has taken the world by storm! Come From Away tells the remarkable true story of 7,000 airline passengers stranded in the small town of Gander, Newfoundland, following the events of 11 September 2001. A heart-warming tale of kindness, community, and the power of human connection.

Carlton Operatic Society was founded in 1921 and is based in Netherfield. Five days at the Theatre Royal is a big deal and this musical should certainly leave you inspired and uplifted.

Runs until: Sat 30 May The Tiger Who Came to Tea  Mansfield Palace Theatre Half Term Family Activities  Nottingham Contemporary Free, 10am-3pm Barnum  Nottingham Playhouse £45-£57.50, 2.30pm Runs until: Saturday 30 May Marmozets: Live + Signing Rough Trade £16.89, 6pm BIIRD - The Holy Show  Rescue Rooms £25, 6.30pm-10pm Missouri Williams  Waterstones £5-£21, 6.30pm Dead Pony  Rock City £14, 7pm-10pm Book Launch for Devils in the Details, with Rory Waterman  Five Leaves Bookshop Free, 7pm-8.30pm Wifi Wars  Canalhouse £12-£15, 7pm-8pm The Ocelots  The Grove £12, 7pm Strictly The Professionals  Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall 7.30pm Loose Goose Improv Jam  Fisher Gate Point Free, 8pm-10pm

44 leftlion.co.uk

WEDNESDAY 27 MAY Words in Motion: The Heart of Live Storytelling 

By Our Hands We Make Our Way £11.55-£22.38, 2pm-5pm A Barrister for the Earth with Monica Feria-Tinta  Five Leaves Bookshop £4-£11, 7pm-8.30pm Spear of Destiny  Rescue Rooms £25, 7.30pm-11pm Desperate Scousewives  Nottingham Arts Theatre £27, 7.30pm-9.35pm Open Mike Eagle: Neighborhood Gods  Rough Trade £17.50, 7.30pm-11pm Same Time, Next Year  Lace Market Theatre

THURSDAY 28 MAY

Comedy Club  The Garage 7pm-11pm

Midge Ure: A Man of Two Worlds  Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall 7.30pm

Sugar  Rock City £52, 7pm-11pm

808 Sunrise: Jon Dasilva (The Haçienda / I Love Acid)  Movers 7pm

Voodoo Room: A Night of Hendrix, Clapton & Cream  Nottingham Arts Theatre £16-£24, 7.30pm-9.50pm

David Cronenberg's Wife + Alex Hale + Dusty 4 Track  The Grove

Intercolour  The Grove £6, 7pm-10.30pm

Beatles Complete: A Tribute  Bonington Theatre & Cinema £22, 7.30pm

Gravity: Kerry Ellis, Louise Dearman & Rachel Tucker  Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall

Quiet Earthe  Mist Rolling Inn £8, 8pm-11pm

Derek Mitchell - Double Dutch  Nottingham Arts Theatre £16-£18, 7.30pm-9.10pm

DirtyFilthySexy Angel Microbrewery & The Chapel £8-£16, 8.30pm-1am

Jon Spencer  The Boat Club £22.50, 7.45pm

SUNDAY 31 MAY

Inception: Subsonic + Drz  The Cell £10.50-£14.25, 9pm-3.30am

The Sooty Show  Mansfield Palace Theatre

Twin Frequency Urban Showcase  The Mixologist £5-£10, 9pm-2am

Crime Club: Georgian Female Killers & Cultists  The National Justice Museum £15.50-£16.50, 6pm-9pm

Rewind Friday  Beeston Social £0-£5, 9pm-2am

The Longest Johns  Rock City £27.50, 6.30pm

Baile Do Brasil - Baile Funk  Stealth £7-£9, 10.30pm-3am

Ana Carla Maza  Rescue Rooms £25, 7pm-10pm

SATURDAY 30 MAY

Posturing  The Grove £8-£14, 7pm Nightstalker  The Old Cold Store £15, 7pm

NB Dance Academy  Mansfield Palace Theatre GOBS Artist Gathering  New Art Exchange 10am-9pm Green Hustle 2026  Old Market Square Free, 10am-7pm

National Theatre Live: The Playboy of the Western World  Savoy Cinema Runs until: Thursday 4 June

Inkblot Comic Festival  The Vat and Fiddle £1.50-£8, 11am-5pm

John Robertson: The Dark Room  Nottingham Arts Theatre £15, 7.30pm-9.10pm

Official UK Influencer Party  The Nest £30.25, 12pm-6pm

Shxtsngigs: Daddy's Home Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall

Sausage & Cider Festival  Wollaton Hall and Park £11-£38.50, 12pm-10pm

FRIDAY 29 MAY Taylor Fever  Mansfield Palace Theatre

Young Musicians For Palestine  The Grove £7-£16, 2pm

Late Night Lindy  Fisher Gate Point £5-£7, 7.30am-11.55am

Greatness gala  Excelsior Nawaab £10-£450, 6pm-1am

Trance in the Woods  Thoresby Park £45-£159 Runs until: Sun 31 May

Rainbow Kitten Surprise  Rock City £32.50, 6.30pm-10pm

Wolfsbane  Rescue Rooms £20, 6.30pm John Robb  Metronome £14.50, 7pm

ALT BLK ERA  Rescue Rooms £16, 6.30pm-10pm Ronnietoldus EP Launch  Rough Trade £7.21, 7pm

Matt Forde: Defying Calamity  Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall £28.50, 7.30pm Otis Gibbs  Angel Microbrewery & The Chapel £16, 7.30pm

WEEKLY The Big Quiz  The Malt Cross

TUESDAYS Bod FM  The Bodega Free, 10pm

WEDNESDAYS BBQ Masterclass: Meats & Marinades Cooking Class  Pippley Walled Garden £85, 10am-2pm

Indie Wednesdays  The Bodega £5, 11pm-3am Adult Steel Pan Class  Fisher Gate Point £5, 8pm-10pm

Pipply Garden’s Cookery School will be hosting a one day BBQ masterclass on its sunken patio, based in historic Victorian walls of Pipply Walled Garden, Beeston.

Having been built in the 1800s, the venue takes pride in its sustainable heritage. With fresh ingredients grown on site, and insights into the best barbecuing skills, all you'll need to bring is a pen and paper, suncream, clothes with easy roll up sleeves and yourself for this masterclass, teaching you all the necessary skills from stacking wood chips to gauging temperatures. The venue offers on site free parking, plus wheelchair and guide dog accessibility.

The Lion Pub Quiz  The Lion at Basford £1, 8pm

Boxed In  Lakeside Arts £10.50-£11, 11am-11.45am

FRIDAYS

Japan Fest  Mansfield Rugby Club £11-£38, 11am-5pm The Blaze Vs Durham Cricket  Trent Bridge Cricket Ground £1-£26, 11am-2.30pm Met Opera: El Último Sueño de Frida y Diego  Broadway Cinema Sensational 60s Experience  Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall Trevor Nelson Soul Nation  Binks Yard £18.50-£35, 3pm-10pm

THURSDAYS Tuned  Rock City £0-£5, 10pm Analogue  The Bodega Free, 9pm Get A Wiggle On  Fisher Gate Point Free, 5pm-6.30pm

The Pop Confessional  The Bodega 11pm-3am Fandom Fridays  Rescue Rooms £4-£8, 10pm Get Lucky  Rock City £0-£5, 10pm

SATURDAYS Rebel Rebel  Rock City £5-£6, 11pm-3am Shameless  The Bodega £6, 11pm-3am

Organizing Amazon in Britain and America  Five Leaves Bookshop Free-£5, 5pm-6pm

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OR H T U T R LEG END? Unpicking Nottingham's Weird History The Case of the Wellow Maypole words: Matthew Blaney Welcome to May, a month where people dance around tall wooden poles decorated with flowers, greenery and ribbons. It’s rather clear to see that we Brits seem to love a good ol’ fashioned wayward tradition. Whether it’s risking every single limb for a wheel of cheese in Gloucester, apologising profusely for any minor inconveniences caused to a stranger, or even the infamous ‘cob’ debate, we’ve definitely got some quirky ones. Nottingham, as expected, is no stranger to the cause with a particular interest in preserving unsafe, swirly, barber-shop post looking poles.

Or as locals in Newark refer to it; The Wellow Maypole, which in its time has experienced its fair share of hardship.

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

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Nottsword Down 1. Mythical creature lurking in the trees by Sneinton Hermitage (6) 2. Nottingham’s secret Georgian library (7, 5) 4. Surname of Olympic gymnast sisters Ellie and Becky (6) 6. 4ft10 wide medieval thoroughfare replaced by the Broadmarsh Shopping Centre (5, 4)

Across 3. Notts wordsmith who was ‘mad, bad and dangerous to know’ (4, 5) 5. Indie pop trio formed at UoN in 2009 (6, 7) 7. Internationally renowned bicycle manufacturer based in Notts (7) 8. Name of gorilla found in Wollaton Hall (6) 9. Much missed music venue located the back of the Forest Tavern pub (3, 4) 10. James Graham stage production which recently showed in the West End and Broadway (5)

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46 leftlion.co.uk

leftlion.co.uk/nottsword

Whilst the date of its first construction is unclear, its first recorded sighting dates back to 1835 and since then, has been replaced multiple times for a few peculiar reasons. In 1860, the Maypole had to be replaced as it is believed to have been sawn down during a debaucherous night out.

Obviously, kebab shops weren’t as popular back in the 1860s so a bit of lumberjacking was the clear alternative. But seriously, where did they store this 60ft pole? I can just about order an Uber after a session, never mind manual labour.

A ‘freak accident’ took place in 1910 when the wooden pole was burned

down after fireworks had been stacked around the base of the pole. Unfortunately, the fireworks were prematurely ignited and the pole burnt down. I find the term ‘freak accident’ to be used incorrectly given the context, as I fail to see the freakish nature of a wooden pole burning down when strapping explosives to its base.

Concerns surrounding the pole’s height have often been a troubled part of its history. In 1937, it was deemed unsafe as it stood at 60ft tall and was then reduced to 20ft. It was then chopped down for safety reasons several times across the next fifty years, with its final height standing at seventeen metres high in 2011. My advice would be to attend this year’s May Day celebrations in Wellow as there is a good chance that in the next ten years it will be reduced to the height of a parking bollard.

Maypoles across the country are often used as part of May Day celebrations around the late Spring Bank Holiday. With Wellow’s pole being one of only a few left standing in England, it is an event well worth visiting this May with intricate traditional ribbon dancing taking place alongside live music and games, with food and drink stalls dotted around the village. But just remember, if you happen to notice any bears knocking around by a big yellow triangular shaped building, or Florence Pugh dressed in a bouquet of flowers, please leave the area and don’t consume any pastries offered to you.

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