If the old poss strings have been feeling a little light as of late, never fear. Turns out there's plenty of stuff and bits you can be gerrin on with for absolutely nowt...
Wollaton Hall and Park
Known to many as Batman’s crib, Wollo Hall is a perfect place to waste a cloudy day. While recently home to some dinos from China, it’s usually home to the Natural History Museum's display of taxidermy... slightly creepy to some, but it’s free and it’s probably the closest you’re ever gonna come to a real giraffe. And who can forget all the bleddy deer? They’re dead pretty to look at, but maybe don’t get too close, just in case one decides to bite yer hand off.
Nottingham Contemporary
For a free, artsy day out, look no further than the ‘Tempreh. Getting your bonces rahnd all that abstract artwork might make you wanna sprint in the opposite direction, or it might inspire you enough to become the next contemporary sensation. Who knows? If you do like it, and find some spare change in your pocket, you can always pop it into their donation box so they can continue to boggle the minds of Nottingham folk.
Stonebridge City Farm
This is the place to be if you’ve had an awful week at work and just wanna cuddle a bunny. Spend as much time as you like moseying around the place and for a few pennies, you can buy some treats for the animals. When the goats spot yer with that bag of biccies, they’ll try to throw themselves over the fence for a taste, so it’s also a dead good place to go if you’re after a laugh.
Arboretum
Another outdoorsy addition to the list, the Arboretum is just outside the concrete jungle of the city centre. As well as all the pretty plants, there’s loads of animals too. Observe the ducklings swimming their way around the pond for the first time, hear the canaries singing from the aviary, and snigger as you watch students attempt to sneak disposable BBQs in just so they can tell their mates they’ve had a “barb in the arb”...
Explore Hopkinson
Whether you’re really interested in all things retro, or you just fancy seeing some artefacts from the olden days, there’s thousands of hidden treasures to examine in Hopkinson. You could probably spend an entire day snooping around the four floors of vintage, antiques and furniture and still not see everything this place has to offer, but that is all part of its charm.
Find the most instagrammable spot in the city
Take yoursen on a walking tour of the city centre to find that picture which eill gain you maximum likes from your pals. Places worth considering; the Robin Hood statue at Nottingham Castle, tram tracks, the Brian Clough statue, the council house, vintage shop displays in Hockley and of course, that cheeky left lion.
Attenborough Nature Centre
For lovers of wildlife, bird spotting and walks, this place will be your heaven. The nature centre lies in the middle of the stunning Attenborough Nature Reserve and is home to animals such as badgers, coal tits and, err… garden warblers. While you’re there you can take a look around the shop, marvel at the organic food cafe menu or simply just take an afternoon stroll. Dig out them old binoculars and get on the lookout for those pesky chiffchaffs.
Green’s Mill and Science Centre
The perfect place for an educational day out with the little ‘uns. The windmill was owned by a mathematical physicist called George Green in the 1700s, who was interested in all sorts of sciency stuff. Now it’s home to a museum where you can learn about light, electricity and magnetism. While you’re there you can get yer mitts on some award-winning baking flour and on a windy day, you might even be lucky enough to see the old thing spinning around.
Find a cycle route
Good owd fashioned exercise won’t cost a thing and will stop you feeling guilty about the extra yorkshire pud you’ll have with your roast this week. Choose from easy, moderate or hard routes that will see you peddling along the roads, through the parks and next to the canals. Pack a picnic in case you get peckish along the way and a caggie for the rain and there you go, free day out sorted.
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