Pick Six: Izzy Bradley

My all time favourite movie. Even now, I find the jump from the black and white to technicolour absolutely marvellous and I can only imagine what it was like to watch this in the cinema when it was released in 1939. Rainbows, ruby shoes, yellow brick roads, emerald city - I think this movie is the reason I love colour so much. It’s got everything - drama, magic, surrealism, a pinch of scary, friendships, desire for adventure and the poignant message of “there’s no place like home”.

Very hard to pick as it completely depends where I am, who I’m with and what mood I’m in. But I’m going for Three Lions ‘96 - not necessarily for the song itself but the atmosphere when I hear and sing it. Full of anticipation, raw emotion, nostalgia and hope; I’ve screamed this song at the top of my lungs since I was seven years old at every opportunity. I’ve loved watching the evolution of the women’s game in this time - finally bringing it home in 2022!

The best day of my life was visiting Naoshima - a small island known as the mecca for contemporary art and best known for hosting Yayoi Kusama’s Yellow Pumpkin. Full of galleries, museums, architecture, sculptures and the Art House Project - immersive and site-specific art scattered around a small town. The island is so small you can cycle around it in a day, visit a public bath full of art, eat in family-run restaurants and sleep in a Mongolian yurt on the beach. Glorious!

I’m not a huge reader but after following @thegreatwomenartists on instagram celebrating women artists, I can’t wait to get stuck into The Story of Art Without Men by Katy Hessel which was gifted to me from a wonderful friend. A book turning the limelight on women artists creativity and telling the history of art as it's never been told before… right up my street!

I am going to miss this place so much and I think it goes without saying what a loss this’ll be for Nottingham in so many ways. An eclectic space with a million weird and wonderful stories. So I just wanted to use this opportunity to say thank you and goodbye.

The best treats in Nottingham, with counters full of creative moreish tray bakes, cakes & cheesecakes with twists on classic confectionery. An independent young family business that started as a lockdown project with now two counters in Arnold & Colwick. So not necessarily a meal but the experience of eating their bakes to mark special occasions throughout lockdown was such a small joy. Would recommend grabbing a selection box and going for a picnic with loved ones!