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LeftLion's Latest Listens #53: Notts music we're currently spinning

In the 53rd edition of LeftLion's Latest Listens, our music team reviews releases from Otala, Matt Blaney, Wayne Banks and Make Strangers...

Book Review: The History Boys Part II by David Marples

Gareth Watts takes a leaf through a new book by Dave Marples' new book about more great goals seen at the World Famous City Ground...

The Unravelling of Mary Reddish: author David Whitfield talks about his novel which draws from the history of asylums in Notts

Long before madness had a diagnosis, it had consequences. The Unravelling of Mary Reddish takes readers back to Georgian Nottingham, a world where sanity was judged through gender, reputation, and a strict social order. Katie Barr speaks to the author of the novel – David Whitfield – who drew on real asylum records from Nottingham to show how quickly a life can be unmade once those in power decide your mind is the problem. 

LeftLion's Latest Listens #38: Notts music we're currently spinning

With this year off to a great start for new music, in this edition of LeftLion's Latest Listens for 2026, our music team reviews releases from Divorce feat. Marcus Mumford, Blackadder, Bloodworm and Make Strangers...

Book review: The Unravelling of Mary Reddish by David Whitfield

We take a look at The Unravelling of Mary Reddish by David Whitfield, a novel about the blurred lines between sanity, control and women's autonomy, which is set against the backdrop of Nottingham General Lunatic Asylum - the first publicly-funded asylum in England.

Truth or Legend: the strange case of the eagle lectern

This month, our resident urban myths investigator Matt Blaney delves into a strange story surrounding the Southwell Minster Lectern... 

Truth or Legend: The Strange Case of Gallow's Hill

It's nearly Halloween, and in that tradition LeftLion's chief urban myths chief Matthew Blaney tackles the legend of Gallows Hill, and associated stories...

The Strange Case Of… Rihanna’s Grillz

In 2011 Rihanna visited Nottingham whilst on tour, it's then that she supposedly popped into the Hockley store Grillzs 4 U for some new teeth bling. We looked into the story more for this month's Truth or Legend...

Documentary Review: Ocean with David Attenborough

Join us as we review David Attenborough's new documentary, Ocean, which doesn't hide the destruction of the natural world, but inspires and motivates too...

James Davidson is Awarded trentbarton Bus Driver of the Year 2025

The results of the 2024-2025 trentbarton really good service awards are in...

Gig review: David Gray at the Royal Concert Hall

Musical comedy, Craig David, Festival of Science, and film screenings: Here's what's on this week 10-16 February 2025

This week in Nottingham! Head out with the family to the Festival of Science and Curiosity or the Sooty Show, go retro with Craig David and Lemar, check out some musical comedy or get into some thought-provoking film... 

Out of Time: When David Lynch visited Nottingham’s Goose Fair Seeking Carnival Freaks

David Lynch, the visionary American filmmaker died on 15 January 2025. A little known fact is that in the late 1970s Lynch visited Nottingham’s Goose Fair looking for inspiration and cast members for his film The Elephant Man…

The Thompsons on David Bowie, Elton John and Their Favourite Notts Band

Nottingham's most opinionated grocers on...

Film Review: All of Us Strangers

We look at Andrew Haigh’s most recent work which explores love and grief through queer experiences...

Theatre Review: Love From a Stranger

Ian C Douglas went to see Agatha Christie’s Love From A Stranger at the Theatre Royal…

From Love From A Stranger to The Curious Cabaret, Here's What’s on in Nottingham This Week 31 July - 6 August

Our recommendations of what to see, do, buy and drink over the next seven days in Nottingham...

Left Magpie: June 2023

After something of a hiatus, LeftLion's monthly Notts County FC column is back with reflections on that win at Wembley, being back in the football league, signing David McGoldrick, losing Ruben Rodrigues and... erm Josh Wink.

Starring in Snow White as the Dame, David Robbins Chats All Things Panto

David Robbins dons his frocks again to play the dame in this year’s Theatre Royal pantomime, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. But what’s a dame’s life like? David shares the highs and lows, alongside the secrets of his costume-making and wig-crafting skills, with us...   

Book Review: Reds and Rams by David Marples

Anyone who’s been to the City Ground when Derby County come to town will know the two clubs either side of the A52 aren’t too fond of each other. In fact, it’s a rivalry almost as old as the sport itself, and one that David Marples’ new book, Reds and Rams, chronicles in layered, sophisticated detail. We give our thoughts on this refreshingly mature release…

Theatre Review: The Tiger Who Came To Tea at Theatre Royal

Judith Kerr’s children’s story might be over half a century old, but it still remains popular with the UK’s little people… and their parents.

We Chat to David Gill, One of the Last Remaining Blacksmiths in Nottinghamshire

From forging the hammer of Thor, the Norse god of thunder himself, to creating the ploughs that drove the British Agricultural Revolution, blacksmiths have played a crucial role in human history for millenia. Yet now there are only around 600 left in the entirety of the UK. We chat to David Gill, one of the last remaining blacksmiths in Notts, about the importance of the practice, what drew him to his line of work, and why interest in the craft is on the rise…

Film Review: Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

After Spider-Man: No Way Home opened the MCU up to the multiverse on the big screen, Sam Raimi stepped in to take things to a new level. But should he have?

Artist Caroline Walker on A Female Gaze, the new Nottingham Castle Exhibition Showcasing Her Work Alongside Dame Laura Knight's

With A Female Gaze, Nottingham Castle are celebrating the work of two generational talents from the art world. The first is Dame Laura Knight, who, as the first woman elected to the Royal Academy in 1936, was a critically acclaimed and much loved painter who created some of her most iconic work here in Nottingham. The second is Caroline Walker, a renowned British contemporary artist whose rich, atmospheric oil paintings reveal the diverse social, cultural and economic experiences of women living in contemporary society. Despite being born almost a century apart, A Female Gaze celebrates the work of both women, while exploring the developments of women artists over the past hundred years. We caught up with Walker ahead of the exhibition's opening to find out more...

David Hazan Reveals Inspiration Behind New 'Nottingham' Graphic Novel Series

Mad Cave Studios’ new comic book series Nottingham sees the Castle’s most famous resident, the Sheriff of Nottingham, take on the role of detective as he tries to figure out who is hunting the county’s cold-hearted tax collectors. We speak to David Hazan, writer and creator of the books, about his decision to take the age-old story of Robin Hood in a brave, unconventional direction.