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Overheard in Notts: November 2026

Is Coventry in England or is England in Coventry? 

From the kitchen: With Marcus Lewsley, owner and head chef at Raymond's

A catch up with Marcus: the mastermind behind stylish Hockley wine-bar and creative small-plates restaurant Raymond's... 

Out of time: the asylums of Nottingham

Nottingham has a long history of asylums stretching back to 1811, when the first was built in Sneinton. This later expanded as Saxondale, Rampton, Coppice and Mapperley opened. CJ De Barra tells us the history of mental hospitals in Nottingham…

Safety, dignity, choice: how POW Nottingham advocates for sex workers and other vulnerable people

Having been awarded £500,000 in National Lottery Funding, enough to financially support the organisation for the next three years, POW Nottingham has announced its reopening. As a safe space in Nottingham, they support the rights of sex workers and those at risk of being exploited. We chatted to CEO Helen West about their impact, vision and the value of specialist services for those in the sex industry.

Pick six: Charlie Dean, co-owner of Sneinton Market plant sanctuary Watered Garden

For this month’s Pick Six, we heard from Charlie Dean, co-owner of Sneinton Market plant shop The Watered Garden, which hosts terrarium and festive wreath workshops in November and December. 

Theatre review: Once Upon a Time in Sokoto at Nottingham Playhouse

In Once Upon a Time in Sokoto at Nottingham Playhouse, tense beaten rhythms intertwine with the voices of joyous ululation as relationships are continually tested in Northern Nigeria at the turn of the 20th century.  Zinara and Nafisa juxtapose their tales about the slaver and the enslaved, husband and wives, the Boko language and cowrie shells - all of which are underpinned by the power and riches of the colour indigo.

Theatre Review: Nottingham Operatic Society - Chess The Musical

A musical tale from the cold war that will give you goose bumps

Left Brian: Forest Men & Women October update

Our resident Nottingham Forest columnist Gareth Watts is back with his thoughts on both the men & women's teams performance over the past month...

Out of Time: How Divine came to Notts

Over the years, Divine has become one of the most instantly recognisable drag performers thanks to her iconic performances in John Waters’s camp classics, Pink Flamingos and Hairspray. She also had a pop career that took her on UK tours, including two performances in Nottingham.

Locating Lawrence: October 1926

As he feasts on his bounty of grapes, Lawrence begins planning a new sort of relationship between people... The latest Locating Lawrence tells all about what DH Lawrence was up to in October 1926.

From the kitchen: With Dylan Dowling, head chef and co-owner at Pici

We head to cosy pasta and small plates joint Pici for a chat with Dylan... 

Life Behind Bars: With Bradley Rice, owner at Jamcafe

A short chat with Bradley, who owns Heathcoat Street's Mecca for drinks and DJs: Jamcafé. 

Truth or Legend: The Case of the Ten O’Clock Horses

Our resident investigator of Nottingham weird history looks at how the 'ten o' clock 'hosses' came to be... 

How Pipeline Organics are turning Castle Rock's brewery waste into electricity

There's a brewery in Nottingham quietly turning its dirty water into electricity. Not with some Frankenstein-style contraption bolted to the side of the building, but with a 3D-printed box about the size of a shipping container, sat in the yard, doing the job normal water treatment can't: cleaning up the gunky, high-strength wastewater that beer and cider production leaves behind and generating usable power from it while it's at it. That's the pitch behind Pipeline Organics, a Nottingham-founded startup whose bio-electrochemical fuel cells are already being trialled by Castle Rock Brewery. We sat down with founder Andrew Raslan to find out more…

Classical Concert Review: NDR Radio Philharmonic Orchestra with Stanislav Kochanovsky at the Royal Concert Hall

The NDR RADIO PHILHARMONIC is the English name for the NDR Radiophilharmonie from Hannover. And NDR stands for Norddeutscher Rundfunk, which translates to North German Broadcasting. So  that's  the words taken care of, what was the music like....

Dabbling in the Dark Arts: we catch up with organisers of the Dark Arts Market

It’s officially the spooky season, but for Fiona Holmes and Elyssa Fleming, the eldritch, strange and eerie is more than just an aesthetic that ends with Halloween. They talk to LeftLion about how they created The Dark Arts Market, a place where all ‘alt’ artists and creatives, at all stages of their creative career, can feel seen and supported. 

Festival review: Beeston Oxjam 2026

Gig review: Jim Ghedi at The Old Cold Store

Sheffield folk artist Jim Ghedi plays the Old Cold Store, celebrating his soundtrack for recent film The Death of Robin Hood. 

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...

LeftLion Issue #200 October 2026

It's our 200th issue featuring Kid30, Claire Ward the Mayor of the East Midlands, Hockley Hustle, Neon Raptor, Nottingham Arts Theatre, psychic Kerry Ward and lots more...

Overheard in Notts: September 2026

Nicotine and the Babadook feature in this month's Overheard in Notts. 

Common Ground: Alan Lodge's upcoming exhibition documents protests, parties and festivals over the last fifty years

Opening this month at Bonington Gallery is Common Grounds: Counterculture & Confrontation since 1976, a retrospective of the work of Alan ‘Tash’ Lodge. One of the UK’s most prolific photographers of alternative lifestyles, Alan’s work gives a vivid first person insight into the new age traveller movement and the 90s free-party scene, raising questions about the right to gather, policing, surveillance and community.

From the kitchen: With Massimo Bellavista, owner and head chef at Compa

For this month's instalment of From the Kitchen, we heard from Massimo Bellavista: owner of twin family-owned Sicilian restaurants Compa. 

Out of time: anti-vaxxers in Victorian Notts

When we think of the anti-vaccination movement, we tend to think of COVID and anti-lockdown protests. However, the anti-vax movement is surprisingly far older than typically expected – and one that the East Midlands played a significant part in. In the Victorian era, thousands demonstrated against the new compulsory smallpox vaccinations, leading to fines and arrests… 

How Much Does a Divorce Cost? Court Fees, Solicitors and Online Options

If you’re trying to work out how much a divorce costs, there isn’t one figure that covers everything. You’ll usually need to budget for the court fee, any solicitor’s fees and, separately, the cost of sorting out finances or arrangements for children.