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Local Star Holly Humberstone Discusses Rising Fame, Overcoming Stage Fright and Her New Release

Local star Holly Humberstone is on a high, and still rising fast. We caught up with her between tours to discuss her confessional songwriting, how she has gained confidence performing on stage, and why Nottingham is still so special to her.

LeftLion Contributor Scott Oliver Wins Prestigious Cricket Literary Prize

Former LeftLion sports editor, Scott Oliver, has won one of cricket’s most prestigious literary prizes, the Wisden Book of the Year, for his debut book Sticky Dogs & Stardust. The book is a collection of essays detailing the exploits of some of the sport’s bona fide legends – among them the former Notts players Garfield Sobers, Kevin Pietersen, Andre Russell and Imran Tahir - when they turned out in league cricket alongside enthusiastic amateurs who they were expected to dominate. Oliver himself also played at Wollaton CC for a time. To celebrate Scott's success we are delighted to present this extract from the book – covering Pietersen’s troubled stint at Cannock – along with an exclusive discount code.

We tried out the National Justice Museum's brand new escape room

Adding another facet to their already varied and exciting calendar of events, The National Justice Museum has launched Guilty?! - a new escape room that takes players for an interactive adventure through the Grade II listed historic prison. The LeftLion team went down to try it out…

Theatre Review: The Wizard of Oz

It brims with creativity, talent, and technical magic...

We Went to the School of Artisan Food to Try One Of Their Delectable Cooking Courses

Nestled in the expansive Welbeck Estate in north Nottinghamshire lies the School of Artisan Food, a hands-on cooking school dedicated to traditional processes and proper craftsmanship. Catering to everyone from the hobbyist hoping to perfect their puff pastry to budding professionals seeking the tricks of the trade, it's a haven of all things homemade and an antidote to a food culture dominated by the mass-produced and ultra-processed.

We Spoke to Express Office Portico Ahead of Their Old Cold Store Gig Next Week

Ahead of their EP launch gig at the Old Cold Store on 11 April, we chat to the funky, synth-pop, seventies-infused band Express Office Portico all about Incommunicado, support from BBC Introducing, playing in cities outside of Nottingham, and their plans for the rest of 2024...

We spoke to NTU Professor and Linguistics researcher Natalie Braber to find out more about Nottinghamshire and East Midlands Dialect

The Nottingham accent is an intrinsic part of our local identity, but what exactly makes it unique? Is it set to disappear with new generations? And what are the effects of sitting right in the middle of the North-South divide? We put these questions to Natalie Braber, a professor of Linguistics at Nottingham Trent University to get to the bottom of it…

Our April Cover Artist Rebecca Evans Talks About Her Inspirations and Process

We sat down with Charlotte Thomson-Morley to ask about her ideas, inspiration and other work.

Our wonderful cover art this month is by Charlotte Thomson-Morley, a South Notts illustrator and printmaker who makes work based around folklore and Paganism. We sat down with Charlotte to ask about her ideas, inspiration and other work.

Gig Review: Erotic Secrets Of Pompeii at The Old Bus Depot

Gyoza, Noodles, and Spring Rolls Oh My! We Went to Check Out West Bridgford's Yumacha

We nipped over the water to West Bridgford's Yumacha to check out their mouth-watering Asian fusion delights

Overheard in Notts: March 2024

I'm not sitting on anyone's face. I'd rather have a bag of chips.

Enjoy dragons in bow-ties and faraway worlds? We Check Out Voyage of the Damned, the debut novel from local author Frances White

Do you like your stories part myth, part magical gay murder-mystery cruise? Enjoy dragons in bow-ties and faraway worlds? Then perhaps Voyage of the Damned, the debut novel from local author Frances White is right up your street. We sat down with Frances to talk about finding your voice, getting published and being perceived as a writer.

Gig Review: The Orb at Metronome

Classical Concert: Wild Isles from the BBC Concert Orchestra

Kevin Stanley and Rachel Imms enjoyed the sights and sounds of nature at the Royal Concert Hall…

Gig Review: OMD at Royal Concert Hall

One of Nottingham's Best Eateries' - We Went to Check out Bar Gigi

One of Nottingham's Best Eateries' - We Went to Check out Bar Gigi

Gig Review: King No-One at Rescue Rooms

Having been actively releasing new music and touring relentlessly for the last decade now, it’s crazy to think that Manchester-based indie outfit King No-One have never actually released a full-length album. Now with the band briefly emerging from a studio lockdown for this run of shows and talk of new material on the horizon, we had to go along to their gig at Rescue Rooms to see how the new songs were coming along…

We Spoke to Artist Martin Rayment about Whipping Imagined Worlds Onto Canvas

Within intricately layered large-scale collages, Martin Rayment whips imagined worlds onto canvas. We sat down to chat with Martin about his creative process, merging music and art, and staying curious as an artist.

Gig Review: Midnight Rodeo and Catmilk at The Old Cold Store

To celebrate International Women’s Day, Midnight Rodeo and Catmilk took to the stage at The Old Cold Store…

NTU and White Rose Offer Free Professional Wardrobes for Students

Nottingham Trent University has joined forces with popular charity clothing shop chain, White Rose, to launch the UK’s first ever professional student wardrobe, aimed at helping to empower students to get out into the working world. But what does a wardrobe have to do with career support? We popped along to a very special launch event and fashion show at NTU to find out more.

Nottingham Her-story: Our Top Women From Notts

Our fair city has been home to some spectacular women in its time, from comedians and performers to activists and artists. To celebrate International Women's Day we thought we’d round up some of the fabulous ladies who have made us proud and continue to inspire…

Music Reviews: March 2024

This month, we review music from Whisky Stain, Lacey, Otala, Hallowed Men, Blu Syrup, Cappo & Kong Artisan, Bunnie, Albion and Daudi Matsiko...

Space Rock, Frida Kahlo, Opera and Elvis: Here’s What’s On in Nottingham this week 4 - 10 March 2024

We've got some great picks for you this coming week, kicking it all off we Ja Rule and Co. at the Motorpoint Arena on Tuesday. Following that, for music there's exquisite opera, extra-terrestrial space rockers HENGE and Ben Portsmouth i.e. the closest thing we'll ever get to seeing Elvis live. Frida, the new biopic of the eponymous artist is a must see and is followed up Whisky Stain, who are sure to provide you with your powerful hook fix for the week. 

We Find Out More About the Ethical Atelier Ahead of Their Sustainable Fashion Event at Cleaver & Wake

Next month, The Ethical Atelier, a popular sustainable fashion event which has been a big hit in Derby since its launch three years ago, will be making its Notts debut at Cleaver & Wake’s upstairs event space, offering eco-savvy fashion lovers a chance to shop for sustainable brands and learn how to foster more mindful and environmentally friendly shopping habits. We caught up with event organiser, business owner and sustainable textile activist, Abigail Wastie to find out more about her upcoming event…