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LeftLion Screen Podcast #4 - Chris Cooke on One for the Road, Broadway Cinema and Notts' Screen Scene

This month's podcast includes a chat with One for the Road director Chris Cooke, a review of The Northman, and a great debate about a certain Nicolas Cage...

We Take a Trip to Cluny Lace, the Last Traditional Lace Maker in the UK

It probably isn’t too much of a stretch to say that lace put Nottingham on the map, the industry reaching its height in the 1890s. But today just one traditional lace manufacturer survives. Utilising the same Leavers machines used in the 1840s, Cluny Lace in Ilkeston has been run by a member of the Mason family for over three centuries. Lizzy O’Riordan visited the factory to talk to Kate Knight and learn more about their history, the intricate process of creating Leavers lace, and how it feels to be the last traditional lace maker in the UK…

In Photos: The Nottingham Protest Against the Invasion of Ukraine

Hundreds of protestors gathered in Old Market Square on Sunday 27 February to voice their solidarity with Ukraine after its invasion by Russia

Mission Christmas: Behind the Largest Christmas Toy Appeal in the UK

The largest Christmas toy appeal in the UK, Mission Christmas, is an annual campaign run by Cash for Kids and supported by Gem Radio ensuring thousands of children receive gifts at Christmas… 

Poet Leanne Moden on swimming the channel, Wikipedia rabbit holes and accidentally becoming a teenage goth

UNESCO City of Literature, Paper Crane Poets, Poetry Takeaway, DIY Poets… Chances are, if you’re in any way involved in the Notts literary scene, you’ve come across the lovely Leanne Moden. As a poet, educator and spoken-word performer, she’s heavily involved in Nottingham’s poetry community, and even released her own collection, Get Over Yourself, last year

"I still have to pinch myself now that this is literally my job; I get to make cakes everyday!" Queen of the Vegan Baking Scene Clemie Torselli on Clemie's Vegan Cakes

Clemie Torselli from Clemie’s Vegan Cakes has come a long way since baking part-time alongside her job as a teacher. With this summer marking two years since opening her own shop in Hucknall, we catch up with the baking genius to chat about her success so far and her plans for the future...

Food on Film: Our Favourite Food Scenes on the Big Screen

The Cod’s Scallops Owner John Molnar Reflects on Ten Years of the UK’s Best Fish and Chip Shop

Despite being about as far from the sea as you can get in the UK, The Cod’s Scallops was named as the UK’s best fish and chip shop in 2020, capping off an impressive list of accolades for one of Nottingham’s biggest culinary success stories. Opening as a single shop ten years ago, Nottingham is now home to four of the renowned chippies. With a fifth on the way, as well as a 10% discount running throughout August to celebrate their anniversary, we caught up with owner John Molnar to find out the secrets of his success…

Notts-based Franchise Ohannes Burgers Are After UK-Wide Domination

Amidst the general misery within the food and drink sector during the past twelve months, one chain has managed to not only survive, but thrive. Ohannes Burgers, with their four – and soon to be six – Nottingham branches, pride themselves on putting the freshest ingredients and commitment to quality above all else. And with their West Bridgford and Mansfield locations set to open soon, joining their branches in the City Centre, Arnold, Hucknall and Sherwood (as well as a further store planned for Beeston), we thought it was high time to catch up with owners Deniz & Mehmet Yaziciolgu and Murat Yer to find out the secret of Ohannes’ success...

Be Scene and Heard: Video Showcase

Creative Incubators: Nottingham's Music Studio Scene

A rite of passage for musicians with a hunger to progress their ideas. A collaborative creative melting pot. A place to make memories with your mates and, for some, a lifeline. From Rockfield to the Brownswood Basement and the recent rise of Digital Holdings, the UK hosts a number of iconic music studios that have moved on from simply being a place to lay down some tracks. Adding to this is a steadily growing number of studios in Nottingham. Eileen Pegg takes a look at the role these spaces play for the creative community, speaking with established hubs in the city and those launched over the past ten turbulent months...

To Hull and Back: Music Showcase Throws Lifeline to Grassroots Music Scene

With live gigs off the cards for almost a year now, a new project has won funding from the Arts Council to showcase the musical output of Hull and Nottingham in one mammoth event on 20 March 2021.

BOHNS Are Flipping Nottingham's Burger Scene On Its Head

Picture this: a juicy burger, brimming with cheese, sauce and spice. Wrapping your smackers around it. Sinking your teeth into all that bun and meat. Licking your lips in relish. Mmmm. That’s the BOHNS Burgers experience for you. They know how to pack in the flavour and the textures in their mouth-watering burgers. Our Food Editor Eve Smallman chats to owner Tom Bohn about how they make them so damn good, and why you should get your chops around one ASAP…

For King, Not Country: Why We Need a More Inclusive War Narrative in the UK

As the world gets ready to remember the 75th anniversary of VJ Day, photographer Jagdish Patel explores the role of Commonwealth soldiers – many of whom were conscripted under the threat of violence – in Britain’s victory.

The Nottingham Project Launches to Rejuvenate the City’s Cultural Scene

The major new project, which includes Vicky McClure, Shane Meadows and Director of the London 2012 Organising Committee Greg Nugent, will aim to breathe new life into the city post-COVID.

Lockdown Laughs: What Happened to Nottingham's Comedy Scene During Quarantine?

In a time where the world needs laughter more than ever, we see how some of Nottingham's funny people have been coping during lockdown... 

How Nottingham's Music Scene is Responding to Coronavirus

We never thought we’d see the day that all our city’s gigs had to be called off, but that bleddy COVID-19 has put a temporary stop to the lot. It’s a trying time and then some for everyone involved in the music industry right now, from artists and technicians to venues and record shops. Yet in the face of this crisis we’ve seen some gargantuan spirit and rallying round in Notts, so while we’re not able to go to gigs for a while, we’ve chatted with some of our friends across the scene and scoured the net to show you what our music heads think of it all, what they’re up to and how you can support the local scene...

20 Great Battle Scenes from Film History

From the walls of Jerusalem to the beaches of Normandy, to the Mongolian plains and the waves of the Atlantic. Whether its spears and shields or bullets and bayonets, these are twenty of the greatest battle scenes in film history...

Punk Rock Survivors UK Subs To Hit Rescue Rooms

The current incarnation of UK Subs are set to dish out a night that will surely leave the audience dripping in both sweat and nostalgia...

Jay Rayner on Last Suppers, Nottingham's Food Scene, and Being the Christmas Chef

On Sunday 29 September Jay Rayner brings his new book to life on stage at Glee Club. It explores our fascination with last suppers and tells the stories of the killer dishes that would end up on his table. We spoke to him ahead of the show…

Fourteen Year Old Photographer Indy Kiemel-Greene: "The UK is one of the most nature depleted countries in the world, and it's only going to get worse."

It’s not just adults that are raising more awareness about the environment - more and more young people are getting closer to nature too. Indy Kiemel-Greene is just fourteen, and is already a keen wildlife volunteer and photographer. We spoke to him about his work, attending the Time for Now lobby, and how people can help wildlife to thrive...

Singer-Songwriter Tilly Greentree on Noise from the Next Generation and the Nottingham Music Scene

The Notts singer-songwriter is this year’s Audience Award winner from Nottingham Music Hub's Noise from the Next Generation. She sits down with Fashion Editor, Anna Murphy, to talk sound, musical style and being sixteen. 

The Underground Radio Scene in Nottingham

Radio has undergone something of a revolution recently, with the internet explosion facilitating a new wave of niche, localised, underground stations that capture the unique sound of their areas. Proving that Nottingham is no exception, our tastemakers have launched their own platforms too, marking the city’s contribution towards this growing movement...

Tom Quigley's Weekends and Everything In Between Exhibition is a Behind the Scenes Look at Nottingham's Skate Scene

As a member of Nottingham’s skateboard scene, photographer Tom Quigley has developed a reputation for brilliantly capturing candid moments of the subculture. An advocate of creating art that his audience wants to see, his work has been praised for its authentic portrayal of life as a skateboarder in the city, striking a balance between the everyday and the sublime. Following on from his 2014 and 2015 shows, his latest exhibition, Weekends And Everything In Between, is at Surface Gallery until Saturday 9 March…

Self Esteem is bursting onto the scene with personal songwriting and a big live show

Relatability is having a moment. But artist and musician Rebecca Taylor doesn’t even need to try. Going under the name of Self Esteem and with her debut album Compliments Please out on in March, we caught up with Rebecca to talk touring, Instagram and Kanye…