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Singer Mollie Ralph on Her Fundraising Efforts and Working as a Community Nurse During the Pandemic

Few musicians out there have the ability to bathe a room in warmth the way Mollie Ralph does. A local rising star, she’s been charming crowds up and down the country for a few years now, her luscious blend of pop and soul providing the backdrop for a voice that is quite remarkable – it’s depth recalling the likes of Amy Winehouse. Yet this is only half the story; by night, Mollie takes to the stage with all the glamour and glow of Norah Jones, but by day, she works on the frontlines of the NHS as a community nurse...

Norse Nottingham: How the Vikings Impacted Our City

Nottingham's Anti-Racism Protest in Photos

On Sunday 7 June hundreds of people joined the ongoing fight against racism in a protest at the Forest Recreation Ground...

"This is the people against racism’’ - Writer and Musician Jack Benjamin on Nottingham's Black Lives Matter Protest

As hundreds of people gathered on Forest Rec to support the fight against racism, local musician and writer Jack Benjamin shares his thoughts on what the protest means, and how the day's events unfolded...

Take a Virtual Holiday around Nottingham's Ten Sister Cities

Grumbling about your lack of hollibobs will make you look like a bit of a prat during the current climate, and rightly so. But with everything that’s going on, the prospects of sipping sangria on the Spanish coast are looking fairly slim for the foreseeable future. With real-life tourism off the table, we’ve decided to take a virtual tour around Nottingham’s sister cities, transporting you lot on a round-the-world trip to the places who we have historic, economic, cultural or just good old-fashioned friendly relationships with, without a lost passport, queue of screaming kids or overweight suitcase in sight…

Supporting the Anti-Racism Fight in Nottingham

It’s never been more important to come together and fight racial injustice, building stronger foundations of unity. Here are just a few ways you can get educated, step up and support the cause.

Notts Music and Merch You Can Buy Today to Support Anti-Racism Causes

Bandcamp waives its fees one day every month to help support artists in lockdown. We’ve put together a list of artists who are choosing to donate money raised today to local and global funds and charities that help to fight racial injustice. 

LeftLion Football Podcast Episode 7: Lockdown with Jim McCrae

Colin and Gareth are joined by Jim McRae to discuss the effect of lockdown on County, Mansfield and Forest, whilst also looking at the role football plays in our lives and the mental health challenges we all face in lockdown.

How are Stonebridge City Farm and White Post Farm Coping with COVID-19?

The sun has been shining, the flowers have been blooming, and the lambs and chicks have been born. You’ve been able to feel the warmth on your skin and sweet scents as you’ve walked around your neighbourhood. Yes, spring has definitely come and gone, but the annual ritual of heading down to the farm to check out the newborns remains incomplete. Nottingham’s community farms haven’t been able to enjoy spring as much as usual, as lockdown has seen their income disappear entirely at a time when visitor numbers would have been at their peak. We speak to Anthony Moore from White Post Farm and Stonebridge City Farm’s Peter Armitage to find out how they’ve been coping during COVID, and how you can help support them…

A 11 Year Old in Lockdown

With social media and the endless cycle of 24-hour news, it’s easy to get lost in the stories of how COVID-19 has affected adults. But with schools reportedly opening sooner than most of society, eleven-year-old Jagoda Brown-Polanowska describes her experiences of lockdown…

Notts Rebels: 1831 Reform Bill Riots

In celebration of the Nottingham Castle Trust’s #VoicesofToday campaign, our Notts Rebels series continues with a look at the 1831 Reform Bill Riots, which shook Nottingham 189 years ago...

The Battle of Stoke Field: The Story Behind Nottinghamshire's Only Registered Battlefield

It was the battle that finally ended the War of the Roses, the bloody civil struggle for control of the throne that plagued England for decades, and has been described as one of the defining moments in the country’s history. With this month marking the 533rd anniversary of the events that took place on Nottinghamshire’s only registered battlefield, we take a look at the story behind The Battle of Stoke Field…

Midlands' Mix: Documentary Series Showcases Nottingham's Upcoming Bands

Ella Farnsworth's new documentary series Midlands' Mix aims to bring light to the best upcoming bands Nottingham has to offer...

Nottingham Documentary Soul Boy to Feature on BBC One

Renowned Nottingham documentary makers Luke Radford and Toby Curson are looking to lift the spirits of the nation with their upbeat story of 18-year-old Athony Flavin, who finds joy from a surprising source - Northern Soul. 

Nottingham Theatres During Lockdown

We take a look at how COVID-19 has affected our city’s theatres and the local theatre community...

5 Nottingham Albums to Listen to This Month

Brighten up your lockdown with this month's Notts musical highlights...

Young Nottingham Musicians Make Friends Across the World in Lockdown

Educational youth charity Nottingham Music Hub have been making friends across Europe during lockdown by releasing a socially-distanced music video, performed by the Robin Hood Youth Orchestra...

The Big Notts Quiz: Part II

Think you know your Beestons from your Byrons? Your Broadways from your Bendigos? Test your Notts knowledge in the hardest quiz around these parts...

Notts Street Art: A Checklist for Your Daily Walk

Hands up if you're missing the whole heap of real-world culture that Notts has to offer? I think it's safe to say we all are. But while we stay safe and stay home, there is one artistic offering still available from this city. So the next time you’re on your daily walk, run or cycle, take a minute to look around at the art pieces that aren’t in galleries or on our screens, but sit on Nottingham’s walls, buildings and side streets...

Nottingham DJs Invited to Join Global Charity Stream in Aid of Covid-19

Local selectors can play their part in dance music history this weekend by playing a set for what aims to be the world’s largest-ever simultaneous live stream DJ event in aid of the Last Night A DJ Saved My Life (LNADJ) Covid-19 Emergency Appeal.

Nottingham East MP Nadia Whittome on the Government's Response to COVID-19, Returning to Care Work and Being a Female MP

In a time when politicians are regularly accused of being out of touch with everyday life, Nadia Whittome showed why her constituents in Nottingham East were right to place their trust in her during the last General Election. While no one would have blamed her for stocking up on essentials and hunkering down in safety, Britain’s youngest MP made the decision to put herself on the frontline of COVID-19 by returning to care work, the profession in which she worked prior to her election victory last December. With a unique, first-hand perspective on the devastating impact of the virus on the country’s most vulnerable people, we talked to the Labour MP about the ongoing lack of personal protective equipment, the impact of cuts to health and social care services and the Government’s response to coronavirus…

The Thompson Brothers on Nottingham Rebels

Nottingham's most opinionated grocers on...

Love Your Locals: How to Support Your Independents in Their Time of Need

We’re a city with a long and proud history of independence, and currently boast one of the most diverse, active and eclectic independent business communities in the country. Unfortunately, the ongoing health crisis has resulted in many of them being among the hardest hit, and the majority of Nottingham’s independents have had to either close their doors or find creative ways to stay afloat until things return to normal. While these are obviously times of financial uncertainty for many of us, there are still ways that you can support your local independent businesses without leaving the house…

5 Nottingham Albums to Listen to This Month

The sounds of Notts, reviewed. If you'd like to write for us, or want your tunes chatted about, get in touch by emailing music@leftlion.co.uk...

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...