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We Went Magnet Fishing in Nottingham Canal with Youtubers The New Magneterz

From guns, knives and bombs to bikes, trolleys and train carriages, you wouldn’t believe what's lurking at the bottom of our rivers and canals. And with the practice of magnet fishing – the process of retrieving such objects with industrial magnets attached to lengths of rope – growing increasingly popular around the UK, we decided to tag along with East Midlands collective The New Magneterz to find out what all the fuss was about...

The Diaries of Nottingham WWI Soldier Are Being Made into an Exhibition and Play

For years they lay hidden away in the attic of a house in New Zealand. But now, the missing World War One diaries of Nottingham soldier Billy Richards have been discovered, and are being used as the basis for a new exhibition and play...

5 Things to Do in Nottingham This Weekend

Five ways to spend yer weekend...

Theatre Review: Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em

Ooh Betty, he’s back! Ian Douglas went to see Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em at the Theatre Royal

Nottingham Filmmaker Daniel Turner's Work is Featuring on Indie Platform NoBudge

We talk to local filmmaker Daniel Turner, whose new short film Dve Místa has been chosen to feature on indie platform NoBudge, about his inspiration for the project, Nottingham’s role in his moviemaking career and what he’s got planned for the future...

6 Nottingham Soldiers and the Historical Turning Points They Found Themselves in

It’s a sad fact of history that the fate of nations was often decided on the field of battle. In amidst the smoke of firing muskets, the explosions of cannonballs, the clashing of swords and the screams of dead and dying men, history was written in blood, and the world as we now know it was formed. In a new six-part podcast series, we’re bringing to life the stories of six Nottingham soldiers who were witness to these historical turning points, uncovering how life took them from the streets of Nottingham to some of the most definitive battles in world history… 

6 Nottingham Venues with a History of Murder, Poison and Intrigue

From T C Hine to Watson Fothergill, Nottingham has had more than its fair share of renowned architects leaving their stamp on the city’s skyscape. But beyond the outer beauty of the structures they created lie stories of deceit, murder, poison and intrigue. These are the weird and wonderful true stories from some of Nottingham’s most stunning historic buildings...

5 Things to Do in Nottingham This Week

Because life is all about that five 'til nine... 

Return to Sender: How We Managed to Track Down the Author of a Postcard from 1908

Postcards were the “u ok hun?” texts of their day. Used by past generations to check in on their distant siblings, and by more recent ones to boast about exotic holidays to their friends, they’ve never really been blessed with messages worth a third or forth glance. Which is why our Assistant Editor, Emily, was shocked to discover cards dating back to 1908 sitting on the shelf of Hopkinson Vintage, Antiques and Art Centre. She decided to track down the families of their senders, to ask them why… 

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...

12 of Nottingham's Best Museums

We’re blessed with a cracking selection of museums in Nottingham, some quite obvious and others a little further off the beaten track. Here are some of our top picks – from the old favourites to the new arrivals on the scene.

LeftLion Film Podcast #27 - Moonlight and Magnolias

Ash and Derry visit the set of Moonlight and Magnolias at the Nottingham Playhouse where they talk to actors Joe Alessi, who plays legendary Hollywood producer David O. Selznick and Hayley Doherty, who plays his long-suffering secretary Mss Poppenghul 

University of Nottingham Alumni Andy Wilson Works on the Call of Duty Franchise as Part of Sledgehammer Games

As Chief Operating Officer for Sledgehammer Games, University of Nottingham alumnus Andy Wilson has overseen some of the biggest video game franchises in the history of the medium, including Call of Duty. We caught up with him to talk about the current state of the industry, the unprecedented success of COD and violence in video games…

Out of Time: The 1936 Nottingham Chess Tournament

When you think of Nottingham’s rich sport and gaming history, your mind might immediately wander to the worldwide success of Warhammer, the unprecedented double European Cup winning Forest team, or even Herbert Kilpin, the Notts legend that founded A.C Milan. What you might not know is that the city hosted the 1936 Nottingham Chess Tournament, which is still remembered as one of the most legendary events in the history of the game...

6 Escape Rooms to Tackle in Nottingham

Nottingham’s escape room scene has a reputation for being one of the best in the country. So, during two weeks of searching, puzzle-solving and code cracking, we decided to see what all the fuss about...

Local Game Developers Dambuster Studios Give Us the Lowdown on their Future Plans

Located in the heart of Nottingham, Dambuster Studios has been one of the country’s biggest video game developers for over twenty years. With projects including dystopian first-person shooter series Homefront: The Revolution and Dead Island, their Studio Development Director Rob Matthews tells us they have no plans of slowing down...

Live Music Review: Fatoumata Diawara’s Nottingham Debut at Rescue Rooms

Our Addie looks back on a Sunday evening show that she won't be forgetting in a hurry...

Queer Band Slash Fiction on their Upcoming Show at JT Soar: " If we don't fight for visibility, what are we even doing?"

Since I moved to Nottingham as a young, queer person, I’ve been fortunate to stumble into the world of local indie, punk and DIY punk gigs, which have provided me with a community and more importantly, a place to go on a Friday night. Now, as an older, queer lesbian, I’m aware of the importance of carving out queer spaces, especially within rock clubs and bars that can be dominated by cis-gender, heterosexual boys.

We spoke to Beans from Queer band Slash Fiction ahead of their upcoming Fan Club debut show at JT Soar about personal lyrics, influences and their EP Flowers...

Inside Nottingham's LARPing Community: A Day with Fools and Heroes

Gaming isn’t just about smashing controllers and passing Go for £200, you know. In the UK alone, thousands of people regularly meet up to get involved in live action role-play. We decided to head along to the Nottingham branch of Fools and Heroes, a UK-based LARP society, to get a peek into the world of high fantasy, magic, monsters and mystery…

The Found Footage Film Festival Comes to Nottingham

In March, The Found Footage Film Festival will come to Nottingham as part of its 15th anniversary UK tour. Hosted by comedians Nick Prueher and Joe Pickett, the festival promises a night of delightfully cringe-worthy comedy…

9 Gigs to Go to in Nottingham This Month

Get yourself out the house and in the crowd for these lot... 

The Festival of Science and Curiosity is Back for 2020 with a Live Heart Dissection and Much More

The term science might throw up images of luminous test tubes and crazy-haired Einsteins, but that’s a microscopic portion of it all. To get you in the know, Nottingham Festival of Science and Curiosity is back, bringing a whole galaxy of knowledge and excitement into streets, universities, community centres and more. We chatted with producer Megan Shore about what’ll be occurring this year and why you should go along..

Aussie Folk-Rockers Boy & Bear Prepare for Debut Nottingham Gig

ARIA award-winning Australian indie-rock band Boy & Bear captured our hearts with their charming folk sound way back in 2010. Following a four-year hiatus due to lead-singer Dave Hosking’s illness, the platinum record-holding band from Sydney are back on the scene with new album Suck on Light. We spoke with keyboardist Jon Hart about the band’s “weird” approach to developing their sound, preparations for their worldwide tour, and why Australia is dominating the charts internationally…

Theatre Review: Holes at Nottingham Playhouse

Gold is in those holes: if you're eight (or ever were) just see it...

Metal Music in Notts: Then VS Now

Notts has had an esteemed love affair with metal music for decades, with devil horns being thrown up to the skies and genre-dwelling titans visiting this great county ever since Rock City swung the floodgates open in 1980. So, for those who adorn the spike and patch-covered jackets we thought we’d take a trip down hellfire lane, as well as a look to the fiery future, to see which heavy metal legends have come to owd Nottingham and who, in 2020, are yet to go. We’ve even sorted them into their venue stomping grounds to keep things geographically neat and tidy…