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LeftLion Issue #191 January 2026

Featuring Circus Hub, wellness activities in Notts, Fat Digester, Burns Night themed football columns, the story of Tom Simpson, Embankment Run Club, We Are Repairs, and more... 

Left Magpie January 2025: So Near and Yet so Far

Our Notts County columnist Julian McDougall, is back with a report of the festive period at Notts County FC...

Surrender To It: the homegrown Notts feature film coming in 2026

Founded by Nottingham Television Workshop alumni Tim Bryn Smith, The Nottingham Actor’s Workshop has for fifteen years been an acting training ground for local people, whether their ambitions are professional, personal or somewhere in-between. In 2026, they’ve got a new project on the way – Surrender To It – a full length feature film, blending comedy, adventure, surrealism, and drama, written and directed by Tim himself, and set for release on global streaming platforms. Tim tells us more… 

Locating Lawrence: December 1925

Like most of us, Lawrence is happy to get Chrimbo over and done with…

Notts poet Marjie Griffiths on reaching the final of spoken word contest Slamovision

Marjie Griffiths has been enriching Nottingham’s literary scene with her poetry since her debut at Crosswords Open Mic in 2017. Now, she’s a finalist at Slamovision – the international spoken word version of Eurovision, hosted by the UNESCO Cities of Literature. She tells us about her Slamovision journey, her passion for Nottingham’s literary community, and the surprising dinner party conversation that inspired her Slamovision poem.

Evil Scarecrow, sing-a-longs, family theatre and late night parties: here's what's on this week in Notts 15-21 December 2025

Twas the week before Christmas and all through Notts, festive parties and happenings are afoot! Here's some of our top picks of the week...

Night Creatures Podcast #4: Nate Coltrane from Mimm on 14 years of parties, Nottingham Street Food Club and Our Yard

Night Creatures is a LeftLion podcast, shining a light on the promoters of Nottingham. Your host and interviewer is Beane, co-founder of Nottingham’s beloved Soul Buggin’ night and he brings with him over twenty years of experience of putting on great parties in the city.

Carol singing, Christmas markets, doom-tinged gigs and the return of Divorce: here's what's on this week in Notts 8 - 14 December 2025

Can we officially say it's time to get festive this week in Notts? From carol-singing and Christmas markets to doom-tinged gigs and the return of Divorce - here's our top picks of what's on...

Home truths: what rough sleeping in Notts is really like

There are many types of homelessness, from those living in temporary accommodation to rough sleeping, and statistics suggest that year on year homelessness has been on the rise. But what is the real experience of sleeping rough, and what can the average person do to help? Matteo D’Alesio speaks to Edward, an unhoused man in Nottingham, and Dave Newmarch, Framework’s Director of Corporate Services…

Pick Six: Craig Revel Horwood from BBC's Strictly Come Dancing

For this month’s Pick Six, we heard from Craig Revel Horwood who stars as the Wicked Stepmother in this year’s Christmas panto at the Theatre Royal – Cinderella – and is also best known as a fixture on legendary TV show Strictly Come Dancing. 

Early Christmas parties and dance music at The Model: Here's what's on in Notts this week, Mon 1 - Sun 7 December

December 2025 starts with a bang in Nottingham, as a host of occasions from the festive, to the musical, to the artistic, take place... 

Overheard in Notts: November 2025

Another month's instalment of Overheard in Notts and this time, greedily, we're honing in on battered sausages, packets of hobnobs and all you can eat buffets...

LeftLion's Latest Listens #36: Notts music we're currently spinning

In this edition of LeftLion's Latest Listens for 2025, our music team reviews new releases from Marseille, Kelsey and The Embers, Richard Snow and ALT BLK ERA...

LeftLion Issue #190 December 2025

Locating D.H. Lawrence: November 1925

DH Lawrence is back in Italy and enjoying domestic chores…

Festive light trails and markets, Notts alt rock and dark cinema: Here's what's on in Notts this week 24-30 November 2025

This week, enjoy a live concert of Amy Winehouse's original band, adore the new festive light trail at Wollaton or take yourself and the family down to the Nottingham Christmas Market. Let the festivities begin! 

Gig review: Sunday (1994) at Rescue Rooms

Nottingham loves a band with a bit of myth around them, and as their dreamy, cinematic sound is woven together with lyrics sung like secrets, Sunday (1994) seem determined to give us one. We caught up with them at Rescue Rooms...

Going with the flow: what we can learn from the history of the River Leen

There’s an intriguing new exhibition to see at Lakeside Arts. Drawing on artefacts from the Trent River Authority Archives, it examines the history of the River Leen, making close links between industrialisation, climate change, and changes in north Notts communities. Dr Rachel Dishington, exhibition co-curator, tells us more about what we can learn from this history.

Run raves, poetry celebrations, the return of some loved Notts musicians and a soulful Sunday: Here's what's on in Notts this week 17 - 23 November 2025

This week, kill two birds with one stone and rave whilst you run, head to the return of Notts bands Unknown Era and Captain Dangerous, delve into some poetry, or enjoy a soulful Sunday. Here's our top picks...

Night Creatures Podcast #3: Killer Jim from Out To Lunch on 25 years of Northern soul, jazz funk and jazz dance events in Nottingham

Night Creatures is a new LeftLion podcast, shining a light on the promoters of Nottingham. Your host and interviewer is Beane, co-founder of Nottingham’s beloved Soul Buggin’ night and he brings with him over twenty years of experience of putting on great parties in the city.

Buy: Overheard In Notts (Vol 7): The Pierre of the Resistance

We like to think that Christmas isn’t Christmas without a bit of Overheard in Notts in your stocking. Thus we are happy to announce the arrival of our seventh(!) book baby...

Nottingham celebrates ten years as a UNESCO City of Literature with a spectacular gala on 1 December

In 2025, Nottingham turns the page on a remarkable chapter; ten years as a UNESCO City of Literature and the charity is throwing a party worthy of Nottingham’s words!

From the Kitchen: with Cameron Kibble, Head Chef at Taquero

We chat to Cameron Kibble, Head Chef at Hockley's Taquero

French post-punk, brew festivals, Disney on Ice and festive ballet: here's what's on in Notts this week 10-15 November 2025

This week, get yourself down to the Craft Brew Festival, enjoy some elegant post-punk covers, welcome Christmas in early with a ballet of A Christmas Carol, or skate down to Disney on Ice. Here are our top picks of the week....

This land is ours: a ramble through our relationship with the north Notts countryside

In a twist on our regular love letter to local areas ‘These Streets Are Ours’, this month we turn to the forests and country estates of the north. Caradoc Gayer looks at how our common land has been lost, the modern regulations that confine our rambling, how Ducal estates and boundaries have transformed the landscape, and how we can remind ourselves of our lasting, and strong connection to the natural world.