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Riding high: the triumph and tragedy of Tom Simpson

Six thousand feet up a mountain in southern France, surrounded by a pitiless landscape of sun-bleached rocks, stands a stone memorial to a Nottinghamshire man. Professional cyclist Tom Simpson collapsed and died there in 1967, creating a sporting legend still being kept alive by his family back home. As an annual festival in his memory grows into a week of Simpson-mania, Chris Breese pedals off in search of how a skinny miner's son from Bassetlaw created a legacy still being lauded from Lowdham to Leuven.

In photos: Tom Gensler at The Old Bus Depot

Singer-songwriter (and regular LeftLion music writer) Tom Gensler delivered a successful debut headline show at The Old Bus Depot, supported on stage by Leah Wilcox and, Daisy Peacock. We dropped in to see the show and join many others from the supportive Notts music community...

Blood Brothers, Tom Grennan and RELIC: Here's what's on in Notts this week 8-14 September 2025

This week Nottingham is hosting loads of events for you to get out and be entertained. Whether you're a theatre enthusiast, a fan of live music or here for a bit of cultural celebration, there's something for you to get your teeth stuck into. Here are our top picks of the week...

Artworks: multi-medium artist and video creator Tom Hackett

For this month's Artwork we turned multi-medium artist Tom Hackett who's work is being exhibited at the upcoming New Art Exchange Open Exhibition from Friday 30 May...

Pick Six: Tom Towle of Running Circle Records

Record Store Day takes place on Saturday 12 April this year, so we put some questions to Tom Towle, the boss of Running Circle Records on Freckingham Street…

Interview : Sam Lupton and Tom Major the stars of Only Fools and Horses at the Royal Concert Hall

Only Fools and Horses has to be one of the UK's most popular sitcoms ever. And now the musical revamp is coming to Nottingham. Leftlion chats with Sam Lupton and Tom Major as they become the new Del Boy and Rodney... 

‘Flour everywhere’ and a ‘life-changing’ écliar? We spoke to the founders of Mapperley's Coosh Bakery, Rachel and Tom Egan.

Based in the heart of Mapperley, Coosh Bakery serves up freshly baked artisan delights to the carb loving masses. From perfectly flaky pastries to show-stopping sourdough loaves, each creation is crafted with love and the finest ingredients. We caught up with the co-founders, couple Rachel and Tom Egan, to find out how the project went from their kitchen to a thriving bricks-and-mortar bakery, now a neighbourhood favourite.

Nottingham Artists Tom Dale and Barret Hodgson discuss Primal Future, their Light Night 2025 centrepiece

Promising to shine brighter than ever, Light Night 2025 will feature dozens of spectacular light installations, family-friendly activities and live performances across the city centre. Among these is a new collaboration called Primal Future, a dance and digital crossover which will be projected onto Nottingham’s Council House at the event. Created as a collaboration between Nottingham-based dancer Tom Dale and digital artist Barret Hodgson, we asked them to reveal more about their work…

In photos: The Clause at Rescue Rooms, with Kaliko and Tom A Smith

LeftLion's Latest Listens #6: Notts music we're currently spinning

After a week off, LeftLion's Latest Listens is back with our music team's picks of the latest and greatest sounds from all around Nottingham and the Midlands. This time, we feature new releases from Drew Thomas, London Grammar, The Days of Tomorrow, The Publics and flöat...

In photos: Tomás Doncker at Peggy's Skylight

Drivers, Day Trips and Lost Teeth: Trentbarton Buses Managing Director Tom Morgan Talks to Us About Their Community on Wheels

There’s an old saying that a bus is not just a means of transportation, it's a community on wheels. Local bus company trentbarton have been part of our community for over a century now. We put some questions to their Managing Director Tom Morgan about their history, their team and their local environment…

In Photos: Tom Meighan at The Trent Navigation

Gig Review: Bury Tomorrow at Rock City

Bury Tomorrow took to Rock City for a headline gig which transformed the entire venue into a momentous mosh pit…

Gig Review: Tom A. Smith at The Chameleon

At nineteen years old, most musicians are only just getting started in their music careers – but Tom A. Smith is not most musicians. The young singer-songwriter from Sunderland was born practically with a guitar in his hand, learning how to play from the age of four and then incredibly playing his first ever gig at The Cluny in Newcastle, aged just eight years old. Eleven years on from that monumental first gig, we went to catch him at The Chameleon as part of his mammoth 34-date UK tour...

We Chat to Author John Tomlinson About His New Memoir ‘Noises After Dark'

John Tomlinson journeyed to Somalia to volunteer for the Save the Children fund during the humanitarian crisis in Ethiopia in the 1980s. Now, he plans to raise money for the charity and hopes to raise awareness along with it, through his memoir Noises After Dark. We chat to the Nottingham author about his experiences at the time, what it was like to write about them in retrospect, and how he still managed to inject an uplifting sense of humour and heart into his storytelling…

Racing Driver Tom Gamble Tells Us All About His Experience Competing in the 24 Hours of Le Mans

Following in the footsteps of his older brother George, Nottingham’s Tom Gamble entered the racing world as an eight year old in a go-kart. Fast forward thirteen years, the 21-year-old now competes in the GT World Challenge series, has tested a McLaren Formula 1 car, and has raced in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. He tells us all about what it’s like living life in the fast lane…

In Photos: Cardinal Black and Tom Jenkins

Welsh alt-rock band Cardinal Black brought soul-soaked blues to Rescue Rooms...

In Photos: Tom Grennan at Motorpoint Arena

Tom Grennan brought his What Ifs & Maybes tour to Nottingham...