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The New Toolkit Behind Small Business Marketing In West Norfolk

The way small businesses market themselves in towns like King's Lynn has quietly transformed over the past few years. The hand-drawn poster in the window and the leaflet through the door still have their place, and always will, but the bulk of the work of attracting customers now happens on a screen. What has changed most is not where the marketing happens, which has been drifting online for a long time, but the tools that local traders are now using to produce it. Those tools have become dramatically more capable and far more affordable, and the effect on small businesses is real.

The tree might have stopped growing, but the spirit of the Major Oak lives on

After the Major Oak’s sad passing was declared yesterday, Environment Editor Adam Pickering shares his thoughts and looks to the tree’s legacy, as well as countywide initiatives restoring Sherwood Forest.

Bus driver Louise Lawrence is Awarded trentbarton Bus Driver of the Year 2026

The results of the 2025-2026 trentbarton really good service awards are in...

Stirring things up: meeting the voices behind local chronic illness and business podcast 3Spoonies

Running a successful podcast is quite the task in itself, but what happens when you pair it with chronic illness, fluctuating energy levels, and times when you feel like your body is fighting against you? Emily Davies sat down to talk to the minds behind 3Spoonies, a Nottinghamshire-based podcast hosted by Karen Duncan, Claire Napper, and Jo O’Neil, about everything from balancing their work and home lives to how we can make entrepreneurship more inclusive.

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...

Trentbarton has announced its bus services for Christmas 2025 and over the New Year...

Trentbarton has announced its bus services for Christmas 2025 and over the New Year. Here's everything you need to know about how to get around on their network over the festive period...

Undercover artist: illustrator Isabelle Farrar is busy and inspired

Artist Isobelle Farrar, who designed this month’s spooky cover, tells us about her inspirations and recent projects…

Gig review: Busted vs McFly at Motorpoint Arena

It’s not often you get to see two of Britain’s biggest pop-rock exports of the 2000s go head-to-head on one stage, but Busted vs McFly proved exactly why both bands still command such massive affection decades later...

Theatre Review: The Business of Murder at the Theatre Royal

What do a policeman and a playwright have in common? Unspeakable crime, as it happens. Twist and double twist await the audience in this nail-bitingly tense thriller...

Gig Review: Whycliffe The Rebirth at The Old Bus Depot

A quarter of a century since his last ticketed performance, Nottingham music legend Whycliffe took to the stage for a triumphant return at the Old Bus Depot...

Perfect Ten: a retrospective on Nottingham City of Literature's decade in business

Readers, prepare your confetti. 2025 marks our first decade as a UNESCO City of Literature - with many more, we hope, to come. Since 2015, Nottingham City of Literature has been honouring their commitment to building better futures with words, especially for our young people. This has included working with local educational institutions to enhance literacy, facilitating career events for blossoming creatives, and fostering global connections with Nottingham’s UNESCO sister cities. We took a look at what they’ve achieved so far….

In photos: Vee Adu at The Old Bus Depot, with SUNIQ and Rowan Holly

These streets are ours: Sherwood's Haydn Road

Boasting independent bars and restaurants, plus a great selection of charity shops for the thrift-lovers among us, the Nottingham suburb of Sherwood has been a popular destination for a leisurely afternoon for many years now. But just off the high street, Haydn Road offers a surprising selection of local staples. In this new regular feature - celebrating lesser-known but much-loved areas of Nottinghamshire, Sophie Gargett meets the traders of Haydn Road and muses on the merits of local shopping.

The Winners of The 2025 Duckies Are...

It's in Nottingham hosted it's inaugral The Duckies awards evening at St Mary's Church on Tuesday 29 April to celebrate and champion the hundreds of high street businesses who contribute to life in Nottingham City Centre...

James Davidson is Awarded trentbarton Bus Driver of the Year 2025

The results of the 2024-2025 trentbarton really good service awards are in...

We meet Emma Moore, the mind behind local tie making business Arsenic and Old Lace

Notts tie maker Emma Moore has been redefining the humble neck tie for almost a decade, with her statement handmade ties serving the perfect eye-catching piece to complete any outfit. Fashion editor Addie Kenogbon-Harley caught up with her to find out more about her business Arsenic and Old Lace, and how she’s putting her spin on this timeless classic with her collections inspired by Midlands towns.

Promote your business with LeftLion

LeftLion Magazine has been shouting loud about the best of Nottingham culture since 2003. We're passionate about showcasing our partners to over 50,000 readers each month. Find out more about the reach we can offer you...

In Cider Info: We stop by at St Ann’s Allotments on Apple Day

One of the many events and projects taking place at St Ann’s Allotments, Apple Day takes place each October in the Community Orchard. Katherine Monk-Watts went along to speak to STAA’s Community Orchard Project Worker Richard Arkwright, following his afternoon apple pressing workshop, to find out what’s at the core of this celebratory event.

Thrills, spills, and non-stop jokes at the Playhouse panto

The much-beloved Nottingham Playhouse pantomime reaches new heights this year with a giant of a show. Yes, it's Jack and the Beanstalk... 

Live Review: An Evening Without Kate Bush at Nottingham Playhouse

A night of beating around The Bush, suitable for both Fish People and casual observers alike...

Gig review: Seas of Mirth at The Old Bus Depot

For one night only, The Old Bus Depot was transformed into a neon-lit sub-aquatic world of wonder, as genre-blending independent band Seas of Mirth made their incomparable mark. LeftLion's Lewis Oxley dived in...

Award-winning trentbarton improves eight key bus routes

Whether it's for a commute or a day out, buses are hard to beat for value and sustainability. If you want to get a little further afield and are setting off from Nottingham and it's surrounds, trentbarton are hard to beat. They're now improving eight key routes, and have picked up an award along the way...

The Thompsons on April Fools, Rainbow and Buses

Nottingham's most opinionated greengrocers on April Fools, Rainbow and Buses