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Put your records on: eleven Notts vinyl stores worth visiting on Record Store Day

On 18 April it’s Record Store Day – a celebration of that unique grassroots culture which, even in the face of constant adversity wracking the UK music scene, endures and provides a community for innumerable lovers of physical media. Since the fifties, Nottingham’s been a hub for well-visited record stores, some becoming legendary like Selectadisc – which once hosted The Clash in store – and Way Ahead – who as well as selling vinyl also sold tickets for one of Oasis’ biggest tours. Music has changed a lot over the last few years, but here’s eleven record shops still worth checking out

Life Behind Bars: with John Slee, Manager at The Lincolnshire Poacher

We popped in to see John Slee, Manager at The Lincolnshire Poacher, to talk about whiskey, stables and famous guests...

Guns, hamburgers and dollar signs: Andy Warhol comes to Lakeside Arts

Over at Lakeside Arts, a new exhibition, Andy Warhol: Pop Icon documents the work and influence of the famed and enigmatic artist. Featuring rock stars, Hollywood icons, death, hamburgers, guns, and money, this not-to-be-missed exhibition covers Warhol’s glittering career over four decades – Editor Sophie Gargett went along to unpick some of the themes behind his work. 

Black Friday 2025: when it happens, what to buy, and how to get the best deals

Black Friday 2025 is around the corner with good prices without the hassle. If you’ve been eyeing a new phone, a living‑room TV, or a small appliance that makes everyday life easier, a bit of planning will help you buy calmly and confidently. Here’s a clear guide to make the most of the day without getting lost in the noise.

Left Stag: October 2025 - A Love Letter to Proper Footy

Our man in Mansfield Josh Osoro Pickering is back from an away trip to Port Vale where he was very happy to partake in their local delicacy of Oatcakes...

Stapleford singer George Gadd talks about his new band and debut album Too Many Ghosts

He’s been a stalwart of the local Nottingham music scene for over a decade now, so it seems quite remarkable that George Gadd’s debut album – the recently-released Too Many Ghosts – has taken this long to manifest. We caught up with the Stapleford singer-songwriter to hear about the making of this deeply personal first record, his musical influences, as well as his upcoming launch show at The Bodega…

Theatre Review: The Void at the Mansfield Palace Theatre

It’s not every Tuesday that you can go from Mansfield to the moon of Titan for a hellraising adventure. But this Tuesday I did, thanks to The Void, playing at the fabulous Mansfield Palace Theatre. Indeed, sci-fi horror, while common in movies, is a rare genre for the stage. So how did it translate into the medium of live performance...

We catch up with singer, musician and mod icon Miles Kane

From being a Little Flame to a Rascal and a Last Shadow Puppet, Liverpudlian mod brother Miles Kane has built a stellar career spanning more than 20 years. Now, happily ploughing his own furrow again, he returns to Nottingham next month to promote his latest long-player, Sunlight In The Shadows, with a date at Rough Trade. LeftLion caught up with him to bask in the rays of promotional duties to talk Nashville, Nottingham and Northern curry sauce…

Left Stag: 2025 Season Preview

Pick Six: Girlband frontwoman Georgie

Ahead of their upcoming performances at Pride and Splendour, for this month’s Pick Six we turn to Georgie from Girlband! to tell us some of her and the band’s favourite things in Notts…

Rebirth and redemption: we reunite with local singer Whycliffe as he prepares for a return to music

It was 21 years ago that I first got to know Donovan Whycliffe Bramwell. I was working an office job in the Lace Market and would often see him in the street, looking dishevelled and asking people for money. Like most people I’d usually try to avoid such lunch-break encounters, but one day someone told me this man had once been a famous singer. It was a year after we’d launched LeftLion and I was interested in stories like this…

Review: Opera Cocktail at Mansfield Palace Theatre

OperaUpClose return to Mansfield Palace Theatre with an hour-long show composed of translated operatic pieces, performed by a cast of lovers and friends sharing a picnic...

Theatre review: Hansel and Gretal at Mansfield Palace Theatre

The perfect introduction to ballet for young theatregoers, Northern Ballet’s Hansel & Gretel graced the stage of Mansfield Palace Theatre on 29 April 2025. The audience was treated to a clever and cute re-imagining of the classic fairytale, retold with a focus on the importance of caring for the environment.

Exhibition Review: Money Talks: Stories from the Coins at Mansfield Museum

An exhibition about money featuring, amongst other things, a hoard of Roman coins that have gone on public display for the first time and date back to the BC era...

Artist Luke Jerram tells us about Gaia: an installation displayed this month at Mansfield Palace Theatre

This month the avid stargazers of Notts can experience a new perspective of life on earth over at Mansfield Palace Theatre. Featuring audio soundscapes and stunning visuals, Gaia is a vast, breathtaking replica of planet Earth by artist Luke Jerram. Aiming to get to the core of this installation, we spoke to Luke about public collaboration, merging science with art and what it takes to create on such a large scale….

The Reel Deal: what’s happening at this year’s Beeston Film Festival

Forget Cannes and Sundance, the Beeston Film Festival returns this month right on your doorstep! Featuring a huge range of work from international and local filmmakers, we spoke to festival director, John Currie, to hear all about the ethos behind this annual event and find out what attendees and filmmakers can expect from this year's festival.

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…

Theatre Review: Mariposa at Mansfield Palace Theatre

Set in post-revolution Cuba, Mariposa is a stunning modern dance exploration of the impacts of love, longing and loss...

Preview: Showstopper at Mansfield Palace Theatre

Fancy a night out watching a show that has never been seen before and will never be seen again? Mansfield Palace Theatre have just the show for you next week…

Competition: Win Tickets For Showstopper at Mansfield Palace Theatre

Spontaneous musical comedy at its absolute finest – direct from the West End and now heading to Mansfield Palace Theatre! If you'd like to win one of 5 pairs of tickets we have to give away then answer our simple question below...

Put your records on: we find out about Revinyl Sessions, a night where anyone can be a DJ

Fancy sharing your music taste with other music lovers? Revinyl Sessions at The Golden Fleece has you covered. With an ethos that celebrates the DJ for their ability to create community in a crowd, Revinyl invites anybody, experienced or first-timer, the chance to get behind the decks and unite the room with their sound. We spoke to organiser Robin Powell to find out more…

Brews, hairdos and tunes: Trekkah Benjamin reflects on the 10th anniversary of Phlexx Records

Currently celebrating its 10th birthday, Phlexx Records has made its name as one of Notts’ most successful labels, since its founding in 2013 by local names Trekkah Benjamin and Bru-C. With the recent set-up of their new record store, adjoining coffee shop, and barber shop on Weekday Cross, we caught up with Trekkah to reminisce on the history of Phlexx and their ambitions to move ever up and onwards.

Left Stag: April

A vegan market, coffee club, opera and a fair dedicated to records and a love of music: Here’s what’s on in Nottingham this week: 6 May – 12 May 2024

This week in Nottingham! Get yourself down to a market selling only vegan produce, a vinyl record fair, some opera and a friendly coffee club