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Out of time: Nottingham's history of opium

Content warning, substances and the historical passing of children

Although it’s hard to believe today, in early to mid-Victorian Britain, it was possible to walk into a chemist’s and pick up a bottle of laudanum (opium) or cocaine, with or without a prescription. Even stranger than that, you might do so with the intention of giving it to your baby. You might even send your oldest child to go and pick it up for you. 

Pick Six: Just The Tonic founder Darrell Martin

This month we feature Darrell Martin, who founded Just The Tonic Comedy Club in Nottingham in 1994, which has since grown to host comedy nights nationwide and at Metronome every Saturday. At this month’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival they will be promoting 215 shows across nineteen performance spaces…

Out of Time: Noel Coward in Nottinghamshire

Noel Coward is remembered as a playwright and actor most often associated with the West End and London. Yet, his work has been performed for decades on stages across Nottingham’s leading theatres, with his film adaptations regularly screened in our historic cinemas. The Midlands also became something of a retreat for him. Here’s the role that our part of the world played in his life… 

Festival review: Splendour goes out in style

As the old saying goes, all good things must come to an end. For 18 years, Splendour Festival has been one of the highlights of the summer here in Nottingham, a community celebration that brings together UK music legends with some of the very best up-and-coming local bands. It began in 2008 with names including Kate Nash, The Charlatans and Ocean Colour Scene on the bill. However, with the event no longer able to viably continue, the 2026 edition marked the end of an era for our city's premier two-day festival. Determined to go out on a high, here is what took place at the last ever Splendour…

Artists, Lovers, Outsiders: the new exhibition at Nottingham Castle

The latest exhibition over at Nottingham Castle tells the story of Robert MacBryde and Robert Colquhoun, two Scottish artists, lovers, and outsiders, whose mark on mid-century Modernist art has largely been overlooked. Sophie Gargett caught up with curator and award-winning writer Damian Barr, whose fictional biographical novel The Two Roberts sheds light on a love story that was hidden for decades.

Pick Six: playwright and actor William Ivory

For this month’s Pick Six we turned to Notts born screenwriter, playwright and actor William Ivory ahead of his play The Market Deeping Model Railway Club, which runs at the Nottingham Playhouse until Saturday 25 July.

Out of Time: How Sneinton's Victoria Lesiure Centre once hosted wrestling matches

Wrestling matches at what’s now the Victoria Leisure Centre on Gedling Street happened recently enough to be a childhood memory for some, but for others, it’s an almost forgotten occurrence. Here’s the colourful and chaotic history… 

Pick Six: Nigerian-British writer Yomi Sode

For this month’s Pick Six we turned to award-winning Nigerian-British writer Yomi Sode who will be performing at Lakeside Arts on 11 June as part of Nottingham Poetry Festival.

Out of time: a tale of two hotels on Derby Road

Two hotels once stood on Derby Road, and played roles in some unusual Nottingham history – one facilitated a dramatic confrontation featuring local suffragettes, the other housed a ‘mini Scotland’. Here’s the hidden history in those now-innocuous locations.

Checking out Public's sell-out lasagne night

We secured a ticket for Public’s sell-out lasagne night in April, which saw local foodies gather at the coffee shop after hours for a taste of Public’s take on two Italian classics…

Pick Six: comedian Matt Forde

For this month’s Pick Six, we turn to political comedian and impressionist Matt Forde who brings his show Defying Calamity to the Theatre Royal on Sun 31 May.

Competition: Win Nottingham Wing Fest 2026 Tickets

The world’s biggest chicken wing festival lands in Nottingham for the first time ever at the new Out Nottingham venue. We have two pairs of tickets to give away to our clucky readers...

Pick six: playwright Jane Upton

For this month’s Pick Six we turned to local playwright, Jane Upton, who’s new show Scenes from a Friendship comes to Nottingham Playhouse from Friday 15 May.

Theatre review: Nine Sixteenths at Nottingham Playhouse

The story and epic fallout of Janet Jackson’s 2004 Super Bowl is creatively re-examined through the lens of a real-life, queer black girl coming of age tale in this authentic, eye-opening and funny four-woman show.

Out of Time: how truth serum solved a theft case in Notts

When it comes to court cases, there have been few in Nottingham that have ended up in the history books for their sheer oddness, but for this month’s Out of Time we recount a bizarre whodunnit that happened on Ilkeston Road and claims to be the first time in Britain that a truth drug was admitted into evidence… 

Pick six: Veronica Pickering, Nottinghamshire's Lord-Lieutenant

To celebrate International Women’s Day we put some questions to Veronica Pickering, the first woman to be appointed as Lord-Lieutenant of Nottinghamshire, a former High Sheriff, and a champion of our local communities.

Out of hibernation: You Want Fox is Back!

Nottingham’s own female-based grunge rock duo, You Want Fox, have returned from their much-awaited hiatus, after almost two and a half years away from our stages. Channelling sounds from the likes of Royal Blood, and Deftones, to the nineties Riot Grrl movement - it’s clear duo Colette Elton and Natalie Caulton are a formidable act, once again ready to get Notts’ crowds moshing to their ethereal voices and heavy-hitting riffs. LeftLion caught up with the pair ahead of their comeback performance later this month…

Pick six: Hana Glover, owner of The Bead Shop Nottingham

For this month’s Pick Six we turn to Hana Glover, who has been running Nottingham’s crafty paradise The Bead Shop on Market Street since 2000.

Class of 2026: six local music acts set to take Notts by storm in 2026

2025 in Notts music was mostly defined by awards. Rave-metal sister duo ALT BLK ERA won a MOBO award, rapper Jayahadadream won two Youth Music Awards including the Rising Star prize – and beloved venue The Bodega was crowned Grassroots Champion at the LIVE Awards.

Locally, we also saw the return of Splendour Festival with the Future Sound of Nottingham winners Saffron Gray and Archie & The Astronauts opening the festival main stage. This got us thinking – who are the next breakout stars from Nottingham and who can we expect to shine in the year ahead? After much deliberation, here’s six artists we expect to have a big 2026…

Pick Six: Adrian Bhagat of Sherwood's vegan emporium The V Spot

To celebrate Veganuary, for this month’s Pick Six we reached out to Adrian Bhagat who looks after Sherwood vegan emporium The V Spot, and runs the successful Sherwood Vegan Market.

Any way you slice it: we check out new pizza joint The Slice

We check out The Slice: a new artisan bakery and Roman pizza spot on Middle Pavement...

Out of Time: The Lonely Hearts Magazine of Nottingham

When it comes to dating, we often think of Tinder, Grindr, Hinge… the list goes on. But how did people meet each other before we could swipe right? Surprisingly, the history of the personal advert is thought to go back to the 1700s, but one of the earliest examples from Nottingham was a monthly magazine called The Link. CJ De Barra delves into its history and the repercussions of its ‘improper’ use…

Out of Time: The bank robbers who escaped history

Back in 1970, two daring heists in the Nottingham area lasted minutes, left clues behind, but never led to arrests – could the two be connected?