LeftLion August 2023 Issue 162

Credits

Magic-al Alan Gilby (alan.gilby@leftlion.co.uk)

Editor-in-Chief Jared Wilson (jared.wilson@leftlion.co.uk)

Editor Sophie Gargett (sophie.gargett@leftlion.co.uk)

These people #SupportLeftLion

Assistant Editor Gemma Cockrell (gemma.cockrell@leftlion. co.uk)

Head Designer Natalie Owen (natalie.owen@leftlion.co.uk)

Head of Video and Photography Curtis Powell (curtis.powell@leftlion.co.uk)

Partnerships Manager Adam Pickering (adam.pickering@leftlion. co.uk)

Web Developer Tom Errington (tom.errington@leftlion.co.uk)

Fashion Editor Addie Kenogbon (addie.kenogbon@leftlion. co.uk)

Stage Co-Editor Ian C. Douglas (ian@leftlion.co.uk)

Stage Co-Editor Dom Henry (dom.henry@leftlion.co.uk)

Screen Co-Editor George White (george.white@leftlion.co.uk)

Al Draper, Alison Gove-Humphries, Alison Harrison, Alison Hedley, Anamenti, Andrene Alejandro, Anne Jennings, Ant Haywood, Audrey & Lizzy & Margot, Barbara Morgan, Ben Lester, Caroline Le Sueur, Catriona, Cerys Gibson, Chloe Langley, Chris Jarvis, Chris Mead, Chris Underwood, Claire Foss, Claire Henson, Claire Warren, Clare Foyle, Colin, Cyra Golijani-Moghaddam, D Lawson, Dan Lyons, Dan Hemmings, Darren Harvey, David Knight, Dick Watson, Donna RoweMerriman, Eden PR, Ellen O’Hara, Emma Lipinski, Erika Diaz Petersen, Felicity Whittle, Fred Glenister, Freddy Angell, Graye Wilde, Harry Sutcliffe, Hayley Howard, Heather Hodkinson, Heather Oliver, Helena Tyce, Holly's Merry Moggies, Ian Phillips, Ian Storey, Ian Yanson, In memory of Anna Novak (Bradford and Scoraig), In memory of Jenny Smith, James Place, James Wright, Janine Lees, Jayne Paul William & Pirate Jack, Jem Woolley, Joanna Furniss, John Haslam, John Hess, John Holmes, John Scruton, Jon Blyth, Jonathan Fenn, Jos Potts, Joshua Heathcote, Judy Gray, Julian Bower, Justyn Roberts, Kathryn Hewitt, Kathleen Dunham, Kay Gilby, Kiki Dee the Cat, Koprowskit, Lawrence Poole, Les Hayes, Lilian Greenwood, Livi & Jacob Nieri, Liz Knott, Lizzy Colyer, Louise Duffield, Mark Barratt, Mark Gasson, Matt Cliffe, Matt Turpin, Matthew Riches, Michael Mc, Mighty Lightweights, MinorOak Coworking, Miri Debah, Moira Scothern, Monica White, Nick Donovan, Nick Waine, Nigel Cooke, Nigel Hudson, Nigel King, Nina Faresin, NottingJam Orchestra, Paul Boast, Paul Wentworth, Paul Woodall, Pearl Quick, Pete Barker, Peter Coghill, Philip Miller, Rach, Rachel Ayrton, Rachel Hancorn, Rachel Morton, Raphael Achache, Rebecca Freeman, Redbrick Communications, Rich Fisher, Richard Barclay, Richard Goodwin, Rob Arthur, Roger Hughes, Ron Mure, Ross Balzaretti, Roy Manterfield, Russell Brown, Sam Hudson, Sam Nahirny, Sam Rose, Samantha Culshaw-Robinson, Sarah Manton, Sarah Moore, Sarah Scriver, Simon Evans, Siobhan, Spicer, Steve Benton, Steve Lyon, Steve Riordan, Steve Stickley Storyteller, Steve Wallace, Stewart Berry, Stuart Wilson, Sue Barsby, Sue Reader, Tom Justice, Tom Patterson, Tracey Newton, Will Horton

Screen Co-Editor Oliver Parker (oliver.parker@leftlion.co.uk)

Music Editor Amrit Virdi (amrit.virdi@leftlion.co.uk)

Food Editor Julia Head (julia.head@leftlion.co.uk)

Fancy seeing your name (or the name of your band, small business, loved one, pet etc) in this mag every month? It only costs a fiver and the money supports this magazine. Plus you get all kinds of other treats too.

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Photography Co-Editor Fabrice Gagos (fabrice.gagos@leftlion.co.uk)

Photography Co-Editor Nathan Langman (nathan.langman@leftlion. co.uk)

Environment Editor Eleanor Flowerday

Cover Sarah Manton

Raphic Designer Raphael Achache

Editorial Interns

Lottie Murray

Krishita Kandoi

Beth Green

Writers

Claude Money

Grace Quinn

Izzy Morris

Michael Krawec

Michael Prince

Nadia Whittome

Phil Taylor

Art Co-Editor George Dunbar (george.dunbar@leftlion.co.uk)

Distribution Dom Martinovs

Photographers

Amber Swarbrick

Dani Bacon

Danielle Boaler

Cal McNab

Elouise Oldfield

Evie Partridge

Gerry Molumby

Lisa Cooper

Martin Makowski

Nic Chapman

Rhys Naden

Tamara Clarke

Toby Clark

Illustrators

Alice Peake

Ciaran Burrows

Pete Gray

Rikki Marr

Zarina Teli

Featured Contributor

Hailing from Kolkata in India, Krishita found herself in Nottingham when she began studying a masters in Magazine Journalism at Nottingham Trent University in September of 2022. Throughout the year, while navigating life in a new country, she has developed her writing style and found her own unique flair - as well as her passion for both food and travel journalism, which are areas that she hopes to pursue a career in. While she wraps up her final few deadlines and exams over the summer, she has joined us for work experience here at LeftLion HQ, and it has been a pleasure having her here with us!

You can find Krishita’s Sneinton Market trail on page 16

Golden Era

Over the years Nottingham has played a part in shaping Hip-Hop’s popularity in the UK. Claude Money goes through a brief history

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14

16 19

Odds Are Good

By Our Hands We Make Our Way

Decked with greenery, art and beautiful wooden textures, By Our Hands We Make Our Way is a space for woodworking, community, creativity and more

The racing driver who has tested a McLaren Formula 1 car and raced in the 24 Hours of Le Mans tells us all about what it’s like living life in the fast lane

Sister Act

We returned to Boulangerie de Saigon to have a chat with sisters Aivi and Milly, both from St Ann’s, who opened the boulangerie (bakery) in April

That’s Sneintertainment

Sneinton Market has been home to businesses for nearly 150 years. We take a wander around the area to catch the vibe of this Nottingham gem

A Medical Marijuana User in Notts

We hear from someone in Nottingham who uses medical marijuana to manage their neurological condition and mental health problems

Greetings and happy August LeftLion readers - Sophie, your new editor here.

This is my first editorial letter and to be quite honest it’s an odd one to write. I’ve never had to address all you good people of Nottingham before (I suppose not many people tend to) but hello and here we go.

It’s been very exciting putting together this first issue. I first began writing for LeftLion back in 2015, covering Nottingham’s most weird and wonderful historical characters, from the Wise Men of Gotham (who feigned madness to avoid taxes), to Byron’s dodgy uncle (‘The Wicked Lord’ William Byron). I was making a free local zine called The Dilettante Gazette at the time, so contributing to LeftLion was an excellent first foray into writing for a ‘proper publication’ - not to mention one I’d been reading since I was a young thing in the mid noughties. Fast forward eight years and it's evidently been one of those stick at it and see things. (Lesson is, don’t give up your daydream folks!)

Friend Analysis

We hear all about Jeanie Finlay’s ninth feature, Your Fat Friend, which tells the story of anonymous blogger turned best-selling author Aubrey Gordon

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That’s All, Folks

We caught up with native New Yorker comic book illustrator and cult sensation Jeffrey Lewis & The Voltage ahead of the Foolhardy Folk Festival

Noises After Dark: A Humanitarian Memoir

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LeftLion has always been a staunch pillar of Nottingham culture, bringing together the creativity, humour and talent that rises in our streets. It has fought off the so-called ‘death of print’, interviewed legends from Jon Ronson to Neighbours’ Toadfish, and hosted festivals of beer and music.

It is a rare and wonderful thing for a city to have, and coming in as editor feels a bit like being the protector of a weird relic.

This is the first issue myself and Gemma, our new assistant editor, have put together and we’ve (somewhat accidentally) honed in on our neighbours in Sneinton Market. I’ve only been working in this little corner of the city for a few weeks, and yet I’ve quickly caught on to the passion of the people who have set up businesses here. You can read the story behind the delightful Boulangerie de Saigon cafe on page 14, hear about a communal creative space rooted in woodwork on page 18, or enjoy a psychogeographic wander by our intern Krishita on page 16. I am a firm believer in supporting the local independent

We chat to author John Tomlinson, who journeyed to Somalia to volunteer for the Save the Children fund during the humanitarian crisis in Ethiopia in the 1980s

A Cornucopia of Curiosity

We sat down with the co-owners of the Happy Sunday vintage shop on Derby Road to find out more about their new venture

Nature Calling

We spoke to the founder of Wellbeing in Nature, an Earth-centred therapy form that connects individuals to nature to provide a calming environment

businesses that keep the streets vibrant and unique - so if you fancy having a different kind of city centre stroll, take an amble through Sneinton Market one day and see what you might find.

We’ve also been talking to local filmmaker Jeanie Finlay, delving into days past of the Nottingham Hip-Hop scene, exploring a new vintage emporium on Derby Road, and learning about the Victorian Herbarium of Bromley House Library. There’s lots more too, so if you’ve diligently kept reading until now, may I give you permission to go find yourself a lovely beverage and sit back and relax while you peruse these pages.

See you in September,

Sophie Editor

Just a pier-fect day

Sebastian Garvey

Tag us on Instagram @leftlionmagazine to feature in a future issue.

LeftLion Ltd is a carbon neutral company, having reduced our direct emissions by 99% since 2018. We offset the rest via direct air capture from Climeworks. LeftLion Magazine is fully recyclable and compostable, made from recycled or FSC® certified (C015932) sources, and printed using renewable energy. The emissions of this paper are offset via the World Land Trust.

I used to think Tyrone was so leng, then he tried to play Rock Paper Scissors with me over the phone. I ended it there. Your face smells mouldy.

I’ve seen that kid before he’s like a… man. Like a man baby, adult face.

You haven’t seen Toast? Now I don't normally get violent but you need a slap in the jaw.

Riddle me that Jesus.

Schoolboy speaking to other schoolboy at traffic crossing: “Oi mate shut up or I’ll wipe you on the kerb”

Nottingham’s most opinionated grocers on...

Favourite Pub Names

In terms of people from Nottingham who should have pubs named after themselves, then we think there should be one for Albert Ball (WW1 fighter pilot), Torvill and Dean (Olympic ice skaters), Emily Campbell (Olympic weightlifter) and John Player (tobacco manufacturer). Once we went to Grantham and there were two pubs near each other called ‘Stagger Inn’ and ‘Nobody Inn’. We thought they were both rather amusing.

Vintage and Antiques

A van just passed by that said 'Student Storage', and I wondered how many of them they could fit in...

I mean I like B&M but it's mainly just a load of rammel innit? Mate have you been christened? Not that it matters, there’s defo things you’ve done that can never be forgiven.

Well I stand corrected in my orthopaedic shoes.

We have a few curious ‘items’ at home we’re proud of. We have an original book of 78 RPM records by The Ink Spots, an American vocal group from the 1930s. We’ve got some old hot water bottles and bedpan from Boots - which we don’t use much anymore for obvious reasons. We’ve also got an old till from a butcher’s and the old clocking in and out machine from Redmayne and Todd sports shop, which was our first job back in 1978.

Hip-Hop

We don’t know anything about Hip-Hop. Is that the same thing as drum and beat? We watched Glastonbury on TV and saw Debbie Harry and Blondie. She did a rap back in the day, didn’t she? We also saw Candi Staton, but neither of them were anywhere near as good as when we saw her live back in the day. I don’t know why they let all these older people play at Glastonbury. It’s not really for them, is it?

[At Splendour in the rain] Have you got sea legs? I’ve got sea legs. Reminds me of a P&O cruise.

Pick Six

Notts Spot Broadway. Great films, great food. Good date spot. Good coffee spot. Always gets the sun. You heard it here first - it doesn't miss.

With the new football season starting this month, we asked Art of Football’s Lead of Women's Football Grace Quinn to recommend six things she loves…

Song

Be Safe by The Cribs. This is definitely on my eight desert island discs playlist. It suits every emotion: happy, sad, angry, you name it. I actually found it when I was like sixteen and thought I was really cool, so it's a bit nostalgic for me. Plus The Cribs are from Wakefield, like me, so there's an element of Yorkshire pride there. Perfect song in my opinion.

Holiday destination

Cala D'Or in Spain. I went last summer with my family and it's such a nice village, right next to a beach and so quiet to just go and relax. I genuinely don't feel like I've ever been so relaxed. There's white villas and purple flowers everywhere and when I feel a bit of burnout coming along it's probably the only place I want to be. Sat in the sun, sipping pina colada, probably listening to Harry Styles. That's me sorted.

Book Everything I Know About Love by Dolly Alderton, hands down. If ever I want advice, need grounding a bit, or just want to feel like I've got a sister in the room with me, the focus on female friendship in this book is unmatched. Genuinely a life changing book and something I hope to always read over and over and over. I'm obsessed with Dolly Alderton, so my obsession with this book doesn't come as too much of a surprise.

Film

Bridget Jones's Diary. I'm very much a romcom girly so it is a toss up between this and Love Actually, but I think if it came down to it nothing quite compares to singing along to All By Myself with a massive glass of wine on the sofa. It's the definition of just girly things, and encompasses a lot of the feelings and experiences I have as a young, single, woman with a close group of girls and a daily existential crisis. Absolute classic.

Meal

This has been a hard one to pick, however I reckon probably a poke bowl with yuzu salmon, miso tofu, sticky rice, all the pickled veg, mango and pineapple salad, kimchi, edamame beans, and a really citrusy sauce WITH veggie gyoza on the size and pickled ginger. Probably with an Asahi too and definitely sat in the sun (around 4pm?). It's fresh, it’s got about a million different flavours, and just makes you feel like you're living your best life on holiday.

Photo: Tom Morley

words: Dani Bacon

Spotted Ilkeston Town

Person 1: Looking for somewhere nice local (ish) to meet a friend for a coffee but will need to be open after 3pm

Person 2: Just get a bottle of white lightning and sit on market place benches

Sherwood Sounds

It is delightful, that, regardless of the fact I do not watch the sports ball, I do not care about the sports ball, and I do not have the TV or radio on, I can STILL hear the Match of the Day theme song as it is blasted out from the ice cream van touring the neighbourhood.

Strelley, Beechdale, Bilborough, Aspley and Broxtowe Community group

Nottm

Has anyone got any old cds they don't need. I don't need them for listening to...only to make a pigeon scarer

Spotted Ilkeston Town

Person 1: Just to let people know there’s a cow escaped onto pioneer nature reserve in kirkhallam, it sounds stressed because it’s lost but not sure who to call Person 2: We tried to approach it but it ran the udder way.

Person 3: Tell it to MOOOOVE over, sorry

Sneinton

Hey Sneinton, Me again. its ok i don't Bite i jus do what is right.

Sherwood in Nottingham Community Group

Anywhere in sherwood I can get a ring cut off of my finger? Tried icing it, string trick etc and no luck so I think cutting it off is my only option.

Spotted:Radcliffe

Person 1: So, is it just me or have we had a time warp back to the april rain season ?

Person 2: I blame Brexit, by leaving the EU we are no longer entitled to European weather!

Sneinton

My cat is an idiot

Spotted Ilkeston Town

Person 1: Any properties or flats available in Ilkeston and surrounding areas willing to pay a max of 600 a month

Person 2: 600 a month what you after renting a wendy house

Person 3: more like a rabbit hutch for that money

Sherwood Sounds

We have some very dirty ducts on our road. Cleaning them isn’t going to be quiet.

If you lay with your back to the ground, it's like the Earth is your backpack and you're carrying it through space.

Illustration: Pete Gray

Nadia on...

The Right To Food

When you go to the supermarket, do you ever stare at the prices in disbelief, wondering when everything got so expensive?

If yes, you’re far from the only one. The cost of groceries is soaring at the fastest rate in 45 years, with average prices increasing by over seventeen percent in one year. In the context of stagnating wages and sky-high bills, it’s no wonder that more and more families are struggling to put food on the table, with 5.7 million households cutting down or skipping meals.

Even before the current crisis, food insecurity in the UK was on the rise, fuelled by low pay and public spending cuts. Nothing illustrates it more starkly than the astonishing rise of food banks. In 2010, Trussell Trust - the UK’s biggest network of food banks - distributed around 60,000 parcels. By 2015, that figure had reached one million. Last year, almost three million parcels were given out, and many food banks struggled to keep up with rising demand.

The consequences of growing deprivation are disturbing. The number of people in England hospitalised with malnutrition has quadrupled in fifteen years, reaching nearly 11,000 last year. Cases of scurvy tripled to 171, and 482 patients, mostly children, were admitted with ricketsdiseases that we should have left behind in the Victorian era.

In the sixth biggest economy in the world, there is no excuse for thisor for anyone to be going hungry at all. Food poverty is not inevitable, and neither is it the result of poor budgeting by individuals. It’s a consequence of political decisions, and the solutions are political too.

Firstly, as a matter of emergency, the government should step in to stop runaway food inflation. Rising prices have several causes, from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to the climate crisis. But an often overlooked one is the phenomenon of “greedflation” - companies using economic chaos as an excuse to charge us more.

Research by Unite the Union has shown that of the UK’s 350 biggest companies increased their profit margins by an average of 89 percent in three years. Three large supermarkets, Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Asda, have doubled their profits since 2019. As an immediate solution, temporary price controls on essentials could stop this profiteering and help ensure that our weekly shop doesn’t put us out of pocket. In Europe, Croatia and Hungary have capped prices on key products, Greece introduced a limit on profit margins and the French government reached a deal with food companies to lower prices. The UK could learn from these examples.

In the longer term, we need a comprehensive strategy to make sure that no one goes hungry. The Right to Food campaign, led by Liverpool West Derby MP Ian Byrne, has been calling for access to food to be a right enshrined in law, requiring the government to finally take real action on food poverty.

A good place to start would be giving every child access to warm, nutritious meals at school. As the cost of living crisis deepens, teachers have been raising alarm about the growing number of pupils coming to school hungry, which in turn affects their ability to learn. For many, free school meals are a lifeline. But many others

whose families are struggling, currently don’t qualify for them. To prevent kids falling through the cracks, and remove the stigma often associated with free school meals, they should be available to all. What’s more, Marcus Rashford was right: children need to eat all year round, not just during term time. The lack of free lunches during holidays puts more financial pressures on parents, forcing many to go without to feed their kids. I’m really glad that our City Council is addressing this by offering food vouchers over the holidays to students who get free school meals. This policy should be rolled out across the country - not just during the current crisis, but permanently.

Children aren’t the only ones who need access to healthy and filling meals. That’s why the Right to Food campaign is also advocating for the government to fund community kitchens and “meals on wheels” programmes for elderly and disabled people. Publicly funded cookery clubs could help fight loneliness while tackling hunger at the same time.

However, to really address the crisis of food poverty, we must also tackle its root causes. Low pay, skyrocketing rent and energy bills, benefit sanctions and the two-child benefit cap all contribute to people struggling to pay for food. Increasing the minimum wage to reflect the real cost of living, introducing rent controls and reforming the benefit system to provide a real safety net would help end the scandal of millions relying on food banks to survive. A country with 2.85 million millionaires can afford to ensure that everyone is fed.

Meanwhile, I want to give a huge shout out to every charity, local business and volunteer in Nottingham who is working to support people experiencing food insecurity. Food banks, like those run by Himmah, St Ann’s Advice Centre or the Refugee Forum, have been distributing parcels to those in need. Community kitchens, such as Salaam Shalom Kitchen, The Open Kitchen or the Social Cafe organised by the SFiCe Foundation, serve free meals while bringing people together. Foodprint, a social supermarked based in Sneinton, sells at discounted rates food that would otherwise go to waste. (For a full list of local services and initiatives supporting people during the cost of living crisis, check out the super helpful portal asklion.co.uk.) In 21st century Britain, food poverty shouldn’t exist. But as long as it does, your compassion and solidarity is priceless.

Food poverty is not inevitable, and neither is it the result of poor budgeting by individuals. It’s a consequence of political decisions, and the solutions are political too

words: Nadia Whittome photo: Fabrice Gagos

interview: Gemma Cockrell

Oddsare Good

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 World Challenge series, has tested a McLaren Formula 1 car raced in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. He tells us all about what it’s like living life in the fast lane…

Hi Tom! Firstly, could you just explain what the GT World Challenge is, for those who are unfamiliar?

It’s a GT series, consisting of only GT3 cars. Pretty much every major car manufacturer has a GT car that is eligible, and I race the McLaren 720 GT3. How did your relationship with McLaren come about, and what does your role as a McLaren factory driver involve?

This year is my first year as a McLaren factory driver, which basically means that I’m contracted to the team. I do a lot of work for them, developing their newest and current race cars before they release them to the customer teams. I’m also always on standby for them in case they are ever in need of a driver!

How did you get to this point in your career and what categories did you race in previously?

I started my career in karting at about eight years old. I progressed up the karting ladder and began racing in Europe when I was about twelve. I eventually moved into Ginetta Juniors at age fourteen, where I was crowned champion. Then, I took the step to British F3 [now known as GB3] but sadly that was the end of my single seater career, as I didn’t have the financial backing to take the next step. But I did win the McLaren Autosport BRDC award at the end of that year [2018] and I was lucky enough to get a Formula 1 test with the team.

You raced on a lot of the UK tracks in your early career. What is your favourite UK track to race on and why, and how do the UK tracks differ from the European ones you race on now?

You normally find the UK tracks are a bit more ‘old school’ - there’s not as much room for error and they are usually not as long as some of the tracks in Europe. I would say Silverstone is probably my favourite, as I love high speed corners and I always seem to have good results there.

Your brother is also a professional racing driver, who currently competes in the British Touring Car Championship. Did he get you into racing in the first place?

Yeah, it was my brother who originally inspired me to start racing when I was kid, as I used to go and watch him race. He actually sacrificed a lot of his own racing to help me out in go karting - he was my mechanic back in the day!

You competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans this summer, which was your second time competing in what is one of motorsport’s most iconic races. How did that car differ to the GT3 car you usually drive?

I competed in a category called LMP2, which stands for Le Mans prototype. These are much faster than GT3 - about twenty seconds a lap faster around the eleven kilometre circuit - and they look a lot different, too.

It’s quite rare for the 24 hours to go to plan with no issues, but this one did!

About ten years ago, I was at the Irish Centre watching Mr Scruff carry out one of his heroic sets spanning across several hours and genres. The main room was packed wall to wall with ecstatic faces and everything was a bit of a blur as it ought to be at that time of night.

Suddenly, a familiar sample of quivering strings starts blending into the mix. I look to my left and a wavy Louis Cypher’s eyes widen, he and I both know what the next track was; it was Learn to be Strong by Cappo. An underground anthem from the last golden age of British rap. Scruff pulls the other record, unleashes the drop with a deft hand and sends the place into a frenzy.

I was shocked. Sure, it’s a big tune and it sounds amazing on a club sound system, but that’s not why the Irish Centre turned into a zoo. One of the all time great UK selectors came to our city and paid homage to one of the greatest rappers this country’s ever produced. We were elated with pride. Hip-Hop has always been woven into the fabric of Nottingham, but everything has a beginning somewhere.

On the other side of the city, thirty years before that night at the Irish Centre, another great Nottingham figure was cementing his place in Hip-Hop history. DJ Jonathan Woodliffe started putting on a new type of event at Rock City, focused on a new craze sweeping the planet: breakdancing. Already known as an influential DJ in the world of funk and soul, Woodliffe, whether he realised it or not, had just turned Nottingham into the B-boy capital of the UK. His mixtapes from those events became the stuff of legend and were sold at the Jams as well as at Arcade Records in Nottingham. Those Friday night and Saturday afternoon jams were pioneering; Nottingham’s cultural landscape had been forever changed. If you want to know more we highly recommend you track down a copy of the documentary NG83 When We Were B Boys.

B-boy jams were popping off around the city, most notably at the Hyson Green Boy’s Club. By the mid eighties, The Rock City Crew and The Assassinators Crew had emerged from the burgeoning scene and would soon tour Europe, representing Nottingham against other crews.

The healthy supply chain of Hip-Hop vinyl at record shops like Arcade, Selectadisc and Guava also factored in turning Nottingham into a hotspot for Hip-Hop aficionados. This side of the industry was equally lucrative, so as the select few breakdancing elite took flight on tours, others turned to other elements of Hip-Hop, like graffiti, beatmaking and MCing.

One such former dancer-turned-rapper is MC Fizal Eff. Alongside DJ Quick (aka Dominic Owen) he had a classic cut on a 1988 BPM Records compilation 12”, Juss Cool. The duo would establish their own imprint, called Sing A Song Records and although it was short-lived, the 1989 release of MSD’s Too Late was an instant UK Hip-Hop classic.

Disclaimer: This article is missing a lot of names. Names that just can’t fit in a 1000 word feature for a local arts magazine. Sue me. There isn’t even anything about graffiti or turntablism. I know, right? Also it only goes up to the millennium. Apologies to anyone who was left out of this article but don’t come at me with a salty flavour because I haven’t got the time.

With the nineties just around the corner, things were starting to pick up pace; Sing A Song Records pressed up their greatest release, MC Groove’s Drop the Pressure. Elsewhere in the city, other collectives had started to form. DJ Mink and K.I.D. crafted their killer single Hey! Hey! (Can you relate?) which was signed to FON records in Sheffield in 1989, then resigned to the mighty Warp Records the following year. Around the same time, Docta D and MC Steel were in their bag as Subsonic 2. They would go on to grab themselves a feature from US heavyweights Gangstarr and a session on the John Peel show before 1991 was out.

Meanwhile, at the historic Square Centre studios as Whycliffe was recording his debut album and gearing up to tour with James Brown, Nottingham legend Joe Buhdha and his crew MC’s Logik were signing with Graham Parks’ Submission Records to release the Peace and Unity EP. Legend has it that Craig Chettle MBE, founder of Confetti, was a familiar face at the Square Centre at that time and drove them to gigs.

With all of this going on, Nottingham had become a bastion of Hip-Hop in the UK with certain talents getting called up to the

big leagues, emigrating to London and the US to influence the cultural movement on a global scale.

Unfortunately, not everyone who deserved to hit the big time did. In 1993, MC’s Logik were poised to sign with a major label but it fell through at the last minute. The reasons behind this vary depending on who you ask. In response, Joe Buhdha and Trevor Rose set their own label up, Represent Records. They bet on themselves and other local talent including the legendary Mr 45. His track Radford (You Get Me), coined that very term and is UK underground lore.

The Nottingham OGs had done their job. Over the course of ten years, a strong foundation had been set for the next generation. Touring as a Hip-Hop act around Europe had become a viable job thanks to MC Groove (remember him from earlier?) who had paved the way in events management and had now changed his name to Mick Blue Eyes. He and Joe Buhdha would also establish Nottingham as a tour date for name brand American artists with their clubnight, Bring The Noise.

A young Cappo who had recently been introduced to Joe Buhdha and the Rose brothers at the ACNA centre found himself hosting and hyping the crowd at some of these events alongside a fledgling Out Da Ville. Those young artists would sharpen their liquid swords and fly the 0115 flag for the next ten years until the end of the Golden Age in 2006.

If you want to know what happens next, get involved with the Nottingham Hip-Hop 50 Weekend, 11 - 13 August, at Binks Yard. Someone down there will chew your ear off about it, no doubt. Next year will be the first year that B-boys from around the world will be winning medals at the Olympics. Thinking about the role that Nottingham played in British B-boy culture, I can’t help but feel the same sense of pride that I felt hearing Scruff drop a Cappo classic on his home turf.

Sister Act

interview: Julia Head photos: Dani Bacon

Last month, we underwent a gruelling ten-second trek from the office to visit our neighbours in the newly opened Boulangerie de Saigon, a small Vietnamese eatery in the hustle and bustle of Sneinton Avenues. After being hooked on the egg coffee (more on that later), we returned to try one of the most delicious Vietnamese sandwiches to grace Nottingham - oh, and to have a chat with sisters Aivi and Milly Nguyen - both from St Ann’s, who opened the boulangerie (bakery) in April…

First of all, we love the name of your café and the blend of French and Vietnamese. What's that all about?

As we know, ‘Saigon’ is an old term for what is now officially known as ‘Hoi Chi Minh’ city, due to the civil war. Before migrating to the UK, the old capital city was once home and dear to my family, and even to this day we still call it Saigon. It was vital for the name of our shop to be personal and more importantly, honour our heritage. The history of the bánh mì (the aforementioned delicious sandwich/baguette that is very popular in Vietnamese cuisine) stems from French colonialism in Vietnam, around the mid-1950s, hence the amalgamation in our name. Our ancestors took what they knew of the baguette and twisted the techniques and ingredients that were available to them to form the classic bánh mì. Additionally, it is against the French law to name one’s business a ‘Boulangerie’ if your baked goods are not prepared freshly on site - which is perfect for us!

Can you tell us a bit about how you came to open up your own café? You're both quite young, is this what you've always wanted to do?

Aivi: I’ve always been a creative individual which led me to have studied fashion design at Nottingham Trent University. It was not until Covid-19 had happened that I really fell in love with cooking! The first lockdown was in place whilst I was finalising my degree, and I found myself choosing to cook rather than doing design work - this was my initial awakening to open an eatery, and it took three years in the making to get me here today.

Milly: The kitchen has always been my home and spreading the joy of sweets has always been a vivid dream for me. So, when my sister proposed to open a café together, I was extremely ecstatic. Our youth has contributed to our efforts and labour, to which we are both grateful for.

Why Vietnamese food in Nottingham? What does it mean to you? We grew up eating traditional Vietnamese food for dinner every day. Being Nottingham born and bred, it has been a pleasure to offer a bit of our motherland to our city. Food plays a massive part in our culture - no matter what social

background you’re from, everyone takes the time to pause from the hustle and bustle to eat delectably - it is food that brings communities together.

Cooking dinner was a labour of love for our mum - she has always cooked from scratch using fresh and quality ingredients. This is something I only appreciated recently. Every evening, mum would often serve multiple hearty dishes per sitting to share around the table to enjoy as a family (quite like a tapasstyle dinner), we’d all flock around to relish and share about our day. The beauty of Vietnamese cuisine is that there are fundamental flavours to balance, to create a harmoniously delicious dish: sour, spicy, salty, sweet, and bitter; a rule that applies across all Vietnamese recipes. Instinctively, Vietnamese people tend to try utilise everything they’ve got to avoid any waste - (mainly due to rationing from the war). Particularly in cooking, we’ve been taught to employ every part of a single ingredient in as many uses as possible, which can be an art in itself!

We love that. Can you tell us who inspires you?

Our inspiration has been our late grandmother, who ran a much-adored food stall back in her hometown in Vietnam. She was an effortlessly talented cook, who our mother has taken after. She was also a strong survivor and miraculously lived through such hardships from the war. She completely dedicated her life to her family, and the best way she demonstrated her love was through food.

Grandmother was very known at the Victoria Market; nothing stopped her from regularly loading up her trolley to the brim with fresh vegetables, meat, and fish. She was gifted in the kitchen - you would never find any cookbooks or written recipes lying around, as they were perfectly memorised off by heart! She never worked by quantities, it was all done through scent, taste and feeling. She was a feeder, through and through. From the good times to the bad, she would always be there offering a bowl which always felt like the warmest hug.

Your grandmother sounds like she was an amazing woman who made incredible food. Did she teach you how to cook, and why did you decide on bánh mì as the main focus of your menu?

We give credit to our fantastic parents for all that we know. They have always owned a takeaway, so we’ve been fortunate enough to have shadowed them in the kitchen since we were young. Bánh mì is a delicious staple across Vietnam - we had this for breakfast, lunch and dinner during most of our last visit. However, we’ve found it really hard to come by a decent bánh mì across the UK, never mind Nottingham! So, we thought we’d fill that gap in the market.

What makes you different from the other Vietnamese cafés?  We aimed for our family-run place to be calm and inviting to everybody without being pretentious, or trying too hard to convince others that we are Vietnamese. Instead, we wanted our food and drinks to speak for itself. Our menu is kept small and curated to keep things fresh, exciting, and made with love. We took the long way around and make nearly all our goods across the menu from scratch! We make up a really small team so it’s definitely more demanding and more labour involved, but absolutely more worth it in the end. We’re really proud of what we’ve come up with.

I've never had an egg coffee before but it's a huge hit over at the LeftLion HQ. Is this common in Vietnam, are people grabbing one of these on their way to work?

It’s more of a laid-back and social drink back in Vietnam. Again, another item on our menu that’s a slice of history. Ca phê trứng (egg coffee) was created during a time of desperation in Hanoi, Vietnam: the shortage of fresh milk at the time led innovative minds to create a substitute, which was whipped egg and condensed milk!

What's it like working together as sisters? Is it war or peace? Be honest…

Aivi: They say never do business with family! But luckily, our personalities are similar and our goals align so that makes it easier. Family has and always will be a blessing. This was ingrained within us from young. For over a decade, I’ve

witnessed Milly teaching herself how to bake, which has been trailed by many kitchen nightmares along with many sweet triumphs. There were hundreds of attempts before she had finally mastered her macaron recipe, which was literally backed by blood, sweat and tears!

It’s been endearing to watch her flourish and I have every faith in her skills because she is fuelled by pure passion. What’s really wonderful about working together is that we have total familiarity and understanding towards each other, so it feels quite seamless. We are each other’s biggest support and critic in the kitchen, which has been really helpful for us to do better.

What do you love about Nottingham, and have you found it to be supportive of the new café?

One of the things that make Nottingham so special is the plethora of small independent businesses dotted all around - I think that is the very soul and core of what makes a city. We have so many offerings and talent from bakers, musicians, tailors, hairdressers, artists, and so much more. Nottingham has always been our nest, so to receive the positive response that we had has been wholesomely overwhelming. We are so appreciative of our lovely customers. It’s so wonderful to hear everybody’s stories and to be part of their everyday lives.

We couldn’t agree more! Any exciting plans for the future?

Milly is saving up for culinary school, but we haven’t thought too far ahead yet as we’re still trying to grasp that this café has come finally to fruition. Three years ago, we most certainly did not see this coming, so who knows what the next three years will bring!

@boulangeriedesaigon

Sneinton Market, 11 Freckingham St, Nottingham NG1 1DQ

No matter what social background you’re from, everyone takes the time to pause from the hustle and bustle to eat delectably - it is food that brings communities together

words & photos: Krishita Kandoi

Sneinton Market has been home to businesses for nearly 150 years. What started as a market primarily known for selling crockery has blossomed into colourful avenues with a variety of independent businesses to explore. Krishita Kandoi takes a wander around the Market to catch the vibe of this Nottingham gem.

Have you always been inclined towards a more alternative style, or is reworked or bespoke festival wear more your style? Maybe you’re looking for a coworking space, or maybe you are a freelancer who is tired of working at Starbucks? Whether you want street food, artisanal chocolate, freshly brewed coffee, or a new destination for your Saturday evening pub crawl - guess what? Sneinton Market has something for you. And if all else fails, the Avenues host several markets and festivals all year round.

The Avenues house a ‘Blend’ of aesthetics, art and creative minds, so much so, that as you walk down the street, you can’t help but feel the energy of the area influence you. It’s always worth popping into the units to say ‘hi’ to the passionate people that run the businesses and see what’s going on inside.

“I don’t think I will ever stop working. They will probably have to haul me out when I am dead!”

Georgie Thornton laughs as she relays her love for her dog-related studio-shop, Wiff Waff designs, in Unit 44 of Sneinton Market.

The words ‘Welcome to the Team’ greet you near the main gates of the Sneinton Market Avenues, and they couldn’t be any more accurate - because that word perfectly describes the relationship among all the business owners and creative minds based here (including your very own favourite monthly magazine - hint: it is named after a famous meeting spot in Nottingham).

Positive words rooting (haha, get it?) from well placed puns on The Watered Garden’s window panes are nothing less than optimistic affirmations that greet everyone with open arms as they step into the gates. It almost seems like the market wishes to say: You are welcome here. You are wanted here. This is your city. Now, depending on the lane you’re walking towards, you will either be greeted by the distinct smell of gin and beer from the distillery and brewery, the delicious smell of roasted coffee or freshly baked bread, respectively.

Walking into Curious, it might feel as if you have taken a step back in time as you indulge yourself by browsing through vintage found treasures (I once found a postcard that was very clearly meant for the writer’s mistress. Should I contact Netflix with the story, dear reader?) but fear not, while the past may not be a comfortable place for everyone, Curious often hosts art and crafts workshops that just might be what you wish for if you need a hand staying grounded to the present.

As you walk through the market, especially if you are looking for it, you will be surprised to find pieces of art in the most obscure places, whether it is in the form of strange graffiti art sprayed behind the seats at Blend or the giant banana bunch frieze on top of The Avenues Cafe - a nod to Fyffes, one of the biggest importers and distributors of bananas in all of Europe in the late fifties, that had their stall right here in the market.

On a sunny day, the place seems to almost come alive; the lanes buzzing with a bright energy. There are groups of friends and couples out with their dogs, lounging around the benches, exchanging stories, drinking a pint and laughing. The bright colours of the graffitied walls seem to brighten up even more. Music travels from nearby stores, filling the background noise. The scene is almost short of an indie movie.

Sneinton Market reflects what Nottingham as a city stands for - inclusivity, acceptance, and knowing where to find a good pint of beer. Whether you're coming down to the market to interact with and support the independent small businesses or just to spend an afternoon in Blend reading your book as you drink their delicious lattes; maybe you want a date location and want to participate in one of the creative workshops with your partner rather than just going out to eat, or maybe it's a sunny weekend and your friends insist on doing something different, Sneinton Market Avenues welcomes you. Don't believe me? You'll just have to come down and see for yourself.

@sneinton_market_avenues

BY OUR HANDS WE MAKE OUR WAY

Behind the many pleasing window displays in Sneinton Market Avenues, one in particular has always stood out. Decked with greenery, art and beautiful wooden textures, By Our Hands We Make Our Way is a space for woodworking, community, creativity and more. I decided to finally drop in and have a chat with owner Martin Sommerville to see what they are all about.

This is such a gorgeous space - it has piqued my curiosity for some time! Can you tell us a bit more about what goes on in here and how you began?

We rented the place for three months seven years ago then never left. It used to be that I was the woodworker and it was my studio, but now I feel more like a landlord of some weird pub. Everyones a captain who comes in here. It’s a bit like a pirate ship.

The wood is what started it but it's become more of a communal hub. It's evolved into a multi-purpose community - an everything space. So people book time and I teach things, whether that might be traditional woodworking skills, or drawing and painting. People can use a bench if they know what they're doing and then they work on whatever they want to. Or you can come in and bring your laptop and use it like a cafe and hang out and do work.

What is your background - have you always worked with wood?

My background a long time ago was actually in video game design. But I wanted to get away from the screens and back to people again. It's kind of the same thing to me - this is like real-life Minecraft. Then after meeting my partner, Carly, we went into participatory and therapeutic arts, working with communities to make things such as films and animation, or whatever really!

I hear you do live music and other events here? It's such an intimate and welcoming space I can imagine it would have a Tiny Desk Concert kind of atmosphere.

A lot of the events come out of all of our different interests. There's a lot of venues in town that just have a licence for eighteen plus, but we've got a seven year old who loves music. So yeah, music happens all the time now. Anything goes - we’ve had acoustic gigs, improvised saxophone and drum ensembles, weird synth skronkiness. I like a mix of all sorts of things, so it’s not just just acoustic, we're not Luddites - I like flashing lights and bleepy sounds as well.

You also run a charity supporting parents who have lost a child. Can you tell us a bit more about that?

So we set up the charity six years ago, after our first son died. There didn't feel like there was the kind of support available or even the language around that kind of loss, so we tried to imagine something might have helped us. It used to be at the City Hospital, but we recently

moved it here to the centre of the city because it felt more open. We wanted to make it more acceptable to talk about grief and loss, if you're still hiding that inside the hospital and not bringing it out into the world.

We have regular drop-in sessions in the evenings, twice a month, and then another thing every month is a specific group for dads or fathers or men affected by the loss of a child. It's still very hard to get men particularly to access things like that.

Who can come along to the space?

Well some people just come from the smell - just pop in, inhale deeply and then leave. [Laughs] In terms of events we thought, how can we involve our friends and our family more deeply? How can we create things that don't exist yet? That’s what this place is about. So Saturdays are kind of an open house where we just share food and music, hanging out, skateboarding, playing, making whatever. It's just open for anyone to come in and play and make or do whatever they want to do.

It’s a space for anyone who wants to see a completely independent, weird and wonderful community space where anyone's welcome. That could be someone who's just been sleeping outside on the bench that night to a judge, or a refugee family who've just arrived in this country or a bereaved family, or anyone, anyone can just come in, feel welcome and make something, or make connections.

What’s coming up next for We Make Our Way?

We don't receive any traditional kind of funding streams, so the space is just self and community funded. We wanted to go direct from the ground up. We used to support it really by doing workshops and commissioned work, but we're in a tenuous position at the moment after the last few years of wildness. The place has changed so much so we’re starting a crowdfunder, but it's not the traditional thing where people get loads of rewards. The reward is that you know this place exists and it will always exist if you want to drop in and do something. And there's little discounts and certain things where you get first dibs on knowing about a gig or whatever.

I feel more like a landlord of some weird pub. Everyones a captain who comes in here. It’s a bit like a pirate ship

interview & photo: Sophie Gargett

A Medical Marijuana User in Notts

illustration: Zarina Teli

Sativex, a cannabis based medicine, has been available on NHS prescription in the UK since 2010, and cannabis flower and oil have been available since the end of 2018. It helps me to manage my neurological condition and mental health problems better than pharmaceuticals, but there are massive problems with the prescription system.

I have been a prescription patient for a good proportion of the time that cannabis has been available on the NHS, though almost entirely privately, since this is basically the only way that it is available. I initially started taking cannabis oil as I had a tumour, which mercifully went away - but ironically, it's still not prescribed for this purpose.

Private prescription is cheaper than illicit, but it is tiered, so the most exclusive strains cost around three times that of the cheapest. There are various schemes for those on low incomes that can help towards cost, but if you are provided a chemovar [loosely meaning a chemical variety or strain] that treats your symptoms and then you can’t obtain it for several months, and that’s not therapeutic - it’s stressful, harmful, and frustrating.

Even though the UK is the world's biggest exporter of cannabis, the private prescription chemovars are inexplicably imported from various countries around the world, and stock shortages are constant. There was uproar when there were lengthy stock delays in Hormone Replacement Therapy, and rightly so, but nobody even knows when this happens with cannabis.

The reason given for cannabis only being available on private prescription is a lack of clinical evidence as to its efficacy. But we're also told that no one is commissioning any such research to find this evidence, despite America having outsourced its research to Israel (world leaders in all things cannabis) for fifty years. Looking to the past can provide such evidence; cannabis was historically used medicinally in Britain, very effectively, for many conditions.

Across the pond, while serving as President of the United States of America, Richard Nixon admitted that drug laws were about social control, while Joe Biden has acknowledged that marijuana was banned for racist reasons and decreed that those held on cannabis charges should be released. As the UK followed Nixon’s lead with the Misuse of Drugs Act (1971), why is this not acknowledged?

Denial of evidence creates systemic problems. We are learning about the therapeutic components like terpenes and cannabinoids, as well as how to mitigate potential risk. Some people don’t react well to high strains, or those too heavy on traditional sativa-associated properties, but certain pharmaceutical medications don’t agree with many of us, either.

In British and American medicine, we follow the 'band-aid model'we wait for something to go wrong, then we treat it with something that generally causes something else to go wrong. I’m not against

pharmaceutical interventions, but the preference for synthetic equivalents that are often more harmful bewilders me.

The fact is, the downsides of cannabis are relatively minor. Unless I’ve got my levels wrong or I’m on the wrong strain, dry mouth is the worst I have experienced. I don’t know anyone who has struggled hugely with cannabis withdrawal when it’s arisen - it is simply a return of what you experienced before you started consuming it - and nobody has ever overdosed, a risk that many other medications do carry.

In British and American medicine, we follow the 'band-aid model' - we wait for something to go wrong, then we treat it with something that generally causes something else to go wrong

And yet, regular anti-cannabis articles are published by local and national media outlets which misrepresent the facts. Articles explaining how to ‘Grass Up Your Neighbour’ are fairly common, but they’re oversimplified, put cannabis consumers at risk of persecution, and rarely mention prescriptions. It’s nigh impossible to get a response from editors to discuss these issues, and so nothing changes.

I think that although cannabis needs to be legal for everyone, there does have to be a prescription system in place - too many people will simply not be able to afford their medicine otherwise. Many of us on private prescriptions have to make sacrifices in terms of quality of life, which are neither small nor sustainable. People need to be able to buy small amounts before committing to a chemovar, doctors need better education, and the lack of prescribing specialists in certain areas needs addressing.

I believe people can make a difference by making their views known to their constituency MP, as well as encouraging open discussion with others. Neither the Labour party nor the Conservative party support decriminalisation, but I think that the more constituents that are invested in a subject, the greater the likelihood of it being raised in Parliament.

seedourfuture.co.uk

ccguide.org

Notts Shots

Popping up to say hello Amber Swarbrick and Toby Clark

The most beautiful mile Lisa Cooper

Bauhaus parties Evie Partridge @photoby_ev

Strolling down Pelham Street Gerry Molumby

On Yer Head Martin Makowski

“You will soon be arriving in Nottingham” Rhys Naden @nadenrhys

Blooming lovely Danielle Boaler

interview: George White illustration: Alice Peake

Known for her ability to tell human stories with respect, intrigue, and honesty, Nottinghambased Jeanie Finlay has established herself as one of the country’s finest documentarymakers. Now, she’s releasing her ninth feature, Your Fat Friend, which tells the story of anonymous blogger turned best-selling author Aubrey Gordon. We hear all about it…

To start with the obvious question, what made you want to tell Aubrey’s story?

I started making this film six years ago. I usually have two or three projects on the go at one time - that’s how you sustain a career as a filmmaker, first and foremost, but I also get bored. I started making this before I started shooting Seahorse and the Game of Thrones documentary [both released in 2019]. I wanted to make a film about fatness and what that means now. I noticed people using different language and talking about it in different ways on social media, and I decided that was something that I wanted to interrogate.

I was invited to Los Angeles to interview people for Game of Thrones, and I used it as an opportunity to hop over to Portland, Oregon, to do a bunch of filming. They had a really good store there called Fat Fancy, which attracted loads of different bloggers, and I met up with Aubrey - who was the anonymous writer, Your Fat Friend. As soon as I met her, I knew I wanted to make a film with her. Her writing style is intensely political, but also intensely personal, and she is just this towering intellect - I had a feeling, straight away, that she was my film.

What was really interesting was that she was someone who was trying to change the world anonymously, talking about her experiences - but that didn’t mean her family or her personal relations were on board with that. And her family were in a really different place to her when she started out. So Aubrey was in one headspace, and her family were in another - and the distance between them was where I knew the film lay.

This feels like an interesting change to your other films, in that the subject grew in popularity and reputation during the shoot, whereas others only really gained notoriety from your films. How did you find that during the shooting process?

When I met Aubrey, she’d written two blog pieces. By the time we wrapped filming, she was a New York Times best-seller with one of the hottest podcasts in the world. It was really interesting that she started this podcast without giving her personal details; she was just this floating voice on the internet. And it was really intriguing to film that happening - listeners were establishing this intense parasocial relationship with a voice. Aubrey takes up space as a person, and in the past she’s taken a lot of abuse for her size. As the podcast became popular, there were definitely moments of emotional whiplash for her - she found people that liked the fact she was loud and unapologetically herself, and they wanted her to be more of that.

Do you aim to deliver any messages with your projects and, if so, what do you want viewers to take away from this one?

I usually make films about people who know who they are, going on a journey. They’re all quietly political. But I want people to find their own meaning in them. I want to create space for people to come to their own decisions - I don’t want to spoon-feed anything. Most importantly, though, I want people to feel stuff - and that can be really hard. On the surface, a film can look quite simple, but trying to create emotional experiences is the biggest challenge for a filmmaker.

Is this an optimistic film?

Yeah, I think it is. Aubrey’s message is to treat fat people like people. Examine your bias. Don’t just accept watered-down science you’ve read in the Daily Mail. Don’t shout at fat people exercising in the street. The number one reason children are bullied is because they’re fat, and a lot of fat-shaming happens in the home, from parents and family members. So Aubrey encourages you to talk to the fat people in your life, don’t make assumptions, and examine your own biases - which can be hard, but it’s so important.

When I met Aubrey, she’d written two blog pieces. By the time we wrapped filming, she was a New York Times best-seller with one of the hottest podcasts in the world

I was at your Q&A screening for Subject, which dived into some really interesting topics - especially around ownership and autonomy for people involved in documentaries. How do you go about establishing this in your films, and how was your relationship with Aubrey?

I think it’s really important, but it’s also tricky. It’s not something that I’ve always got right. I want to make films where people recognise themselves - good or bad. And I feel like I’ve had that. It’s about being transparent with subjects. When I knew this was the film I was going to do, I visited Aubrey in Portland, without a camera, and chatted with her and her family about what it would mean to be in a film, and asked if she wanted to do this. Consent in filmmaking isn’t binary: You don’t just sign up, and then six years later you have to stick by that one thing you said that one time. It’s a constant discussion. When the film was done, I flew back out to see her and her parents, and sat with them and watched it - and they didn’t have any changes. Because there’s trust there. You always have to be mindful of the film you make; people have to live with the outcomes.

Do you factor in your subjects’ potential reactions to the films you make as you make them, or do you make the film that you want to make respectfully and positively?

There are always ethical choices running through the process. There’s a scene in Your Fat Friend where Aubrey is sitting down and we project some of the death threats she’s received above her head. I recreated a wall from Aubrey’s house here in Nottingham, and then comped her in later, because we didn’t want to subject her to them again. It’s not fair for a human being to deal with that. So there are choices like this that you constantly make. You have to be able to stand by them.

jeaniefinlay.com

ood and drin K

Pizza Pilgrims

Bronte & Co the atrium Bar and Kit Chen

FEven though Oscar & Rosie’s is no more (Rest in Peace), the Lace Market and Hockley area of Nottingham has no shortage of pizza joints. From Pizza Punks to Pizzamisú, we are spoilt for choice - and the latest kid on the block is Pizza Pilgrims, situated on Carlton Street opposite Pho. An established chain down in the South, I had to check it out for myself to see what the hype was all about.

Accompanied by a vegan friend on the day, we opted to share a pizza between the two of us, which meant that we were limited to the vegan options on the menu. But I soon realised that we weren’t limited at all - there was plenty to choose from, since you could switch any pizza to their vegan house-made cashew based vegan cheese, Notzarella, at no extra cost. As a vegetarian myself, I had no objections to taking the extra step.

Eventually, we settled on the Pizz’ & Love pizza. Described on the menu as “a vegan celebration of Italian veggies,” it was an authentic Neapolitanstyle pizza with a tomato base, topped with wild broccoli, mushrooms, olives, red onion and artichoke hearts, and finished with vegan basil pesto. The topping-to-dough ratio was just right, meaning that the pizza wasn’t so heavy that it was impossible to eat.

We were delighted with the range of toppings, but having said this, we felt we wouldn’t get the full vegan Pizza Pilgrims experience if we didn’t try the Notzarella. So, for a small price, we opted to add it onto our pizza. Anyone with a plant-based diet will confidently tell you that vegan cheese can be a bit hit or miss (mainly the latter) but impressively, it was almost impossible to tell that this wasn’t the real deal.

So, if you find yourself in Hockley and you fancy a pizza, I know there are almost too many options to choose from at this point, but add Pizza Pilgrims to your list and you might discover a new favourite. I also have to give an honourable mention to their funky decor - make sure to snap some pics for Instagram while you’re in there.

Gemma Cockrell

pizzapilgrims.co.uk

5 Carlton Street Nottingham, NG1 1NL

One of Nottingham's greatest gems is The Atrium Bar & Kitchen, a vibrant, family-run eatery situated inside an old bank vault in Radcliffe, with a beautiful stained glass atrium dome hovering above you as you tuck into some of the tastiest dishes Notts has to offer.

In the day you can grab breakfasts, brunch or lunch from a fusion menu boasting wraps, burgers, and Buddha bowls. They offer monthly Bottomless Brunches for £35 where you can grab a brunch dish off the menu and as many juicy cocktails one can manage in ninety minutes – for me, personally, it’s not many these days, but the offer is there!

There’s also a fresh cake counter, and to be honest with you, I'm still dreaming about the chocolate cake I had there once upon a time.

In the evenings, the restaurant takes on a bistro style where you have a choice between ordering off the evening menu or the tapas menu. We couldn’t say no to tapas, and with heavy influences from around both Southern and Northern Spain, you'll find imported Chorizo and Jamon. They also take influence from around the world with dishes like Crispy Goan Smoked Hake and Crispy Korean Chicken, both which come in delightful sauces full of flavour. If you can, save room for the hot sugar doughnuts in a miso caramel sauce which are worth the trip alone.

Let me tell you, the cocktails here are next-level and a fraction of city centre prices! For £7.50 we each ordered a Lemongrass & Coconut Colada (highly recommend!), but there's also a two for £10 daily deal.

The Atrium matches any city centre tapas bar and at a reasonable price, too. The restaurant is vibey and busy which thrills me no end; clearly there is massive support from locals and regulars which is always a good sign.

Add this one to your list to visit, folks! Julia Head @theatriumbarandkitchen

30 Main Rd, Radcliffe on Trent, Nottingham NG12 2FH

Summer in the city when you’re not jetting off somewhere fancy can occasionally feel a little claustrophobic, but there’s a few spots that give off that holiday vibe right on our doorstep. One of my favourites is Bronte & Co, a small airy Turkish restaurant and cafe situated on the main Mansfield Road strip in Sherwood.

Other than the great menu (more on that in a minute) one of things that makes Bronte special is the thought put into the decoration and design. While the inside seating area gives cosy, chic cafe, as you move on through to the next room a retractable roof lets the sky and the sun pour through (in good weather only, of course!) Add some chilled music and it’s the ideal place for sipping an iced latte or enjoying a leisurely breakfast.

Speaking of breakfast, Bronte again offers something a little special. Their traditional Turkish breakfast is an absolute feast, combining both fry up favourites such as eggs and bacon with fresh fruit and vegetables, olives, feta cheese, pastries, toast and Turkish tea. This is the perfect hangover cure - or ideal for anyone wanting something healthy but hearty in the morning. It is also served all day and comes as meaty, vegetarian and gluten free - bonus!

During the evenings, Bronte takes on more of a restaurant vibe, and the rest of the menu really does have something for everyone, offering steaks, Mediterranean chicken, veggie casseroles, chilli and burgers - but it is the Turkish dishes that really stand out. Being a halloumi lover, for something light I can’t help but go for the halloumi and roasted red pepper salad served on khobez bread, but if the weather is a bit chilly the shaksuka (spicy tomato, poached egg, feta and khobez for dipping) is just the thing. I also hear from the carnivores that the sucuk (a garlicky beef sausage), avocado and poached egg is also delightful.

Much quicker than catching a flight to Istanbul, if you don’t mind a ten minute bus journey from the city then stick Bronte on your list of places to go. Drop in Sunday - Thursday from 9am, or book a table for dinner on Friday, Saturday evenings until 10pm.

Sophie Gargett

that’sall, F olKs

interview: Gemma Cockrell photo: Nic Chapman

The Foolhardy Folk Festival is back for the third year at Nottingham Arboretum for its all day affair on Bank Holiday Sunday, with a lineup curated by Beans on Toast. Joining him will be native New Yorker comic book illustrator and cult sensation Jeffrey Lewis & The Voltage, who we caught up with ahead of the festival…

Hey Jeffrey! Are you looking forward to playing the Foolhardy Folk Festival in Nottingham in August?

Do you get a wide range of responses to a question like that?

What should people expect from your performance at the festival? Lo-fi folk, sci-fi punk, and low budget videos!

Which other artists on the lineup are you looking forward to seeing on the day? I don’t know many artists from the 21st Century so it will all be a surprise to me. Beans on Toast curates the festival. How did you first get in touch with him and how did you end up on the festival bill?

Festival gigs are mysterious to me, it’s not like a club gig where I have a list of places I’ve had contact with in the past, and I can reach out and ask about available dates and assemble a tour. Festivals are, for me, the other way around, it’s like I’ll get an email saying a festival is interested in having me play, then I have to decide whether I’d be able to do it. From year to year I have no way to predict or control which festivals might reach out! It’s always something of a surprise and nice to be contacted.

What memories do you have of performing in Nottingham? When were you last here?

I did my tenth gig in Nottingham in January 2020, that was an in-store album release thing at the Rough Trade there. Before that I think I was mostly doing gigs at the Social, but I’ve also played at Rescue Rooms, the Maze or the Bodega. Lots of good times playing with bands I was friends with, like Nottingham gigs that I did with the Wave Pictures, or with Schwervon or with Herman Dune, or with Danielson.

Alongside your music, you're also a comic book artist. How does this co-exist with your music and what is the relationship between the two like? Songs are relatively quick to write, compared to the time it takes to create a whole comic book. The best thing about drawing comics is that I can listen to music for hours and hours while working, which is much better than when I’m trying to make up songs, because of course I can’t be listening to records when I’m trying to make songs. So, with comics it’s a lot of work but it’s very enjoyable work because I can listen to tons of records.

In 2021 you released the Complete Fuff Comix Collection. Have you been working on any more comics since then?

I’ve done a couple issues of my new comic book series Statics, there’s a bit of a delayed release on the second issue but it’s been finished for a while and it should be out later this year. I’m starting to work on writing the third issue, but the tour schedule for my band is starting to get a bit busy so it may take me a while to focus on it. But I’m very happy with the new Statics series, I feel like I’m in a good place with my ability to make comics, and I just want to keep getting better and doing more.

2021 was also the last time that you released any music (2021 Tapes: Suddenly it's Been Too Late for a Long Time). Are you working on anything new?

I recorded a new album with my band a couple months ago, in Nashville, working again with the producer Roger Moutenot because we loved working with him on our Bad Wiring album that came out in 2019. There’s a few decisions to make about the song order and the album art and things like that, but hopefully that will be ready for release sometime before too long. And I try to get in the habit of writing a new song every week, to play at a local open mic, and then by the end of each year I have a little pile of songs.

In the past few years, I’ve been releasing a bunch of those home-recorded solo songs as the ‘tapes’ on my Bandcamp page, like that ‘2021 Tape’ that you mention. At this point, I’ve done four of those annual releases of home recorded songs, for 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022, but I don’t know if I’ll keep doing it every year.

The Foolhardy Folk Festival will take place on Sunday 27 August at Nottingham Arboretum @jeffreylewisband

Taking place as one of The Bodega’s Summer Shows, join us at our fave Hockley hangout for an evening of Notts-based music from alt/indie rock five-piece Rad Pitt and self-taught independent musician, singer, producer and viral TikTok sensation Ricky Jamaraz.

Fri 18 August

Arboretum Beer Festival

We’re back in the Arboretum this August bank holiday weekend for the annual Beer Festival, featuring a whole host of local and national brewers, some fabulous street food from Bustler, and live music, including an Acoustic Rooms stage featuring Ellie Stainsby, Shaman Erginer, Josie Beth and Jonny Olley.

Sat 26 August

Foolhardy Folk Festival

Our collaborative festival with folk music legend Beans on Toast also returns to the Arboretum’s historic bandstand for a day of music and revelry with Beans himself, alongside Skinny Lister, Jeffrey Lewis, local act Vona Vella, and a super secret special guest yet to be revealed…

Sun 27 August

RECOMMENDS

The best thing about drawing comics is that I can listen to music while working, which is much better than when I’m writing songs, because I can’t be listening to records when I’m trying to make songs

Rad Pit & Ricky Jamaraz

Romy

BOOM! (Album)

Releasing an entire album at the age of fourteen is not something that many teenagers are capable of doing. Yet the self-assured and talented Romy is not just any teenager. She is an artist in her own right, who has already been picked up by BBC Introducing - no mean feat for anyone who is trying to get their music out there in the world. Her twelve-track debut BOOM! captures how diverse and developed her sound is; she has a bright future ahead of her and this is just the start. Gemma Cockrell

JJ Lovegrove

The Lines We Leave Behind (Album)

Judi’s voice emerges like a flickering flame from the misty ambience of the opening track, before the album grows in power and intensity. In the centre, The Call has a lo-fi feel but high impact, leading into the ‘80s-drenched Dark Room, with infectious pounding drums. After a long power down, we finish with the slow-burning and moving End Credits. The dawn to dusk concept is well executed, with real-world samples adding a sense of immediacy. An impactful and memorable listen; a well-balanced and poetic work from an artist in a place of confidence. Phil

Taylor

Stuart Pearce

Red Sport International (Album)

Never far from the love of The Fall and his politics, Stuart Pearce smashes it with their debut album. Passionate, angry and heavy, it simultaneously looks back to the best of the ‘80s and ‘90s while reaching forwards to offer a glimmer of hope for the future, aspiring to a fairer world. We live in interesting times and Red Sport International reflects our age; it is an album that is intriguing enough to warrant you taking a longer time listening. Michael

Prince

Bored Marsh

The Grind (Single)

Bored Marsh’s recent single The Grind masterfully creates a spacious atmosphere, full of emotional resonance and an echoey, looming distance through expert production techniques. Their signature reverb enhances the track, creating depth to further the darker feel to the song. Rich guitars and incredibly impressive vocals drive the track forward, with moments of light and shade accentuated by the varying drum patterns. The fuzzy indie-rock sound has a vintage feel, but still feels fresh and hints towards a very exciting future for the alternative quartet. I was certainly not bored! Izzy Morris

JAME

Where You Are (Single)

Inspired by electronic, house, and techno, Where You Are is an uplifting listen from Notts dance up-andcomer JAME. The atmospheric, synth-led track builds gradually throughout its lengthy six-minute runtime, with the addition of soaring vocals before skittering beats transform the track into a dance extravaganza. Then, spoken word verses are layered on top, proclaiming that “we just need to forget about everything and have a good time, it really is that simple” - a lesson that maybe we could all learn. Gemma Cockrell

WHAT’S ON AUGUST 2023

Discover our full programme at broadway.org.uk Tickets start from £5

CONTINUING FROM JULY

BARBIE (12A)

From Friday 21 July USA, 2023, 110 min

OPPENHEIMER (15)

From Friday 21 July UK/USA, 2023, 180 min

THE DAMNED DON’T CRY (18)

From Friday 4 August France, 2022, 111 min

THE TUNNEL TO SUMMER: THE EXIT OF GOODBYES (12A)

From Friday 11 August Japan, 2022, 82 min

L’IMMENSITÀ (12A)

From Friday 18 August Italy, 2022, 99 min

Director Greta Gerwig

Starring Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling

After months of anticipation, Barbie is finally here! Barbie’s life in Barbie Land is pretty perfect - until she has a full-on existential crisis. Margot Robbie stars in the film of the summer.

SERPICO – 50TH ANNIVERSARY (15)

From Friday 18 – Sunday 20 August USA, 1973, 130 min

Director Christopher Nolan

Starring Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt

Christopher Nolan’s much-anticipated epic thriller thrusts us into the pulsepounding paradox of the enigmatic man who must risk destroying the world in order to save it.

PARIS MEMORIES (PG)

From Friday 18 August France, 2022, 115 min

Director Fyzal Boulifan

Starring Abdellah El Hajjouji, Antoine Reinartz

A mother and her devoted but defiant son Selim - living on the poverty line in Morocco - find their close bond tested when Selim discovers a painful truth about his past.

KOKOMO CITY (18)

From Friday 18 – Sunday 20 August USA, 2023, 73 min

Director Tomahisa Taguchi

Starring Marie Iitoyo, Oji Suzuka

One summer night after school, Kaoru discovers a mysterious tunnel that can grant any wish to those who enter it. Could he use it to bring his sister back from her untimely death five years earlier?

THE MEG 2: THE TRENCH (CTBC)

From Friday 18 August USA, 2023, 116 min

Director Emmanuele Crialese

Starring Penélope Cruz, Vincenzo Amato

Penélope Cruz stars in a vibrant tale of self-discovery that explores gender identity, mental health and turbulent familial relationships, set in sun-drenched 1970s Rome.

THEATER CAMP (12A)

From Friday 25 August USA, 2023, 94 min

Director Sidney Lumet

Starring Al Pacino, John Randolph

In 1971 New York, an honest policeman, Serpico (Al Pacino), investigates rampant corruption in the police force. A brand-new 4K restoration to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Sidney Lumet’s New Hollywood classic.

SCRAPPER (12A)

From Friday 25 August UK, 2023, 94 min

Director Alice Winocour

Starring Virginie Efira, Benoît Magimel

A woman’s life is dramatically transformed when she witnesses a gunman open fire in a busy Parisian bistro. Left without a memory, she attempts to reconnect by revisiting the scene of the attack.

AFIRE (12A)

From Friday 25 August Germany, 2023, 112 min

Director D.Smith

This bold debut documentary presents frank discussions of what it means to be a Black trans woman in the sex trade in the US. A compassionate, witty examination of race, capitalism and gender.

Another chance to see some of the best films from the last six months.

All tickets just £5.

Scan for more information and times:

Director Ben Wheatley

Starring Jason Statham, Jing Wu

Joining forces with action favourite Jason Statham, here facing up to colossal prehistoric sharks, director Ben Wheatley takes on the supersized follow-up to 2018’s The Meg.

Directors Molly Gordon, Nick Lieberman

Starring Ben Platt, Molly Gordon

After the beloved founder of a scrappy upstate New York theater camp falls into a coma, her clueless son Troy and the camp’s eccentric staff are tasked with keeping the thespian paradise running.

MARCEL THE SHELL WITH SHOES ON

Director Charlotte Regan

Starring Harris Dickinson, Lola Campbell

Dreamy 12-year-old Georgie lives happily alone in her London flat, filling it with magic. Out of nowhere, her estranged father turns up and forces her to confront reality.

Director Christian Petzold

Starring Thomas Schubert, Paul Beer

Four young people come together in a small holiday house by the Baltic sea. As the parched forests around them begin to ignite, so do their emotions.

t he FloP side

words: George White

There’s been a lot of talk about box office ‘flops’ recently. With June seeing both Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny and The Flash bringing in… less than gargantuan receipts, plenty of people are asking the very calm, considered questions. Is this the end? Is cinema dead? Shall we just admit defeat and shut every multiplex under the sun?

Yet these cries of panic appear to overlook an important point. Yes, you’d expect a property like Indiana Jones to bring in the big bucks - after all, it has gathered a colossal cult following across several generations. And, sure, you’d think a DC project like The Flash, with the marketing might and fierce fandom behind it, would be a pretty safe bet at the box office.

JaCKie treehorn ProduC tions

words: Oliver Parker photo: Artificial Eye

Since December 2021, two brothers - Charlie and George Alexander - have been running Jackie Treehorn Productions, an independent film club showcasing a large variety of films throughout Nottingham. Inspired by other local independent programmers such as Kino Klubb, they use cinematic programming as a way of sharing films they love with more people (with the benefit of also being able to see those films on the big screen themselves).

Charlie and George came to love film from an early age. A formative experience for Charlie was seeing Nicolas Winding Refn’s Drive for the first time at the age of thirteen. To him it was the very first film where he considered a movie more than just the means to tell a story. All the elements of the film, from the lucid, ethereal colour palette to the haunting synthwave soundscapes, added up to create something more than just the sum of its parts.

Chevalier. These films form the section “Being a Man” and are grouped together by their depiction of toxic masculinity and focus on groups of men who constantly push each other to the limits. “Answers in Revenge” is the next block - featuring Shane Meadows’ Dead Man’s Shoes and Park Chan-wook’s revered cult classic Oldboy - with the title very much speaking for itself, two films solely focused on the grisly and brutal act of vengeance. These two films see Jackie Treehorn return to their more intense roots.

But consider the main question: Did people actually want these films to come to the silver screen? After all, it’s no secret that the previous instalment in the Indiana Jones series, Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, was one of the most disappointing blockbusters in recent memory - so it’s also no surprise that there was little appetite for a follow-up. And with all of the, ahem, controversy surrounding Flash star Ezra Miller, how could punters not reconsider parting with their hard-earned cash to watch the movie, knowing doing so would support their work?

So, no, the results of these films do not signal the death of cinema. Rather, look at the Barbie vs Oppenheimer battle, and you’ll see that the big screen is still as big as ever. This tongue-in-cheek cinematic stand-off has arguably provided the most tantalising pop culture talking point of the year, and will (hopefully) bring plenty of positive box office results for both parties.

Movies are still as magical as everthey just have to be the right ones to keep people entertained.

George on the other hand remembers watching Francis Ford Coppola’s Rumble Fish, a coming of age story about a troubled teenager who struggles to live up to his older brother’s shadow, at the age of sixteen. After receiving it as a Christmas present, he quickly became obsessed with it. So much that he is now afraid to revisit it in case the film doesn’t live up to his memory.

Jackie Treehorn Productions started out as frequent, one off screenings of films they loved. Inspired by the wealth of new films they saw during lockdown they decided to try their hand at programming. In the early days they moved from venue to venue before finding a more permanent home in the small but intimate Mammoth Cinema (formerly known as Screen 22). They have shown most of their films here, with the exception of occasional screenings at Broadway, and have developed a great relationship with the owner. It is here that the bulk of their new film program will be screened. Their new season is broken down into various themes, featuring films from all around the world.

The first batch of films (running July-August) are grouped together by the title “The Lord of the Flies” and focuses on capturing the slow descent into chaos when large groups of people stumble into isolation, exploring the raw humanity of survival. For this season they picked: Alejandro Landes’s Monos which focuses on eight teenaged guerillas who guard a hostage on a remote mountaintop; Ben Wheatley’s A Field in England, a historical horror set in the English Civil War following a group of deserters; and Claire Denis’ cosmic horror film High Life, an elliptic tale of prisoners stuck on a space prison which slowly drifts astray.

This group of films may be the duo's darkest selection of films, a habit which they admit they do indulge in. However, it is followed by a lighter pairing of more comedic films: One for the Road by Nottingham’s very own Chris Cooke (who now runs the brilliant Mayhem Festival) and Athina Rachel Tsangari’s

Rounding off their program is a trio of films that fall under the category of “Uncontainable”. John McNaughton’s harrowing depiction of a serial killer in Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer rounds out the program’s period at Mammoth, a film so shocking that it deserves to be witnessed on the big screen. After this, Jackie Treehorn will be celebrating their two year anniversary with two screenings at Broadway: Lynne Ramsay’s sparse psychological drama Morvern Callar starring the great Samantha Morton; and finally, Beau Travail - which sees Claire Denis return to the program - a dense and powerful adaptation of Herman Melville’s Billy Budd, an absolute must watch which also ranked seventh place in the recent Sight and Sound critic’s poll.

This extensive list of films contains a multitude of genres, themes and countries that Charlie and George have handpicked to showcase. Drawing from their own favourite experiences at the cinema - from seeing the 4k restoration of Apocalypse Now at Broadway’s Screen One, to witnessing Luchino Visconti’s The Leopard at BFI Southbank 1 they are ensuring that Nottingham’s already varied cinematic landscapes remain fresh and thoroughly independent.

Buy tickets for the screenings at mammothcinema.co.uk @jackietreehornprod

They are ensuring that Nottingham’s already varied cinematic landscapes remain fresh and thoroughly independent

Look at the Barbie vs Oppenheimer battle, and you’ll see that the big screen is still as big as ever

noises aF ter darK: a humanitarian memoir

interview: Gemma Cockrell

The whole experience in Somalia had a profound impact on me, and made me realise that health is not merely about health care

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…

What inspired you to volunteer for the Save the Children fund during the 1980s Ethiopian humanitarian crisis in the first place?

I went to Liverpool Medical School, which also has a Tropical School of Medicine, and I had also worked at the University Hospital of the West Indies in Jamaica in the past. So, I had already developed an interest in this area of medicine. The real impact was when I saw the scenes on the TV from the humanitarian crisis in Ethiopia. There was a report by Michael Buerk, a BBC reporter. The shocking and tragic scenes of the biblical famine in Ethiopia were like nothing that we had ever seen before. The scenes gripped us all, as a nation. On a personal note, the report haunted me for days after.

On Saturday 13 July 1985, I sat with my friends to watch the Live Aid concert. This was a concert like no other, having been pulled together by Bob Geldof, the Boomtown Rats front man, and Midge Ure, lead vocalist for Ultravox. At that time, I was still a junior doctor going through training, but the Live Aid experience had a great influence on me. I decided that I could do more than just donate and, as a doctor, I could actually volunteer and contribute in some way. So, I volunteered with Save the Children Fund who were very active in East Africa at that time.

The project and my post in Somalia were partly funded through Live Aid money. So, when I had written the book, I contacted Bob Geldof to enquire if he would consider writing a foreword for the book and, after reading the book, he very kindly agreed to do this.

Your post was intended to rebuild, and run, a small sustainable hospital, and the enormity of the task became clear once you arrived there. How did this shape your own medical career once you returned to the UK?

The key issue for the hospital in Somalia was that it had to be sustainable, and be handed over to the local government to run in the longer term. This largely meant that we could not introduce anything that they could not afford once we left the project. As you can imagine this was not easy and created a number of dilemmas. You had to constantly prioritise your budget, and always think about what was most needed. Things such as treatment and prescribing guidelines were essential, but in the UK issues such as these were in their infancy at that time.

One day, while in Somalia, I had what I call my ‘blanket and plastic sheet’ moment. When I used to teach health care students I would always tell them that when I left medical school I did not anticipate that at one point in my life the most important thing I would do to ‘save lives’ would be to distribute blankets and plastic sheets to thousands of the most needy under armed guard.

Shelter, clean water, regular food, hygiene and waste disposal are taken for granted by most of the population in western countries. The whole experience in Somalia had a profound impact on me, and made me realise that health is not merely about health care. So when I returned to the UK I changed my career from being a GP and retrained as a consultant in public health medicine. I was able to bring back home the skills and knowledge I developed in Africa, which were very applicable to my new role in the UK.

What was it like to write about your own experiences in retrospect in Noises

After Dark, many years later? Was it difficult due to the nature of the memories, or did you find they came back to you easily?

In terms of writing the book I had a number of very useful resources. I had kept diaries, and my mother had also kept every single letter that I had ever written,

during my time in Africa. I also had many photo albums, and often I had taken a photo not for the picture but because it reminded me of a story.

Of course, some of the stories were quite emotional, and the writing made me reflect on many things that happened during my time in Somalia. When you are living constantly in a certain situation, for example civil unrest, I think your tolerance and sense for what is acceptable becomes altered and normalised. This can lead you to feel immune to things like the level of danger for example.

You were inspired by the local characters, many of whom you describe as local unsung heroes. What was it like to witness their relentlessness first hand, despite all the adversity around them?

When you go out to contribute in some way to a humanitarian crisis you quickly realise that there are already many local people who are doing their best to help their communities despite all the local circumstances. It would be impossible to do your job without them. There is however a major difference. As a foreign volunteer, to a degree, you can take certain risks and get away with your decisions. Ultimately, at some point, you can leave and go home. The local staff cannot, and they have to constantly balance their own safety with that of their community. You have to admire them. They do not usually get the full credit they deserve and they truly are local unsung heroes. This is why I have dedicated my book to people like that.

A lot of books on similar issues are quite serious in tone, and even though there are dark themes in Noises After Dark, you still manage to bring a sense of humour and heart to the storytelling. As a writer, how do you strike this balance and this tone?

Respect and sensitivity is key. If you handle even the most difficult of situations with respect and sensitivity you can address them in real life or on paper. Importantly, wherever you go in the world funny things happen, even in the most harrowing of circumstances. As a health care worker you can see some terrible things. I feel that keeping your sense of humour helps you get through the day and overcome what could be otherwise overwhelming emotional circumstances. I guess that is just how I am. It is how I have related to my patients and work over the years, and I wanted to bring this aspect to my writing in the book.

In the process of releasing the book, the majority of the profits are going to Save the Children. How important is it to you that the book raises not only awareness, but also raises funds to help the cause?

I wanted to tell my story, something which family, friends, and work colleagues have encouraged me to do for years. While doing so, it made me reflect on the work with the Save the Children fund. They gave me a life changing experience. They were also an excellent organisation to work for, and really looked after their staff when it was needed. I also believe that during my time with them the money was wisely allocated. My story may be from a number of years ago, but the messages are still current for today’s world. Organisations like Save the Children fund are very much needed in the world today. They continue to do excellent work around the world, and at home in the UK. So I decided to donate the profits from the book to them.

John Tomlinson’s

memoir Noises After Dark is out now

UNDER COVER ART I S T

heartland exhiBition

A dip into the world of this month’s cover artist Sarah Manton…

Tell us a bit about yourself!

I’m a designer/maker based in Sneinton Market Avenues, where I have a studio with my husband, Terry. I specialise in papercut artworks, but also teach all sorts of paper and textile crafts and get involved in a myriad of event dressing activities. We also have our Curious shop next door, filled with carefully curated, unusual ephemera and artworks, which we run with our excellent friends, Nick and Mimi.

What was the inspiration behind the cover?

Greening the grey! I am a proud urban greener - we have introduced lots of greenery into the Sneinton Market Avenues, including some edible bits and bobs and loads of flowers to help out the bees. Being part of the Green Hustle Festival in June connected me with even more fabulous folks who are doing wonderful work to add plants, flowers, trees, fruit and vegetables to Nottingham’s streets! It fills me with hope and joy to live in a beautiful garden city with aspirations to become even more green.

The green papercut on the purple background is a subtle nod to the Suffragette origins of the Women’s Institute and my sisters in Nottingham City WI! Together, we volunteer to look after Barker Gate Rest Garden, one of the smallest parks in the city, and take part in volunteer tree planting whenever I can - it soothes my soul.

What have you got planned for the future?

I’m a Trustee of Nottingham Open Spaces Forum, which draws together all of the volunteer gardening groups in the city, and in partnership with Stencil Creative Agency we’ve designed an electronic Green Map of Nottingham to plot all of our beloved parks and open spaces (and all of the green spaces in between) and encourage folks to get involved - watch this space!

Robin Hood (Ezekial Bone) and I also have a 100 year plan called Sherwood People’s Forest to reconnect Nottingham city centre with Sherwood Forest by planting a spiral of trees from the Castle, around the city and out into the county!

@thesarahmanton

Ahead of Cal McNab and Tamara Clarke’s joint Heartland photography exhibition at No.12 Restaurant this month, which will celebrate the completion of their time on the Make It Easy Residency Program, they caught up with us to reflect on their experiences over the past six months and how the residency has shaped their photography work into what it is today…

Heartland will feature the work of Cal McNab and Tamara Clarke, two photographers who were recently awarded a sixmonth residency and support programme at film development lab and photographic darkroom Make It Easy Lab, supported by Off Centre Nottingham and Cultivate. Both photographers use traditional equipment and practices, medium format film, and the black and white and colour darkroom to print their work.

British-Maltese photographer Tamara produces her images while walking in the landscapes of the Peak District and the Maltese countryside, joining these seemingly very different landscapes together through her mixed cultural heritage and memory. “I find myself continuously pointing my camera towards recurring motifs, the way the sunlight falls on the land, the cycle of the trees as they naturally grow and the ways in which they fall. The fragility of nature compared to its beauty and strength,” she says.

Tamara decided to apply to the residency following the completion of her MA Photography course at Nottingham Trent University, since it would allow her to continue the dialogue that she had created through her education. She says: “The theme of sustainability was what initially drew me into applying, because my practice has always been dominated by landscapes, so I knew it would be a fitting theme for me to explore.”

She feels that the advice and critiques that she received from the team at Make It Easy were vital in allowing her to progress to the position she is in now. “My time and experience of doing the Make It Easy Residency will be something that I will value throughout my continuing photographic journey,” she says. “At the start of the residency I was unsure of my direction, but through the one-to-one sessions, group workshops, and the ongoing support that I got from everyone, it really helped me grow my confidence and develop my practice into something that I can continue to develop.”

Not only were the educational sessions valued so much by Tamara, but the resources played a big part in it all, too.

“Without the ability to use the darkroom I probably wouldn’t

have wanted to create photos after my Masters degree. So, I am forever grateful for having the space and facilities to continue creating work,” she says.

Meanwhile, Cal McNab’s series Megawatt Valley focuses on the growth, history, and demise of coal-fired power stations along the length of the River Trent. The title is taken from the industry term for the Trent valley, once the largest concentration of power generation in Western Europe. To satisfy a childhood intrigue, McNab started an exploration of the spaces surrounding Ratcliffe-on-Soar Power Station, and the realisation that it was one of the last of its kind led him in a quest to explore the other sites of power stations along the River. His journey through Megawatt Valley eventually led him inside West Burton Power station, shortly before decommissioning commenced.

Cal started using Make It Easy to get his film developed, before becoming interested in learning some of the darkroom and other practices. “A friend I’d made at the lab encouraged me to apply for the residency and I’m so glad I did,” he says. Despite having never studied a creative discipline, he feels that the residency helped him to hone in on what he wanted to do with his photography. “Having funding to use on film and to access the colour darkroom has also brought my skillset a long way,” he adds.

His biggest takeaway from the residency has been the support he has received from the community at Make It Easy, particularly within the monthly photo socials, where people can turn up and share their work, and receive encouragement and guidance from others. If you would like to attend one of these, check out Make It Easy’s Instagram page, where you can find all of the details.

The Heartland Photography Exhibition will take place at No.12 Restaurant, 11 August - 18 August @makeiteasylab

s hort stories

To Do Street Art Festival 2023

A hugely popular exhibition from 12 August – 2 September, supporting and promoting Nottingham’s vibrant alternative art scene by showcasing some of today’s best local talent.

@SurfaceGallery

To Follow Gasleak Mountain

Lots happening over at Sneinton’s newest independent gallery - throughout August there is an exhibition, a zine and print launch, and a performance open call night coming up.

@gasleakmountain

To Create Queer Craft Club

On Sunday 27 August come along to a beautiful, chilled and inclusive space in Sneinton Market. Bring your most recent projects, meet some friendly people, and get crafty.

@WeMakeOurWay

I find myself continuously pointing my camera towards recurring motifs. The fragility of nature compared to its beauty and strength

words: Gemma Cockrell photos: Cal McNab and Tamara Clarke

a CornuCoPia oF Curiosity

A stunning new glass-fronted beauty has opened its door on Nottingham’s Derby Road. The arrival of the eyecatching vintage emporium Happy Sunday Vintage is another addition to the exciting independents in the area including Little Brickhouse, Little Plant Guys, the Danish Homestore and The Lime Gallery, to name a few.

After staying vacant for many years, the iconic building (which many around the city will recognise as the old Ben Bowers restaurant) has been transformed into a technicolour, rummagers’ dream of vintage clothing, rare antique finds, one-of-a-kind mid-century furniture and homeware.

Addie Kenogbon caught up with Happy Sunday coowners, Bryony Selway and Mihnea Georgescu, and their ‘pawsernal’ assistant, Stevie the dog, to find out more about their new venture.

I love the name of the shop. What was the inspiration behind it?

Bryony: I was unsure for so long about the name. I wanted the shop to feel like a happy Sunday. Sundays to me feel cosy and warm, and I'd like to think we've captured that here. The name gives you a real sense of that Sunday feeling. So, it just fit perfectly.

Is this your first store or did you have another presence in the city before?

Bryony: We both individually had shops down in Hopkinson, where Mihnea was selling militaria and antiques and I was focusing more on clothes, and we decided to combine our strengths to create Happy Sunday.

Mihnea: We both focus on different aspects of the business and it works really well. Bryony is in charge of fashion, clothes, colour and art, while I tend to focus more on antique items like furniture, ceramics, and homeware.

Everywhere I look, there’s something new to take in. It’s amazing. Can you talk me through about what kind of things you sell here?

Bryony: We focus on the retro and the joyfulespecially with the clothes. All our clothes are genuine vintage. I love the sixties through to the eighties as well as sequins and colour. I think Nottingham was missing that. We’ve got new costume jewellery, vintage silver jewellery and unopened deadstock jewellery from the eighties and nineties, too.

We’ve also got amazing artwork. For example, we had a book of lots of vintage film posters which we’ve turned into prints and framed them, which is really cool and affordable, as we wanted the art to be accessible for everyone.

Mihnea: We also really wanted to focus on the midcentury, so we have mid-century furniture and West German pottery. We try to make sure we have a range of items to suit a range of budgets with investment pieces mixed in with really affordable items. So you'll find a pot that's studio pottery by a named artist, which is £150 for example, next to a teapot that’s £5. You never know what you’re going to get. People might go to a section and assume it’s all expensive pieces, but that’s not necessarily the case if you start looking.

There are so many amazing pieces of pottery here. Where do you source them from?

Mihnea: I really like West German pottery so I always try to source that whenever I can. We also have a collection here from the Netherlands. I went on a buying trip there, and just went around flea markets and I bought every piece of West German, Dutch and French pottery that I could find, as well as glassware.

I think it's all about being aware of what you buy. Because, you go to IKEA for example, and buy a sideboard, and as soon as you take it home, build it and try to sell it after, it's value is going to depreciate. Whereas if you buy a piece of Danish furniture, it's like an investment piece. It's just going to go up in value, and if you take care of it, you can sell it in a few years and potentially make a profit.

The store spans across two floors, does it have similar things on each floor?

Bryony: We have clothing upstairs and downstairs, but the clothing upstairs is more of a tester, because we wanted everyone to be able to get a taste of what we've got, even if they're not able to go downstairs. We were also conscious not to zone it off too much. We wanted the shop to feel a bit like a showroom, where you can walk around, and everything's for sale.

How has the shop been received since you opened?

Bryony: It's been the best thing ever. We've had so many students who have been walking past, and so many of them have said they'd been watching us as we’d been doing it up, so they've been excited to come in and check it out. It’s great to hear how people have loved what we've done with the space.

Stevie [the dog] has been a massive hit too. People have been coming in just to see him. Everyone's been so nice, so kind, and it seems like everyone's pleased that this unit's finally alive again.

The interiors are stunning, you've created a lovely space. Do you know much of its history?

Bryony: The one that everyone recognises it as, is Ben Bowers, which was a popular restaurant between the seventies and the nineties. We’ve even had someone pop in and say they had their fortieth birthday meal here when it was a restaurant. I love hearing people's stories about this space because it's been empty for so long. It's nice to give it life again.

Have you got any of your favourite pieces you can share with us?

Mihnea: I'd say for me, one of my favourite pieces in the shop, though not for sale, is the Ladderax shelving by Staples. It's mid-century modular shelving which you could make to fit your home, add a desk, storage unit, whatever you like. It’s basically like a mid-century IKEA. I find it so beautiful. You could take a photo of anything on it, and it's going to look like a studio image.

Bryony: Mine's going to be the wall of teapots. I love kitsch homeware. For most people it's worthless, but it gives me so much joy. We've got all sorts of teapots from fruits to even a duck-shaped one. It’s all about making it joyful, and pieces that make people smile. It doesn't all have to be serious, dusty and old. Vintage can be really fun and colourful.

For anyone who’s not managed to check out the shop yet, how would you describe it?

Bryony: It's so easy for vintage, especially furniture and homeware to be seen as dirty, dusty and old, but it's not. I think the presentation and marketing really matters. I’d like to think that we've achieved that and in the process helped people buy second-hand rather than new. There’s enough new stuff out there in the world, and we don’t need to be making any more. Happy Sunday Vintage is all about appreciating what’s already out there because it’s brilliant. We wanted the shop to feel curated, clean and boutique-y, with regularly updated stock rather than keep up with the stereotype of being a dusty vintage shop.

You can find Happy Sunday Vintage at 128 Derby Rd, Nottingham @happysundayvintage

interview: Addie Kenogbon photo: Dani Bacon

There’s enough new stuff out there in the world, and we don’t need to be making any more

Pushing uP daisies

words: Michael Krawec photos: Bromley House Library

Travel back in time with Bromley House Library’s herbaria as Michael Krawec, Nottingham’s historian of the small and obscure, leafs through centuries of the city’s botanical history…

A plucked flower is a fragile, ephemeral thing. Those we might pluck today will decompose or disintegrate within a few months. However, for a long time botanists have been preserving plants by using heavy blocks to press them onto paper and dry them out. The squashed-plant-pages are then bound together to form a catalogue of preserved plants called a ‘herbarium’. Nottingham is home to several herbaria, including a large collection at Wollaton Hall, and two uniquely local examples at Bromley House Library.

In 1822, library member Thomas Jowett gifted Bromley House the first volume of his Herbarium Nottinghamiense; or, Dried Specimens of Plants Indigenous in Nottinghamshire. Three years later, he gifted the fourth and final volume. Jowett’s herbarium contains 300 specimens collected locally, some of which are now over 200 years old. They are remarkably well preserved, though appear somewhat ethereal, like the ghosts of long dead plants. As you turn the pages, you get a unique sense of connection with Nottingham’s past, imagining Jowett plucking and pressing these plants in the decade following the Napoleonic Wars. Would Jowett have imagined his herbarium lasting this long?

Jowett was born in Colwick in 1801. He worked as a doctor in Nottingham, was an active Bromley House member and a keen botanist: in addition to his herbarium, he wrote a series of Botanical Calendars for Nottinghamshire which describe the appearance of plants in the county throughout the year. Ill health forced him to retire early in 1831, and he died the following year.

Jowett’s work can help us to understand how plant life around Nottingham has changed over the centuries. By comparing Botanical Calendars to what we see today, we could perceive the local effects of climate change, how the timings of growths and blooms are shifting with changing temperatures. Many of the herbarium specimens are now locally endangered or extinct.

Specimen 135 is the ‘Nottingham catchfly’: now rare, it was once very common around the city, and was chosen as its county flower in 2002. During the day, the catchfly can appear quite bland - because it’s a nightlife plant. In the evenings, it opens up, blooming with white flowers and releasing a strong scent to attract the moths which pollinate it. Recently, staff at Bromley House have been breeding the catchfly to slowly repopulate it around the city via people’s gardens.

Bromley House’s second local herbarium is Muscologia Nottinghamiensis; or, A Collection of Mosses Found Chiefly in the Neighbourhood of Nottingham by doctors Godfrey Howitt and William Valentine. Like Jowett, they were local medical doctors and library members who were incredibly enthusiastic about plants, reportedly ‘staying up until the early hours with friends, examining and debating the details of mosses.’

Accompanying the Nottingham moss specimens are extremely detailed and technical, yet oddly poetic, descriptions of these tiny plants. The authors’ passion explodes from the page; read aloud, their words sound like the incantation to a botanical spell: “Stems creeping, an inch or two in length, branched; branches densely matted. Leaves imbricated, erecto-patent, ovate, rather acuminated, obtuse, concave, somewhat falcato-secund; margin entire, recurved at the base; nerve either reaching to the summit or disappearing a little below.”

The Bromley House herbaria offer a unique experience, prompting reflections on nature, history, and localism. I hope, and staff at Bromley House hope, that they will receive more attention in future, whether that be from those researching botany or the history of herbaria, or those who simply find such curiosities fascinating. And who knows, perhaps someone will be inspired to create another local herbarium that will still be browsed centuries hence.

bromleyhouse.org

As you turn the pages, you get a unique sense of connection with Nottingham’s past, imagining Jowett plucking and pressing these plants

nature Calling

Wellbeing in Nature is an Earth-centred therapy form that connects individuals to nature. Started by Elouise Oldfield in collaboration with Kirsty Dexter of Urban Bushcraft, it utilises the freedom of the outdoors, to provide an alternative, calming environment that is worlds apart from the desolate, clinical room many of us are used to.

Could you explain how Wellbeing in Nature began?

The birth of it came from a desire to reconnect modern society back to nature, when many of us feel a lot of detachment from it. I’ve always been very passionate about nature; growing up, I escaped to a river as a means to process my emotions, it was my sanctuary. Recently, there’s been a focus within mental health on how to better our wellbeing in a more empowering and individualised way. I’ve noticed a shift emerge from the medicalised route of treatment to therapeutic environments, and how they can impact the effectiveness.

I offer a range of ecotherapy services with a focus of sustainable wellbeing, in both urban and rural spaces. They can range from one-to-one sessions, workshops, events, both online or in-person, as well as collaborations with other local organisations.They are open to everyone, regardless of demographics, gender, disability or age.

What is ecotherapy?

Eco-psychology originates back to the 1960s, when research into the benefits of nature began. However, recently terms such as ‘green therapy,’ ‘nature therapy,’ or ecotherapy are becoming more recognised. It looks into how we can use this therapeutic resource in a modern world. Visiting a GP about your mental health may result in a prescription of ‘green intervention,’ such as going for a daily walk. When you’re in nature, not only does it make you feel calmer, physiologically you will also breathe slower, so you’ll be taking in a lot more fresh, pure oxygen. Your attention ability will also be restored from as little as spending twenty minutes in nature, which betters your focus and therefore your work.

Truth be told, nature therapy is age-old. Our ancestors connected with nature physically and mentally. Wellbeing in Nature hones into our often detached biological roots, to bring activities, counselling and therapy to an outdoor setting. Humans are innately built to be in nature, our bodies react to the environment we’re in. That’s why when you step into a beautiful wood, you release a breath of relief, and feel more present, it’s what our body craves. It’s especially important when we consider the state of our environment, and how we are treating our planet.

This is why it works so well with bushcraft, which is the combination of ancient skills and survival techniques.

What happens during your Woodland Wellbeing events?

It’s a holistic day retreat, with an aim to promote self-confidence, mental wellbeing and nature connectedness. It uses the tools of ecotherapy and ancient bushcraft techniques, to provide a tailored, unique experience. It pulls them together to hit loads of marks - looking after your mental health, improving breathwork, boosting creativity and learning new skills and survival techniques.

Who can come along?

The great thing about this partnership is that we have both worked with a multitude of different age groups and levels of experience. Kirsty has delivered bushcraft sessions to children, including those with additional needs such as Autism, as well as birthday parties, outdoor practitioners and forest school leaders. At the same time, my own experiences in mental health support work meant that I encountered people from a variety of backgrounds and ages.

It was very important to me that no matter if you’re a complete newbie to the outdoors, or well-seasoned, the event will suit you. This is why I have chosen to keep the group capacity on the smaller size. It ensures we can give everyone individualised support, that doesn’t feel too overwhelming. We will run the session even if it’s chucking it down, and only one person attends, because they will still get something out of it.

What sets Wellbeing in Nature apart?

We include a forest bathing exercise to start, which practises grounding through the senses with a guided meditation experience. It’s designed to absorb you into the woods, and connect you to your surroundings. Then there is fire lighting skills, using the natural resources available, to give you the skills to build and light a fire. There’s also a reflection practice around the fire afterwards, where we have an open talk about whatever comes to mind. There’s this lovely thing about being in nature that gives people the space to talk about the whole world, and everything else. We then incorporate some nature art therapy, again opening your senses, using what you can find, whether that be leaves, bark or stones. It further connects you, both by the beauty of the act itself and the beauty of the art created. There’s also the opportunity to bring a picnic, should you want, and sit and relax. It’s a full blown day.

How does it tie in with bushcraft?

The collaboration with Kirsty from Urban Bushcraft is the reason why I love the event so much. Their overarching focus of empowerment is key, alongside their unique concept of bringing survival techniques and skills into a city environment. Their work helps people overcome initial fears of feeling unfamiliar or of potential danger, especially those that have always lived in the city, they may feel a sense of unease in nature.

The most important aspect I focus on is creating sustainable well-being. Unlike typical entrance therapies that you may get offered, should you meet a certain criteria, it gives you around six to eight sessions. Once that’s finished, often you are sent on your way, expected to navigate your thoughts alone.

When people enter a therapeutic space with me, it goes further than providing the tools and understanding. I also concentrate on self awareness and empowerment, so that when they choose to leave, they don’t feel as though they need to keep coming back, unless they want to. I do offer a range of community support, events and working one-to-one should they wish. However, the aim is always to ensure that when you leave, you will have enough knowledge to manage your life outside of this. The biggest benefit of ecotherapy is that it is creating this sanctuary in nature that you can go to, whether you’re in an urban or rural setting, green spaces are never far.

Humans are innately built to be in nature, our bodies react to the environment we’re in

interview: Beth Green

photo: Elouise Oldfield

Out of TimeWhat’s Inn a Name?

words: Sophie Gargett illustrations: Ciaran Burrows

We all know the pub as a staple part of British culture, but they are less often thought of as excellent places to pick up a bit of historical trivia. Throughout Nottingham there are dozens of pubs commemorating people of the past who have led interesting lives. We thought we’d round up a few of our favourites so you can familiarise yourself with these local legends and famous faces.

Lillie Langtry

Once called The Peach Tree, Nottingham’s Lillie Langtry’s has been a popular drinking hole on Sherwood Street since 1981, but what of the woman it was named after? Actress, socialite, horse racer, artist’s muse and mistress - Lillie had many strings to her bow. Born in Jersey in 1853, she was considered a great beauty of her day and was known for her affairs with noblemen and princes. Oscar Wilde encouraged her to pursue acting and she went on to have a successful theatrical career in the UK and the US, playing roles such as Cleopatra and Rosalind in As You Like It before starting her own theatre company.

King Billy

This favourite Sneinton haunt has been a family owned independent pub since 2007, however the building itself has been serving up drinks since it opened in 1832. The signage portrays a regal billy goat adorned with a crown, but the real King Billy was certainly no ass. For his coronation in 1830, he budgeted almost ninety percent less than the previous King and publicly reprimanded the traditionalist Tories who threatened to boycott the day in response. In his time, William IV oversaw the abolishment of slavery, pushed for restrictions on child labour, and (albeit somewhat reluctantly) allowed the Reform Act of 1832 which gave more rights to voters.

The Royal Children

Bearing possibly one of the most unnerving pictorial pub signs in Nottingham, The Royal Children in Castle Gate bears a questionable but curious backstory that works perfectly if you struggle with historical dates. Although the current building is just 90 years old, it has been recorded that an inn has stood in its place since 1799. Just over a century before, Princess Anne, the daughter of King James II, is said to have taken refuge in Nottingham during the collapse of her father’s reign, and it is said that the ‘Royal Children’ stayed at the inn. Neither the pub nor the kids however were yet recorded to be in existence, so make what you will of this dubious account.

Ned Ludd

One of Nottingham’s most intriguing characters - Ned Ludd was the leader of the Luddite movement, which began in the Lace Market in the early nineteenth century. Much like with the emergence of AI software today, the advent of lace-making machinery caused a threat to the livelihoods of many workers, streamlining the process and taking away the need for the intricate skill that craftspeople had developed. Groups of disgruntled lacemakers rallied around Ludd to smash up lace making frames in protest, leaving notes signed in his name at the factories. In an excellent plot twist, it turned out that Ned Ludd was entirely fictional, meaning the enigmatic leader could never be caught. Find the Ned Ludd pub on Friar Lane - just don’t smash anything up.

Joseph Else

As the man who built most of Nottingham’s Market Square, including those two iconic lions, Joseph Else was a proper local lad done good! In the early 1900s he studied at London School of Art and spent the best part of a decade commuting before the First World War scuppered that. When the decision came to build the grandest building in all of Nottingham in the late 1920s, he was put in charge of all carvings on the new design for Nottingham Council House, including the lions, the frieze on the arch of the building and 21 other figures all displaying arts and public services. The Joseph Else pub takes pride of place on South Parade in the Market Square.

Herbert Kilpin

A Nottingham legend, Herbert Kilpin (1870-1916) was the son of a butcher who was born on Mansfield Road and worked as a lace warehouse assistant in the Adams Building on Stoney Street. He then emigrated to Italy at the age of twenty and became a football pioneer in the early days of the Italian game. He went on to set up AC Milan FC and the club still uses the English version of the city name in his honour to this day. You can find the Herbert Kilpin pub tucked away down Bridlesmith Walk, or check out the plaque commemorating his birthplace on Mansfield Road!

BEST OF THE MONTH

Riverside Festival

When: Friday 4 - Sunday 6 August

Where: Victoria Embankment

How much: Free

The biggest free family festival in the East Midlands is back offering a wide range of entertainment and activities for all ages. Wander through the mile-long stretch of fairground rides, games and attractions situated along the banks of the river Trent, browse numerous street food vendors, bars and market stalls, and check out some great local acts on three stages of music.

Enchanted Forest: Interactive Installation

When: Tuesday 8 August - Sunday 3 September (Tuesdays - Sundays)

Where: Lakeside Arts

How much: Free

This rather magical looking exhibition is bound to delight both adults and children as nature becomes neon at Lakeside Arts. Digital artist Barret Hodgson has created a stunning vista of entrancing lights, sounds, strange creatures and interactive features to explore in the Djanogly Gallery. Pair with a walk around the stunning Highfields Lake and top off with an ice cream for a perfect day out.

5th Duke of Portland: Tunnel Vision Exhibition

When: Tuesday 15 August 2023Saturday 9 September 2023

Where: Harley Gallery, Welbeck Estate

How much: Free

Known for his reclusivity and the extensive tunnel system he built under the Welbeck Estate, the 5th Duke of Portland only ate roast chicken, used umbrellas to hide from unwanted visitors and built a roller skating rink for his staff. Learn more and see some of the Duke’s possessions before heading to the Welbeck Farm Shop for some delicious picnic treats.

Lacey

When: Saturday 19 August

Where: The Bodega

How much: £10

To celebrate the launch of their new album This Is All We Are, local alt-rock four-piece Lacey are playing a special launch show at The Bodega. Like many bands they formed from the ashes of previous bands, but the difference with Lacey is that they grew up together, and it’s this long history that frontman Graham Turner claims gives the band their closeknit brotherly bond. The album is already out, so go and give it a spin, and if you like what you hear, we’ll catch you at The Bodega!

Arboretum Beer Festival

When: Saturday 26 August

Where: The Arboretum

How much: £12.50

The Arboretum Beer Festival is back for their third year, bringing dozens of local and national brewers to the historic Nottingham Arboretum, alongside some amazing street food curated by Bustler, live music, DJs and much more. With eighteen breweries to choose from, this is a beer lover's idea of heaven, and you’ll be able to get involved in activities such as indie bingo while you down a pint or two (or morebut drink responsibly!)

Cocktails and Crime: Nearest and Deadliest

When: Saturday 26 August, 7-10pm

Where: National Justice Museum

How much: £23.99

If you fancy trying something different over the bank holiday, dip into a little drama with some Cocktails and Crime. It’s 1912 and local wealthy widow Agatha Sinclair Smythe has died in a mysterious house fire. A group of relatives, associates and friends have gathered at Shire Hall to hear the contents of her will being read, but will you work out the true circumstances around Agatha’s death?

Monstrous Flesh x The Screen

When: Throughout August

Where: Nottingham Contemporary

How much: £6

A must for fans of offbeat horror, this season of film screenings explores the wild, feral, forbidden, feminine in horror and folklore. Choose from classics such as Onibaba (1964), Cat People (1942), Haxan (1922) and The Lure (2015) throughout August. Brought to you by local podcast and multidisciplinary community venture Monstrous Flesh in collab with Nottingham Contemporary.

Cirque de Soiree

When: Saturday 2 September

Where: Metronome

How much: £17

Roll up, roll up! Top off your summer with a fabulous evening that will surprise and tantalise. Featuring a variety of burlesque, magic, circus and comedy at Metronome, and hosted by the glamorous John Celestus, performers include circus acts artist Ed Muir and Vendetta Vain, burlesque from Fou Fou Kaboom, and comedic magic with Arron Jones.