LeftLion Magazine - August 2020 - Issue 128 by LeftLion

COVER

For seventeen years and 128 printed issues, LeftLion has shone a light on Nottingham’s culture and entertainment scene. Now we’re asking our readers for a bit of help to get back on our feet. LeftLion is Nottingham’s meeting point for information about what’s going on in our city, from the big companies and issues to the grassroots promoters and community organisations. We are part of what makes Nottingham unique - not many cities in the world have a free press like us. The coronavirus pandemic has hit many businesses hard, including LeftLion. It’s also hit those who support us as advertisers, collaborators and stockists. So we are asking our readers, and the people who love what we do, to support us. All money raised will be used to keep our free printed magazine alive and running, paying our in-house staff for their hard work and towards the ongoing promotion of creativity within Nottingham, at a time the industry needs it the most. Plus you’ll get some exclusive new treats into the bargain too...

Cub

Big Cat

£2 a month + VAT

You want to show solidarity and support what we do. Thanks duck! You’ll receive: • Exclusive Patreononly content • ·Early access to the (digital) magazine

King

£5 a month + VAT

£10 a month + VAT

Nice one. As well as the inner joy of supporting our journalism, you’re also going to get: • Exclusive Patreononly content • Early access to the (digital) magazine • Your name printed on page 5 of each issue (or the name of a loved one, your band, your small business, your pet etc)

Agamemnon himself bows down to you. As a thank you for your continued support, you get: • Everything in the Big Cat package • This magazine delivered to your door (UK postage only) • An A4 art print of the cover on 350gsm silk paper each month • A letter from our Editor each month • Other free gifts throughout the year (e.g. when we release a new Overheard in Notts book it’s yours for free)

If you love LeftLion #SupportLeftLion patreon.com/leftlion

Nottingham City Council are working to make your city a healthy, thriving place with the UK's most ambitious plan for tackling climate change. With your help, we can: Lower business and living costs Create better buildings and neighbourhoods Get more people cycling and walking Buy well, share more, waste less

Grow a flourishing natural environment

! e d g e n v e l l l o a t v s h u n g i C u A t y h t e 8 G Da st-2 28

Our series of daily activities, led by the local community, is your chance to get involved, be inspired, and to learn more about our plans. Find out more via @CN2028 social media channels.

To find out more and join in, please go to nottinghamcity.gov.uk/cn2028

Credits

Contents

PuzzAl Solver Alan Gilby (alan.gilby@leftlion.co.uk) Editor-in-Chief Jared Wilson (jared.wilson@leftlion.co.uk) Editor Ashley Carter (ashley.carter@leftlion.co.uk) Assistant Editor Emily Thursfield (emily.thursfield@leftlion.co.uk) Editor-at-Large Bridie Squires (bridie.squires@leftlion.co.uk)

Events and Food Editor Eve Smallman (eve.smallman@leftlion.co.uk)

Business as Unusual

We catch up with nine of Notts’ independent businesses to see how they’ve coped during lockdown, and the changes they’ve made in order to re-open

Dream Maker

Following the launch of The Nottingham Project last month, we talk to Project chairman Greg Nugent about the next steps for Notts’ creative scene

For King, Not Country

With August marking the 75th anniversary of VJ Day, Jagdish Patel explores the role played by Commonwealth soldiers during World War II

Sub-Editor Lauren Carter-Cooke Designer Natalie Owen (natalie.owen@leftlion.co.uk)

Snap Notts: Bromley House Library

An XR Rebel in Notts

Give the Green Light

Ayup China

Om Is Where the Art Is

Home Free

Leading from the Back

Carved in Stone

The Stage is Set

Out of Time: John Deane

Sales and Marketing Manager Adam Pickering (adam.pickering@leftlion.co.uk) Creative Digital Assistant Curtis Powell (curtis.powell@leftlion.co.uk) Videographer Georgianna Scurfield (georgi.scurfield@leftlion.co.uk) Web Developers Tom Errington (tom.errington@leftlion.co.uk) Hamza Hussain (hamza.hussain@leftlion.co.uk) Art Editors Laura-Jade Vaughan (laura-jade.vaughan@leftlion.co.uk) Rachel Willcocks (rachel.willcocks@leftlion.co.uk) Fashion Editor Anna Murphy (anna.murphy@leftlion.co.uk) Literature Editor Kate Hewett (kate.hewett@leftlion.co.uk) Music Editors Eileen Pegg (eileen.pegg@leftlion.co.uk) Becky Timmins (becky.timmins@leftlion.co.uk) Screen Editors Jamie Morris (jamie.morris@leftlion.co.uk) George White (george.white@leftlion.co.uk

Our regular photographer and poet collab transports you to the quaint elegance of the jewel in Notts’ literary scene: Bromley House Library

We all care about the environment to some degree, but our XR Rebel in Notts has been arrested in the name of fighting climate change...

Drew Cameron, the man behind the petition to make Broadmarsh a communal space, explains why now is the time for Notts to go green

We preview Nottingham Arts Mela, now in its 31st year, ahead of an entire month of an eclectic online programme of dance, debates, yoga and more

We learn more about some of the studio artists currently working out of Backlit, the lively community of creatives in the heart of Sneinton

Recent Government announcements have promised funding, but the future still remains unclear for the Theatre Royal and Nottingham Playhouse

A Beacon of Light

We catch up with Nottingham Refugee Forum director Matt Atkins to discuss twenty years of providing help, support and advice to refugees

Emission Statement

Sally Longford, Deputy Leader of the City Council, explains the Council’s plans to make Nottingham the first carbon neutral city in the UK

We talk to NTU student Feixue Huangdu, whose vlogs about Nottingham landmarks have gone viral in her home country of China

Singer-songwriter Natalie Duncan talks about her Notts roots, music in the age of COVID and Free, her first full-length album since 2012

Twelve-year-old Jagoda Brown-Polanowska has been exploring Rock Cemetery to discover more about the last pandemic to affect Nottingham

Charlatan? Captain? Cannibal? We look at the complicated life of John Deane, the Nottingham man who spent 24 days marooned on Boon Island

Stage Editors Rebecca Buck (rebecca.buck@leftlion.co.uk) Dom Henry (dom.henry@leftlion.co.uk) Sports Editor Gemma Fenyn (gemma.fenyn@leftlion.co.uk) Photography Editors Fabrice Gagos (fabrice.gagos@leftlion.co.uk) Tom Quigley (tom.quigley@leftlion.co.uk)

/leftlion

Featured Contributor

Puzzle Creator Laura-Jade Vaughan

Writers Brie Andagbread Jagoda BrownPolanowska Ewan Cameron Ravelle-Sadé Fairman Kelly Holmes Jenny Joss Addie Kenogbon Ellis Maddison Emilie Mendham Sam Nahirny Jagdish Patel Laura Phillips Joe Robinson Alex Stubbs Chloe Rose Whitmore

Photographers Richard Chung Tom Cording Jonathan Flint Tom Morley Beata Polanowska Lee Walker Steve Wallace Illustrators Kate Sharp Anna Keomegi Kasia Kozakiewicz Carmel Ward

If you’d like to advertise, contact Adam on 0115 9240476, email adam.pickering@ leftlion.co.uk or visit leftlion.co.uk/rates

@leftlionmagazine

Thanks to All Our Supporters These people #SupportLeftLion

Cover Stuart Jones

Intern Nathan Warby

@leftlion

Ravelle-Sadé Fairman Ravelle-Sadé, known as ‘A Poetic Perception’, is a selfproclaimed accidental poet who started writing two years ago. Her work mainly focuses on mental health and the power of self-acceptance and self belief. A week after writing her first poem, she got invited to share at the first poetry event she attended. An audience member explained that the poems had helped normalise their experience. From that day, she’s been actively sharing her insight with hope that it benefits others. She has gone on to share her poetry at the NHS, Splendour festival, BBC Radio, Nottinghamshire Pride and Youth Parliament.

Sue Barsby, Anthony Blane, Jon Blyth, Julian Bower, Kaye Brennan, Jordan Bright, NottingJam Orchestra, Angela Brown, Frances & Garry Bryan, Wolfgang Buttress, Siobhán CannonBrownlie, Nigel Cooke, Ashley Cooper, Alan Dawson, Ash Dilks, Al Draper, Clare Foyle, Kim Fuller, Kay Gilby, Richard Goodwin, Alison Gove-Humphries, Rachel Hancorn, Alison Harviek, John Haslam, Ant Haywood, Alison Hedley, Helen Hemstock, Claire Henson, Friday Club Presents, Heather Hodkinson, Ankunda, Stuart Jones, Nigel King, David Knight, Alison Knox, D Lawson, Ben Lester, Ben Lucas, Dan Lyons, Roy Manterfield, Sarah Manton, Jayne McCormack, Sarah Moore, Barbara Morgan, Ron Mure, Sam Nahirny, Reg & Lynette, Tracey Newton, Livi & Jacob Nieri, Ellen O’Hara, Erika Diaz Petersen, Dr Lesley Prince, Sue Reader, Mathew Riches, Sarah Roach, Jason Rozkalns, Lizzy Sheppard, In memory of Jenny Smith, Jed Southgate, Spicer, Steve Stickley Storyteller, Irina Surducan, Ivy House Environmental, Nigel Tamplin, Helena Tyce, Alan Walker, Jack Warren, Martin, James Wright

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.

patreon.com/leftlion

You can read Ravelle-Sadé’s work in this month’s Snap Notts on page 10 leftlion.co.uk/issue128 5

Editorial

Can You Win a

Free Escape Room? I’ll be honest; the cover kind of stole my thunder a bit. But it really, really is good to be back in print. We’ve loved the challenge of putting our four online issues together during lockdown, and the response from you lot has been great. But there’s nothing quite like the real thing, is there? Sometimes, endlessly dragging your thumb across a phone screen doesn’t come close to the real, tangible feeling holding physical media brings you. Ah, and the smell of freshly printed mags… there’s nothing better. Go on, give it a sniff. You know you want to. Unless you’re reading this on your phone/laptop, in which case, you know, don’t be weird. Being in print is as important to the core values of LeftLion as anything else we do, and we were always keen to get physical copies back in and around town as soon as it was safe. We’ve obviously had to make a few changes to adapt to life post-lockdown. We’re stocked in a lot of public places so, as the cover says, please take this issue home with you rather than leaving it for the next person to look through. If you follow us on social media, you may have already seen the other big change at LL towers: the launch of our Patreon page. Like many small businesses, we’ve been broadsided by this whole COVID malarkey, and we really appreciate the amazing response you lot have given us so far. It’s hard to maintain a free press at the best of times, but your support will ensure that, as long as we’re kicking around, LeftLion magazines will still be in all of your favourite venues, bars, cafes and shops. As this is our first mag back in print, we decided to make it a bit of a special one. With the genius puzzle-creating mind of our Art co-editor Laura-Jade Vaughan, and the generosity of our friends at Escapologic, we’ve turned this issue into one big treasure hunt of clues and puzzles. And if you manage to solve all of them, you’re in with a chance of bagging yourself a free escape room. So grab a pen and paper, pop on your best deerstalker and crack on. I guarantee you’ll be stumped on at least one of them… Until the next one…

Ashley Carter, Editor ashley.carter@leftlion.co.uk

leftlion.co.uk/issue128

Celebrating our return to print, we’ve decided to fill this issue with cryptic puzzles. Our articles and images might contain some unusual content. Look carefully for clues. One or two might be hidden in illustrations, text and even adverts. Uncover all nine puzzles in the grid below to reveal the final answer, and you are in with a chance of winning a free escape Room courtesy of our friends at Escapologic. Detective agamemnon is here to help you out, and will appear whenever there’s a puzzle nearby. you’re definitely going to need a pen and paper... to Solve some of the puzzles you’ll require access to the internet and the issuu version of the magazine, which you can find online at issuu.com/leftlion (from monday 3 august). He’ll let you know if this is the case by showing this wifi symbol. If you think you’ve got the answer, email us at competition@leftlion.co.uk. Reach out to us if you get really stuck, if we’re feeling generous we might even offer a clue or two (we are also very much open to bribes). There’s even be a little extra hint in this intro to lend a helping hand. So, have fun and be warned: not everything is quite as it seems….

Th e Hunt is Th ink you know th e answer?

n...

Notts Shots

Rain check Jonathan Flint - @flintafus

Back of the net Lee Walker - @leewalkagram

Magâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s out, flags out Jonathan Flint - @flintafus

Did I leave the iron on? Tom Cording - @tom.msp

The long goodbye Steve Wallace - @jamesgraceart

Want to have your work featured? Send your high-res photos from around the city, including your full name and best web link, to photography@leftlion.co.uk

leftlion.co.uk/issue128 7

Notts Goss with Jenny Joss Want the scoop? I’m not one for wicked whispers, but I have to say this mandatory mask requirement has only assisted my efforts to bring you the hottest gossip around town. Slinking into the background to overhear outbursts has never been easier, and batting these eyelids sinlessly has proved enough to send anyone who notices on their way. If the sweetest smile in the East Mids can get on board, there’s no excuse for you, Buster. My biggest scoop this month comes in the form of an online tirade against a certain vegan delivery joint, which has now been dubbed “PizzaGate” by the Nottingham Vegan Facebook community. After customers called them out for selling Chicago Town Pizzas for £9 under the guise of a “handmade” BBQ jackfruit and cheese, the outlet backed up their behaviour by claiming they were “saving people the work of going outside” and refused to issue refunds. Now, I’m not one to bash folk who are protecting our planet’s best interests, which is why I’ve decided to keep them nameless. But, I will however say, this starlet believes their exploits have been absolutely filthy… Oh, did I say too much?

Nottingham’s most opinionated grocers on... Jeff Bezos: The world’s richest man $189 billion? Is that more than Bill Gates? He’s the guy that owns Amazon, right? It’s a lot of money. I bet he doesn’t struggle to pay his gas bill. If you had that much money what on earth would you spend it on? We heard on the news the other day that the Post Office has delivered more parcels already this year than they did last year, which is good news. But if people don’t want one man to be that rich they need to stop using Amazon. We don’t. We’ve got no idea how it all works.

Although I hesitate to even give him the time of day, I must address the simple-minded swipe Piers Morgan took at MP Nadia Whittome on Twitter after she voiced her concerns over trans rights and equality. Taking offence for seemingly no reason, he lambasted her as “absurd” for “attempting” to appear “woke”. Luckily, our girl knows how to fight, and brushed the leech off her shoulder like a pro. Jog on, Piers – if anyone is going to make outlandish statements about the people of this town, it’s going to be me. And finally, I’d like to remind you all that young JJ hasn’t lost her touch during these tumultuous times. After a certain LeftLion Editor provided me with a tip-off about a brawl happening outside my residence, I risked life and limb for this column by hanging halfway out a window to catch the ultimate showdown with the police. Now that’s commitment, folks. Anyway, that’s enough chatter from me this month. Remember lovers – keep your lips loose, your ears to the ground and your eyes on the goss.

Princess Beatrice gets hitched A royal wedding took place and we missed it?! Show us then! (LeftLion gets their phone out and starts showing off the wedding photos). Ooh Edoardo (the groom) looks like a nice chap. Prince Phillip also looks very well there, doesn’t he? We like the lounge suit, not bad for a man who’s a year away from his century. It’s probably wise that Prince Andrew stayed out of all the photos; he gave a terrible interview. Although we knew a man who couldn’t sweat once, he managed the old Gunn and Moore shop in town. Eat Out To Help Out Is Hart’s doing this? We’d definitely be up for a half-price meal there. We could take all our staff for their Christmas party. (LeftLion points out this is an August only offer limited to a maximum of £10 discount per diner). Oh well, we can just have our Christmas party early this year. Is that posh place on Derby Road doing it? We could always try and go there for a starter.

JJ x

illustration: Carmel Ward

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words and photo: Georgianna Scurfield

‘

I first became vegan because I was watching a lot of documentaries on the farming industry and I saw how devastating it is. You wouldn’t believe how many resources are put into making meat products. I decided to try and do something about it, but at first I was just eating Linda McCartney’s sausages with waffles and beans, then maybe some porridge in the morning. It was good though, because it got me into cooking. At first, I kept it simple by making dishes like risotto and different types of pasta, whereas now I like to experiment. Sometimes I make some terrible meals because I experiment a bit too much. I think, ‘this might work’ or ‘that might be a thing’, but it ends up being a sloppy mess that doesn’t really taste of anything. I tried making a vegan cheese loaf using nutritional yeast, potatoes and cauliflower – it didn’t really hold together, but it tasted good! I’ve definitely come a long way in my cooking since I turned vegan, but I still bang in some Linda’s when I don’t have enough time. There are so many great places to eat in Nottingham if you’re a vegan. You should head over to the Prickly Pear on Mansfield Road, they do a vegan mac‘n’cheese that I swear by. I recommend The Angel Microbrewery on Wednesdays, as it's half price on most of the meals. The fish and chips there are amazing – tofu wrapped in seaweed and battered, then you get a side of mushy peas and chips. By day I’m a teaching assistant, going around local schools and helping out with learning support. By night I work behind the bar at Broadway cinema. It can get pretty intense – but y’know, free cinema tickets! Matthew Wasylko

E2-A2-A4-E4-C4-C2

Pick Six

This month, we took a trip deep into Sherwood Forest to task Ade Andrews, a.k.a Ezekial Bone, with picking a few of his favourite things..

photo: Hunter_Films_Photography

Film: The Devils (1971) Unique, pioneering and flamboyant, Ken Russell was one of Britain’s most controversial directors. This tale of the possession of nuns in 17th century France outraged society with its infamous ‘rape of Christ’ scene, which saw it banned for decades. England’s greatest hellraiser, Oliver Reed, is a powerhouse.

Book: The Power of Now This and Eckhart Tolle’s follow up A New Earth show how we’ve become enslaved to the ego and how we, and the planet, are dying as a result. It seeks out the threads of truth from religions around the world and sets a spiritual path for the modern day, that of living in the Now. A must read!

Meal: Shabab Nan Kabab This curry house in Hyson Green, Radford Road, is an old school gem. A spit and sawdust place, it’s BYOB and the food is the best in Nottingham for very reasonable prices. Highly regarded by my vegan and veggie pals, you’ll get a mountain of fresh food and leave stuffed, with some in a doggy bag for good measure.

Notts Spot: Lace Market This has to be one of the most fascinating areas in the Midlands. It's full of architectural gems, each telling its own story, and in turn telling part of the wider story of Nottingham. It is such an atmospheric area and, of course, is home to loads of bars, restaurants and local businesses in neighbouring Hockley.

Song: It’s a Long Way to the Top AC/DC’s balls out hard rock with ‘Cock of the North’ Bon Scott strutting his stuff all over it. A great tongue-in-cheek tune, with so much truth behind it. It’s a Long Way to the Top gets even better when the bagpipes kick in – it’s a fitting tribute to the Scottish origins of one of the greatest hard rock acts ever.

Holiday: Britain I like going abroad, but Britain is my favourite place to explore. Checking out historic towns, exploring the history of an area, and finding the story it has to tell. The range of countryside is unsurpassed, dotted with castles and cathedrals, forests and rivers. It’s unbeatable.

Ade Andrews runs Ezekial Bone's Nottingham Tours and is the 'Official Outlaw' Robin Hood ezekialbone.com leftlion.co.uk/issue128 9

leftlion.co.uk/issue128

Would you believe me if I told you That amongst the Hustle and bustle of buses And the clickety clack of trams on tracks Amidst hungry commuters Seeking out speedy snacks Somewhere in the vicinity of the Nottingham Council House clock chimes Lives a little dime? Standing quiet as a mouse Is the majestic Bromley House With a simple initiation code You can even bring a spouse! A facilitator of great knowledge This building alone has a story to tell Accentuated greatly By its spiralling stairwell Filled with little alcoves So tranquil that you can get lost in One of the thousands of books Although this hidden gem May sometimes be overlooked The authenticity of its character Is something to be cheered Because as soon as you walk in It whispers… “Your thoughts are welcome here”. A Poetic Perception

Snap Notts #23 poem: Ravelle-Sadé Fairman photos: Richard Chung location: Bromley House Library

An XR Rebel in Notts I’ve always been conscientious. I’m 26, so I’ve definitely known about climate change for my entire life. I’ve changed my diet, the way I travel and the clothes I wear, but they probably haven’t made much of an impact. I strongly believe in the culture of change, and making my immediate community a healthier, safe one. However, two years ago I realised that I must do more to prevent this crisis and to alert the authorities of the danger we face globally. That’s when I took civil disobedience seriously. That’s when I took action.

structures we had in place to obstruct the roads would be taken by police. In the end we moved tents into the road too. Remaining alert that night was both exciting and exhausting.

It was frustration that led me to joining Extinction Rebellion. Seeing the science and the contrasting inaction of the government brought me to the realisation that this will lead to civil conflict within the next few decades. That news scared me into rebelling; I needed to act on my fear.

I had been down at the rebellion – putting my body in the way of the law – for eight days and was surprised I hadn’t been arrested already. I had two legal observers and friends from Nottingham with me. The police gave me three warnings before pulling me up and putting me in the back of a van. The XR legal observers notating my arrest stayed close to me which was reassuring. The van journey felt very long but once I was in a cell in Brixton Police Station and the adrenaline wore off, I began to calm down and actually managed to lie still on the bed.

The healthiest way to deal with that fear and anger is to take to the streets. A typical day for me involves handling a lot of our social media, as well as both attending and organising meetings. But the things that get me most excited are actions. Creating well-organised, well-executed civil disobedience is such an energising and hopeful act in the face of devastating science. Marching, drumming, making placards, dancing, chanting. All of these things are the cure for the fear and lack of control I feel when I’m sitting at home researching the latest climate science. Being self-employed, I do a lot of other work as an artist, but the activism informs my practice and it’s all connected up. I have a loud voice but I am a woman and gay. I am supported by other activists to be creative, to be vocal, to be radical, to be emotionally articulate, to be myself. This is such a happy thing. XR is so big, I think we make our own little networks depending on friends we make through the activism and where we live. For example, I work on global justice and so have a lot of friends in Nottingham who are focusing on decolonising and decarbonising as one issue. Having said that, I meet a whole range of people at the gatherings, people I wouldn’t have met in other contexts like doctors, lawyers, teachers, builders, athletes, pub landlords, therapists and mechanics. The first night I camped on the street during the October rebellion was pretty memorable. We had a blockade on the intersection of Horse Guards Road and Birdcage Walk in London and there were several moments in the night when we thought the

It was during the October rebellion that I was arrested. It was about 7am and I was lying in the street in Bank, Central London. We were blocking the roundabout and the five intersecting roads that lead to it, sending a clear message to the banks about their dangerous investment in fossil fuels.

I was in the cell for about six hours. When I was released I was met by a group of arrestee support rebels, who’d been waiting to give me food, drink and money for the tube back into Central London. I was never really alone It was not a relaxing experience, as some rebels will tell you. It was scary. What kept me going was the thought of Freya, the little girl of a close friend. I thought of baby Freya’s future on a sick planet. I thought of her being forced to migrate, struggling to breathe, struggling to find healthy food, to get fulfilling (or any) work. Thinking of people younger than me, and the challenges they face, gives me all the strength I need to go through arrest. Another friend has had baby Finuala since then, so the next time I’m in a cell, fighting for climate justice, I’ll be thinking of my gorgeous girls Freya and Finuala and the future they deserve. I was in the cell for about six hours. When I was released I was met by a group of arrestee support rebels, who’d been waiting to

give me food, drink and money for the tube back into Central London. I was never really alone. I think people get hung-up on the arrests. There are a lot of people in XR who are not arrestable (because of risks linked to health, work, age or ethnicity) who do masses of incredible work and are kept safe in action. The arrests are a small tactical element of civil disobedience that gets us a lot of attention. Most rebels have not been arrested. I think the creativity and ingenuity of XR is sometimes taken for granted. The actions we design are often very complex. I love the power in visuals and XR are great at pulling together some striking, captivating art works in order to portray an urgent message. Climate deniers are the source of great amusement. In the UK I think deniers are pretty rare, so we don’t get masses of abuse. I’ve had my share of being shouted at from lorry drivers or Saturday morning shoppers in the city centre, but generally the public are passive or supportive. Personally, I find it incredibly strange that people (the general public, authorities, other campaigners) don’t link class, gender and race to climate collapse. There is absolutely no denying that the breakdown of our world as we know it will affect most disadvantaged peoples first, in fact, it already is. Making the connection between these things and finding ways to fight injustice dispels the strange myth that the world can keep expanding. It’s the Government’s screaming silence that I find most challenging. There’s a general passivity from those in power towards the rapid collapse of the climate and subsequent loss of land, shelter and food for us all. Extinction Rebellion is always evolving. We are constantly learning and shifting and adapting. The science is horrifyingly consistent, but the way in which we respond, reflect, communicate and pursue justice shifts every few months. I know for sure that it’s grown massively since I became a rebel. And with this growth comes new energy, new knowledge and, I hope, new ways of subverting expectations of XR’s capacity to effect change. We have three demands: Act Now, Tell the Truth and People’s Assemblies. If those are achieved I truly believe the world could still be a reasonably habitable place in a century's time. The fact that climate activism must exist is a shame, but the alternative is we have no future. The science can be devastating and overwhelming. I truly feel grief for the planet.

illustration: Kasia Kozakiewicz

leftlion.co.uk/issue128 13

Business as Unusual

photos: Tom Morley

It’s impossible to underestimate the devastating impact COVID-19 and the ensuing lockdown has had on independent businesses. The boutiques, breweries and bars that form the lifeblood of our community were forced to shut their doors four months ago, with many never to open again. But with some semblance of normality returning to the high street, we decided it was time for a catch up with some of Notts’ independents to find out how they’ve coped during lockdown, and the steps they’ve taken to re-open safely…

Helena tyce The change of pace and having my family around meant that lockdown started off okay for me. I’m a bit of a hermit, so the idea of not having to see people really appealed! But the lack of childcare and stockists being shut for three months made things more difficult, and meant the time I actually had to work was minimal. Income has been severely impacted and doesn’t look like returning to anywhere near what it was pre-COVID until social distancing measures are lifted. But I’ve got my eye on other stuff and always happy to change direction if need be. Online sales have been up throughout and not just because people couldn't get to the shops! Customers have been vocal about their desire to have small businesses still here after all of this. I wanted to do something to help people through so I set up a free, virtual art club. It was a very natural process; there was no question about me doing it – I knew I had to. Lots of people advised me to "monetise" it but that felt entirely wrong to me. I wanted it to be accessible to as many people as possible that needed the support. It provided a distraction, skills were learnt, friendships were made and confidence built. Our collective mental health is fragile right now so art, music and the usual message of ‘look after each other’ will help us through.

Studio 34, Avenue C, Sneinton Market, NG1 1DW helenatyce.com

hockley kitchen After the initial shock of learning that our business could literally be closed down overnight, all of our efforts went into making sure our staff understood what was happening and that their jobs were secure. The most critical thing was to keep our spending to an absolute minimum, and being able to furlough our team certainly helped. There were stressful times but the financial support from the Government and Nottingham City Council was critical in allowing us to support our staff and prepare for reopening. We began by opening as take-away only, using our side windows to serve customers, selling just coffee, cake and sandwiches. Then, as we started to think about reopening, we knew footfall would be down so we would have to fight harder to get new customers. Although it was a huge decision, we decided to change our name from Hartley’s to Hockley Kitchen.

21 Carlton Street, Hockley, NG1 hartleyscoffeebar.com

We wanted to move on from being a sandwich shop to offer a broader range of food, and to create a much warmer and more inviting space using fresh colours and vintage lights. As part of the brand change we also had a great opportunity to link up with the guys from Outpost Coffee roasters, and introduce a new exclusive house blend. The good news is so far we’ve had a very positive reaction from customers to the new space. We have had a lot of customers saying how they are trying to support independents where they can, and this is obviously crucial for an area like Hockley.

bikes love you Lockdown was tough for everyone, so we wanted to make sure we were helping out during that time, which is why we started doing the donation-based bike servicing in Sneinton Market. It wasn’t just for key workers, but for anyone travelling by bike. There was high demand for that, which kept our minds in a good place, as we knew we were doing something positive by providing a safe and accessible service for those who needed it. We used the donations to invest in the Bikes Love You shop on Carlton Road so it really is a community-focused bike workshop, created by the community itself. There was definitely an increase in people cycling during lockdown. Bikes are a safe, joyful, healthy, quick, clean and inexpensive way to travel around, and a lot of people have really seen the benefits lately. It’s always nice talking to people about their positive stories connected to cycling, especially those who have recently got back into it. It just makes it even better to get their bikes fixed up so they can continue to discover the benefits. With bike repairs largely happening from our shop, it’s been easy to put responsible social distancing measures in place. We obviously use hand sanitizer, and sanitize the bikes themselves. We were helped a lot by the team that runs Sneinton’s Saturday Markets – they put a really good system in place. That, and the fact that we were trading outside, meant that we had confidence, and so did our customers.

leftlion.co.uk/issue128

23 Carlton Road, NG3 2FB Bikesloveyou.org

art of football All of our design staff were asked to work from home as soon as we went into lockdown. After ensuring they all had computer equipment and internet access, they were then able to work throughout the whole period while maintaining proper social distancing rules. Being an online retailer, our sales have been relatively protected during lockdown, so we have been fortunate enough not to furlough or lay-off any staff. With many people turning to online shopping, we’ve actually had an increase in our online activity. After an initial delay, we’ve been able to move forward with a lease on a new London office with more confidence. The main setbacks have been missed opportunities due to the events like the Euros and Olympics being postponed. The Olympics especially gave us the potential to move into new sports, but with them being rescheduled for next summer, we’ve just got more time to get organised! But we were able to take part in various charity initiatives by making and selling designs in aid of local charities The Robin Hood Fund and Scrubs for Nottingham. We have been able to get some of the design team back in to work, although not all of them yet. Although we have worked well during the separation period, we are a young business full of ideas and being able to spark off each other is very important to us, to our creativity and to the sense of feeling part of something.

Unit 17 Avenue B, Sneinton Market, NG1 1DU art-of-football.com

montana We’ve spent a lot of time during lockdown creating and painting on canvas, and digging out many, many photos from the past 35 years of graffiti art in Nottingham. We just tried to keep positive and create as much art as we could. Overall, our European suppliers have been very helpful in taking a step back from expecting payment until we were able to re-open. But the rental costs and other service charges have been more difficult to deal with. Things haven’t completely returned to normal since lockdown was lifted. There are less people around and, as a retail store, you have to think about how to make customers interested in coming to town. Like many other businesses, we’ve been doing really well online during this crazy time, but we still want to be a retail store offering that real shopping experience.

Unit 13, Avenue A, Sneinton Market, NG1 1DT montanashop.co.uk

We do want to say thank you to everyone that supported us during lockdown, and who continue to support us. It’s been really nice to see everyone getting behind local business.

31k The best explanation I can give for lockdown would be to say that the entire business – including all operations and staff – turned into a dormant volcano. Countless contingency plans were made and a job list slowly started to grow, but during the however-many weeks it eventually turned into, we were unable to see any of them through to completion until we had a firm re-opening date, at which point it became full-steam ahead to prepare for operations in a brave new world. The obvious setback was the distinct lack of cash flow. Though we were able to utilise the grants available to us to cover our rent demands, other overheads also have to be paid. And with zero money coming into the business, it was an uncomfortable few months watching the bank balance go in one direction. The main changes we’ve made post-lockdown have been to limit our capacity, restrict our opening hours and offer a markedly different style of service. Being table-service only has made it easier to comply with guidelines, and our cleaning routines have now become cleaning rituals. We’ve installed a host of automatic hand sanitizer stations through the bar, and the staff have all been provided with PPE. We’ve put an immense amount of trust into our customers and that has been reciprocated with a fantastic amount of support and appreciation for what we’ve put into place. We can’t thank our customers enough, and it’s been so reassuring to see that the sense of community you see in this part of town hasn’t been quashed. That being said, the hospitality industry is still in an incredibly difficult financial climate, and we’re very much in the thick of that. It doesn’t take a mathematical genius to work out that a 50% capacity limit is likely to lead to a 50% reduction in sales, so we’re by no means out of the tunnel yet. We can see the light, absolutely, but we’ve still got some way to go to guarantee the future of the business.

31 Goose Gate, Hockley, NG1 1FE 31knotts.com leftlion.co.uk/issue128 15

jamcafe It’s hard not to admit to having enjoyed the time off. It was the first time I’ve had ten days off work since I was sixteen, and it was nice to take a deep breath and think about things. During lockdown we were unable to open at all and, even now post-lockdown, we have to think really carefully about the safest way to go forward with partial opening. We truly miss the live music and the events, but we have to do the right thing and hold off for a bit longer. We did stay in touch with a few regulars and sold some of our leftover stock as well as a few cases of fresh craft beer to keep people stocked up at home. I personally kept a strict routine of a live-streamed DJ set on Facebook every single morning at 10am for the entirety of lockdown. It built up a really nice community spirit in the comments section. I ended these after 100 sets and many of the videos have had over 15,000 views. It was really rewarding to hear stories people sent in of how this regular morning mix helped them – I could easily write a whole article with the stories I’ve been told. We are currently only operating outside as all of the health advice shows very low COVID transmission outdoors. This is for the safety of customers, as well as ourselves. Honestly, even though our space and opening hours are limited, we have been very busy and our regular and devoted customers have really shown courage and spirit to help keep us in business. The atmosphere on Heathcote Street is friendly, warm and safe, and I hope it stays this way.

12 Heathcote Street, NG1 3AA jamcafe.info

six barrel DRAFTHOUSE Lockdown was stressful, of course. Paying attention to each Government update and ensuring staff got paid where there was so much uncertainty as to when furlough payments and grants would come in was difficult. But I’ve stayed positive, kept the staff informed throughout and tried to find different things to do with my time, like growing veg and exploring new areas of Notts. The main setbacks have definitely been financial, both for me personally, the staff and the business. But even worse than that had been the handbrake it put on upcoming plans. If any business had a plan for 2020, it’s now become a plan for 2021 (hopefully). We kept very active on social media to remind people that we were still here. Operating as a takeaway for seven of the lockdown weeks helped keep things ticking over, and it was nice to be able to talk to people (from a distance) while offering great beers and supporting local breweries. Adapting to life post-lockdown has meant losing five tables – which is a third of our capacity. We’ve got a one-way system in and out, separate queues for male and female toilets, eight sanitizer stations, staff wearing PPE and screens on long tables. We’ve also increased cleaning, reduced opening hours and gone 100% table service.

14-16 Carlton St, NG1 1NN sixbarreldrafthouse.co.uk

Re-opening has gone better than expected, and every day has seen steady trade. Friday and Saturday nights obviously aren’t the same, but people seem happy to support bars again, and most of them read the signs and respect the rules. ‘The new normal’ is said a lot, but it certainly will happen. I think all bars’ capacities will remain reduced, and people will get used to table and app service and expect it more. I think it will reduce trade for a few years, but all I hope is that pubs and bars can maintain that community vibe, where people go for a chat, a laugh and a story.

brew cavern We adapted pretty well when lockdown came in. We were already set up for online so we just directed everyone to the website, and a combination of mail order and local deliveries saw us through. We had to keep all the stock in the shop, as access to the stock room was limited, so the shop became a mini warehouse for a few months. Despite the Government allowing us to open, we were forced to close the shop as the Council took the decision to close Flying Horse Walk. It’s fortunate that the website was already operational as that may have been game over otherwise. Once the bars closed, everyone started drinking at home. Zoom beers became the new Friday after work drinks. In a sense I guess it brought the scene together a bit, with businesses helping each other out and drinkers supporting in any way they could. We’re seeing a slow but steady increase in customers coming to the shop. We still aren’t letting anyone in, as we feel the shop is too small to allow social distancing so we’re encouraging click and collect or we can serve from the door. I would like to see the Council relax the City Centre exclusion zone to allow drinking in the street. With outdoor drinking space at a premium this feels like an ideal time to make Nottingham more of a welcoming city. Being able to grab a can and sit in the Square without feeling like a criminal would be great. In terms of the long-term impact, there will be closures – and we’ve already seen a few bars disappear. I suspect it’ll be a while before drinkers have the confidence to return to smaller places. I guess that’s good for us, but we don’t like seeing places struggle. We’re all in it together.

leftlion.co.uk/issue128

9 Flying Horse Walk, NG1 2HN brewcavern.co.uk

interview: Ashley Carter

Dream Maker

With a ten-year vision of turning Nottingham into a globally-recognised cultural heavyweight, and a board including the likes of Shane Meadows and Vicky McClure, last month saw the ambitious launch of The Nottingham Project. Spearheaded by the new Nottingham Board for Culture and Creativity, the project will seek to rejuvenate the city in the wake of a pandemic that has decimated much of the creative industry. As the director of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games Organising Committee, Project chairman Greg Nugent knows what it takes to deliver on the biggest scale. We caught up with the man at the helm to find out more about what the city’s creative community has to look forward to... It’s been a couple of weeks since The Nottingham Project was launched. What has the response been like so far? It's been phenomenal on two fronts. Firstly, you can’t launch anything these days without worrying that people will say it’s not a good idea, but the opposite has been true. I think 99.9% of every reaction has said, “This is brilliant, well done”, “Everyone is working together, and it’s the right time to do it” or “We should have done this years ago.” And the only negative response, if you can even call it that, is that people have been asking more questions, but that’s absolutely fine. The second thing is that we had over two hundred formal approaches within the first two days. We stopped counting because there were so many. They were all from people who have serious ideas about how to shape the future of Nottingham, and didn’t think there was a place to try and sell them. Simon [Bristow Creative Lead on The Nottingham Project] is now the purveyor of so many interesting ideas that are coming from the public. I think we’re becoming a place to go if you think you’ve got an idea and you want an audience. Now, with Thomas Heatherwick’s involvement, we’re becoming a process people feel they can contribute to, which I think is essential for it to be successful. I would say that overall, the reaction has been phenomenal. We all need positivity, now more than ever. What are the first steps to determining the short and long term goals for the project? I think the first thing we need is to have goals, which I mean respectfully. It wouldn’t be the right thing now to pretend we know all the answers. I have ideas, you have ideas, but it doesn’t mean they’re the right ideas. What we need to go through is a process of serious creative thinking and strategising to work through why an idea is one that should be put forward, and what we should try and deliver. That can be about a number of things, but at the centre of it it means that the ideas we put forward at the end should be ambitious and really pioneering. I don’t think we should be doing stuff that other cities are doing already, we should do things that other cities haven’t thought of. Most critically, we must have an environment to deliver those ideas. I’m not going to prejudice the outcome by saying “I really like this, I want to do this.” We’ve got an amazing board, and we’ve had thousands of people follow us on social media, so we need to work together to produce a plan. And the ideas we come up with need to be scalable, original and deliverable. Then at the end of that process, we'll need to move into a new phase, which is delivering. I've had a lot of experience working in organisations that have big visions and deliver, and I’m confident we can do that. If it’s true that the first step toward finding a solution is accepting that there’s a problem, I’d assume that there was a process of identifying shortcomings in Nottingham’s creative scene. Can you tell me what that process looked like? I don't think I count them as shortcomings, but I would see them as opportunities missed. Nottingham is a bloody amazing, vibrant city. Even though we’re in the middle of the COVID pandemic, you can see that the city still has a bit of attitude. You can see people in the community are diverse and creative, and we’ve been asking community groups to come and talk to us all day, and all of them have the confidence you need to make big things happen. But I would say that over the last decade or two, other cities have upped their game when it comes to

leadership in a creative economy and Nottingham might not have kept up the pace. As a result of that, other cities might have overtaken Nottingham at a time when we should have been ahead. We’re a creative city where culture thrives, but when other cities were upping their game, we stood still. Channel 4 is a good example. How amazing would it have been if that came to Nottingham? It would have transformed the city. What that means is others advance more quickly than you, and I think that is something we're all acutely aware of, but it is the reason we set up The Nottingham Project.

We’re a creative city where culture thrives, but when other cities were upping their game, we stood still How do you think your experience as one of the directors of London 2012 will help you with the Nottingham Project? Yeah, with everything! London 2012 was a big dream – they replayed some of it recently and I can't watch it because it's too emotional. But my wife was watching it and she was crying her eyes out with happiness, because 2012 was a dream. Any big idea is a dream. The reasons that dreams come true is because you learn how to deliver them and that's what 2012 taught me. You can craft a perfectly constructed dream, but you've got to actually deliver it. I think in 2012 I had about 700 people working for me just looking at spreadsheets every day. They weren’t thinking of the wider dream, they just looked at spreadsheets, gantt charts and risk matrices, holding us true to “are we going to deliver this?” every day. So London 2012 taught me that if you can match the dream to the delivery, you’re in business. So that's what we have to do: in the first instance we have to dream the dream and then after that we have to decide how to deliver it. You can’t think they're the same thing because they’re not. Before 2012 I was involved in the redevelopment of Kings Cross St. Pancras – which is obviously very important to Nottingham – and again it was about the dream and the delivery. I think at the moment Nottingham needs a dream, and after that we need to deliver it. How big of an impact has the COVID pandemic had on your plans? Originally I thought it would take about a year to think through what our role would be in the growth of the city. I knew it wouldn’t be easy, you've got to get the stakeholders and everyone in the same room and you've got to agree on the same stuff. Because of COVID, the logic might say you need to delay. But I don’t believe that's strategic, the right thing is to do it more quickly, because the city needs it more than ever. Having walked around the city recently, you can see the early signs of COVID in the city centre. There are more shops with nothing in them and you can see that some of them won't recover. It's the old adage "never waste a crisis" – that's the game we're in. COVID is terrifying and it's terrorising our city, but what we're doing is trying to get Nottingham into a leadership position in terms of creative economy and culture. So actually it's intensified, Nottingham needs it more now and by September we're going to have a plan. This is an unprecedented crisis and we can’t afford to waste it. How do you see the project coinciding with the

Creative Quarter, which was launched as a scheme for creative change in Nottingham in 2012? You'll see that the Creative Quarter integrated into what we're doing, and they’re a brilliant example of people coming together, having an idea and delivering it. You can now see the development around the CQ that wouldn’t be there without them. And Steven [Barker - CEO of the Creative Quarter] has been fantastically helpful in allowing me to navigate some of the shadows in the project that come with doing something so ambitious. Our remit is different from looking at a piece of land and seeing what we can do with it. Our remit is about the culture of the city. And so one of the first things we did when we couldn’t do what we wanted to is set up the Robin Hood Fund. I think it's important that we don’t define ourselves as a single piece of land, or a single building, I think we should borrow from more ambitious cities and look at how we can rejuvenate our city through its culture. The example that I use endlessly is Austin, Texas. It's not about a piece of land, it's about the whole city, and they rejuvenated themselves and their creative economy. Now, Austin has one of the biggest festivals in the world in South by Southwest and is one of the coolest places on the planet to go. You’ve assembled a board of people from really eclectic backgrounds, including Vicky McClure, Shane Meadows, Marcellus Baz, Sandeep Mahal and Richard Whitehead. How did you go about selecting who you wanted to include? Firstly, we needed financial support. Without the support and bravery of both universities, the City Council and the Arts Council, we wouldn’t exist. Once you’ve got the institutions behind you, you turn to the people of Nottingham and say “We need a big, diverse group of people who, in their own way, do something brilliant.” Then we put them together and work toward the same goal, which is why it’s so similar to London 2012. We needed the right people to get things done, but who could also work together. In effect, The Nottingham Project will be a bidding company. If, for example, we wanted to get someone to relocate to Nottingham in the culture and creative sector, it would be our job to put that bid together. We weren’t part of the Channel 4 process, but what Leeds did was put it through a proper bid. So one of the advantages is that we can coordinate the whole creative sector in Nottingham to go to bigger things. Can you tell me a bit more about Project Fothergill and how Heatherwick Studios will help you create a vision for the city? The reason we called it Project Fothergill was because it had to be a really serious piece of work that has a chance of being delivered, and then has the chance to change the city. Thomas Heatherwick was someone who I was lucky enough to work with and get to know during London 2012, and he's someone who has worked on a lot of cities. What I hoped he would do was provide balance and ensure our perspective was original. I don’t want to do something that we've tried to do before. I want to think of something new. So Thomas' role is to help us think through this as someone who is a world-leading, visual, creative architect. I want him to bring an energy to it that comes from knowing how other cities work. The fusion of those things means we'll come up with ideas that are original yet deliverable.

thenottinghamproject.com Twitter: @TheNottmProject Facebook/Instagram: @TheNottinghamProject

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Give the Green Light After shopping centre giant intu collapsed into administration, causing yet another Broadmarsh development plan to fall by the wayside, Ewan Cameron decided it was time for something different. Creating an online petition calling for the area to be turned into a communal green space, his campaign has over ten thousand signatures at the time of printing. Here’s exactly why he thinks the plan to turn Broadmarsh green is essential for Nottingham... We probably all have at least one fond memory of the old Broadmarsh centre. Maybe it was fries in Wimpy or simply being entranced by the gymnastic monkey in the Gordon Scott shoe shop. It could have been shopping for school clothes in BHS or taking a step down into the City of Caves. Many of us will have vivid memories of the bus station – how could we not, when this was the place where so many goodbyes have been said and so many warm welcomes offered?

need another shopping centre in Nottingham. Even before the pandemic, brick and mortar shops were in decline, especially national chain stores that sell objects now available for cheap convenience online. We probably should have said something earlier, but when Intu went into administration and workers downed tools, a mood swept over the city and many people, quite independently of each other, questioned whether it might not just be better to have a nice park instead.

With all that said, let’s be clear. The Broadmarsh was, and is, a complete eyesore. Can you imagine how many visitors have alighted from the train, eager to explore the city of Robin Hood, only to be met with a giant concrete slab which looked like something that belonged to an industrial estate, not the star city of the Midlands? If we live in Notts, it’s probably not something we’ve ever thought about, because why rage about something you can’t change? But in the last month things have changed. With the current development on hold, intu Broadmarsh disclaimed the lease to the City Council after the business entity that was intu Broadmarsh was wound up. With the Council now owning the freehold of the land, a window seems to have been opened and over 10,000 people have signed a petition calling for the Broadmarsh to be flattened and turned into a green open space.

We know there are tough decisions ahead, but let’s tackle them together and perhaps we can emerge from these trying times with a new green jewel in the centre of our city

Of course there was already a plan to knock down the Broadmarsh and build something new, but the planned shopping centre was somewhat lacking in imagination. Plans for a cinema and bowling alley felt as though the current retrovogue for all things nineties had somehow leaped from ironic T-shirts and Spice Girls reunions straight into the realm of city planning. While it would have replaced the concrete with glass and metal cladding, the question that needs to be asked is whether we really

A park would indeed be a place that would quite literally help our city to breathe. To have a place in the centre of Nottingham that is lush and green can only be a positive for our mental health too. Yet it is not just well-being, but our sense of what Nottingham is that is at stake here. If ‘town’ is only a place for us to run from shop to shop like Pacman collecting pills, then our city pride becomes only a reflection of what we can buy in Nottingham. If on the other hand we have places to relax, to refresh, and to play in, then our city pride becomes something much stronger. Nottingham does not need another place to shop but a place where we can be. Of course, these things are easier said than done and it’s not as though the Council don’t have

tough decisions to make. After all, Nottingham City Council has been scandalously underfunded by the current national government, while other cities and regions have received more than average in national funding. We would not want a park at the expense of cuts to vital services. Thus, there is perhaps an inevitability that any new structures in the Broadmarsh would need to be seen to be worth it, monetarily speaking. There is, of course, a persuasive argument that a green open space in Nottingham is a long-term investment in city health and aesthetics that would generate more visitors and tourism in itself. There is also the possibility that a green space could also double as a dynamic space for events and local markets. There is a need for the Council to generate an income stream, but let’s keep in mind that we have two world class universities and a whole load of people who didn’t go to university who are as smart as anyone. With all this intelligence floating around, surely we can collectively think of a way to make our green open space a solid investment on physical, mental, and financial levels. The fact that the Council has plans for more greenery and public spaces in the Broadmarsh area as, on the weekend of 8-9 August, the roads around Broadmarsh will be reconfigured to create a new, welcoming gateway to the city along Collin Street, Canal Street and Sussex Street, is cause for some optimism. It’s this openness and collective spirit that we hope the Council can nurture in the coming months. We know there are tough decisions ahead, but let’s tackle them together and perhaps we can emerge from these trying times with a new green jewel in the centre of our city. In recent weeks, Nottingham has become a city of a new shared imagination.

words: Ewan Cameron

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For King, Not Country words: Jagdish Patel

As the world gets ready to remember the 75th anniversary of VJ Day, photographer Jagdish Patel explores the role of Commonwealth soldiers – many of whom were conscripted under the threat of violence – in Britain’s victory. War metaphors are used by politicians to bring a nation together in times of difficulty. Therefore, it is no surprise that one of the defining features of the impact of Coronavirus has been its comparisons to the memories of the two global wars, with calls for a 'Blitz Spirit' to the nation's new-found hero, Sir Captain Tom. Even healthcare workers have been re-defined as an army heroically fighting on the 'frontline', with their 'fallen' comrades. From my conversations, though, most seem to see themselves in a different war, as overworked medics from the TV programme M*A*S*H, seeking salvation in caring personal connections amid a mismanaged nightmare. Amongst these wartime metaphors, the VE Day celebrations was a shocking reminder to BAME communities how they remain excluded in the national narrative. Here in COVID Britain, with daily images of BAME health worker deaths, the words of the writer Paul Gilroy, “There ain't no black in the Union Jack” rang out loud. If you take a look at the images of the VE Day 75 celebrations on the BBC, or any newspaper, even The Guardian, you will not find any Black or Asian presence. Here was a celebration of a nostalgic past without our presence. The process of war memorialisation is always more concerned with constructing a coherent national narrative than retelling a true story from fragments of historical archives. Generations of British politicians have invested much in its tale of fighting fascism. There is still an unshakeable belief in its exceptionalism, despite the clear fact that it was reliant on the people and resources of the Empire. But this was before Windrush, and everyone was British, even the people from its Empire. The problem is that despite these being World Wars, we do not have an inclusive global narrative. Each of the major powers involved in the War told a slightly different version of the story. The Soviet Union, Japan, West Germany, Britain, and America each constructed a story which fitted their politics, history and identity, and in each country this has evolved. Over the past 100 years, this war memorialisation has not lessened but has become more significant to each nation, and we seem to be going more nostalgic. In reality, nearly ten million soldiers were recruited to the British Army from Asia and Africa during the two World Wars, and many more were involved as civilians. During the Wartime this was a cause for celebration, but then totally forgotten once the War ended. It is no surprise that Black Lives Matters

Nearly ten million soldiers were recruited to the British Army from Asia and Africa during the two World Wars, and many more were involved as civilians

protestors have identified memorials as an issue which needs to be challenged in the present. However, some cities are different. The scheduled VE Day celebrations in Nottingham were planned as an inclusive multicultural event. We had been working with Leftlion and Nottingham City Council on a special edition of their magazine, and events, to commemorate the role of BAME communities, but this was cancelled during the lockdown. This acknowledgement in Nottingham has come because of the work of local groups such as Himmah, Nottingham Black Archive, Dr Irfan Malik and others who have highlighted the role of the Commonwealth during Wartime for many years. Over the past two years, I have been working with the local charity, Himmah researching the stories of War veterans from Nottingham Muslim Community. We held an exhibition at the New Art Exchange in 2019, which had nearly 10,000 visitors, with some of the online work seeing over 500,000 views. There is a clear interest in these stories from our communities. For example, we talked about the life of Nottingham resident, Inayet Ali. Inayet is the only living WWII veteran in Nottingham. Born in Mirapur, Kashmir in January 1920 to a family of farmers, he attended a meeting when the Maharaja Hari Singh asked young men to help the war effort. Shortly afterwards he joined the British Indian Army. A lot of young men joined the Army at this time, around 10,000 to 25,000, and the army authorities struggled to train them all quickly. He spent nearly a year travelling the country from one training camp to another, and it was the first time he had got to see the whole of India. He also spent months training in the jungle regions across India. He was enlisted to the Indian Army Corps of Engineers. His role as part of a unit who performed a variety of military engineering duties such as breaching fortifications, demolitions, bridgebuilding, laying or clearing minefields, preparing field defences, as well as working on road and airfield construction and repairs. In this role, he travelled all over India, including spending time in Burma. Much was hidden from the army men. Anayet knew bombs had fallen in India but were told these were German bombs, not Japanese. He also knew food was in short supply, as he had to live off just peanuts on some days, but he didn't realise that there was a famine in the country. This famine would lead to over three million Indians losing their lives, and the contribution of Winston Churchill's War Cabinet to the famine is being debated.

After the War, he came to Britain and settled in Nottingham, working on the railways. Here he once again met one of his English army colleagues from India. We should remember that soldiers have a unique kinship. War brought people together and, for the first time, people from different backgrounds, races and nations, had to spend time together and interact. These interactions challenged the old perspectives, including that of the Empire itself. Nowadays as we stride in years away from the two World Wars, the role of recounting wartime memories are becoming essential and more vivid, not just for the nation, but also for families looking into their past. Now is the time to build a collective memory that we can all share. For example, 15 August 2020 is the 75th Anniversary of Victory over Japan. These battles took in places such as China, Burma, Singapore and Malaysia. Here, the Chinese suffered the most significant number of deaths during WWII. Some fourteen million Chinese died during the eight years of the conflict with Japan from 1937 to 1945. In Burma, the British Army consisted of British, Australians, Canadians, South Africans, Burmese, Chinese, Africans and, chiefly, the Indian Army, the largest volunteer army in history. The Empire was multicultural, so therefore its Army was too, with perhaps 100 languages among them and any number of faiths, customs and eating habits. Yet this is all forgotten. The most famous film about wartime Burma is The Bridge on the River Kwai. Its theme tune is often sung by England football fans, as a testament of British bravery against Japanese brutality. Football fans often stroll through BAME areas whistling its tune. Yet few football fans know that the story is fictional, and that more of the British Army POW in Japanese war camps were Indian, or that a Pakistani family from Nottingham helped British soldiers escape from one POW camp. The surrender of Japan on 15 August 1945 occurred after the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, causing over 200,000 civilian deaths. For my generation growing alongside the anti-War movement, these events were as significant as the War in Burma. War is complicated, but we urgently need a better inclusive war narrative in this country, one that celebrates peace and inclusivity. jagdishpatel.com

g e only livin Inayet is th . Nottingham in n a r te e v W WII ir in 1920... m h s a K r, u ap Born in Mir ting when e e m a d e d he atten ingh asked S i r a H ja a r t. the Maha e war effor h t lp e h to young men e joined the h s d r a w r Shortly af te n A rm y British India

UNDER COVER ARTIST

Om is Where the Art Is As the New Art Exchange gets ready to celebrate the 31st year of Nottingham Arts Mela in the UK, Alex Stubbs previews the exciting, eclectic online programme of cooking, films featuring South Asian diaspora worldwide, music, dance, debates, poetry and spoken word, family art workshops, murals, archives activated, morning raags and yoga…

We’re back in print with a bang, and Stuart Jones’ cover – a love-letter to all things print – is the cherry on top of this 48-page cake. We chat with this month’sto find out more about his work...

Summer 2020 sees the return of Nottingham Arts Mela. Boasting a deeply interesting and important history, the festival’s inaugural outing in August 1988 marked the beginnings of what has grown to become a valued Nottingham institution now in its 32nd year. Though this annual celebration of South Asian art and culture returns under the haze of a global pandemic, its programme of events, workshops, and screenings are as strong as ever. Aptly titled Climate, Changed, the Mela finds itself dealing with the implications of a changing world and what increased social distancing – and, as a consequence, decreased social interaction – means for our everyday lives.

Tell us a bit about yourself… I’m a freelance graphic designer, originally from Llanelli in South Wales. I studied Visual Communication Design at Middlesex University, and then stayed to work in London for about the next 20 years. I moved to Nottingham just over four years ago. What was the inspiration behind the cover? As August’s LeftLion is the first printed issue for a while, I wanted to do something that referenced the joy of print media. I’ve heard so much over the years about print being ‘dead’, that I just wanted to do a cover that was bright, positive and celebratory. I also thought that “it’s good to be back” is probably something that’s crossed the minds of a lot of business owners in Nottingham, as they’ve gradually begun to open their doors again.

There are wider concerns for this year’s festival, too. Speaking with Sooree Pillay, co-director of this year’s Mela and a producer of the festival since 2015, it became clear that the festival would be a place for discussion and dialogue: “We originally were looking to explore not only the environmental crisis that we face globally but also the changing landscape in terms of Brexit and different political scenarios across the globe… The exploration of changing art forms and cultures as a result of shifts in the world we live in was something we felt was really pertinent.”

How does it compare with some other projects you’ve worked on? It’s been lovely to contribute some work to LeftLion. Every month, I look forward to seeing their covers. I love that, aside from the logo, there’s no restrictive template, and I think it’s resulted in an incredibly diverse collection of artwork. What was the biggest challenge in creating the piece? That open brief! Most graphic design work is done in response to a client’s brief, so it can be a bit scary when there isn’t one. But when Ashley [Editor] said that this issue was a return to print, I thought the cover needed to be about that.

While this year’s festival may not have that same sense of gathering and celebratory atmosphere, it has still retained its meaning. Skinder Hundal, CEO of New Art Exchange, writes of the festival’s cultural importance: “The communities were taking ownership of their own destiny in promoting the arts and culture and making sure there is something there for the communities to enjoy and be proud of.” The Mela hasn’t lost that sense of connection, even when inter-person connection is challenging. For Sooree, that connection with the community is crucial: “I think this year we are trying to capture this moment in time, and create spaces for audiences to be able to participate in the discussion... It is important for us to continue to seek places to come together to share and express artistically and culturally our perceptions of our worlds today.” By connecting people across diaspora and community, whilst negotiating the boundaries of geographical separation we are faced with today, the Mela has been imbued with a revived sense of purpose.

Tell us about some projects you’ve worked on in the past… After graduating, I worked for a small agency down in London. That was great; really varied work. Among other things, we did book and CD covers for various clients, and also a magazine about feng shui. After that, I worked for various magazine publishers on titles such as J17, Sky, Look and Marie Claire. Lately, I’ve been doing lots of work for Sonic Cathedral, which is a mate’s “boutique record label” – helping out with artwork and social media things, and I recently helped out with a load of signage for the post-lockdown reopening of my boyfriend’s pub, The King Billy in Sneinton. What have you got planned for the future? It’s sometimes scary being freelance – not knowing when you’re going to get work, then getting stressed if a couple of jobs happen at the same time… And then everything went a bit quiet at the start of lockdown. Work is starting to pick up a bit again now though. I’m probably too anxious as a person to be freelance, really! Is there anything else you’d like to tell the LeftLion readers? Support print media, if you can. Keep picking up LeftLion. Check out the Notts Zine Library at the Nottingham Contemporary. Get involved. Make your own zines. Print things. Oh, and wash your handsand wear a mask

Through a programme of various workshops, talks, and events, the festival promises to educate as well as entertain. Online cooking workshops explore the history and politics of food while teaching participants a new recipe each Monday evening, and weekly interactive yoga sessions led by Kajal Nisha Patel encourage self-awareness. With lockdown still in place across the UK, workshops such as these provide a welcome relief

stuartjonesdesign.myportfolio.com

from the current social climate. One thing to look out for this year are the film screenings. Curated by Ritika Biswas and Ashok Vish, this year’s film screenings celebrate established and emerging filmmakers from global South Asian communities, with films from Jennifer Rainsford and Rohini Devasher already scheduled and more filmmakers to be announced. The film programme also reaches out to the wider community through its film call-out. Encouraging the submission of films either made by a South Asian director or those engaging with a South Asian narrative, the Mela’s film call-out is an opportunity to experience fresh and thoughtprovoking films. In the curiously titled ‘Draw with Gagan,’ participants are able to see their thoughts come to life through illustration. Led by Delhi-based visual artist Gagan Singh, Singh draws personalised works based on the provocations he receives. Open to all, ‘Draw with Gagan’ showcases the inclusive and interactive nature of the festival through a light-hearted and creative channel. The Mela also extends its reach further afield from Nottingham by engaging with South Asian communities across the globe through its weekly “Podcast Provocations”. Conversations from important voices across the generations guiding topics on the environment, politics, art, and culture are certainly an intriguing and welcome addition to the festival; with Nadia Whittome MP included in the mix of voices, the podcasts promise to be a highlight of the Mela. As for the festival moving forward, there is an opportunity to build on this year’s digital platform. “This year we have been able to develop models in the digital realm which have hugely enriched the programming possibilities,” Sooree tells me, noting that the inclusion of a digital aspect of the festival has long been an ambition of the organisers. We can definitely expect to see more digital integration in the coming years, though Sooree makes it clear that the live festival is still at the heart of the Mela: “We will always strive towards a physical live festival, as this moment has been at the heart of the Mela in Nottingham since it began in 1988.” Even though the festival looks a little different this year, it is still very much alive and beating. Nottingham Arts Mela 2020 takes place from 27 July to 23 August nottinghamartsmela.org

As this month’s cover celebrates being back in print, we thought we’d look back at a few of our favourite past covers. If you fancy some nice background music while you’re browsing, Agamemnon highly recommends clicking here... A

#126 June 2020

leftlion.co.uk/issue128

Jazz Glenn

Adam Beaumont Adam is a multidisciplinary artist and witch, telling allegorical stories through sets composed of meticulously placed created objects, images, sounds and ready-made items. Inspired by speculative fiction, Adam’s artwork is an exercise in world-building and visionary experiences, influenced by set design and occultism. After graduating from Goldsmiths University, he moved to Nottingham to be part of BACKLIT’s Chaos Magic, an artist-run space in which he’s the resident librarian and lucid-dream expert. During lockdown, Adam was inspired to develop an original system of magic based on phonetics, complete with its own symbols, correspondences, alphabets and technology. He’s currently creating objects like dice and wooden letter sets to assist in the magic’s performance, which will also serve as art in their own right. diallelus.co.uk

Joey Holder

Jazz is a British artist-photographer exploring queer representation, race and identity. His practice is informed by critical research, (generational) memory and his mixed Indian-British experience, often realised through composed and imagined narratives using installation and imagery. After graduating from Trent, he developed his practice on an Artist Residency with BACKLIT. Continuing his work with the gallery, Jazz undertook an Equality & Diversity Researcher position to improve art culture diversity and inclusion in the gallery’s programming. Currently, Jazz is working on a commission for the New Art Exchange, exploring local artists and their studio practices, which will culminate in a solo show at NAE’s gallery next summer. jazzglenn.co.uk

Joey is a visual artist, producer and mentor. Her artwork combines research into biology, technology and natural history, with mutation and hybridity as constant themes. Fuelled by collaboration with researchers and practitioners, Joey brings this research together with societal norms and prejudice via installations, videos and sculptures, creating fictional worlds that respond to real-world events. She’s also the director of Chaos Magic, an art project space set up to help recent graduates in the early stage of their career in the arts. Joey is currently undertaking a virtual residency with Videoclub, a platform for artists’ films, videos and moving images. Along with upcoming shows at London’s Seventeen Gallery and an online exhibition with Matt’s Gallery, Joey’s work will be showcased in the next British Art Show, which is set to tour galleries across the country between March 2021 and September 2022. joeyholder.com

Pablo Paillole

Leading from the

BACK

From its three-story base in the heart of Sneinton, BACKLIT is home to more than eighty studio artists, spanning a diverse range of practices, including fine art, contemporary craft and creative businesses. Theindependent, artistled gallery has provided affordable studio spaces for artists, graduates and emerging local talent for almost twelve years. With the studio currently still closed to the public, we took a look around to find out more about some of their exciting artists, including what they’ve been up to during lockdown...

Alison Whitmore

Carole Hawthorne Carole is an abstract painter whose work investigates colour combinations, rhythms, formations, structure and changing light. Influenced by minimalism and early Italian Renaissance paintings, her work aims to engage the viewer, stimulate the senses and provoke a feeling of calm contemplation. Colour is a predominant factor in Carole’s paintings, which go through an intense process of masking, layering and removing colour to create an intense visual field. Each piece is prepared by making dozens of colour swatches, which she refers back to as she works.

Alison is a mixed media artist working mainly with assemblage, exploring the multitude of detritus humans leave behind.

As lockdown forced artists from the studio, Carole’s work has become smaller in scale, resulting in a body of work that she’s continuing to develop now she’s back in the studio. During lockdown, she’s shown work online with the Old Lock Up Gallery, and is currently working on a digital collaboration with BACKLIT director Matthew Chesney.

Alison’s current projects include Containment, a collection of found materials and mixed media exploring what it means to be confined, and House of Crap, a continued exploration into the meaning of consumerism within the home, using dolls' houses, dolls' furniture and found materials to investigate how we fill and overfill our homes.

carolehawthorne.co.uk

In Alison’s work, lost or discarded objects become essential ingredients in a new story. Her artwork uses found materials to create new objects and environments, such as coloured plastics set in resin, dolls’ house style vignettes, mini installations and curiosity boxes.

alisonwhitmore.com

Pablo is a UK-based EU-national artist, working with moving images and performance to explore the relationship between fiction and reality; the past and the present. His artwork draws from archived and found media, along with newly filmed footage, to create revealing audiovisual compositions, intending to disentangle the media's conglomerate of fictional and factual content. He’s currently based at BACKLIT as the gallery’s funded studio resident. As his residency with BACKLIT draws to a close, Pablo is seeking funding for several works in progress, including a real-life gathering of both fictional characters and real people, which will be filmed and broadcasted as a reality show in a gallery setting. He’s also developing a project with Filmoteca Española’s (Spanish Film Library) archives in an attempt to revisit the personal and collective stories within the Spanish Civil War period (1936-1939), a highly sensitive, widely debated and politically polarised topic. bloping.wixsite.com/arts

Wingshan Smith Wingshan is an artist whose practice straddles the fields of education, public programming and curation. Her work explores the cathartics of rituals as a site for healing in community settings, rerouting the viewer back to their own domestic sites where identities are first formed. At BACKLIT, Wingshan forms one-third of Soft Estate, a trio of artists working to provide artists and communities with creative resources, space, time, and mutual care. They are currently working with local Sneinton residents to research and engage with the history of a 19th-century asylum that used to stand in King Edwards Park. Wingshan is also the creator of Tender Coven, a new online coven community, monthly zine and subscription box, merging witchcraft with support for emerging artists. Her latest work Picnic, a commission from Mansions of the Future, is available to view on their website until the end of September. cargocollective.com/wingshansmith

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words: Rebecca Buck illustration: Anna Keomegi

The Stage is Set Nottingham’s iconic theatres went dark in March and still have no clarity on when they can reopen, even as most people go back to work. With 90% of staff furloughed at both the Theatre Royal and Concert Hall and Nottingham Playhouse, recent government funding announcements have been welcomed. But clarity – and a timescale – are desperately needed. We spoke to Peter Ireson, Director of the Theatre Royal and Concert Hall and Stephanie Sirr, CEO of Nottingham Playhouse for an update. The Theatre Royal and Royal Concert Hall (TRCH) closed on 17 March, in the middle of their run of Riverdance, just as Opera North were setting up. As the lorries took away the trappings of the touring productions suddenly suspended, the Theatre Royal was about to be closed for the longest enforced closure in its 150 year history. It hadn’t even closed during World War II. Behind the scenes, the focus has been processing customer preferences: rescheduled tickets, refunded tickets, donations of ticket costs. Thousands of transactions. Box office, marketing and essential maintenance staff were the only ones not furloughed. TRCH has shared digital content to keep audiences engaged and entertained during lockdown, working with regular collaborators such as the National Theatre and Royal Shakespeare Company. Late July saw a live Q&A with cast members of the Thriller Season: it has run for the past three decades, this is the first year it won’t. TRCH is local authority maintained and will survive. But what that survival will look like will depend on what support is available. Asked about the recent government announcement of funding for the arts, Peter Ireson responds “it cheered me up.” He has been advocating vocally for this support, for the whole sector. Recently the team lit the building up red for the ‘Light it in Red’ campaign to emphasise the crisis in the wider events industry. As Peter is keen to point out, theatres and music venues sustain a whole supply chain of freelancers, technicians, artists and more. Clarity on how the funding will be allocated is now key. There is no planned reopening date, although many shows have been rescheduled. With 2m of social distancing space allowed, the venue would only operate at 20% capacity. Even at 1m, it would only make it to 30%. Usually, capacity averages at 70% over the year. As Peter points out, the theatre experience is about being close to other people: “the audience all around you, breathing the same air as the person on stage.” This is the essence of the live experience: something shared. Without this, TRCH has no clear offer, no clear business model. For now, maximising furlough remains key: down the line, this might mean diversifying the experiences on offer. Peter says “Our vision is to provide great cultural experiences for the people of Nottingham and beyond.” This doesn’t have to be the same as before, but any change will be a huge challenge, of course.

Safety, of staff, audiences, performers and technicians will come first, Peter is keen to stress. The community have been very supportive: some donating ticket costs instead of accepting refunds, some joining the Friends scheme and making donations, offering messages of understanding, and kindness. Peter’s best advice to supporters: “Buy tickets when performances are rescheduled, and come back to the theatre as soon as you can.”

Buy tickets when performances are rescheduled, and come back to the theatre as soon as you can The Theatre Royal has been at the heart of Nottingham’s cultural experience for 150 years. This year, they’re not even sure they’ll have a panto – pending a decision from Qdos, the production company, in August. But Peter is sure theatre and live performance will have a place for a long time to come. It is a place that “can be about escapism, good for mental health. It can also be challenging, educational, and inspirational.” He speaks proudly of a staff team desperate to reopen and begin to offer that again. At Nottingham Playhouse, Private Peaceful was about to open, one of the highlights of the year. All the sets had been built, the actors were fully rehearsed. When lockdown arrived, the innovative team considered an online production. But one actor had possible COVID-19 symptoms and it couldn’t go ahead. It has been rescheduled for next year, as has everything else. Stephanie Sirr recounts the grim day by day process of closing the Playhouse. Shows were cancelled, but staff stayed at work, tying up loose ends, wondering how long lockdown would last. Four or five days later, the staff were working from home or furloughed. The Playhouse is a producing theatre – the production team is in-house and they now had nothing to work on. For the few staff who kept working “all sense of hierarchy went out of the window” with everyone getting stuck in. Part of their work was maintaining a “full participation offer.” The Playhouse is a community hub and all regular activities found ways to operate online, including dance groups, and the over 55s club. Their first play performed via Zoom – Noah and the Peacock – was so popular that it is being repeated from August 12-23. It’s a participatory experience with downloadable masks and interaction for online audiences. Stephanie suspects that the online offer will continue for some time, even when live performances resume. In some ways, Zoom theatre is a new artform, finding an enthusiastic audience who enjoy the convenience of theatre at home. The Playhouse is a charity and 75% of its usual income is earned income. The ‘Curtain Up’ fundraising appeal was launched quickly and Arts Council England emergency funding has secured the future as far as September, but there is still a long

way to go. There is international support: an online showing of the 2018 performance of The Madness of King George was watched by 300,000 people around the world, many of whom donated. It will take many more donations – and clarity about the government’s funding package – to give the Playhouse a secure future. Stephanie estimates that every quarter that passes makes the charity £500,000 worse off. The Playhouse is more than ready to reopen. Safety of actors, staff, and audiences will take priority, but they are keen for an opening date. There are community activities to resume too. The Playhouse, Stephanie points out, is a “cultural service” and their motivation for wanting to get back to business is not entirely commercial. It’s a “diverse organisation that touches so many lives.” Why is theatre so important? Stephanie has noticed that lockdown, and perhaps other troubles we’re living through, have left people with a “greater need for quality cultural experiences than ever before.” We are feeling fractious and worried as a society, and the arts can help, providing escapism but also “cohesion”. People want to celebrate “the human spirit”, Stephanie says, and the theatre is the perfect place for that. One thing to celebrate: there will be a Playhouse pantomime this festive season. It might be different but “all the key elements of panto” will be there. To find out more about how you can support TRCH, visit trch. co.uk/support-us Find out more about The Playhouse ‘Curtain Up’ appeal by visiting nottinghamplayhouse.co.uk/support/curtainup-appeal or text NOTTS 10 to 70085 to donate £10 or NOTTS 20 to 70085 to donate £20.

Need something to look forward to? Theatre Royal and Nottingham Playhouse are currently taking bookings for these upcoming shows. 26 - 31 July 2021 Peter James’ Looking Good Dead Theatre Royal 12 - 27 February 2021 Choir Boy Nottingham Playhouse 6 - 10 April 2021 Matthew Bourne’s Nutcracker Theatre Royal 4 - 28 August 2021 The Book of Mormon Theatre Royal 21 - 26 June 2021 The Da Vinci Code Theatre Royal 20 March - 3 April 2021 Private Peaceful Nottingham Playhouse 12 - 23 August 2020 Noah and the Peacock Nottingham Playhouse The Coded Letters 4,1 / 1,3 / 2,1 / 3,4 / 4,2 / 1,5 / 4,6

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A Beacon Of Light Stranded boats at sea. Last breaths in lorries. Traumatisation by traffickers. These are just some of the horrific risks refugees take to reach the UK – a place that historically has been full of promise and hope for them. Yet when they arrive here, they’re met with a hostile government and campaigns of hate. However, the Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Refugee Forum provides a range of services to help them survive and thrive in the face of adversity. As it celebrates its twentieth anniversary, Eve Smallman talks to Director Matt Atkins about what they’ve achieved and how you can help them carry on their work… “You helped me at a time when I didn’t have anyone to help me, when I was turned away, when all the doors were shut. I know you might say you were doing your job but I believe you acted on the will of God.” This is just one of many heartbreaking yet heartwarming comments from the Forum’s case studies. The Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Refugee Forum was founded twenty years ago by organisations in Nottingham collectively wishing to provide a better service for refugees arriving in the city. The Forum has now grown from having one part-time worker to 43 full-time workers, 200 volunteers and 2,000 clients. “We've got seventeen different services, including support groups, our cafe, and the vulnerable persons’ resettlement scheme, when the Home Office brings people in from refugee camps and they get settled in the city,” Matt tells me. “We also have the drop-in clinic where – before COVID – we would see between thirty to fourty clients a day Monday to Thursday. Depending on the complexity of the case, they could be supported, signposted to other areas, or referred to our on-site specialist advice team.” If clients have been granted refugee status by the government, the Forum can help them claim benefits and find accommodation. They only have twenty days to get housing, otherwise they will end up facing homelessness. One major area the Forum deals with is working with destitute clients – those who have been through the asylum process, and have had their application rejected. Matt explains: “We can either help them put together a fresh claim – which has to be completely different from the original asylum claim – or help with the voluntary return, which is where they choose to go back to their home country.” He continues, “I think a lot about the fact that many clients would prefer to sleep on the streets than return home. It says a lot about what their circumstances are like.” For the Forum there have been countless highlights, both from helping refugees as well as moments where their staff and volunteers have really done them proud. For example, as for many companies, COVID-19 has brought its own set of defining moments. “The way we’ve been able to continue providing support during COVID has been fantastic; we all came together as a team to look at how we'd have to shut down our building while still continuing to offer support to clients,” he says. “We've been able to transition

words: Eve Smallman illustration: Kate Sharp

from a face-to-face service to a remote service, with people being able to ring and then be assigned to a caseworker.”

I think a lot about the fact that many clients would prefer to sleep on the streets than return home Last year the Forum was given the Investment in Volunteering award, which is the national standard for good volunteer management. A quarter of the Forum’s volunteers come from a refuge or asylumseeking background, and they aim to help them build confidence and improve their communication skills: “We’re so reliant on volunteers – it’s not just about what they do for us but it’s about what we can do for them also, so for them to feel so positive about our volunteering process is fantastic for us.” The relationships that volunteers build with those they are working with are a key aspect of being part of the Forum. Matt describes recent feedback they got from a client as part of a new befriending service, where the Forum calls new settlers into the city to check how they’re doing: “The befriender said the client described him as a beacon of light in these dark times. We deal with a lot of grief and hostile environments; there's only so much we can control for our clients, as a lot of it is Home Office decision making, so when clients are able to give positive messages back, it makes it all worthwhile.” While being faced with COVID has pushed the Forum to be even more innovative, it has also brought difficulties in terms of how the services run. “A lot of our clients suffer tech poverty, so even though we run Zoom meetings for our youth and women’s groups, a lot of people don’t have access to phones or can’t afford credit for them,” Matt discloses, “The anxiety is that we're missing out on helping clients, as not everybody can access our services when we can't do face-to-face work.” They have also faced financial difficulties; while they

have successfully applied for some grants, these have been short-term ones and don’t guarantee a future for the Forum. “The fear today is that there's a likelihood that local and national governments won’t be able to fund our traditional services – they're spending a fortune on keeping everything going, but at some point they're going to have to catch up on that,” Matt tells me. “It is a potential threat to our services when they’re needed most, as our clients are most prone to be affected by COVID-19.” Because of this, the Forum has launched an emergency appeal for donations, which has raised £18,000 so far. This has allowed them to keep their food bank running, as well as allowing them to plan to reopen while being COVID-compliant. The Forum is always happy to accept food and financial donations, however, one other area they’d like people to help with is in creating a collective voice on the true picture on the refugee situation in the UK. “If you ask the average person, a lot of people seem to think that we’re swamped by refugees, when actually we’ve only taken 1% of them in from the whole world,” Matt reveals. “People wonder why they journey to Britain, but we have historical links to the places they come from as, generally, they were part of the Commonwealth or the Empire.” He continues: “It's incredible when you actually meet some of our clients and hear what they’ve gone through to get here – I've got clients who have had their entire family murdered in front of them, they’ve had horrific journeys, and some of the women have been attacked by traffickers and smugglers… They come to this country and expect sanctuary and safety, but are met with this hostile environment – yet they still stand there with dignity, optimistic for the future.” The Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Refugee Forum has helped refugees create and work through defining extraordinary experiences, and we are lucky to have such a remarkable organisation in the area. Whether you can donate cans or cash, share their Facebook posts, or even try and educate your stubborn anti-immigration uncle, everything we can chip in to help the Forum continue its wonderful work is well and truly worth it. nottsrefugeeforum.co.uk /nottsrefugeeforum

Emission Statement Since 2005, Nottingham has reduced its carbon emissions by more than double the target goal first laid out by Nottingham City Council. But now there is a new target – to become the first carbon neutral city in the UK by 2028. Ahead of the launch of their 28 day challenge, taking place on social media throughout August, we speak to Sally Longford, Deputy Leader of the Council and Portfolio Holder Energy, Environment and Democratic Services about how they intend to make it happen… How did the plan for Nottingham 2028 come about? During a full council meeting in 2019, I made the pledge that Nottingham would become carbon neutral by 2028. We spent a few months preparing a draft action plan outlining how we would achieve this goal and then, in January of this year, I formally declared a climate and ecological emergency and launched a consultation on the plan we had constructed. We've since spoken with lots of organisations and individuals, and received a lot of support – we had more than 1000 contributions and amendments. We've recently published the new, revised plan responding to this feedback, which we’ve gained national recognition for. At the heart of Nottingham 2028 is a desire to ensure that we not only play a part in reducing the threat of climate change, but also that our citizens can be protected from the impact and made more resilient. It's important we contribute to the global effort to tackle the climate crisis, and it's absolutely essential for everybody to play a part. The action plan mentions that Nottingham has “always been at the forefront of climate leadership” – what are some steps the city has taken against the climate emergency previously? We've been doing lots of things in the background – not necessarily using climate change and carbon reduction as the main reason for doing them, but to provide good quality services for our citizens, give people lower bills and ensure that they're safe and comfortable in their homes. We’ve installed lots of solar panels and several years ago implemented a district heating scheme using energy created from the burning of waste to heat nearly 5000 homes and offices in the city. We’ve got a huge fleet of electric buses and have had a lot of investment in electric vehicles. There was concern when we installed a highend cycle route on Castle Boulevard, but it’s actually doubled the amount of cyclists using that route. We've also had a big retrofitting programme of homes which is ongoing at the moment. If you go to some of our council estates such as Clifton, you'll see that they’ve have had additional cladding on the outside to keep them warm, and we're now in the process of introducing very efficient homes under the Energiesprong programme, which started in Sneinton and is being rolled out across the city. The most recent figures show that Nottingham has had a carbon emissions reduction of 41% in the city and 49% per person since the levels recorded in 2005. The Council’s target for this was only 26% – do you think this demonstrates that residents are willing to work towards the carbon neutral goal? I think there’s been enthusiasm because, in a lot of ways, reducing your carbon reduces your bills. If people can access advice about how to reduce their carbon, it has an impact on how much money they've got at the end of the month, so it's often not difficult to persuade people to take those steps. But in many ways, we have the more difficult things to come. We need to get people to actively choose lower carbon choices. You can see that during the lockdown there's been a lot less traffic on the roads – we need to ensure that when people go back to work they think about using more sustainable means to get there. People will have to make active choices in order to continue on this route. There's a lot of pressure on councils at the moment to have a green recovery from COVID and

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we're joining with other Councils and organisations to put pressure on the Government to provide funding.

the local environment and give people a nice shady place to relax on a hot summer's day.

To ensure we meet the target, emission reduction rates would have to be in excess of 22.3% per year. The Action Plan lists five sections in which to do this – transport, energy generation, the built environment, waste and water, and consumption. How do you plan on reducing emissions in these areas? Something I’m very excited about in terms of energy generation is the use of deep mine water to heat homes – as many people know, there were a lot of coal mines under the city and in those mines is a lot of warm water we can use. We’ve got a small pilot project about to start in Bulwell and we’re hoping that we'll be able to increasingly use that method. In terms of transport, we’ve recently secured funding to reduce air pollution, and Nottingham City Transport have been switching their buses to bio-gas and upgraded the remaining diesel engine buses to make them much more efficient.

During lockdown, I’ve never seen the city centre parks so busy with people desperate to get out of the house. Section 4 of the plan mentions the improvements that will be made to residents' physical and mental wellbeing – do you think the importance of green spaces is something that residents will be more sympathetic to after this lockdown experience? I'm sure it is. There's a huge amount of evidence that being in touch with nature helps people's mental health and, as you say, during lockdown it's been absolutely crucial that people could get out and just be in nature, and that's why this plan is so important. We're very fortunate in the city that we've already got some lovely parks and a very active Friends of Parks group who are very supportive of what we’re doing.

At the heart of Nottingham 2028 is a desire to ensure that we not only play a part in reducing the threat of climate change, but also that our citizens can be protected from the impact The built environment is a difficult one because planning regulations don't give us a lot of tools to stop unsustainable development, so the council is trying to put in place planning documents which encourage more energy-efficient new buildings with more biodiversity. Alongside our pledge to be single-use plastic free by 2023, we'll encourage people to use reusable bottles and install water fountains in the city to encourage that. Also, we'll be asking people to consume more sustainably, encouraging businesses to procure locally and showing individuals how to grow their own food. It's not going to be easy, there's a lot of quite significant changes we'll have to make if we're going to reach the target, but in many ways we'll be creating a cleaner, more attractive environment for ourselves. The plan also mentions the use of nature to take carbon from the atmosphere and store it. Can residents expect to see any ‘noticeable’ changes to the city? We’re hoping to have a very attractive environment in the future. We’ve got a massive ambition to plant trees – it started with the idea of planting 10,000 in four years but now we’re aiming for 50,000. Although we’ve got a lot of open spaces already, we’ll be replacing trees that have disappeared from the city centre, and we’re creating a nice, relaxing linear park on Collin Street which in the future will hopefully lead up to the castle. We've got a lot of unused allotments too, and I'm really keen to create spaces where we can produce food or plant orchards where people can collect food from. So, all sorts of nice things which will be beneficial to people and will help cool the climate, cool

Who are some of the funders of Nottingham 2028? The Council has spent a lot and lost a lot of income during the COVID crisis, and that has left us in a pretty difficult position financially. At the moment we don't have a Council budget for Nottingham 2028, but we do have opportunities to bid for money and we've been very successful recently in obtaining funding for a range of new measures. Hopefully, if the Government stands by their pledge to fund us for all our COVID expenses, we will be in a better position to put some money aside. Unfortunately, we're pretty strapped for cash at the moment and are using every means that we can to work with our partners to get there. But I think we will – I'm optimistic, we've got a huge number of people working towards this, from our green partnership to young people from our Primary Parliament, and there are lots of individuals who are offering help and support. Tell us about the 28 day challenge... The idea is to raise awareness of the carbon neutral goal and get individuals and families on board, to encourage them to take actions they might not have tried before which will hopefully lead to a more sustainable way of living. Some of them are educational, some are about engaging with nature or reducing waste, and others are just a bit of fun. It won’t cost them any money, they’re things they can do from home or in their local park, something that families can engage in during the summer holidays. The original idea was to be out at events all summer long talking to people and spreading awareness of the 2028 goal. Unfortunately, as we all know, events have been cancelled, so this will hopefully be a way to reach people that haven’t given the climate crisis much thought so far. The Council aren't organising any of the events – we’ve got all sorts of different local organisations involved in the different activities. This carbon neutral goal needs to involve everybody, and I think we should all see this as a very positive thing for the city. A level of enthusiasm and commitment from residents can drive us forward to a much more pleasant way of living, a more sustainable life, one where people have access to nature, clean air and lower bills. What's not to like about that? Keep an eye on @MyNottingham to get involved with the Nottingham 2028 28 day challenge, beginning Saturday 1 August. nottinghamcity.gov.uk/cn2028

interview: Emily Thursfield

food Review: CHEFF Like many people, I’ve been trying to use lockdown as a chance to get healthier. I’ve sweated along to Joe Wicks, endured online classes where I’m the only participant, and blitzed up smoothies with smug mode enabled. But that stuff is exhausting to keep up. And some days you want a naughty treat and a break from meal prep. Enter CHEFF – a clean and healthy alternative takeaway based in West Bridgford. A few clicks and, before I knew it, my CHEFF Dinner Box (£12.60) and my Chocolate Chunky Monkey protein shake (£4.45) were on my doorstep.

Drinks all round

In the box you really do get your value for money – they pack it full, but not overwhelmingly so. You can customise the box to make it meaty, veggie or vegan, choose your carbs (or choose extra veg instead if you’re stronger-willed than me), as well as a range of sides. I went for tofu, sweet potato fries, roasted vegetables, slaw and peppers, and a drizzle of garlic aioli for good measure.

words: Eve Smallman

They say it takes a village to raise a child. But really, they should be saying it takes a village to make a bloody good bottle of gin. Ruddy Fine Gin has been two years in the making, but now they’ve perfected their recipe, and they’re ready to launch in Ruddington and beyond. We chat to the co-owners, husband and wife duo Cheryl and Rory Stretton, to find out all about it… When the couple picks up the phone for this interview, they’re rushed off their feet – they’ve had a busy day ferrying orders in their van, but they still have masses of energy, and their excitement about their business bubbles over in conversation like tonic over ice. Ruddy Fine Gin has been their baby for two years, and during lockdown they reached a point where they could share it with the world. While some relationships can drive you to drink in a bad way, Cheryl and Rory’s did this in the best way, as it introduced him to the wonderful world of gin. Rory tells me, smiling: “I was never really a big fan of gin until I started going out with Cheryl. As time wore on, we progressed to buying our own little copper stick still from a place in Portugal and having a little go at making our own.” This tinkering and dabbling went on for a while, and they realised that they’d stumbled on doing something they enjoyed and that could work well as a business too – the emergence of craft gins have created a ‘ginaissance’ in the UK in recent years, with it overtaking whiskey as the nation’s favourite spirit. While they have worked on the recipe for two years – experimenting with different botanicals and going through over forty different recipes before settling on their flagship Lockdown London Dry’s – it has been their free time in lockdown that has allowed them to settle on the best batch and build a brand, with the help of their friends, family and local businesses in Ruddington. Rory says: “When we were allowed to we invited one of our friends for social-distanced tasting when we'd literally got it down to three final recipes. Every single one of them came out with the latest version as their preferred one, and said they felt that it was a step above any other gins they’d tried.” He continues, “It's very refreshing, it's very zesting, it's quite deep, and all the botanicals and flavours just fit together really well.”

Despite the fairly recent launch, they’ve already got it stocked in Ruddington locals The Red Lion, The Frame Breakers and The White Horse, as well as various stores on the village high street. The couple really credits the community for helping them launch the gin – not just in terms of stocking it, but in terms of sharing it on social media, giving advice to them, and lining up at the village fair to buy a bottle, where they sold 110 bottles in just one day. “People really couldn't have been more generous and supportive, and we really would love to say a massive thank you to all of them.” With the village being so supportive of their launch, they wanted to give back – and realised they had the facilities and ingredients to do just that by producing hand sanitiser. “Mark who helps run the village market also helps at the food bank on a Saturday, and he took about 100 bottles down there to help the volunteers,” Cheryl says. “Ruddington had around 350 volunteers that were helping deliver prescriptions in the area, so we gave them a bottle as well and then some of them went out with the prescriptions too.” As lockdown eases and we’re all in dire need of a tasty tipple, Rory and Cheryl are raring to go, with new flavours already in the works; their summer berries pink gin has just come out and they’re working on a bottle infused with honey from their garden, and they’re even crafting a Navy strength one that’s a corking 57% ABV. Rory finishes our call by saying: “It's been great fun so far, and the reason we wanted to do it was that, and it's something that we're very passionate about.” Nab yourself a bottle, some tonic, a sprig of rosemary or a slice of orange and get propped up in your garden – we all definitely deserve it. ruddyfine.co.uk @ruddyfinegin

Everything was really well-portioned and really well-prepared. The roasted vegetables were slightly al-dente which gave them a gorgeous crunch, and the simplicity of the seasoning let the flavours shine. Sweet potato fries can never be bad, but these ones were the best I’ve ever had – crispy and soft, a beautiful marrying of sweet and salt. My favourite part was the falafels though – proper hefty, packed with flavour, and punched me with just the right level of spice. Making shakes can be such a faff, so having an already-made one was a very tasty luxury. I also liked that it gave me ideas and motivation for making my own healthy meals. Cheat days can make you feel guilty and empty, but this one didn’t – it was a nutritious, hearty meal that made me feel excited to carry on my fitness journey. My compliments are very much to the CHEFF. Eve Smallman Trent Boulevard, West Bridgford, NG2 5BL @cheffnottingham

food review: bonzai

Coming up Roses

Japanese food notoriously cooks with fish, and while I love the refreshing, exciting flavours that come with it, as a vegetarian I struggle to find places I can order from. But I’m a big believer in giving your body what it wants (food-wise, obviously), so when I was craving Japanese food I decided to give Bonzai a go. I ordered a Shoji Bento box (£13.91) and a Nazu Dengaku (£6.70), which also came with a free delicious side of miso soup. Traditionally Bento boxes are popular for eating practically on the go, filled with a variety of food groups. While I was very much having a cosy night in, I didn’t fancy a huge meal but I wanted to eat nibbly bits. Each element was thoughtfully created and stood out as individually delicious pieces. The tofu was beautifully silky, utterly melt-in-the-mouth and oozing with an aromatic sauce. I’m not usually a fan of tempura, but the batter was so light and crispy I wasn’t left feeling overwhelmed with grease.

words: Kelly Holmes

A proper good slice of cake can always help put the world to rights, and Sam Rose of Betty Rose Bakes knows how to do just that, and more. Her sweet treats are made with beautiful local ingredients, as she has a keen focus on them being environmentally-friendly. We chat to her about the makings of her business and how she’s been keeping calm and baking on during lockdown… If you happen to be a Mapperley dweller or ever found yourself (pre-lockdown) in the Cobden Place Cafe, then you may already be aware of the tasty goodies offered up by Betty Rose Bakes.

The sharp, slightly salty edamame pods cleansed the palate nicely in between the richer flavours. Perfect soy sauce is hard to master, but Bonzai have got it down pat, and when drizzled onto the sticky rice, elevated that hugely flavour-wise. My favourite part was the Nazu Dengaku – the sweetness of the miso paste and the saltiness of the mayo worked gorgeously to make the flavour of the aubergine shine. Bonsai trees signify harmony, and Bonzai did just that in terms of their brilliantly balanced flavours and textures, as well as leaving me feeling relaxed, satisfied and not stuffed to the brim. Whether you want to eat in their lovely Hockley restaurant or in the comfort of your home, they are sure to provide you with a unique culinary experience. Brie Andagbread Carlton Street, NG1 1NL bonzai-japaneserestaurant.co.uk

Operating from a small residential kitchen, Sam Rose, aka Betty Rose Bakes, is cooking up a storm in the freshest, 100% natural, zero-waste and most ethically sourced kind of way. She tells me: “I am a keen forager, using as much seasonal and locally sourced produce as possible, and I often find myself exchanging my bakes for surplus ingredients from friends’ and neighbours’ gardens and allotments.” Sam cut her catering teeth at an early age, “My first job was at the age of thirteen when I would hop in a van after school or at the weekends and travel across Suffolk for various events, prepping food, waitressing and washing-up as well as loading and unloading the van for Splinters catering company.” If you can cut the mustard in that industry at the age of thirteen, it must be pure passion. She cites her seven-year period of working at Squeek on Heathcote Street (sadly no longer there) as a great source of inspiration for both her love of plant-based recipes and how to deal with the utter madness of a professional kitchen environment. Along with this, she also attributes part of her inspiration for cracking on and starting up her own venture to Beth Marriot from Kiosk, “Beth taught me ways of working with food that opened my mind to a whole new way of exploring ingredients and processes.” It was in 2018 that Sam decided to take the plunge and set up her own business, which she named after her gorgeous dog Betty, who heartbreakingly died soon after the launch.

Like many small businesses, this whole lockdown malarkey has posed its own set of problems for Betty Rose and her beautiful bakes. “Lockdown changed everything overnight! I went from running Cobden Place Cafe three or four days per week and supplying cafes with my bakes to no work at all! For the first couple of weeks, it was just a period of adjustment and panic.” But adjust she did and adapted her business to be able to take remote transactions, offer noncontact deliveries and pick-ups, and basically just keep on baking for the good of the city. She did all of this while homeschooling her nine-year-old and adapting to this cautious world we find ourselves in. Lockdown has given her, as it has many of us, time to stop, have a breather and bloody good think about what the future should look like. “I would love to be able to make my living solely through Betty Rose Bakes, so my future ambitions would be to expand my customer base via renting a kitchen unit and having lots more space to create,” she says. “I would love to have my own small cafe one day but that ambition is way ahead into the future.” When pressed on what she would refer to as her signature bake, the sublime answer came: “My celebration cakes are all signature bakes – I have complete creative freedom with them and no cake is the same as another.” So whether it be your weekly fix of fresh sourdough, some serious deliciousness in the shape of a carrot, beetroot and orange cake, a celebration cake for someone special or simply snagging yourself a box of badass brownies to sit back and binge on in your favourite elasticated-waist trousers, then rest assured that, Betty Rose has got your bake. Sandford Road, Mapperley, NG3 6AL @bettyrosebakes

Gallery 47 Bye and Bye (Album) With three album releases so far this year, lockdown has been productive for Gallery 47. Album no.2, Bye and Bye, is a journey of grungey fuzz and bedroom sweetness balancing lo-fi with the soft emotiveness of indie pop. Production will make you think of mid 2000’s John Frusciante, especially the drums on tracks like Fresh. The vocals throughout the album add to the overall lo-fi-feel; never too strong and some slight ambient influences can be heard on Change the Weather. Smoking isn’t cool (autobiographical?) is a must listen also. This will definitely make multi-instrumentalists excited. Joe Robinson

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Black Viking feat. Meeshxy, Janine Songbird Nicole, Nay Loco, Veronica Caine, Gavin Gordon and Courtney Rose Pandemic (Single)

Joe Egan Tomorrow Will Be Different (Sofa Session Live Album)

Far from letting the bleakness and despair of current times get them down, this talented bunch of local artists have united down at Hyson Green’s Take 1 Studios over the past few weeks to create Pandemic, a stunning collaborative track traversing the emotional landscape of 2020; from coronavirus and racism to post-Brexit feelings. The accompanying socially-distanced video brings this urgent piece of work to life further, and can be viewed over on Take 1’s YouTube channel. Becky Timmins

If you think you haven’t heard guitarist Joe Egan play before, you might be wrong; when he’s not freewheeling through solo passages of improvised jazz, he’s one part of hip-hop influenced jazz trio Major Ruse. Very much a believer in doing things differently, Joe’s inaugural live EP was recorded during his performance for our series of Sofa Sessions back in the depths of lockdown, and it’s six tracks of volatile, yet energising, improv that we highly recommend you experience. Becky Timmins

Asa Fanks (Album)

Clapham Watch OK (Single)

Sonic wizard, Asa, is back with his second album. Like most modern experimental music, Asa’s work falls broadly under the post-punk umbrella, although the album itself nods to many influences ranging from synthwave and hip-hop to funk and psychedelic. Boasting an anthemic prominence akin to early-noughties guitarrock bands, Fanks is heavy on distortion, accompanied by unhinged tones and otherworldly synths, comprising a collective jumble of alienlike earworms narrated by distinctly Notts spoken word. Laura Phillips

With ambient piano in a synth-heavy opening, OK has instant chill-step vibes. Lead singer Rachel, born and bred in Nottingham, has a beautifully buoyant tone which flows fittingly over a lowdubbed bass beat that’s more than enough to get you on your feet dancing. The tune then evolves into a fully-fledged pop classic, with upbeat guitar licks, groovy, soul-soaked melodies and angelic reverb: everything you need for your summer party playlist. Ellis Maddison

If you’re from Nottingham and want to get added to our music writers list, or get your tunes reviewed, hit us up at music@leftlion.co.uk

NUSIC BOX

Your new Notts music tip sheet, as compiled by Nusic’s Sam Nahirny. Want more? Check out the fortnightly podcasts and live sessions on the Nusic website.

Bekka Burns Sometimes you come across a brand new artist that, from the second the mp3 begins, you enter a world of intrigue that leads you down the road of ‘Holy crap, this is insanely good’. That journey happened when we first heard Bekka’s So High. Sultry, dramatic soundscapes, complimented by an incredibly unique and powerful voice, it feels like an anthem. Also, it really makes you wanna buy an electric guitar off eBay. facebook.com/BekkaBurnsMusic

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Phidizz Having your very own musical genre has to be the ultimate sign of smashing it musically. And that is exactly what Phidizz has done. The Prince of ‘Shwavey’ is super slick RnB that wouldn’t sound out of place on the Billboard 100, while still managing to sound incredibly unique. Oh, and he’s bezzies with Pierce Brosnan’s mum. Yes, mum. Obvs. There’s a world of Phidizz already there, and it’s beginning to feel like the Shwavey takeover is only a few months away. facebook.com/Phidizzofficial

We delve through the archives of LeftLion and Overall There is a Smell of Fried Onions to let you know what was happening in Nottingham on this month many years ago… words: Jared Wilson From the pages of Overall... magazine News It was an odd year for the city's longestablished Rock & Reggae festival on the Forest Recreation Ground. The introduction of a £2 charge to access what had previously been a free festival put a lot of people off attending. Instead, many of them gathered on the Forest Rec anyway and organised their own party next door. As Overall... put it; “Imagine how confusing it must have been for South African rap crew Prophets of Da City playing to thirty or so people inside some huge arena, while outside the perimeter they could see a few thousand people having a free festival.”

Films The Usual Suspects (dir. Bryan Singer) Ed Wood (dir. Tim Burton) Desperado (dir. Robert Rodriguez) Music A brand new venue had just opened up on London Road called Sam Fays. Local bands Molly Half Head, Silencer and Skin Limit Show played one of the early shows. Photographer Ralph Barklam was there to capture it and still takes photos of bands and people around the city to this day. Hole, Slash’s Snakepit, Ozzy Osbourne, Credit To The Nation and Rolf Harris had recently played at Rock City.

From the pages of LeftLion Issue #6 News We’d just put out our sixth-ever issue, with a young Carl Froch featured on the cover. Carl had recently won British and Commonwealth Super-Middleweight titles and was eager to call out Welshman Joe Calzaghe who had held the WBO belt for the best part of a decade. Unfortunately, the fight never happened as Calzaghe eventually vacated the belt to move up a weight.

From the pages of LeftLion Issue #70 News Nottingham Playhouse were gearing up for their Conspiracy Season, which featured some excellent performances of 1984 and The RubenStein Kiss, as well as a new play about the Ratcliffe-on-Soar Power Station protests and undercover cop Mark Kennedy, called By Any Means Necessary. Films Southpaw (dir. Antoine Fuqua) Amy (dir. Asif Kapadia) The Man from U.N.C.L.E (dir. Guy Ritchie)

Films The 40-Year-Old Virgin (dir. Judd Apatow) Broken Flowers (dir. Jim Jarmusch) The Constant Gardener (dir. Fernando Meirelles) Music The issue featured interviews with Roots Manuva (who was playing at the Rescue Rooms on the back of his third album Awfully Deep). On a more local level we also chatted to Punish The Atom and Beeston’s Little Barrie (who would go on to join Primal Scream and write the theme music to Breaking Bad spin-off Better Call Saul).

Music Kagoule has just signed up with Nottingham’s own Earache records and were excited but also amused at the fact they’d been signed by a label who has made their name in the grindcore and death metal scenes. We interviewed Ady Suleiman and he told us how his friendship with Harleighblu helped to introduce him to the Nottingham scene. The Waterfront festival celebrated its fifth birthday with more fancy dress and silliness from I’m Not From London. The Maze had just kicked off a new night called Brouhaha, where they brought festival vibes and burlesque to the inside of the venue. In our reviews page were 94 Gunships, Bru-C, Crosa Rosa, Harleighblu and Clay Shaped Boy.

Fancy a bit more Nottstalgia? If so, head over to read these issues in their entirety online at leftlion.co.uk/magazine and overallmag.com

Screen co-Editor George White explores the history of the summer blockbuster, and whether the COVID pandemic will stop us seeing 2020’s best summer screen offerings... Ah, summer. It’s sunny (ish), warm (kind of), and stays light long enough for you to avoid a vitamin D deficiency (hopefully). So, why do we choose to spend so much of the summertime in a cool, dark room watching movies with other people? Well, that’s because, regardless of how great real life may be, there is still nothing like escaping into the latest action-packed, high-octane blockbuster for a couple of hours – and there’s no better place to do so than the cinema. Last year alone, UK cinemagoers spent almost £400 million checking out the latest big-budget releases, with thousands flocking to local screenings of Men in Black International, The Lion King and Dark Phoenix. Considering these films are objectively pretty awful, this figure is testament to the British public’s loyalty to the big screen.

Many summer blockbusters have been severely delayed this year, with the pandemic forcing cinemas to close for what is usually one of their busiest periods In the past, though, summer has seen the release of some of Hollywood’s most interesting, memorable and influential productions. This includes, of course, 1975’s Jaws, which saw Steven Spielberg basically invent the entire principle of the summer blockbuster, his record-breaking box office success changing the course of cinema forever. More recently, flicks like Mad Max: Fury Road have raked in big money and affected popular culture, with the film regularly topping Empire magazine’s list of the best films of all time – and countless gamers shouting “Witness me!” as they storm a building full of enemies in Call of Duty (or maybe that’s just me, I don’t know). As Coronavirus continues to be a prat, many summer blockbusters have been severely delayed this year, with the pandemic forcing cinemas to close for what is usually one of their busiest periods. Yet with screens slowly reopening, there may still be hope for us yet, with highly-anticipated movies like Tenet now tipped for an August release. With some good fortune, we may still get the chance to witness something great.

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Beyond Belief Being forced into lockdown has seen Notts’ creative cohorts turn their hands to all sorts of projects, from livestreaming music to socially-distanced filmmaking. But for seventeen-year-old Alice Lynn, lockdown provided the opportunity to create something personal. We caught up with her to find out more about BelieveMe, the new project aimed at creating a safe space for victims of bullying... In 2017, while walking home with her boyfriend after a day at school, Alice Lynn was assaulted by a group of girls. They were fellow students of her school, who had been tormenting her for months. The girls grabbed Alice’s hair in a violent attack, pushing and pulling her in a circle for what felt like hours. She knew that if she retaliated, her side of the story might be discounted. After a passerby eventually offered help, she thought the worst of it was over and, after finally getting home that evening, she gave the police a statement and stayed home from school for a few days. Shaken and physically injured, she couldn’t face going back. But for Alice, that was to be the extent of the support she received. Although she was promised that her attackers wouldn’t be there when she returned to school, they were there. Struggling with panic attacks and constant anxiety, the school never supported Alice beyond offering a counselling service. Ignored and feeling increasingly alone, the school prioritised burying the incident in order to move on, rather than giving Alice the opportunity to share her experiences. Rather than dealing with the perpetrators, they even suggested that it might be better for her to move schools. After leaving school at sixteen, Alice felt a distinct lack of closure from the incident. Still feeling ignored, she shared a heart-wrenching post on Facebook, revealing the details of the attack, and explaining how she felt the school had failed to protect her. And, to her surprise, comments from people far and wide started to flood in. Stories of being attacked. Stories of being ignored. Stories

of victim-blaming. There were countless people who had shared similarly awful experiences. The response inspired Alice to establish BelieveMe, an organisation aimed at giving a platform to those who had been victims both of similar attacks, and the subsequent lack of support. She soon began sharing anonymous stories from all over, using the hashtag #notyourfault, with the goal of taking power away from the bullies and unresponsive schools across the UK, and giving it back to the victims.

The girls grabbed Alice’s hair in a violent attack, pushing and pulling her in a circle for what felt like hours Early on in our conversation, Alice tells me how she prefers not to use the word ‘bullying’, but rather speak on what actually happened. The term, she feels, removes the severity of the situation, making it into something more juvenile and, by proxy, less important. As an attack like the one she suffered wouldn’t be tolerated in a workplace, or by a stranger in the street, nor should it be tolerated when it’s a school peer. Shaking hands and making up after a violent assault is seemingly a remedy reserved exclusively for schools. But, regardless of the age or situation, victims of assault deserve respect, understanding and effort toward resolution. “Bullying is too focused on the bully, and not the victim,” Alice explains, “that’s not what BelieveMe is about. We’re here just to help the victim.” She goes on to explain how the people she’s spoken

to, some of which are well into their adult lives, still carry the trauma from their own unresolved incidents, and rarely were their attackers ever brought to justice. But a crime is still a crime, even if both victim and perpetrator are students. BelieveMe isn’t about sharing the personal information of bullies in an attempt to dox or shame them, in fact, it’s purely about the victim telling their story and expressing their feelings. It’s an open space to be heard without worrying whether or not you will be believed, and without the risk of being dismissed or ignored. And a look at the comments section under each post are a reflection of just that. It’s a time for the victims to be prioritised. Alice shares her plans about BelieveMe, and the hopes that she has of working with Nottinghamshire schools in order to change the way they deal with incidents of bullying. “The posters that say ‘Stop Bullying’ don’t really help, because no one ever thinks that they’re a bully,” she says, “ The only people that know it are the victims.” Eliminating bullying altogether isn’t the solution either, as Alice explains that it’s an “inevitable” part of growing up. But what can change is the response. It isn’t inevitable that the young victims of attacks similar to hers all over the UK will be heard. Want to share your story and get involved with Believe Me? Follow their Facebook and instagram or get in touch via email. @believemenottingham believemenottingham@gmail.com

interview: Emilie Mendham illustration: Kate Sharp 38

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words: George White

Ayup China One of the fascinating by-products of increasing globalisation is the thought that, right now, someone in China is watching a tour of Ruddington Village Museum online. The reason for that is Feixue Huangdu, whose tours of local heritage spots have gone viral in her native China. We caught up with the Trent Museum and Heritage Development graduate to discuss the surprise success of her videos and the importance of sharing cultures... Us Nottingham lot know all about the beauty of our local heritage spots. Every year, places like Wollaton Hall and Newstead Abbey attract hundreds of thousands of visitors, as people travel from all over Nottinghamshire to get a breath of fresh air and find out more about the history of the county and the country. Yet Nottingham’s heritage spots are also attracting a lot of attention from the other side of the world, with over a million Chinese people checking out our historical sites in the last year. This is largely down to Feixue Huangdu, a recent Museum and Heritage Development Masters graduate from Nottingham Trent University, whose TikTok videos and online livestreams have gone viral in her home country. One of Feixue’s videos, where she tours Ruddington Village Museum, received around half a million views in total, with audience members getting the chance to ask questions to tour guides on all things from children’s dolls to wooden clothes pegs. Having the opportunity to learn more about a new culture is what appeals to so many people in China, Feixue says. “Most of my audience have never had the chance to come to the UK, especially to these smaller towns,” she explains. “My videos have helped to open a new window for them. I am their eyes and mouth to ask questions to curators. It’s a process of learning, where they can find out more about British heritage. “Chinese people find it interesting to learn about cultural differences. It is strange for them to see everyday things in this country. It allows them to get to know new people and a new culture.”

Chinese people find it interesting to learn about cultural differences. It is strange for them to see everyday things in this country For Feixue, the popularity of her videos also comes down to the fact that she offers something different, focusing on areas of British heritage that are often ignored. “Not many people focus on smaller museums, so my experience is special and unique. I focus on lesser known locations,” she says, adding that the scale of the sites is not what motivates her, but getting access to interesting historical items and knowledge.

You’re two pages too late, but there’s still time to go back fifteen years. Dig into the archives and solve these questions - the odd one out is your answer. • • • • •

You’ll find wireless internet in this location beginning with S. In September, crowds laughed at this S. N. An object that has supposedly been confused with a bra. A champion from the 1800s that cannot be defined by a box You’ll find the answer in the hands of someone born in early October.

This explains why her most popular videos are often the ones you’d least expect. “One of my best-received tours was in a small museum near Long Eaton. It showed the daily life of people here 100 years ago. It was popular because it shared humanity with my Chinese audience. I could also have a proper talk with the curators about the interesting objects. There was a fish and chip machine that people loved.” Her personal favourites have been the lace

museums in the city centre, which played a key role in the city’s industrial past. “These factories have such an important place in history. It’s incredible to see machines that were made over 100 years ago still work now. The process and story is amazing.” The success of Feixue’s videos saw her receive a Regional Heritage Award, and her work has featured in national and international publications such as the BBC and The Times. “I feel so lucky,” she admits. “This was just a part of my Masters project, I never thought it would be reported by the international press. It is both flattering and shocking.”

I visited a 90-yearold man to see his collection of historical items, and he said he had never been friends with a Chinese person before Since coming to study in Nottingham, she has been impressed by Brits’ interest in their history, claiming that it makes the UK a great place to come and learn. “In my work I have seen evidence that British people love their heritage. Almost all museum workers are unpaid volunteers, but they do it because they like their history. It is great to see the passion of people.” Part of Feixue’s work aims to expand the connection between Chinese and British museums, to increase the knowledge and understanding of each other’s cultures. “There are over 4,000 museums in the UK and over 5,000 in China, so we can learn from each other in many respects,” she muses. “Both sides can teach important messages, so it’s been useful for me to have the chance to get in touch with experts and volunteers in this country. It’s been a great experience.” Feixue has also enjoyed living in Nottingham, claiming that the city has been the perfect place to stay while she completes her work. “Nottingham is not as famous as London, but I quite like it. It’s quiet and good for people to study and live. I’ve found people here very friendly, including volunteers and residents. “I visited a 90-year-old man to see his collection of historical items, and he said he had never been friends with a Chinese person before. After talking to him, he was really nice and even learned how to pronounce my Chinese name. I felt so moved to have built this friendship.” Despite lockdown recently forcing many heritage sites to temporarily close, Feixue has still been hard at work on her projects. This includes a video focusing on the Robin Hood statue, which she has been editing to feature on a Chinese platform. “I will still have lots of objects to interpret and I interviewed a lot of experts, so I will keep making and editing my videos for as long as I can.” leftlion.co.uk/issue128 39

BEST OF AUGUST Nottingham City Council - 28 Day Challenge When: 1 – 28 August Where: Online How much? Free As part of their pledge to make Nottingham the first carbon neutral city in the UK by 2028, the Council will be running a challenge a day on their social media pages throughout August to get you lot thinking about more sustainable ways of living. Some challenges are educational, some involve being outside in the great outdoors and others are just out-and-out fun times.

Teddy Bear’s Picnic and Summer Fete When: Sunday 9 August, 11-4pm Where: Strelley Hall How much? Children £5, adults free If you go down to the woods today, you’re in for a big surprise, as Nottingham Teddy Repairs and Mulberry Tree Cafe have teamed up to hold a teddy bear’s picnic and summer fete. Tickets are available in advance, so all you’ll need to remember on the day is your favourite teddy, a picnic blanket and as many marmalade sandwiches as you can manage.

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Carry On Drag Free Online Show When: Saturday 1 August, 6pm Where: YouTube, Twitch and Facebook How much? Free, but a £5 donation is recommended August doesn’t have to be a drag with what promises to be a colourful night of performances, all in aid of supporting drag artists and Black Pride UK. Hosted by the amazing Kitty Tray, the stream will bring together the best acts from around the world, including performers featured on RuPaul’s Drag Race and Dragula.

Chateaubriand and Wine Evening When: Saturday 14 August, 7pm Where: Hart’s Hotel and Kitchen How much? £130 per couple If your lockdown diet consisted mainly of crisps and instant noodles, you’re probably ready for a taste of the finer things. Head chef Martin Sludds and co. are serving up a mouth-watering 16oz. cut of Chateaubriand (beef to you and me), complimented by a bottle Chateau Violette Moulis 2014. There’s also an intriguing lobster trifle to start, with a warm chocolate pudding followed by coffee petit fours to finish.

Adventure Drive-In Cinema When: Tuesday 1 – Sunday 9 August Where: Victoria Embankment How much? £27.50 Has lockdown left a cinema-sized hole in your life? Fear not, Adventure Drive-In has just the ticket. Film lovers can now get their fix from the comfort of their own car, while some of the best flicks from the last year, as well as some classics, get a fresh stint on the big screen, including Joker, Back to the Future and Lion King. Don’t forget – it’s ‘bring your own popcorn’!

On Point – Online Illustration Open When: Tuesday 28 August onwards Where: Surface Gallery website, Facebook and Instagram How much? Free Looking for something a bit different this month? The folks down at Surface Gallery are hosting an online gallery celebrating illustration in all its forms. The showcase will have everything from graphic design to hand-drawn pieces for you to feast your eyes on. Oh, and if you fancy yourself as something of an illustrator, they're still taking submissions until Friday 14 August.

Just The Tonic - Working From Home (7th Pilot) When: Saturday 8 August, 8.30pm Where: Online Price: £5.50-£20 Those of you who have been lucky enough to catch one of JTT’s six previous shows will know exactly what to expect from their 7th Pilot: big names, chaos and a lot of laughs. Hosted by the peerless Darrell Martin, the full line-up has yet to be revealed – but, with previous guests including Johnny Vegas, Ross Noble and Matthew Horne, you’re guaranteed value for your money.

Record Store Day 2020 – Drop 1 When: Wednesday 29 August, all day Where: Rough Trade How much? Free entry Christmas is coming early for all you vinyl collectors out there. In support of local record stores, the first drop of special releases for Record Store day 2020 is coming to Rough Trade. From Marley to Meatloaf or Biffy to Bowie, there’s something to suit every weird and wonderful taste. Helping independent record stores and picking up a shiny new vinyl? Lovely stuff.

HOTEL & KITCHEN

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22/07/2020 09:35

interview: Becky Timmins

Home Free

There aren’t many things in life that are a given these days. One exception, however, is the guaranteed beauty of a new album release by Notts-born singer songwriter Natalie Duncan. Free, which was released on 31 July this year, is Nat’s first full-length album since 2012, and is full of her customary soul-infused melodies and candid lyrics. Featuring tracks written over a number of years since 2012, it’s one heck of an expansive record, brimming with vivacity and ambition. We caught up with Nat to chat about her Notts roots, the new record and her musical life in the age of COVID-19…. If you could describe the new album in three words, what would they be? Warm, heartfelt and honest. You penned recent single Sirens while recovering from vocal surgery – how did that impact on your writing process, and ultimately your performance of the track? I had a huge burst of creativity during my recovery time, which was unfortunate to say the least! I wasn't allowed to make any sound at all for the first couple of weeks. Then I slowly built up to talking again. So all I could do, beyond playing the top lines with my right hand, was to whistle the melodies over piano chords and hope to God that they sounded half decent when I could actually sing them! In the case of Sirens, they did. What’s been the most surprising or unusual source of inspiration for the new album? I wrote each song at different points in my life, so it’s hard to look at the album as a whole entity. Most of my song writing comes as a direct result of tension in my life and these songs are no exception! I recorded the second demos out in Thailand at Goldie's house and I actually wrote one of the tracks there – Atrium. So I guess it was somewhat surprising that I was able to write one of the songs in the morning, in a bright and airy room overlooking tropical scenery, sipping herbal tea – far from my usual comfort bubble of chaos! I'm very comfortable being creative and feeling inspired in more tumultuous conditions. The hedonism of performing in bars in Soho often leads to intoxicated 4am writing sessions at the piano in the basement of my North London flat. Bliss. Does your experience of flourishing as a musician in Nottingham still influence you today? I was very lucky to have been raised in a creative city full of world-class musicians and artists. I learnt so much from them back when I was

younger and was beginning my career. It will always remain a part of who I am as a musician. Notts has always been a loyal supporter of my music and of musicians in general. What is your happiest memory of performing in Nottingham? I have so many! I think it would be unfair to only pick one. Hockley Hustle 2015 at Jam Café with Rob Rosa, who played violin and arranged strings for the quartet, was very special. I still look fondly at the photos from that gig. All of the Peggy’s Skylight gigs I've done in recent times with my London band have been really lovely. Plus, back in the day performing with various bands at The Maze which we all know and love and miss dearly. Messy times! The Maze was legendary.

I do believe there’s a light at the end of all this. I mean, I can’t be the only one who is sick of watching groups of musicians on split screens and concerts on Facebook, YouTube or Zoom Last year you performed a stunning version of John Lennon’s Jealous Guy for the Moonshine Sessions. What’s your favourite track written by another artist to cover, and why? It literally changes with the wind! I've taken to covering Stevie Wonder a lot over the past few months. His approach to playing keys and his vocal style resonate in me like a musical hug. He is constantly making me a better musician.

How have you found being a musician during lockdown? My favourite moment of lockdown was definitely the gig I did for Nottingham’s Light Hustle hosted by the epic Mrs Green. I stayed up all night recording it with a few red wines. It was at the very start of lockdown when it was still a bit of a novelty. I was having a lovely time! But more broadly, I've actually found the space to regroup. My voice was constantly fatigued from gigging every night in piano bars, and my writing wasn’t flowing as freely because I was so busy. So from that aspect, I've had freedom to get back in touch with the musician that I truly am. I just wish I could get out there and play! What are your thoughts on the impact of the pandemic on the UK’s music scene? What do you think needs to be done to help the sector to survive? As a self-employed musician, I've been hit really hard by all of this. I lost all of my work overnight, as many of my friends did too. And rent in London isn't cheap! I'm continuing to struggle every day, hoping not to have to move back in with my Mum. But I do believe there's a light at the end of all this. I mean, I can't be the only one who is sick of watching groups of musicians on split screens and concerts on Facebook, YouTube or Zoom. People need to go out and see live music. There will be public demand for music venues and theatres to reopen. Because musicians, artists, actors, dancers and all other creatives, are vital for the sanity of humankind. But this pandemic has further marginalised us and has proven to me, on some level, how undervalued and disregarded we are, not only as creators of art but simply as members of this country’s workforce. Free is out now and available to stream. facebook.com/NatalieDuncanOfficial @natduncanmusic

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Carved in Stone If you didn’t catch her article in our June issue, (Little Miss Lockdown, #126) Jagoda Brown-Polanowska explained what lockdown life was like through the eyes of an eleven-year-old girl in Nottingham. Having recently turned twelve, Jagoda has continued to explore her local surroundings, making some interesting and timely discoveries at Rock Cemetery in the process… Just around the corner from where I live there’s a Victorian cemetery that I’ve enjoyed visiting during lockdown. People call it Rock Cemetery, and during one of my walks I noticed that, in a far corner, there’s a large clearing. Looking a little bit closer, I noticed that there were lots of flat stones with engravings on them. They were mass gravestones, each with twenty or more names and dates on them. Each stone had a specific year on it – 1918 or 1919, for example – noting the year that all of those buried in the mass grave died. With some help from my mum, I started doing some research as soon as I got home. I discovered that those graves were filled with the poor and working class people who died during the influenza pandemic – also known as the Spanish Flu – and that the engraved dates weren’t when the people died, but when they were all buried together. I learned that, during the Spanish Flu, schools in Nottingham closed because there were not enough students attending. And, once the schools closed, the children were left without any form of education as, without computers or mobile phones, teachers had no way to keep in regular contact with their students. It wasn’t just the schools that closed either, as many of the factories in Nottingham shut down because their workers were too sick. Whereas there are a lot of parallels to be drawn between the Spanish Flu pandemic and the current COVID crisis a century later, there was one major difference that I found interesting. It wasn’t the elderly that suffered the most from influenza, but rather the young and healthy 18-40 year olds, and it was almost always fatal. The young population found themselves far more susceptible owing to their immune systems overreacting to the

words: Jagoda Brown-Polanowska photos: Nigel King

virus – a young, fit body would naturally try to protect itself more than that of an older, less healthy person. The Spanish Flu pandemic attacked in three waves, starting in the Spring of 1918, as World War One was still being fought, and ending in April 1919. Sadly, there are no exact figures to say how people died, as the system of record keeping wasn’t as advanced as it is now.

The Spanish Flu pandemic attacked in three waves, starting in the Spring of 1918, as World War One was still being fought, and ending in April 1919 There are many theories about how the Spanish Flu came into existence, but the most commonly accepted is that during World War One, animals and humans were forced to live in close, extremely unhygienic conditions, causing the virus to pass from animal to human. The symptoms were particularly unpleasant: once someone caught the Spanish Flu, they would turn a blue/purple colour, and their lungs would gradually fill with water, causing them to internally drown. When the virus first appeared in April 1918, it was affecting members of the military. With World War I coming to an end in November that same year,

many soldiers and sailors started to return to Britain, bringing the disease with them and unknowingly infecting the civilian population. Despite its name, the Spanish Flu didn’t originate in Spain, but was called such because it was the Spanish press that first spread news of its existence. Unlike with COVID, there was no official lockdown of schools, factories and coal mines in Nottingham, but many were forced to make the decision to close themselves as so many people became ill. The mortality rate in Nottingham was amongst the highest in the country. Walking around the cemetery I counted over one hundred graves, but there were many more that had been lost to time, overgrown with grass and foliage. While some graves had twenty or more names, there were some that had only five. There’s no birth date, personal information (other than a name), death date or further inscription for any of the people there, just the year that they were buried. What was most striking about this pauper’s section within the prestigious Victorian Rock Cemetery was the fact that, just a few metres away, I found the grave of Watson Fothergill, one of Nottingham’s most famous and prestigious architects who designed many of the city’s most recognisable local landmarks, the neo-gothic styles of which you can still see dominating the city-scape. Walking around Rock Cemetery made me realise that history has a way of repeating itself, and even though it’s a place that you might associate with sadness, you can still learn a lot by walking around. I’d highly recommend taking a visit during the current pandemic.

words: Ashley Carter illustrtion: Natalie Owen

Despite a long and illustrious naval career that saw him interact with the likes of Robert Walpole and Peter the Great, as well as being a key figure in the capture of Gibraltar, Wilford-born John Deane would always be associated with the events on Boon Island. For all the heroics and accolades he received afterward, it would be those 24 days of deception, shipwreck, murder and cannibalism that would haunt Captain Deane until the day he died… It was sometime in the middle of January 1711 when a body washed up on the shore of a small New England fishing village. The man wasn’t recognised as being anyone local, and there was something peculiar about him. His clothes were tattered and torn, what fingers and toes he had left were missing nails, and his figure was almost skeletal. Tied to his wrist was a makeshift paddle. Assuming there must have been a shipwreck nearby, the village launched a rescue boat to search for survivors. Later that day, the boat arrived at Boon Island, a barren rocky atoll, only 300ft by 700ft in size, six miles off the coast of Maine. What they found there would remain emblazoned on their memories for the rest of their days: ten men who, for the last 24 days, had survived a living Hell on Earth. Battered by relentless wind and soaked by the ocean, with no natural shelter and virtually nothing to eat or drink, they were the survivors of Nottingham Galley, a British merchant ship that had wrecked on a rocky outcrop of the island. Out of the ten men, only one had the strength to stand and watch as the rescue boat came into view: their captain, John Deane. Deane was born in the village of Wilford, Nottingham in 1679. A childhood spent in relative poverty led first to an early career as a butcher’s apprentice, and then to the Royal Navy, where he was involved in the British capture of Gibraltar in 1704. Writing in the 19th century, W.H.G. Kingston even goes as far to say that Deane was the captain that led the expedition.

Deane would later recall just how desperately hungry they all were... even he had considered cutting off and consuming his own fingers 1709 saw Deane turn his attention to merchant seafaring and, along with his brother Jasper, he purchased his first small vessel, the Nottingham Galley. Named after his home city, Deane, his brother and a crew of another dozen men were to sail the cargo-laden galley from London to Boston. The ill-fated journey hit problems long before they reached Boon Island. Sailing off Scotland’s west coast, the Nottingham Galley came to the attention of two ships that promptly set sail in their direction. They were

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French privateers, and they’d spotted an easy prize for the taking. Their cargo of rope, butter and cheese would have made it an extremely lucrative day’s work. But Deane and the Nottingham Galley successfully evaded their would-be captors, making their way across the perilous Atlantic. It was on the final stretch of that 3,500nm journey that they started to encounter severe weather conditions. The New England coast was snow-covered, and a north-easterly gale pebble-dashed the vessel with hail and snow, as a thick fog settled, obscuring all land from view. Things stayed that way for twelve long days, before the fog finally lifted for just fifteen minutes. Currents had dragged them off course, but Deane concluded that their safest bet was to sail south-west until the evening, then lay in wait for more visibility. But at around 9pm on 11 December, Deane himself spotted waves where they were not meant to be. To a sailor, that meant only one thing: land was close. The order of “put helm to starboard” was bellowed to the steersman who, caught off guard, didn’t react in time. It was too late anyway: the hull of the Nottingham Galley had struck the razor sharp rocks of Boon Island. A disorientated panic spread through the fourteen-man crew as waves poured overboard and the ship was violently lurched parallel with the island, which still could not be seen in the dark. Unable to stand on deck, Deane ordered his crew below, where all fourteen men huddled together and prayed for deliverance. But the sense of panic was not to last. Gathering his wits, Deane ordered his men back on deck, determined to at least make a fight for survival. Some were too petrified to move, but Deane led by example. He began hacking down the masts, assisted by the fierce winds that did most of the work for him. Falling between the ship and the rocks that had crippled her, the mast formed a makeshift bridge on which the crew was able to clamber to the relative safety of the island. As the rest of his men began to abandon ship, Deane headed back below deck for one final time, desperate for anything that might prove useful for the inevitable marooning they were about to suffer. But he’d drastically underestimated the damage his ship had suffered. No sooner was he back in his cabin, the walls of the ship gave way to the relentless swell of sea water, flooding the Nottingham Galley at an alarming rate. As his ship was being dragged below the waves, Deane finally made his escape. Miraculously, all fourteen men were on Boon Island as the Nottingham Galley sank into the cold depths of the Atlantic.

The rocks had ripped their hands to tatters, and all were spewing the salty seawater that had filled their lungs, but they were alive. They offered their thanks to God before the search for shelter began. However, beside some scant patches of weeds, the tiny island offered nothing but jagged rocks that made even walking a short distance incredibly painful. Huddling together proved to be their only means of shelter and, despite carrying 30 tons of butter and three hundred pieces of cheese in their cargo, a tiny amount of the latter was their only food source.

He first removed the carpenter’s head, hands and feet, before skinning him and extracting his bowels... by the time the sun had started to go down, they had their first taste of human flesh An evening of peril and survival turned to a morning of optimism and salvage, as Deane’s thoughts turned to how to keep his men warm and alive. The hungry men were taunted by the sight of their cargo bobbing in the sea, too far out to retrieve safely. Gulls circled the island, and seals were spotted nearby, but those too proved impossible to capture. Even if they had, there was no means to cook them; between them, they had a flint, some gunpowder and a drill, all of which were too sodden with seawater to be useful for starting a fire. With no food, and little-to-no shelter, their only hope of salvation came with the fact that they were in fishing country, and they prayed that their chances of being spotted would be fair. The discipline, order and command structure that had served them well onboard the galley started to disappear over the coming days. Deane’s word had been final on the ship, but on Boon Island, his crew stopped following his orders. After all, it had been his leadership that had led them to this misery. Three members of the crew had fallen gravely ill, worst of them the ship’s cook. On the fourth day, the cook died, with his desperate final words lamenting their lack of food. Knowing little to nothing of their surroundings, the threat of rising tides submerging the island in water posed a real threat to their survival. With this in mind, two of the crewmembers cobbled together a makeshift

raft and embarked on a near-impossible journey to shore. Their plan was to light a fire at an agreed point on the coast once they’d arrived safely. Paddling furiously against the bitter wind, they disappeared from view. Later that night, smoke was seen near the agreed point on shore. Maybe they’d made it after all. Deane discovered that there was a scant supply of mussels in the shores around the island, enough for two or three each per day. As the only man well enough to retrieve them, plunging his hands into the icy water became his daily duty. He knew he risked gangrene which meant death or, at best, the makeshift amputation of one or both of his hands. Those mussels proved to be their only source of food, other than a small seagull, which was trapped, killed and eaten raw, until the death of the ship’s carpenter. The group were deeply religious, and the decision to eat the fallen man wasn’t one that came easily. With no way to know what day it was, they observed Sunday at least three times a week, and celebrated Christmas twice, just to make sure. When it came to consuming human flesh, debate raged over whether eternal damnation was worth the temporary reprieve of hunger. Especially considering that, had their comrades made it to shore, they were perhaps only days away from rescue. But Deane would later recall just how desperately hungry they all were. As the most physically strong of the group, even he had considered cutting off and consuming his own fingers, and even eating his own bodily waste. They debated for days, before Deane put it to a vote. The desperate pangs of hunger proved too powerful, as only three were against eating the man they’d previously called a crewmate. As the only man with experience in butchery, the grizzly task of preparing the meat fell to Deane.

No sooner had they reached the mainland, the camp split into two factions. The first was led by Christopher Langman, Deane’s first mate aboard the Nottingham Galley, who wrote his version of events, claiming that Deane and his brother had intentionally sunk the vessel in order to claim insurance money. He lay the decision to eat the carpenter at Deane’s feet too, even going as far to say that he’d intentionally sailed into the reach of the French privateers in order to be captured, a plot which Langman had learned off and led the rest of the crew in a mutiny, forcing Deane to abandon the scheme. Deane and his brother quickly published a counternarrative disputing the claims. It was Deane, they said, that had kept the men alive during their time on Boon Island, putting himself at great risk in the process.

They knew they had committed the ultimate taboo, and had traded brief respite in life for an eternity burning in the fiery depths of Hell What followed became a ferocious public relations battle, in which both factions made increasingly outlandish claims and counterclaims against the other. The events became a cause célèbre in Britain, and the battle of words raged on for almost a year.

Whether John Deane was a cannibalistic, plotting charlatan or a noble captain that kept his men alive in the most desperate of circumstances is as lost to history as the wreck of the Nottingham Galley itself. His career post-Boon Island saw Deane take service under Peter the Great in the Russian Navy with great distinction, before accusations of accepting bribes saw him dismissed and imprisoned. He served as British consul to St Petersburg, and later intercepted a courier for the Jacobites, which brought Deane to the attention of British Prime Minister Robert Walpole. A promotion to British Consul to the Port of Ostend followed, where he served successfully for eight years before retiring to Wilford with his wife Sarah. There, he was made a freeman of Nottingham, and built two large Georgian houses, which remain to this day. In 1762, Deane died, aged 83, following a violent assault and robbery while walking the grounds of his house. His assailant was later caught and hanged, and Sarah died the following day. They were buried together at St. Wilfrid’s Church, Wilford, where their grave can still be seen. But neither his adventures in the service of Peter the Great, his part in quashing the Jacobean rebellion nor his distinguished service as a consul would help change the shape of John Deane’s reputation. Until the day he died, the man from the small village of Wilford would never escape the events of Boon Island. He committed the ultimate taboo; he was the Nottingham captain who cannibalised his own crew.

He first removed the carpenter’s head, hands and feet, before skinning him and extracting his bowels. Cutting strips from his now unrecognizable carcass, he washed them in seawater and, by the time the sun had started to go down, they had their first taste of human flesh. Deane referred to the raw meal as beef, in order to somehow distance himself and his men from the horrors of what they were doing. The impact was immediate and savage. Deane noted his astonishment at the wild-eyed barbarity with which they consumed the flesh, and the change in their nature that followed. The ‘beef’ had lit an atavistic fire deep within them, and they immediately craved more. The ferocity of their yearning was so deep that Deane was forced to drag what remained of the carpenter’s flesh to another part of the island that only he was able to reach. It was on that flesh that they survived until the New Year, when they were a demoralized, sorry mess of broken spirits and decaying flesh. What footwear they did have had long been worn away by the sharp rock, leaving their exposed feet as bloody red rags of flesh and muscle. Unable to feel their fingers, the men were mostly lame, other than sporadic, violent outbursts of blasphemy and rage. They knew they had committed the ultimate taboo, and had traded brief respite in life for an eternity burning in the fiery depths of Hell. Only then, when they were at their lowest ebb, did salvation finally arrive in the form of the fishing boat. As the only man still able to stand, it was Deane that first conversed with them. The two that had attempted to reach the shore had both drowned in the process, but it had been one of them - paddle still tied to his wrist - that had washed up on shore and alerted the rescue party to the possibility that there were some men still alive. Deane kept the nature of their survival to himself for fear that admission of cannibalism would have led the rescue party to leave the dying men to their fate. One of their number spotted a lump of raw meat on the rocks, and expressed his pleasure that they’d managed to catch a seal. Deane maintained his silence on the true source of the flesh that had been living among them just weeks before. It was to be another five days before the men could be rescued from the island, so dangerous were the surrounding waters that the rescue boat was forced to return to shore to secure a more sturdy craft. It was during this time that the group began to splinter. When faced with impending death, the decision to eat the carpenter had seemed essential but, with their survival all-but guaranteed, they knew judgement awaited.

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