#131 November 2020
KEEP ME!
If you pick up this magazine in a public venue please take it home with you afterwards
Credits
Supporters These people #SupportLeftLion
Alan Gilby Roman CandAl alan.gilby@leftlion.co.uk
Jared Wilson Editor-in-Chief jared.wilson@leftlion.co.uk
Emily Thursfield Assistant Editor emily.thursfield@leftlion.co.uk
Ashley Carter Editor ashley.carter@leftlion.co.uk
Adam Pickering Sales and Marketing Manager adam.pickering@leftlion.co.uk
Curtis Powell Creative Digital Assistant curtis.powell@leftlion.co.uk
Eve Smallman Events and Food Editor eve.smallman@leftlion.co.uk
Tom Errington Web Developer tom.errington@leftlion.co.uk
Eileen Pegg Music Co-Editor eileen.pegg@leftlion.co.uk
Hamza Hussain Web Developer hamza.hussain@leftlion.co.uk
Becky Timmins Music Co-Editor becky.timmins@leftlion.co.uk
George White Screen Co-Editor george.white@leftlion.co.uk
Jamie Morris Screen Co-Editor jamie.morris@leftlion.co.uk
Natalie Owen Designer natalie.owen@leftlion.co.uk
Kate Hewett Literature Editor kate.hewett@leftlion.co.uk
Al Draper, Alan Dawson, Alan Phelan, Alan Walker, Alison Gove-Humphries, Alison Harviek, Alison Hedley, Alison Knox, Alison Wale, Andrew Cooper, Angela Brown, Ankunda, Ant Haywood, Anthony Blane, Anthony Gariff, Ashley Cooper, Barbara Morgan, Barrie the Lurcher, Ben Lester, Ben Lucas, Betty Rose Bakes, Bob Allison Âû, Chris Rogers, Claire Henson, Clare Foyle, D Lawson, Dan Lyons, David Knight, Dawn Pritchard, Dr Lesley Prince, Ellen O’Hara, Erika Diaz Petersen, Frances & Garry Bryan, Friday Club Presents, Heather Hodkinson, Helen Hemstock, Helena Tyce, House of Pain Wrestling Academy, In memory of Anna Novak (Bradford and Scoraig), In memory of Jenny Smith, Ivy House Environmental, James Medd, James Wright, Jason Rozkalns, Jayne McCormack, Jed Southgate, John Haslam, Jon Blyth, Jordan Bright, Julian Bower, Katherine Sanders, Kay Gilby, Kaye Brennan, Kiki Dee the Cat, Lizzy and Margot, Luke and Flo, Mark, Mark Rippey, Martin, Mathew Riches, Mighty Lightweights, MinorOak Coworking, Nick G (real living wage rocks), Nicola Baumber, Nigel Cooke, Nigel King, Nigel Tamplin, Nikki Williams, NottingJam Orchestra, Rachel Ayrton, Rachel Hancorn, Rachel Morton, Reg & Lynette, Richard Goodwin, roastinghouse.co.uk, Rob Arthur, Ron Mure, Roy Manterfield, Sam Nahirny, Sarah Colborne, Sarah Manton, Sarah Moore, Sarah Roach, Siobhán Cannon-Brownlie, Spicer, Steve Stickley Storyteller, Steve Wallace, Stuart Jones, Sue Barsby, Sue Reader, The Sultan, Tracey Newton, Tracy Lowe, Wolfgang Buttress
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patreon.com/leftlion Rebecca Buck Stage Co-Editor rebecca.buck@leftlion.co.uk
Laura-Jade Vaughan Art Co-Editor laura-jade.vaughan@leftlion.co.uk
Rachel Willcocks Art Co-Editor rachel.willcocks@leftlion.co.uk
Fabrice Gagos Photography Co-Editor fabrice.gagos@leftlion.co.uk Cover Andy Williams Intern Meagan Hutchinson Writers Ellie A Cleo Asabre-Holt Bassey Owen CravenGriffiths Jason Edgar
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Dom Henry Stage Co-Editor dom.henry@leftlion.co.uk
Harry Harrison Jenny Joss Addie Kenogbon Lisa Mckenzie Sam Nahirny Georgianna Scurfield Sharon Stevens Nadia Whittome Photographers Richard Chung Adam Elwich Justyna Hodur
Anna Murphy Fashion Editor anna.murphy@leftlion.co.uk
Tom Quigley Photography Co-Editor tom.quigley@leftlion.co.uk Emile Holba Andrew Martin Chris Middleton @mma.photography Tom Morley Top Pockets/ Hackspace Emma Richardson Justin Roe Georgianna Scurfield Reece Straw Mark Wood Tom Wragg
Illustrators Raphael Achache Grace Barns Kasia Kozakiewicz Leosaysays Kate Sharp Carmel Ward
Featured Contributor Emma Richardson Emma got her first digital SLR camera in 2008 to celebrate obtaining her doctoral degree. A self-taught photographer, she has been making images of the world around her ever since, to capture moments in time that would be otherwise forgotten. Emma has contributed content to LeftLion for several years, covering live music events (Hockley Hustle, Splendour, Rock City gigs), as well as creating editorial images for a number of articles. When not out shooting, Emma can be found researching new recipes to try out at home, trying to beat her Strava personal bests on her bike, or relaxing with her husband and cats. You can see Emma’s My Photo Moment on page 24
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Contents 14
16
DiY Goodbye
Fellow DiY Collective member Harry Harrison pays tribute to his lifetime friend, Pete Woosh, who sadly passed away from cancer last month
18
Sneintifrication
Dr Lisa Mckenzie explores the impact of gentrification on working class communities as Sneinton gets set for more redevelopment
Nottingham Poetry Festival
We celebrate the online return of Nottingham Poetry Festival with an interview with Anthony Anaxagorou and a city-wide poetry treasure hunt
9
Nadia On… Sneinton Market
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13
A Reverend in Notts
34
21
Winning BID
36
Creating Communing at The Carousel
23
Deck the Hall
38
Lone Survivors
24
My Photo Moment
41
Just Don’t Call Us Provincial
27
Silver Linings
46
Out of Time
MP for Nottingham East Nadia Whittome discusses why it’s important for Sneinton Market to retain its sense of identity
Wearing pink trainers, watching TV and being the furthest thing from a Postman Pat character… this is the life of a Reverend in Notts
We caught up with BID Manager Lucy Stanford after the Nottingham Business Improvement District secured another five year term
In a year that’s been filled with darkness, there’s a light-up outdoor experience at Wollaton Hall to look forward to
Our brand new photography feature, which invites photographers to share their own Notts moment, heads to Shelford just in time for sunrise
Emily Thursfield tries her hand at creating silver, gothic-inspired jewellery with Clare Gregory of Sneinton-based Bone Arrow
Editorial
Taking the Bates
Notts personality and Twitter provocateur Tony Bates looks back on 22 years of life in the city as he heads for pastures new
Brookln’s Finest
We catch up with Chicago-born, Notts-based Brookln Dekker to talk solo work and making music with a five-year-old...
You’ve probably seen the new sign, now check out the talent behind it. We check in with the creative minds at The Carousel
We talk to Luke Radord and Toby Curson, and Emmanuel House’s Rosie Needham-Smith about their new short film, Lone
Sarah Smith tells us about Notts’ newest independent publisher MOIST, and explains why regional publishing is on the rise
We look at the life of Frank Bowden, the man responsible for making The Raleigh Cycle Company a global success...
At the time of writing, Notts is currently in Tier 2, with rumours abound that Tier 3 is just days away. By the time you’re actually reading this, we could well be living in a Mad Max-style dystopian future where artists have to fist-fight a leather-clad, club-wielding Rishi Sunak for scraps of bread. At this stage, it’s anyone’s guess. As the handling of COVID continues to shine a light on the rampant inequalities within society, it feels like we’re living halfway through the looking glass. Artists and creatives are being urged to retrain for other professions, just months after we all collectively accepted that it was their films, songs and books that kept us sane during lockdown (plus, how many creatives do you know that don’t have at least one ‘normal’ job on the side?). A 22-year-old footballer has stood up to do what the Government has failed to and spearheaded a campaign to make sure the country’s most vulnerable children are being fed. And the constant spinning wheel of policy changes means that events are constantly getting announced and then cancelled, and venues all over the city and surrounding areas don’t know what they’re meant to be doing from one day to the next.
It can leave you feeling hopeless and desolate, as an already bad situation is incessantly and needlessly being made worse. As if being onboard the Titanic wasn’t bad enough, we’ve got to contend with Captain Pugwash being at the wheel. But there’s still hope to be found, and plenty of it is going around Notts at the moment. Online events, like Nottingham Poetry Festival, are coming to entertain us this month, restaurants like Café Sobar and The Pudding Pantry have selflessly offered to support Marcus Rashford’s campaign to end child food poverty by providing free meals for children, and the wealth of artists in this city continue to create brilliant work. So whatever the state of affairs is as you read this, stay hopeful. As I wrote at the beginning of lockdown, it’s you, the individuals, and our small, independent communities that will rebuild post-COVID Notts. No one else. Until the next one…
Ashley Carter, Editor ashley.carter@leftlion.co.uk leftlion.co.uk/issue131 5
Notts Goss Nottingham’s most opinionated grocers on...
with Jenny Joss Want the scoop? I’m not one for wicked whispers, but what else is there to do when you’re holed up in the most COVID-infected area in the country? Congratulations, fools. You finally stole attention away from the big smoke to our humble town, but for all the wrong reasons. Anyways, while we’re living in this weird world where a 22-yearold footballer is saving the kiddies in Hood-style fashion and Bumbling Boris takes on the role of the Sheriff, what better way to distract ourselves than salacious scandal? I’m sure you’re all waiting for me to address what some of you seem to consider the biggest cultural happening to hit the city in a century, but this darling doesn’t have too much to comment. While I don’t care for the scribble sprayed on the wall, I have to say I’d quite like to cosy up to his entourage to coax out information on their undercover operation. My spies tell me that the artist's sevenseater van pretended to break down at the scene and, while he was disguised by a carefully-placed tarpaulin, any scroungers walking past would have been distracted by the manic driver ‘desperately’ trying to fix the wheeler. Sounds like the perfect ruse for some gossip gathering, too.
Notts Outlaws Win T20 Cricket Well, it’s nice to see that one of our sports teams is capable of winning something. We went to see the Twenty20 a couple of years ago. Our friend Mr Morris asked us to go along when they were playing Yorkshire. It’s an excellent sport to drink to; whoever invented it is a genius. They had some lovely IPA on and the match only lasted for three-four hours.
While I hesitate to give the ankle-biters the attention they’re so obviously craving, it seems the students didn’t take last month’s knucklerapping seriously enough, as some blighters in the Arboretum racked up an even bigger bill of forty-big ones for their involvement in illicit affairs. This doll turned a blind eye until I was fed a tidbit I couldn’t ignore: their screaming, shouting and senseless antics kept care home resident Gordon up until the early hours, and for that I will not stand.
Banksy Visits Nottingham We saw that on the news. Has anyone ever seen this bloke? How come no-one knows who he is if he’s out painting things on the streets all the time? Anyway, this isn’t really our thing – we don’t do art. We went to the Tate once and the best bit for us was the café. We do believe art is good for people and it should be subsidised. We just don’t like it ourselves.
Apparently the rascal who organised the soirée told coppers she didn’t need to obey the rules because she was already suffering with the virus – it’s a shame the university suspended them, as they’re clearly crying out for education. Time to start considering others, hunny.
Rock City Turns Forty Next Month We went all those years back when it was Heart of the Midlands. Who did we see there? Was it Gerry and the Pacemakers? We’ve seen a lot of classic bands there since too: Whitesnake, REO Speedwagon, Echo and the Bunnymen, Bay City Rollers, Thin Lizzy, Judie Tzuke, John Spencer Blues Explosion. It’s sad that it’s closed for its birthday, but we look forward to going again when it’s back next year.
Now then, I’m off to check out plans for new glamping pods that have been proposed for Gunthorpe – they best be good enough for old Jennifer. Remember lovers – keep your lips loose, your ears to the ground and your eyes on the goss.
JJ x
illustration: Carmel Ward
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words and photo: Georgianna Scurfield Hi my name is Isaac and I go to school every day, but I don’t go on Saturdays and Sundays. My favourite thing to do outside is going on my bike and scooter and going to the skate park. I love to go down the ramps and do anything that’s fun outside, I also love the hula-hoop. My Nana and Tony got me the bike and it’s always important to wear a helmet, and my favourite thing to wear is green trousers, reflective jacket and a green jumper and a black t-shirt. But today I'm wearing black instead. I love going on my bike with my mummy, my favourite place to go is to the forest and I like to bike over little bumps and look at the trees while I’m biking. It’s called magical forest because it’s magical. It’s my birthday in November and I’m going to be seven. When I’m even older than that I’m going to be a builder or a policeman and what I’m going to do is build lots of stuff and catch crime. Isaac, aged 6
Pick Six
This month, we task performance artist and poet Owen CravenGriffiths, a.k.a John Bervavitch, with picking a few of his favourite things...
Book - The Choreographer’s Handbook Although it’s aimed at Dance Artists, Jonathan Burrows’ book is an incredible tool for anyone making physical performance. You can open the book on any page and read any sentence and it always feels strangely relevant.
Film - The Weather Man Gore Verbinski’s 2005 film features Nicolas Cage who could quite possibly be the greatest actor of all time. He plays a weatherman in the midst of a midlife crisis. Also, I highly recommend checking out ‘Nick Cage loses his shit’ on YouTube.
Meal - Black Kale When I was younger I fought against the very idea of vegetables. But trust me, order some good smoked salt and an extra virgin olive oil, spread it on a tray and oven it up for eight mins. It'll change your life.
Notts Spot - Sneinton Windmill When I first moved to Nottingham, the idea that there was a windmill just visible from town felt like a fairytale.There have been a few drunken nights where I might have gone to get a closer look.
Song - Do You Realize?? The first time I heard this song from The Flaming Lips was when I was watching them live at a festival in Ireland. I completely fell for it. Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, the 2002 whole album it’s from, is mindblowing.
Holiday Destination - Bali I'm more interested in the journey than the destination, but I spent some time exploring South East Asia a few years ago and found some great experiences in Bali. Wandering through Ubud's Monkey Forest was a particular highlight.
Owen Craven-Griffiths will be hosting Plus, In Defence of Poetry, a panel discussion as part of Nottingham Poetry Festival
berkavitch.com nottinghampoetryfestival.com
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Nadia on...
Sneinton Market
Like many Nottingham people, when I have a rare weekend off, I head to Sneinton Market. I’ve spent countless Saturdays there, with friends, my mum, or on my own, discovering something new every time. I have found beautiful and bizarre gems in its countless independent shops, bought food from all over the world at the legendary Murat and eaten way too much fairtrade vegan chocolate at Luisa’s. I’ve purchased some of my most prized possessions there, like my framed Brian Clough print from Art of Football, which I proudly display in my Westminster office. And there is no better hangover cure than a large £4.50 breakfast at The Avenues. The market – which has existed since the mid-19th century – has become a real cultural hub and a centre of Nottingham’s social life. Over the years, it has constantly evolved, attracting new businesses and inspiring new initiatives. Nottingham Street Food brings people together with global cuisine and music. Twice a month, herbivores like myself can eat our weight in food at the vegan market. Football fans will never forget the euphoria of the outdoor screening of the 2018 World Cup. Maybe England didn’t bring the cup home, but our own Art of Football certainly brought the World Cup atmosphere to Nottingham. The market is a place where people work, socialise, go on dates and cure heartbreaks with food, friends and retail therapy. But now its future is under threat. IQ Accommodation – a private student housing company offering single rooms in Nottingham for £149 per week – has been granted permission to build more flats in the market area. If it goes ahead as planned, the market would change substantially. Our one-of-akind Murat Food Centre, a city treasure which provides
jobs to many BAME and migrant workers, would be demolished. A number of exciting creative businesses would be forced to relocate or close down. At a time when unemployment in Nottingham has already nearly doubled as a result of the pandemic, we can’t risk even more people losing their livelihoods.
The market is a place where people work, socialise, go on dates and cure heartbreaks with food, friends and retail therapy. But now its future is under threat. But it’s not just traders and other people working in the market who would be affected if the redevelopment goes ahead. The architecture of the place would change drastically, no doubt impacting on its atmosphere and community spirit. The historic market site would be demolished, giving way to a six-storey apartment block. Currently, the market is colourful, friendly and buzzing. If the plan goes ahead, it risks becoming cold and soulless. We shouldn’t fall into the trap of blaming students for gentrification – I’m very glad that Nottingham is home to two universities and thousands of students from across the country and the world. They are an important part of our city, contribute tons of talent and help boost the local economy, including our vibrant nightlife and creative scene. However, the Vice-
Chancellors of both the University of Nottingham and Nottingham Trent University have stated that there is no need for more student housing. There are already 362 student flats in the Market alone, and many more across the city. It’s clear to me that the plan is motivated by profit, not genuine necessity. I know I’m not the only person who feels strongly about this. Many of my constituents have expressed their worries, and a petition to stop the development has attracted over 5000 signatures. I have written to the Council to raise my concerns, asked for a proper consultation process, and organised a public meeting with Nottingham City Council and residents. I’m also in contact with IQ Accommodation and I’m urging them to rethink their plans. I understand that these are difficult times and councils often have to make hard and unpleasant decisions. But the campaign to save the market is about preserving the soul of our city. We can’t risk Nottingham losing its special character that makes our city so attractive – to students and non-students – in the first place. What’s happening in Nottingham is not unique. Across the country, important landmarks and community hubs are being destroyed to make space for more luxury flats. With each of them, something is irreversibly lost. We can’t continue to sell our cities to private developers, at the expense of workers and residents. It’s time to reclaim our right to common space, to creativity and joy. Long live Sneinton Market, the beating heart of Nottingham. nadiawhittome.org
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Notts Shots
Early bird special Tom Pockets / Hackspace
Frank sent us... Tom Wragg - tomwragg.co.uk
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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
Left hanging Justin Roe - @justinroe99
He’s no Kid30 Curtis Powell - @curtz_lvndlxrd
He casts a long shadow Adam Elwich - @trev.bnw
Abra-kebabra Andrew Martin
The swan that I want Mark Wood - @m4rk_w00d
‘Is your refrigerator running?’ Justyna Hodur - @justyna_hodur
‘Those berks are still protesting’ Justin Roe - @justinroe99
Bowled middle stump Tom Quigley - tomquigley.co.uk leftlion.co.uk/issue131 11
A Reverend in Notts This is not a career choice as much as it is a vocation – I just had a strong sense that it was the right and appropriate thing to do with my life. I didn’t grow up in a religious household, and there was no great moment of a light on the road, or an angel appearing in my cornflakes. I just started thinking about my own identity and how I saw the world when I left home to go to university. I think at that age, a lot of people start to discover their own place in the world. To me, Christianity felt like the right worldview for me, and it grew from there. No two days are ever the same, and in my current role in central Nottingham I get to see just about every type of person from every walk of life, which I love. But Sundays are the days that have most of a pattern. If it’s a Sunday where there’s a children’s service, I tend to start off by running around looking for glue or balloons, or whatever is needed for that week’s craft activity. After that, there’s the main Sunday service which has its own rhythm and speed. I get changed, do the ‘formal’ part of church and spend a bit of time with people. At the moment, like everyone else, it’s about trying to do the same sort of thing online. But it’s all a bit more stark and sparse than it usually is, particularly when it comes to just chatting to people and finding out what’s going on in their lives. Normally we can have a relaxed coffee and a chat, but now it’s a quick word while socially distancing. It’s like everything, you learn to adapt to circumstances, and the most important things still remain the most important things: giving people time, attention and love, and letting them know that their concerns are important and that there’s somebody who hears them. Doing funerals for murder victims has been one of the hardest things I’ve had to do. Not just the funeral itself, but trying to support the victim’s family in a compassionate and dignified way while dealing with what became a media circus, was very challenging. Any death is painful for those that are left behind, but there are some circumstances when it’s particularly difficult. Obviously they are draining, but at the same time we’re built to cope with that. You have other colleagues and priests who are very supportive, and you share the things that you’ve been through, particularly the things that you wouldn’t want to bring home. I think it’s the same with doctors or police officers – there are some things that we see and do
that are easier and healthier to only share with other members of the profession. What is harder is being confronted by some of the more unnecessary things that happen in the world, and you have to find a way of rationalizing that when there isn’t a good answer. For example, if you have someone in the community who is an asylum seeker who everyone has got to know, and they’ve arbitrarily had their application turned down for no reason. Things like that, where there’s no happy ending, can be difficult to take. All Anglican priests are required to say their office twice a day, which are our prayers. That’s part and parcel of the coping strategy, as it’s a quiet time and an occasion to reconnect with God. That’s fundamental and important in keeping going. Then there are other things I do to relax after a difficult day, like going for a run or dancing. I love ballet.
There’s this idea that Anglican priests are all fussy, elderly men who spend a lot of time running around rural villages getting agitated about their nicely trimmed churchyard like something out of Postman Pat There’s this idea that Anglican priests are all fussy, elderly men who spend a lot of time running around rural villages getting agitated about their nicely trimmed churchyard like something out of Postman Pat. Working in a context like urban Nottingham, it’s obviously not like that at all. People are often surprised by aspects of my life, like the fact that I sit and watch TV, or that I wear a pair of pink trainers to church. It’s not as if being ordained means I can levitate above the ground, so if it’s a muddy day I want to keep my formal black shoes clean. After one funeral, I was driving back to the church when I came across a traffic accident. I was dressed in my black cloak, and joined by the funeral director who was also very formally dressed. We stopped to offer
assistance, and I had the terrible feeling that the lady had been thrown through the windscreen. Thankfully, she’d had a relatively minor accident and fainted by the side of the road. It must have been quite surreal for her to wake up to a priest and funeral director leaning over her! If the accident hadn’t given her post-traumatic stress, seeing us there probably did. Before I became a priest, I think I was incredibly näive about the variety of people that existed both inside and outside the church, and the things they get up to. I once did a funeral where there was a huge drama, as the man who had died not only had a mistress that his wife didn’t know about, but also a girlfriend that the mistress didn’t know about. Before I started this job, I would have thought that sort of thing only happened in books or films. But people really do have really colourful and complicated lives. I think the Church is beginning to realise that things have changed, and it’s not all negative. In fact, quite a lot of it is positive. There was a Bishop who wrote an autobiography in which he spoke about his time as a young curate, which would have been before the Second World War. He started out before the Welfare State, when there were people who went to church because it was a potential source of food and help if they lost their jobs or needed a safety net. He wrote about how much happier he was towards the end of his time, when there was a Welfare State and people had another safety net, meaning that people came to church because they wanted to. It meant they could meet him on equal terms, like a human being, and tell him what they really thought without fear that they might need him one day. That struck me as being very moving, but also worries me, as it feels like the world is starting to become dependent on faith communities and the voluntary sector to fill gaps with things like food banks. It’s wonderful that organisations like that exist, but also sad and disturbing that they need to. I enjoy everything about being a reverend. You have to love it, because it’s a lifestyle. One of the things I like most is exchanging ideas and perspectives with people, particularly children. They ask the most amazing questions, and really make you ask questions that you’d never think to ask. But if I could change one thing about the job, it would be to add an extra day to the weekend. It would be great to have a two-day weekend like everyone else.
illustration: Kasia Kozakiewicz leftlion.co.uk/issue131 13
DiY Goodbye Last month Nottingham (and the worldwide free party scene) said goodbye to Pete ‘Woosh’ Birch after a long battle with cancer. A driving force of the DiY Soundsystem, one half of the DJ duo Digs and Woosh and the founder of Spirit Wrestlers. Pete’s oldest friend Harry Harrison tells us about his remarkable life… Pete and I met in the early eighties in Bolton where we both grew up, funnily enough in a pub called Fannies, so named, it was said, because all the dicks went in there. We were both in there because they would happily serve pints to a couple of fourteen and fifteen-year-olds who hadn’t started shaving yet. Pete was sitting at the next table and overheard me talking about an upcoming Echo and the Bunnymen gig at the Manchester Apollo. He leaned over and said: “Excuse me mate, did you say you were off to the Bunnymen gig?” “Yeah,” I replied “Any chance of a lift...?” “Dunno, I’ll ask my mum.” So began our friendship, steeped in dark northern humour from the off. That first time we met he was wearing a blue velvet suit and blue pixie boots, but he later made me swear never to tell anyone. I guess I can now break that thirty-eight year silence. I don’t think I ever saw him badly dressed again – in fact even throughout the rave heyday he never succumbed to the brightly coloured leisure wear and hi-top trainers others did. He was, to the end, always well turned out and was probably the only man at Castlemorton wearing a neatly pressed white shirt. From that night so long ago, we quickly became inseparable, and soon established a much bigger Boltonian gang. He introduced me to so much music: Kraftwerk, John Coltrane, Hawkwind and Planet Gong, Fela Kuti, Crass and Flux of Pink Indians, Led Zeppelin, Nina Simone, Pharaoh Sanders, Gil Scott-Heron, On U Sound… The list is endless and utterly eclectic. Pete went to Liverpool Poly in 1985 and I set off to the University of Nottingham. I often visited him in his flat on Lark Lane in Liverpool and he visited me several times, this becoming more frequent when I moved into a huge, rambling old Victorian townhouse on Magdala Road. It was in this building that DiY was born in 1989. Pete moved to Nottingham in 1990 and himself, me and Rick moved into a terraced house in Forest Fields. We had met Simon and Jack by this stage and over the next seven glorious years, with so many other similarlyminded people such as Phil and Emma and Pezz and Cookie and Pip and Julian, we built the good ship DiY together as a collective through which we could try to change the world through music. I will not dwell for too long on those golden years in the nineties but will quote our good friend Scotty Clarke, who captured something in a recent Facebook post that we probably couldn’t say about ourselves: “DiY and the Free Party People did something to Nottingham that I have not witnessed before or since. DiY brought tribes together. Students, townies, innercity ravers, blow-ins, colonial immigrants, travellers, oddballs, weirdos and revellers. Gay, straight, black, white and those from afar who were paying attention and flocked to the Deep House Mecca of the Midlands, to groove together, on its dance floors, fields and houses. The inherent love that united dance floors spilled over into an industrial city in decline. “The fact that there were many hundreds of those assembled tribes from Nottingham at Castlemorton Festival speaks volumes. Townies who had been working night shifts at Pork Farms or enduring the poverty of unemployment, through their love of music found themselves at the defining event of their generation. That culture clash allowed ideas to permeate what could have been closed minds. Beyond the love that the DiY and the Free Party People brought to the city of Nottingham, they also brought an attitude. An attitude of rebellion. An attitude of defiance, as opposed to an attitude of compliance.”
Throughout the early to mid-nineties, Pete, Rick and I lived together in two communal properties in Nottingham, first at Vickers St and then at Premier Road in Forest Fields. All through this period and beyond, the parties and the clubs and the DJing, the endless hours on motorways, the trips abroad, the recording studio, the record labels, the sleepless weekends and all the other madness continued. Eventually, burnt out from sharing the same house for eight years and mired in what we could call personal issues, Rick and Pete and I all went our separate ways. The later nineties brought us a period of division and estrangement. I don’t think this was a happy time for either of us; I eventually moved to London and then San Francisco and we didn’t talk for many years. For him, as the smaller half of Digs & Woosh, these years brought great success as DJs and producers. They steered our record label, DiY Discs, to international recognition but the halcyon days were probably over, and no more would DiY be called “culturally, the most dangerous people in the country.” During these times, just as myself and many others had succumbed to the perils of addiction, so eventually did Pete. These times I would call our wilderness years, and yet, through it all, Pete was still following the true path of music, still DJing, producing and running the DiY and Serve Chilled labels, still believing in the transformative power of people, place and above all music.
We assume that shamans are big, wild and extroverted but in Pete’s case the shaman came in a small, introverted package in a duffle coat and trainers He and I were reconciled around 2009, after my return from living in America, where we spent a whole night and dawn engaged in a long, rambling conversation on a hillside in Anglesey and where he forgave me for past sins. This was the mark of the man, he had moved on, realised life was too short and to forgive is divine. After hours of conversation and many tears, Pete turned to me and said “I’ve always loved you Harry and I hereby forgive you… but you’re still a twat,” his northern humour firing even in this moment of deeply emotional intensity. Sometimes it felt like our dark sense of humour was all that saved our sanity during the collective madness of those years. We had the ability to laugh at everything. I remember him and Rick turning up for a flight only to find the promoter had booked the tickets as Mr Digs and Mr Woosh. Once we were physically removed from the decks at our own night at the Hacienda by members of our boyhood heroes New Order and Tony Wilson. The night we dropped five and a half thousand pounds in cash on the floor at dawn after getting paid at a Universe party and had to crawl around trying to pick it all up absolutely shit-faced and laughing uncontrollably. When he put olbas oil into the kettle to steam away a cold, when he cooked a meal for the first time at Premier Road and it consisted of salad and gravy. And one memorable night after the Marcus Garvey centre in 1992, we were carrying our exceedingly heavy bass bins down the wet metal stairs at 7am and Pete says deadpan: “I bet Sasha doesn’t have to do this.” I could go on. Pete spent his later years, living in Nottingham, a city he had come to love. He conquered his addiction and continued his search for meaning in this sometimes
dark and meaningless universe. Then in 2015 came his dreadful diagnosis with head and neck cancer. It is a funny thing but a couple of years ago he said to me that his life since cancer had been the most rewarding and peaceful. He did of course become totally abstinent, exercised daily, ate a strict vegan diet and paradoxically looked the healthiest he ever had. Pete made the somewhat controversial decision not to have the recommended radiotherapy treatment but chose the use of cannabis oil in conjunction with his very healthy fitness regime. In doing this, I think, he was extremely brave and through it all he stuck to his guns, despite occasional criticism and sometimes unwanted advice. He continued to DJ: his sheer primal love of music overcoming the strangeness of DJing straight when all around were intoxicated. He still made music and was involved in many and varied musical ventures such as Gallery Sounds in Nottingham, Banksy’s Dismaland, Festival 23, the KLF’s Welcome to the Dark Ages and the Day of the Trickster. Together, we threw a DiY 20th anniversary party and then a 25th, and we just made it to the 30th. It was around this time that Kate, I think it’s safe to say, exploded into his life. I am not exactly sure of the chronology, but it was not so long after they met that he received his diagnosis, but their relationship transcended this and they fell in love, and had many adventures together. Pete set up Spirit Wrestlers and the 52 Card Trick, a digital music label featuring tracks donated by friends all designed to raise money to increase the awareness of natural, holistic paths of cancer treatment. He also solidified his friendship with David Brooks, who, with seemingly tireless commitment and patience, has helped to make Pete’s ideas into reality over the last few years. Over the last few months Pete’s situation deteriorated and he was left in constant, sometimes overwhelming, pain from which all the painkillers in the world would provide little relief. It was during these months, in the absence of any surviving birth family, that Pete’s amazing network of friends were able, in often difficult circumstances, to nurse him, to feed him, to administer medication and to love him. Above all, I would like to pay tribute to Kate’s tireless and selfless care for Pete over the years and especially these last few months. Thank you also to David and Andrew Brooks for their unstinting support. The four of us managed, just, to get Pete up to Anglesey a few short weeks ago in the back of David’s van for a last trip to one of Pete’s favourite spiritual places. We visited a megalithic burial mound where Pete offered his salutations to the Great Spirit and on to Holy Island and a somewhat drunken night on an abandoned airfield. That was the last time I would see my brother and comrade with whom I, and we all, have been through so much over the decades. What I realised while reading all the tributes after his death was that Pete was essentially a shaman. I suppose we assume that shamans are big, wild and extroverted, but in Pete’s case the shaman came in a small, introverted package in a duffle coat and trainers. He believed passionately in the transformative power of people, place and, above all, music. He had an abiding belief in nature and in art, an endless curiosity for life and a thirst for living. At the end of the day, I think Pete truly believed in love, in the spirit, the tribe, the community. Above all, I think he believed in magic. I will never forget the two of us sitting in the dark on top of a hill on the night of Friday 21 May 1992, overlooking Castlemorton Common as thousands of car headlights stretched out in every direction trying to get to the ever-growing festival below. I turned to Pete and said, “I think we might have pushed it too far.” He turned back and just said, “It’s never too far.”
words: Harry Harrison photos: Dilys Jones, Tom Morley, Curtis Powell 14
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Clockwise: Pete Woosh (2014), nineties DiY Crew (1995), Digs, Harry, Woosh and Simon DK (2014), Pete’s 52 Card Trick (2019) and Sneinton Avenues graffiti (2020). leftlion.co.uk/issue131 15
Sneintifrication Having spent six years fighting against gentrification in London, working class academic and Notts lass Dr Lisa Mckenzie returned to her native city to find the same happening here. With more development plans tabled for Sneinton Market, including the demolition and replacement of extensions to Gedling Street and Boston Street to create retail and commercial space, as well as more student flats, she explores the potential impact of gentrifying the area will have on the past, present and future of working class communities... I have recently moved back to Nottingham after seven years away. Six of those were spent in London where I experienced the daily battle working class Londoners face to keep themselves and their families in the city that they work and live in – the place where they were born and bred. It’s the communities where their families and friends lived, and home to the stories and histories they grew up with, their culture and their memories. This daily struggle for working class life has been known over a generation now as gentrification, a term created and used by Ruth Glass, a German/ British sociologist, to describe what she saw whilst living in Islington in North London during the sixties. Glass noted that the poorest communities (the working class) were being routinely moved out of their neighbourhoods and replaced by wealthier families. She argued that this was not a coincidence, but a process of ‘gentrification’ – with the gentry coveting and using their wealth, power and influence to ultimately get rid of people they didn’t want to live near. Their ultimate goal was to live in those areas themselves, or to ‘clean them up’ in order to secure a higher return for those involved in property speculation and development. Over her long career, Glass referred to the gentrification process as a form of Class War. My life in London as a sociologist became the life of an anti-gentrification campaigner. As a working class woman, I understand at a very deep level how important family, kinship and community are to working class people, and the devastation that is caused when the very essence of working class life is under threat. While living in Bethnal Green I saw how younger family members were forced out of East London by increasing property prices and rent costs, as the area became increasingly trendy and fashionable. Those with more money moved to the area, enticed by craft beer and expensive coffee venues where once there stood East End boozers and pie and mash shops. Those that were left behind were often the elderly, who became totally isolated. As those with wealth moved in, and property developers speculated millions of pounds on the area, the most vulnerable and poorest were
also criminilised and brutalised, as those same speculators put pressure on local authorities to move homeless people and sex workers away, and close down ‘unsavoury working class pubs’ and cheap take-away restaurants that might attract young people. Young working class people are always seen as a problem in gentrified communities. I fought many battles in East London alongside working class Londoners trying to halt, or at least slow down, this process that sought to get rid of them.
Walking through Sneinton, the gentrification process is easy to see. When I left you could buy a cheap carpet and a second-hand wardrobe and still have change from £20 During that time, I noticed that this process of gentrification was as much about getting rid of working class history as it was about getting rid of the working class themselves. It wasn’t enough to make the future ready for the new middle class residents, the past had to be made clean and tidy enough for them to stomach, too. I saw a Jobcentre in Deptford become a pub/restaurant serving an experience of what it’s like to look for work with a designer G&T, and a gentrified pub in Hackney refuse to let a young boy, who had been stabbed, on to their premises for fear of his blood staining the newly reclaimed parquet floor. Sadly, I have a hundred similar, and worse, stories of the many ways in which the gentrification process hurts working class communities. In the week that I returned to my hometown of Nottingham, I heard that gentrification was rampant in our wonderful city, as councillors agreed to demolish another part of Sneinton Market to
make way for more student flats. Walking through Sneinton, the gentrification process is easy to see. When I left you could buy a cheap carpet and a second-hand wardrobe and still have change from £20. Those units have gone now, and in their place stand some fancy coffee and plant shops, and the area looks a lot snazzier. However, I’m pleased to see that some of the more traditional cafes are still there, and remain busy serving all-day breakfasts for reasonable prices. The Murat Food Centre still provides a much better alternative to Tesco’s World Food aisle, but for how long? There are some welcome new additions to the area since I left – the skateboarders who give Sneinton Marketplace life after 5pm, and the community of Roma families chatting, laughing and watching their kids play in the square. For an area that once felt very unsafe for a woman walking home at night, the new lease of life in Sneinton Market is welcome. In these dark days, it’s a real lift to the spirits to be able to stroll around a space that is home to so much life and creativity. However, I have a warning. As both a city and a community we must not get carried away with the gloss and shine that property developers offer us. Their goal is not the same as ours. Having the choice of a posh cup of coffee, a craft beer or a £5 cupcake is nice, but it needs to be one option, not the only thing on offer. Having a space for 2000 cash-rich students should not mean that the services needed by our local communities in St. Ann’s and Sneinton, like a cheap, good breakfast in a cafe they can afford, or a supermarket that caters for the local global community, should be sacrificed. I have recently read that the mushy pea stall in Victoria Market has recently closed – surely space can be made for the dying indoor market in the vibrant Sneinton area? If you abandon the things that make Nottingham a distinct city known for its culture, pubs, history and the wit of its people, we’ll be left with another identikit area of mini supermarkets, chain coffee shops and ‘private property’ signs everywhere informing us that families, skateboarders, children and our local accent are not welcome.
words: Lisa Mckenzine illustration: Raphael Achache 16
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The Surreal Life As part of this year’s stellar online Nottingham Poetry Festival line-up, we chat to Anthony Anaxagorou: publisher, writer, poetry educator, Eliot Prize nominee and all-round prolific wordsmith. We talk lockdown, surrealism and his new book How To Write It... Tell us what we can expect from your set at the Poetry Festival... I’m going to read from my collection After the Formalities, then read some new stuff. What I actually do will probably change by the time this goes to print. I’m excited for it though! So, lockdown. How has the situation impacted you and your writing? I wrote How To Write It over seven weeks during lockdown. So, in a way, lockdown was good because all other work was cancelled. I wasn’t going into schools, there were no meetings and no one knew what the hell Zoom was in April. So I just had time to write. When I get anxious and stressed, writing is a way to control those feelings so that was good too. For the first two months I found it great, but once How To Write It was done come July, that’s when I felt it. The novelty had worn off. I missed being around people and being part of the world. My life was just going from the container to home on repeat. That wasn’t great and then I started to get anxious because there was nothing I had to write. So I started writing poems again just for my own peace of mind. Do you still find anything daunting or challenging about performing on stage? I don’t – I feel quite comfortable on stage. I didn’t used to, but I’ve been doing it for nearly twelve years, so now I enjoy it. I do so much talking that speaking to people about ideas, about the world, about art just feels like second nature. Obviously when you’re doing a set each piece will have its own message, but what do you hope an audience will take from your work? I hope they’ve participated in some way and feel involved in the poem. Any piece of literature is a two-way conversation between writer and reader. As long as they’re able to find something: a curiosity, a thought, even if it’s uncomfortable or a malaise, I’m happy. Who is your audience? If I try and think too much about who’s on the other end, I get overwhelmed. I get confused, because I genuinely don’t know.
Tell me about the surrealism aspect of your work... Surrealism came out of trauma from World War II. Psychotherapists and artists found that if you describe a disturbing scene – like a killing or a murder – it’s very affecting to someone who’s experienced that. But if you make a suggestion of that happening through a surrealist image, it won’t impact them in the same way: they’re able to engage and move forward without feeling traumatised. Surrealism for me is strangeness, and strangeness is very much about giving the reader agency to navigate an image how they want. I enjoy it. I think it’s fun. I’m excited by a weird image. Rather than the writer telling me exactly what they want, it gets me thinking, ‘What does that mean?’ Then I have to do some work and stick some things together.
Surrealism for me is strangeness, and strangeness is very much about giving the reader agency to navigate an image how they want How do you go about coming up with strange images in your own work? There are whole loads of things I’ll write down – objects or verbs – and muddle them up to get interesting combinations. Sometimes you get stuff that’s too unusual, so when I don’t know what something means or there’s no associative logic, I let the image go. But other images do usually work along an associative line. Can you tell me who your greatest influences are? In this room alone there’s around a thousand books. Everyone in here has inspired me in some way. There’s Tony Harrison, Nicole Sealey, Lisa Epstein… There’s too many people that have affected the way I think that I literally can’t answer that! I know you do a lot of workshops. Which setting do you prefer – workshops or performance? One is the theory and one is the practice: workshops are where you develop theory, critical knowledge and intellectual understanding of an art form. The live
space is where you try it out and say, ‘Here we go! What do you guys think?’ They’re both present at this juncture, but I like workshopping and thinking about why poems work, how they affect us, the different things they can do and their possibilities and impossibilities. With gigging, different gigs bring different audiences who you’ll respond to differently. But a gig is a gig. Now, the exciting thing for me is taking a blank piece of paper and seeing what I can make that didn’t exist before. What advice would you give to anyone wanting to be a professional poet or wanting to get published? I would say: you must keep going. It’s a long and arduous process to read, to workshop, to think, to discuss poetry. Maintain a critical angle on what you do. Keep pushing ideas, forms and ways of writing. Probably the most important thing is to ask yourself: ‘Why am I doing this?’ Don’t get too fixed up thinking you have to write poems – there are other forms you can work in. Keep an open mind and don’t get too obsessed with thinking, ‘If this piece isn’t a poem I need to scrap it’. It could be a short story. Thankfully, the current poetry landscape is a lot more representative, holistic and inclusive. Ten years ago, there was a perceived way of writing and publishing, whereas now, loads of indie presses (Penned in the Margins, Out-Spoken, Nine Arches, Carcanet, Blood Axe) are bringing in interesting voices. Is there anything you want to say about your book that you haven’t already? It’s a resource for people who might just be coming into writing or thinking about publishing but aren’t sure what to do. It’s practical, aimed at helping to dispel some myths and assuage the anxieties people might have about publishing work.
You can see Anthony’s set as part of Nottingham Poetry Festival 2020. Make sure to keep an eye on the Nottingham Poetry Festival website for a rebellious act in the name of poetry. From what we’ve heard, they might just have a few tricks up their sleeve... nottinghampoetryfestival.com
interview: Cleo Asabre-Holt
Nottingham Poetry Hunt
illustration: Kate Sharp
Like a beacon of light in a seemingly endless sea of darkness, Nottingham Poetry Festival is back with a nine-day programme of online events, performances and workshops. As part of this year’s festival, you can bag yourself some goodies by taking part in a poetry hunt around the city.
Simply use the clues to work out these Nottingham venues – there’s treasure in poetic form waiting to be dug up in their windows, websites and social media pages. Competition opens Monday 9 November. Entries are open to anyone 12+. Nottingham Poetry Festival will accept seven poems per entrant (one for each treasure in poetic form unearthed). Submissions close at 11.59pm on Sunday 29 November. Further terms and conditions available at nottinghampoetryfestival.com nottinghampoetryfestival.com
• Enter your creative responses at the Nottingham Poetry Festival website to win: 475 NTU Creative Short Course voucher • A mystery box of books from Five Leaves Bookshop 20 Rough Trade voucher • Bromley House Library membership • 2 tickets to any upcoming event at Metronome • A Nottingham Writers Studio creative writing workshop • VIP membership at Nonsuch Studios • Overheard in Notts books and tea-towels from LeftLion • The World Outside anthology leftlion.co.uk/issue131 19
interview: Ashley Carter photo: Curtis Powell
THE WINNING BID After securing an overwhelming victory in the recent ballot, Nottingham Business Improvement District is set to continue supporting businesses in the city for at least another five years. We caught up with BID Manager Lucy Stanford to find out more about their plans for the future… Your work is well-known among business-owners in the city, but can you explain what Nottingham BID does to readers who are less familiar? BIDs are essentially business-led and business-funded organisations that are formed to be a collective voice for businesses. We then create projects and services to bring benefits to local residents and visitors, and then in turn businesses in the city centre. Can you give me some examples of those projects and services? We do a lot of events, such as the Nottingham Ale Trail, the Halloween Trail, and also partner with other organisations on other events, like Nottingham Craft Beer Week, Light Night, Hockley Hustle and The Magnificent Spiegeltent. In terms of services, we work with the Council on things like cleaning, or the Street Pastors who go out at the weekend to make sure people are okay. All of this is to try and encourage people to come in and enjoy the city centre, which then benefits the businesses in the area. How do you think Nottingham BID has benefited businesses in the city? I think things have improved because, in many situations, it’s better to have one collective voice, which can be done through Nottingham BID, rather than lots of individual voices. I think we really support businesses by bringing everyone’s individual ideas together to create something that benefits everyone. We really take on board comments from the businesses and listen to what they need. An example of this can be seen with coming out of lockdown. We distributed 17,000 items to help businesses reopen – you might have seen the blue signage and floor stickers around the city. Doing that helped us create one look and feel across the city, so the people coming in know what they’re looking for and know what to expect. COVID obviously caused problems for many of the individual businesses in the city. How did it impact Nottingham BID? One of the first things we did was to put our 2020 plans aside completely. We knew that we needed to act quickly and speak to businesses as soon as possible to see what kind of support they needed – that’s one of the benefits of having a BID, we’re flexible and quick to react. We started by offering support by giving businesses access to employee assistant programmes, so people that were working from home could access free wellness and counselling resources. Once we moved into the re-opening stage,
we moved into providing the signage, which, as an individual business, would have been really expensive to get on a small scale. Then the third phase was to look at the more long-term recovery strategies, which is when we brought the Wise Owl Walk to encourage footfall in the city in a COVID-friendly way.
In many situations it’s better to have one collective voice, which can be done through Nottingham BID, rather than lots of individual voices Sadly, some businesses in Nottingham were forced to close permanently as a result of COVID. What sort of impact has that had on BID and other businesses in the area? Unfortunately it is a very tough time for businesses at the moment, and there are some that have closed and won’t be coming back. But I think for other businesses this is where having a BID to support you can come in handy. One of the longer-term things we’re looking at doing is recreating the vacant unit spaces to make them something interesting. Short-term, we try to vinyl them with key messaging, but we’d like to make that more art-based in the future. That’s not a longterm solution, but it’s something that will help ensure that vacant spaces don’t look so empty. We might not be able to get a new business in there straight away, but if we can use the space as a small, free art gallery, it will help try and keep the area lively. There are a huge number of problems facing businesses of all sizes at the moment, particularly those in the hospitality and retail sectors. What are you seeing as the biggest issues? Firstly, I should say that the venues in Nottingham have done a really good job in making sure they’re set up in a way that can make people who want to visit them feel safe in doing so. It’s hard to know what the long-term impacts of COVID will be, especially with places like Broadmarsh. But I think we need to try and view it as an opportunity for Nottingham, and see how we can adapt the city to the new normal by re-imagining how space is used. Do we need to bring more green to the city? Do we recreate different cultural aspects of the city? Rather than trying to replace with new retail, we’ve got an opportunity to try and create a city that’s fit for the new normal.
Nottingham BID secured five more years by a large margin in the recent ballot. Can you tell us a bit more about that process? We created a business plan that sets out what we would do with the next five years if we were successful, and then promoted it to the businesses. We've been quite fortunate to have such a positive reaction – I think us being there through the lockdown period has probably helped us, but we won with a huge majority and were absolutely honoured to be able to carry on with it for the next five years. Can you tell us a bit more about the business plan? We have four main themes that we focus on. Firstly, there’s Promoted City, which focuses on events like the Halloween Trail and the Nottingham Ale Trail, so we want to bring more of those in and make Nottingham a city where people can experience and hopefully enjoy events like that and stay for the day. Then we've got the Managed City section, which is more about the ‘crime and grime’ side. We run a radio scheme across the city which we want to expand, and also bring an environmental aspect into it to try and create projects that businesses can get involved in to be more environmentally friendly, which I think is a key part of the city’s overall ambitions. Thirdly, we've got the Independent Section, which we'd like to expand into trying out things like independent markets. Then we've got the Working City section, which focuses on the office sector. This includes a few wellness schemes, like lunchtime walking clubs. Finally, we’ve got the big overall Transformation Project. What are your plans for the next five years? We’re expanding the BID area to include businesses around the train station and also the area around Nottingham Castle. With all of the redevelopment happening in those locations it seemed logical to bring them into the area, and we’re really excited to work with those new businesses. We’ve got a lot of big opportunities coming to the city – there is a lot of redevelopment going on and Nottingham BID wants to partner with other organisations as we go through the process to make sure that we bring the most benefit to the city. In the long-term, we want to leave a positive legacy in Nottingham beyond these next five years. nottinghambid.com
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This year has been full of compromises, tough decisions and – unfortunately – disappointment for many. As we lean into colder, gloomy nights, there are still question marks over Christmas 2020, and how we will be allowed to celebrate. While we already know we won’t be warmed by a bonfire at Forest Rec or filled with mulled wine in the Market Square, there is a light in the dark – Christmas at Wollaton, a light-up outdoor experience set to fill us all with wonder… If the pandemic has taught the world anything, it’s to be grateful for every little thing we’ve got. As things currently stand, as a country we’re all still unsure whether we’ll get to share a cracker with our cousins or pass Secret Santa around the office. But, in typical 2020-fashion, folk have banded together to ensure we can celebrate in new, and COVIDfriendly, ways. Christmas at Wollaton is a multi sensory experience of light, fire and sound that is due to brighten up the Wollaton Hall and Deer Park throughout the festive period, putting a contemporary twist on the classic seasonal tradition. The event has been designed by Manchester-based production company dbnAudile in collaboration with Salford-based outdoor arts company Walk The Plank, the former having designed productions all over the world. From the opening performance for Turku European Capital of Culture 2010 in Finland, which took place on a frozen river, or the opening and closing ceremonies for the 2019 Special Olympics in Abu Dhabi, Stephen Page and the team from dbnAudile know how to grab an audience’s attention. “Whatever the event, lighting is a vital ingredient which can create drama, emotion and impact,” says Stephen. Gaining his experience running lighting and sound for clubs and events in Manchester’s late eighties rave scene, this will be no amateur production. Visitors are invited to an enchanted walk around the park. As you arrive, you’ll be greeted by a fairy light-lit entryway, making your way towards the festive forest, full of organic sculptures of both light and fire. Travel through the light tunnel, and you’ll
come across a romantic, moon-lit glade before you stroll down a carpet made of rainbows to the heat and flame zone, where you’ll be bathed in an amber glow. At the end of the road, you’ll be greeted with a dramatic finale designed to take your breath away.
Our aim is for people to enjoy a little festive spirit in these difficult times, to see and react to Wollaton Hall in a different light “Wollaton Hall provides a huge scope and an exciting opportunity for a lighting designer to work,” adds Stephen. “There are lots of different elements we have to consider, from the natural landscape to the more formal gardens as well as the hall itself. We want to take the visitor on a beautiful journey and allow them to interact with the setting in a new context, as well as to create lots of ‘wow’ moments.” Just like many other creative industries who have had to be adaptable to COVID measures, the folks behind Christmas at Wollaton have done everything to ensure the experience will be safe for everybody to attend, with full social distancing measures in place. There will be limited capacity time slots with staggered entry and additional cleaning across both the route and the food and drink suppliers each night.
The event will run from Friday 27 November 2020 to Wednesday 6 January 2021, so there’s plenty of opportunity for you to soak up that festive feeling. Plus, there’s a chance for one of you lot to kick Christmas off in style, as part of Christmas at Wollaton Nominate a Shining Star competition – if you know somebody who has shown extraordinary kindness during these past few months, or live with a key worker who you believes deserves to be celebrated, head to the event website and nominate your shining star to be the lucky guest of honour to light up the illumination experience on opening night. For adults and kids alike, it’s set to be a wholesome, heart-warming experience. “My family come to lots of my shows and we’ll definitely be attending Christmas at Wollaton. Although I often find it hard to enjoy things without spotting elements that could be different or improved!” says Stephen. “Our aim is for people to enjoy a little festive spirit in these difficult times, to see and react to Wollaton Hall in a different light, and to come together to experience the beauty of grounds in an amazing, magical way that will lift their spirits.” Tickets are available now on the Christmas at Wollaton website, adults from £19.25 and children from £13.75. Book your visit for November and enjoy 20% off with code ‘LIGHTS20’! Offer ends Sunday 8 November.Christmas at Wollaton runs from Friday 27 November 2020 to Wednesday 6 January 2021 christmasatwollaton.org
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My Photo Moment: Sunrise over Shelford Emma Richardson - @emmalou.richardson
Silver Linings Tell me how Bone Arrow began... After my A levels, I went to college in Mansfield to study 3-Dimensional Design. Along with product design and interiors, we tried jewellery and metal work and I just loved it. My teacher encouraged me to apply to the best jewellery schools in the country, so I went to study jewellery and silversmithing at university in Birmingham, in the jewellery quarter. Because I wasn’t particularly studious or academic, my degree took me around five years to complete, so I never really felt like I was particularly good at it, or at anything. I also didn't feel like I fit in in the jewellery industry because all of the stuff that was commercial I thought was horrible. It didn’t really occur to me that if I made the stuff that I liked, other people might like it as well. So I tried other jobs – I became a makeup artist, working during London Fashion Week and on films, but I kept making jewellery for myself and for friends. About five years ago I decided to properly start a jewellery business. You make every piece of jewellery yourself. Where do you look for your inspiration? A lot of the time, it comes from the stones. I don’t like fussy designs or settings, I want the stones to speak for themselves, so I make them the star of the show. With my other silver jewellery, I get a lot of inspiration from mythology and literature. I’m obsessed with Greek mythology – my collection called Queen of the Underworld was based on Persephone, and I’m working on one inspired by Ophelia, the Shakespeare character. I’m just inspired by a sense of melancholy, with death entwined too. I like oxidising silver to make it black, and I don't do perfect or highly polished. I like everything to look like it's been worn; a lived-in and loved style. A lot of your pieces use crystals. Have you always been interested in their powers? When I was a teenager, there was this hippy-gothy shop in Mansfield that I was obsessed with – anything to be able to dress like Lydia Deetz. I bought some spherical crystals from there and carried them with me everywhere. I didn’t have any idea about them on a wider scale, I was just really drawn to them. Now, having done the research, I just think it’s fascinating that everything on earth and all the planets in the solar system were created from a star explosion, and that these different crystals have formed in the earth over millions of years. When you pick up a crystal, you can feel its energy. That’s why I think we like to wear jewellery, because it’s a connection back to the earth. You know when you forget to put it on and it’s like there’s a piece of you missing? I feel they do become a part of you because you’re made from the same stuff. Why is it important to you to use recycled silver and ethically sourced stones for your jewellery? The less that’s coming out of the earth the better.
They say that if you treat the universe with the respect it deserves, it’ll treat you right back. That couldn't be more clear than in the case of Clare Gregory of Bone Arrow – after years of working full-time as an MUA, she went on to launch her first collection of silver, gothic-inspired jewellery. The business has gone from strength to strength, and at the beginning of 2020 she opened her first physical store in Sneinton Market. Our Assistant Editor caught up with her about all things crystals, bad vibes and divine intervention…
Wherever I can, I like to know where a crystal has come from because they carry energy. For my collection launching at the end of the year, it was really important to me that the diamonds were ethically sourced – I mean, we’ve all seen Blood Diamond and you don’t want the stones you are wearing to carry that kind of energy, so they have l come from a mine in Botswana that has won awards for green mining practices. I know that they're not carrying the energy of... awfulness.
What does the future look like for Bone Arrow? I'm super excited about my engagement ring collection – there’s going to be five designs using black diamonds and white gold that people can order and I’ll make bespoke for them. I also release a new collection every couple of months using specific stone, like the onyx pieces that I released in September. These drops are one of a kind and limited edition pieces and usually sell out quite quickly. I reckon the new collection will probably happen in the new year, and I’ve already got a lot of new ideas on the go.
I like everything to look like it’s been worn; a lived-in and loved style
I’m excited to start classes back up again too – I love running them. It's so exciting watching people who are a bit scared and think that they can't do it – but they're adventurous, which is why they come to the workshop in the first place. People always think they will be the one that messes it up, but at the end of the class they’ll walk away with something that they’re so proud of. It’s awesome to watch.
Do you believe that jewellery should only be bought to commemorate a memory, or would you buy a piece just because you think it’s pretty? Personally I think that jewellery takes on its own meaning. One of my favourite quotes from Gabriel García Márquez is: “Things have a life of their own, it's simply a matter of waking up their souls.” When I create a piece of jewellery, I’m combining silver that’s had a previous life with a stone formed in a volcano or whatever, and the act of putting them together is a bit like waking it up. I think that all jewellery can be for some special occasion, whether it's a landmark or just because you thought you deserved a treat because you need cheering up. Life is a special occasion. What's your favourite piece you’ve made? I made myself a giant smokey quartz pendant when my dad was really ill, just before he died. He was discharged from hospital right in the middle of the March lockdown and my mum had COVID symptoms, so I moved back home to quarantine mum in one room and disinfect everything in the other for dad, who had just finished having chemotherapy. I took a little workbench with me and through those couple of months, this necklace became a bit of a pillar of strength. Smokey quartz is really good for grounding and stress release, so whenever I was feeling things were getting a bit much I felt myself holding onto it, like an anchor back to the earth. So, we’re neighbours now! Where were you working before your move to Sneinton Market? I had a little workshop just around the corner at Fishergate Point, but I would walk through Sneinton Market on my way home every day and look at the units thinking that this would be my absolute dream. One eventually became available which I ummed and ahhhed about, but I worked out that if I did classes as well as selling online, then I could cover the rent. So I moved in in January. And I love it! Everyone that comes in says it has a really nice energy and it really does, the whole market does.
Bone Arrow, Unit 35, Avenue C, Sneinton Market, NG1 1DW bonearrow.com
We tried out a stacking ring workshop… Held in the mezzanine of her gorgeous, gothic unit, I attended the class alongside three other jewellery newbies, where the goal was to make three, detailed silver rings under Clare’s watchful eye. Taking place in a post-COVID world, we were all masked up and given our own workbench, tools and hand sanitizer to ensure we felt safe and happy. Clare began by giving us a quick demonstration of the process, putting me totally at ease with the foregin objects surrounding me, and we soon got stuck into creating our first ring. Made from pieces of silver wire – either plain or textured with a pattern – we went through the entire process start to finish: sawing, moulding, soldering, and a list of other tasks I haven’t thought about since secondary school DT lessons. I was definitely one of those wimps Clare referred to in her interview, refusing to do anything drastic or foreign without her giving me approval, but it surprised me how quickly I became inspired, full of ideas for my new accessories. Let me tell you, the sense of accomplishment that comes with successfully using a tiny blowtorch is overwhelming. After spending all day typing at my desk, it felt extremely therapeutic to be bashing bits of metal around with a tiny hammer to make grooves and patterns on my rings. It was a kind of creativity I’d never explored before, but one I’m certain I’ll return to again. I wasn’t the only one to be a silversmithing convert – it was so heartwarming to see every face light up each time they picked their ring up out of the acid bath and realised they’d made something beautiful with their own hands. COVID has taught a lot of us to take joy in the little things, and now I have a permanent reminder of this uplifting evening sitting proudly on my pointers.
words: Emily Thursfield leftlion.co.uk/issue131 27
interview: Jared Wilson photo: Curtis Powell
Taking the Bates Kemet FM host, graphics company owner, Police Commissioner candidate and Twitter enthusiast; Tony Bates has spent the last 22 years in Nottingham, and has been both a catalyst and an observer of change. This month, he bids the city farewell to become Scarborough’s answer to Basil Fawlty. We had a catch up about his best moments here over the last two decades… What was it that first brought you to Nottingham? I was born and bred in the suburbs of London and started life in retail management, before working for an oil company. It was all very dull. I eventually decided I was sick of having a boss and wanted to live somewhere nicer. So I set up on my own and Nottingham seemed like a great place to do business. I’ve lived in Tunbridge Wells, Newbury, Stratford upon Avon and Leicestershire and none of them can compare to here. It is hard to be proud of my roots, but I can totally understand the great pride people have in Nottingham. I immediately loved the culture of the city and most of all the people. What are the best things to have happened in Nottingham over the 22 years you’ve been here? The introduction of the tram, the opening of the Nottingham Contemporary, the birth of LeftLion magazine and the creation of so many great festivals. What are the worst things? The decline of the Broadmarsh Centre (and Wimpy going with it). There have been a fair few dubious planning decisions, in particular so many student apartment blocks, mostly too high. Plus there has been a steep rise in rough sleepers. Tell us about the Notts Tweet Up Group you founded? Having gained quite a lot of followers on Twitter I had made many virtual friends. A friend of mine, Susi Henson, was working at Confetti and we came up with the idea of holding an event there to turn the virtual into reality. It was great to meet the people behind the tweets. I can’t imagine another way I would have met a Professor of Astronomy! Back in 2012 you led a campaign that got #Nottinghamrocks trending on Twitter and garnered over 15,000 tweets featuring that hashtag in a day. How did that happen? I made an idle tweet one Tuesday morning that I would like to see Nottingham trending. It was picked up by my MP, Lilian Greenwood, and it suddenly became a campaign. The council got on board early and I then came up with the hashtag. The date was set and we promoted it on social media, on NCT buses and with banners around the city. The hashtag was released at 7:15am and was trending number one in the UK by 8am, when BBC Radio Nottingham sent a reporter. By 11am it was trending third in the world, which was stunning. People were asked to share what they loved about the city and it led to a wave of positivity. What is it that you particularly love about Twitter as a social media channel? I joined in April 2009, so I was a relatively early user.
Unlike Facebook, it feels more interactive and instant. As my network has grown I have ‘met’ so many amazing people and it gives me a great outlet to moan. You were a presenter on Kemet FM for several years. How did that come about? My NottinghamRocks Twitter account had become widely known and this led to Kemet FM director Andrew Campbell asking me to appear on the station to keep people informed about events. It was originally a ten minute slot once per month, but it grew from there. My best memories have to be the interviews with such a diverse range of people, including puppets, an army officer, a police superintendent and seventies singer David Essex. The constant exchange with my co-host and close friend Jackie P was always a pleasure. The time she mistakenly referred to me as Master Bates, followed by her collapsing to the floor, has to be the best moment.
I turned up in Nottingham, the bloke from “that London”, knowing nobody but felt the hug the city gives so quickly You ran for the job as Nottinghamshire Police Commissioner in 2016. What were your plans in that role? I ran largely to oppose the merger of the City and County police divisions as I felt this would be to the detriment of policing in the city. I also proposed the closure of police HQ and other commercial propositions to divert money to the frontline. I think I’d have made it better. I don’t see any real initiative in the last four years that has made a significant advance and feel personally that a business background is of more advantage than being a long-term politician. You’ve also helped to pioneer a few schemes for creative young people in the city as a committee member of the Young Creative Awards and the founder of Notts Factor. Who are the best discoveries you’ve made in the city over the years? I feel strongly that the creative sector is misunderstood and undervalued. We often discussed why people seek awards in this sector and felt that credibility, rather than the prize or exposure, was the main reason. It was great to see Rob Green progress from winning the music category of the Young Creative Awards to gracing huge stages. I’ve also seen Notts Factor winner Chloe Rodgers progress to getting signed. She’s such a huge talent and a lovely person too.
What stories of your time in the city would you like to tell our readers? One odd recollection of my time in Nottingham was being contacted by Notts TV about making a Christmas TV programme. I pointed out that I hate Christmas and they told me that was why they wanted me to be The Christmas Curmudgeon. I was then told it would be a review of the first six months of the channel and I would choose the clips and write the script, and had a week to do it! So there I am, sat in the gallery, surrounded by camera operators, a sound person etc., realising I am ‘the talent’. To my amazement it aired on Christmas Day, a few weeks later, and my four children watched with me and were totally unimpressed. It even got repeated a year later. While on Kemet FM I interviewed Henry Normal a number of times. He was the co-creator, with Steve Coogan, of Baby Cow Productions, who made programmes like The Royle Family, The Mighty Boosh and Gavin and Stacey. I approached him about an interview on stage, which led to me interviewing him, for some ninety minutes, as part of Confetti’s Industry Week. Tell us about what’s next. We understand you’re going to become a hotelier in Scarborough? I have always felt the calling of the sea and planned one day to wake up looking at the waves. I decided the time was right to go and that owning a small hotel was the way to do it. We are lucky to be buying a hotel on the North cliff of Scarborough with stunning sea views. It will be a slower pace of life, although I do have some other plans on a list that keeps growing. I married my wife Paula in Nottingham two years ago, after proposing in the small hours at a totally deserted Robin Hood Statue. She was born in Nottingham so I feel I am taking a small piece of the city with me. What will you miss most about not living in Notts? Eating a great curry in Laguna, sitting outside the Crafty Crow with a lovely pint of Magpie Brewery ale, opening night at the Nottingham Contemporary, walks by the canal, sitting in Old Market Square watching the world go by, the beer festival, eating mushy peas at the Goose Fair. There’s a lot I'll miss. Describe your 22 years in Nottingham in a tweet… I turned up in Nottingham, the bloke from “that London”, knowing nobody but felt the hug the city gives so quickly. I leave the place knowing so many people and with a vast array of memories. There is so much I will miss but hope waking up to a sea view will provide compensation. @babblingbates
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From Bean to cup
words: Eve Smallman photos: Curtis Powell
There’s nothing like taking a sip of a proper cup of coffee. The tantalising scent as it hits your throat, warm and bitter, utterly smooth and delicious. Jim Lee knows all about that – he supplies coffee to some of the city’s best bars and restaurants like Bar Iberico, Copper, and the Hockley Arts Club, making sure you get the perfect caffeine fix. To celebrate him reaching thirty years of doing just that, we took a gander down to the Lee and Fletcher warehouse to have a chat with him about how they handle the good stuff… I’d never ventured to Basford before, so had to consult Google Maps to help me find the Lee and Fletcher warehouse. I turned a corner, and suddenly I didn’t need directions anymore – I could smell the roasted coffee beans. Yum. Jim sat me and the photographer down and offered us a cup of coffee. Double yum. He tells me how he set up the business after being inspired by a trip to India, where he was invited to someone’s home where they happened to be roasting coffee, and began to spy what was then an untapped market for good quality coffee in the UK. He was right on the money – last year, 95 million cups of coffee were consumed here a day, an increase of 25 million over the past ten years.
Coffee is like wine – there are so many different things about each type This runs across the whole business, including their relationships with the farmers who grow the beans. Jim continues: “We’ve got a number of One to One coffees, where we get all their beans that come into the UK. One of them called Omar Rodriguez came and did a talk in London a couple of years ago.” When we venture upstairs to see where the magic happens, I spy Omar’s beans proudly stacked up. “The people who grow coffee, ship coffee, roast coffee, we’ll all often
get together and discuss different things and meet often. It's kind of a global club!” When it comes to providing his repertoire of Nottingham venues with coffee and machines, he makes sure that they get the best coffee and the best service too. “We always make sure we buy very good quality beans, we make sure that it's roasted well, looked after well, and we roast to order so there's no product sitting on the shelf doing nothing,” Jim says. “If someone's got a problem with their machine, or they phoned us up and say the coffee's not right, we go around, fix it, and then we make sure that we look after the quality of the product that they're selling, as the end cup of coffee has got to be good too.” As I’m cradling my second coffee, I think about how many cups I’ve consumed over gossips with mates, brainstorms with work colleagues, and discussions with dates. Coffee really helps create cherished bonds with people, and it’s remarkable finding out how many cherished bonds go into making that happen. When you’re in town doing the same thing – and potentially even reading this – chances are you’ll be drinking a cup of one of Lee and Fletcher’s many gorgeous blends, made with passion and soul from bean to cup. Leeandfletcher.co.uk
food for thought
“Coffee is like wine – there are so many different things about each type. You can always learn something new about it too, whether it's about the growing or the processing, the roasting or the brewing, and what people like, what they don't like,” Jim tells me. “Attitudes have really changed about it too – when I started I was considered eccentric for having two varieties, but now I have 75 and people understand the difference between them. We can also do an infinite range of flavours by blending together different proportions and roasting lighter or darker.”
With thirty years in the business, Jim has experienced his share of joyful moments. One highlight was having their bespoke beast of a coffee roaster handmade in Northern Italy. “We’re a family business, so it was really lovely to have another family business make the machine for us. We had a week’s holiday in Lecco to see the factory where it was made, and the owner of the business came here to install it for us,” Jim says. “It’s a very personal world, the coffee world – it relies on relationships between people.”
New Menu – Burra Khana Get your brunch fix with a spicy twist. We’re talking Indian-inspired scrambled eggs, SriLankan pancakes, and Punjabi yogurt drinks to wash it all down with. @burrakhana
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Must Try – Tiramisu at Pull Me Up Our Food Editor ordered three whole tubs of this amazing, authentic Italian tiramisu, and absolutely loved it. It’s made locally and can be delivered straight to your doorstep. @pullmeupnottingham
Must Download – GNG Club Local spots such as Copper, Southbank and Waterside are part of Great Northern Group, and with this handy-dandy app you can get cashback, free bevs, and more. greatnortherngroup.co.uk
food Review: ye olde bell During these COVID times, it can be easy to get into the habit of rolling to the same pub or restaurant in a variation of your loungewear. So when I was invited to sample the bottomless brunch (£30pp) at the Ye Olde Bell Hotel, I was very excited to have an excuse to doll up and go somewhere a bit different. When we arrived we were shown to an elegantly decorated table right next to one of their historic ornate windows, with gorgeous fresh flowers in the middle. Soon enough the prosecco was flowing and our tums were rumbling. I was pleasantly surprised that the brunch was a two-course affair – generally, I struggle to pick between sweet or savoury, so to have both was a lovely treat. For mains, I went for eggs florentine, which came on a hot plate, as all good food should. The hollandaise was rich and smooth, not too thick and just the right amount that I mopped it up efficiently with
food review: La Mistral
Be Our Guest interview: Eve Smallman
My friends and I wanted to go somewhere special, while at the same time supporting a local business. For us, there was no better choice than Le Mistral in Sherwood. For starters, I had the French onion soup (£5.95). I was looking forward to it, and I wasn’t disappointed. It was deep brown in colour with slices of onions fighting for space in the rich liquid. It tasted delicious, and given the opportunity to have it as a main course I would have done. I ate it with my warmed glutenfree bread, which I ate with relish after smothering it in butter. For our main course, we chose slow-cooked lamb shanks (£17.95), chicken and bacon fricassee (£13.95) and pan-fried haddock (£13.95). The lamb shank sat on top mashed potatoes covered in a rich gravy with roasted root vegetables, and it slipped off the bone with ease.
With in-person fundraising events being off-limits at the moment, West Bridgford-based charity Education for the Children have adapted their annual ball to be a virtual affair over Zoom, with a three-course meal cooked by Masterchef winner and former Sat Bains chef Laurence Henry. We caught up with the man himself to find out all about it... How have the lockdowns been for you? The first lockdown was a lot more eventful to say. My siblings and I lost our job so we started a little business just to pass the time called The Quarantine Kitchen, where we delivered things fresh produce and their homemade meals for people that couldn’t get to the shops. This second lockdown I’m taking a lazier approach and just biding my time until I can start cooking again. Tell me about how you got involved with the Education for the Children Virtual Ball… We just got chatting over Instagram! I'm really happy to help out providing food for it, as never really clicked to me how charities have been affected by COVID. Obviously, everyone's affected by it, especially in the hospitality industry, but charities rely heavily on fundraising balls and auctions.
my muffin, which was beautifully buttery. The poached eggs were dreamy too – one prod of my fork and the yolk oozed out in a golden pool. Puds wise, I was tempted by the pancakes (my boyfriend had them and vouched for their deliciousness), but I went for banana fritters and yoghurt. They were plated like a flower, and my goodness did they taste as good as they looked. I didn’t know bananas could taste fluffy but they were, and paired with the tart raspberries and creamy yoghurt they were simply mouthwatering. The portions were perfect too – we were full but not too stuffed to go for a walk afterwards. If you’re fancying a treat and want a break from the hustle and bustle of the city centre, Ye Olde Bell’s bottomless brunch makes for a delicious, satisfying start to the day. Eve Smallman Great North Road, Retford, DN22 8QS yeoldebell-hotel.co.uk
To Follow – Tied Up In Notts With their satisfying shots, doughy dreams and tanned pretzels, this bakery deserves a place on your feed. We’re fans of their Sleaford Mods inspired name, too. @tiedupinnotts_
It was a challenge deciding which to eat first – the rosemary and wine jus covered herb mash or the lamb. According to my friend the haddock was delicious too, and it wasn’t long before it was devoured. My other friend, who ordered the chicken and bacon fricassee, had eaten it several times before, and was pleased with her choice. Because of the generous portions, the three of us were suitably podged, and only one of us dared to have dessert, choosing sticky toffee pudding and ice cream (£5.95). There’s no better pudding than warm, soft, sweet sponge on a cold evening, and it was the perfect dish to top off the meal. We had a pleasant visit to Le Mistral, not only because of the food but because of the lovely warm welcome and service, despite the COVID-related changes. French cuisine is never second best, and to have a taste of that beauty locally is truly wonderful. Sharon Stevens Mansfield Road, Sherwood, NG5 2JN lemistral.co.uk
Want your Nottingham foodie business featured in the mag? Fancy writing for us? Email our Food Editor at eve.smallman@leftlion.co.uk
Through Instagram, I learned a little bit more about the charity, such as it being founded in Nottingham, and their School of Hope in Guatemala was founded by Nottingham people as well. There they not only help with education, but they also help with nutrition by providing healthy school meals and snacks too, as many children in Guatemala suffer from malnutrition. What can people expect from the event? Everyone's going be connected via Zoom, so there will be that unique atmosphere you might expect from a ball. There will be speakers as well as a video link to the school in Guatemala, so everyone can have a toast together. What can people expect in terms of food? It’s a three-course fine dining style menu costing £40 per person, with a vegetarian option also. They’re seasonal dishes that I really like – for starters there’s a ham hock and chicken terrine with seasonal mushrooms and bitter leaf and for mains, there is pork belly with squash. Squash is one of my favourite ingredients this time of year, so it’s nice to be able to showcase what’s available throughout the season. Have there been any differences in planning this compared to a normal menu? I’ve thought a lot about how people can reheat it home, which is something we did with The Quarantine Kitchen during the first lockdown. We’ve practised the logistics of everything with packaging it and delivering it, and I’ve made sure it’ll be as delicious for people when receiving it as when I make it. It’s different to a restaurant where everything is freshly produced to be eaten straight away. What are you most excited about? The opportunity to raise some money for the fantastic cause and hopefully help Education for the Children to come out the other side as a thriving charity. The Education For the Children Virtual Ball with Laurence Henry takes place on Thursday 12 November. tickettailor.com/events/ educationforthechildrenfoundation leftlion.co.uk/issue131 32
Music
interview: Eileen Pegg
Brookln’s finest We catch up with Chicago-born, Nottingham-based musician Brookln Dekker to talk Rue Royale, solo work Slow Reveal and making music with his five-year-old daughter... Growing up in Chicago and spending a career touring the world with Nottingham as his UK base, Brookln Dekker is a creative soul that doesn’t seem to settle. Even as we chat he’s on the move, strolling through his neighbourhood for a rare moment of silence. Married to fellow Rue Royale bandmate Ruth and raising a five year-old child, his home life seems filled with as much soul-nourishing sound as his many musical projects. “We’re always singing and playing music around the house, it’s just how we are as a family,” he tells me. Plans are revealed of their ‘no-pressure’ daddy/ daughter gig they have together, with Brookln taking her words and turning them into songs for other children to enjoy. “Oh, we’ve been doing this for well over a year,” he responds, when I ask if it was inspired by lockdown. “And it’ll probably be a few more years until it’s ready – I’m working at her speed now.” When learning about Brookln and his musical output, I’d expected to hear tales of his time making indie/folk with Rue Royale, evolving into neo-classical semielectronica with pianist Lambert as Lambert & Dekker, before settling into his new solo guise. But the more we chat, the less this heart-warming collaboration with his youngster surprises me. Enamoured by the art of the creative process, this was another experiment for Brookln to get his teeth stuck into. Dekker’s new album Slow Reveal, out on 20 November, is the perfect example of this. Part cathartic release, part a test of personal growth, after spending years touring and making a living with Rue Royale before moving into parenthood, Dekker’s solo move was a way to return to what he knew best. Since August 2019 the Slow Reveal journey began, releasing only one song at a time for over twelve months, leading up to the full finale this November. Truly a work in progress, this point of difference is as much a marketer’s golden nugget as it is a platform for Dekker to develop confidence in his own songwriting abilities, “I’ve been in a duo with my wife, with a classic pianist... in and out of bands for many, many years, so I didn’t actually know what I sounded like. “At the start of my musical journey I made a solo record that no one will ever hear, ever. Thank God this was before anyone could release anything online. I knew how to write songs-ish, for a young guy, but didn’t know how to explain what I wanted. So I hired some session musicians who played all over it and it sounded nothing like me. With this one, I guess I wanted to see what would actually happen if I did something on my own.” Throughout our interview, though, he also notes an unexpected but integral contribution from drummer and friend Stefan Wittich.
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“I thought I’d release it slowly because I’m looking for answers. I didn’t want to write an album about ‘looking for answers’, but I did want to create something where I better know who I am at the end of it, or something like that. That was a genuine pursuit.” When asking if those answers were found, a bright and conversational Brookln is stumped. “‘Did I get out of it what I wanted to?’ Good question...it’s the right question. Well, I’m calling it Slow Reveal Chapter One because I’m unsatisfied. I wanted to carry on with the project.
I didn’t want to write an album about ‘looking for answers’, but I did want to create something where I better know who I am at the end of it “I’ve grown as a writer and was able to get into the heart and soul of it in a more genuine way now than I was at the start. Maybe I’m just getting greedy,” he laughs, “but I want more. This time of year I usually suffer with the long dark season so I thought ‘make it Chapter One, so I have something to look forward to after this.’ I’m ready to start Chapter Two now.” Already an established musician, Dekker’s solo output is delightfully sophisticated as you’d expect. Sharing the same guitar-based roots and emotive undertones as Rue Royale, Dekker’s Slow Reveal is stripped back and laid bare, mimicking his feelings while making it. Made up of 10 tracks, This Here Island stands out. Haunting, addictive and packed with ear-pleasing harmonies, since August last year it’s received over 1 million Spotify streams, 30,000 views of the accompanying video and a ton of airplay. We dive deeper into the creative concept, “There’s a romantic idea around it that I wanted to ‘get to know myself’, a cliché for sure. But you’re changing as you go, so it’s an unanswerable question. “I don’t think that’s the question I’m trying to answer any longer – it seems kinda futile to do that. After a year of making and releasing the album, I’m not sure if I know myself any better. By the time this comes out, it has been a 12/14/15 month process. And the songs weren’t written at the same time, so overall it has a kinda zeitgeist feeling to it.
“Like a sonic memory book?” I ask. “Right, like a photo album.” With the ongoing effects of the global pandemic upturing every aspect of life, Dekker certainly chose an interesting moment to capture the flavour of a moment in time. The May release, Hands Clean, is the most obvious homage to the current news cycle, and another showcase of Dekker’s endearing appeal. Perhaps a nostalgic nod to the days when bands and artists created a full visual world around them, Dekker pays attention to the full creative process; each track on Slow Reveal’s bandcamp features a link to an accompanying music video. For a majority they feature Dekker, face hidden under an oversized straw hat, dancing awkwardly and from the heart. Unplanned, he chose the hat when filming This Here Island’s video in the relentless Georgia heat, looking to hide the sweat dripping from his “gnarly face”, yet it stuck. “When I saw it, something sparked... it felt like another part of me was freed up. In all the other projects my face is showing. I’m not Brad Pitt but I’m not hiding anything! I feel stronger and more like Dekker with hat on… closer to the source.” Hands Clean shows him in his social isolation, pictured from his living room window, while the more recent The Love looks like we’re transported somewhere exotic, but was actually filmed near West Bridgford. Dekker’s attention to detail for his project is cear, “It allows people to… escape on the train, or wherever they are listening to a song. Videos convey nuances visually that are hard to do so with words, or guitar tones. I’m a ‘new’ artist as Dekker, so who wants to go to a streaming service and just listen to one or two songs? With Slow Reveal it feels important to actually give people enough to hold onto, to get into it.” Though Brookln’s presence on the local scene is relatively small compared to his creative ‘CV’, with more time typically spent touring to explore what’s on his doorstep, he looks fondly on his gigs at cultural landmarks here. Citing Jamcafé and Malt Cross, it was a chance meeting during his performance at muchloved Lee Rosey’s that led to him settling in the city over a decade ago, with mutual friends offering a place to stay. At a time where everyone’s immediate home environment means so much more, perhaps Slow Reveal will be Dekker’s step into the city’s supportive underbelly of talent. Slow Reveal is out on 20 November on all streaming platforms. Be sure to check out Dekker’s YouTube too facebook.com/Dekker.Brookln
Reviews Karizma Take The Leap/ Toothpaste/ Ostrich (Singles) Nine years have passed since we last heard new music from Karizma (aka Alex Mighten), the selfprofessed ‘bad boy in a different way’ and once part of late nineties and early noughties supergroup OutDaVille. Perhaps unsurprisingly, his sound has matured in that time; always a consummate rapper and an exceptional freestyler, the biggest change is that he’s now singing harmony too. This little run of three single releases over three months (Sept-Nov) is both unexpected and joyous. Buoyed on by excellent production by Jack Wolff, we're happy to report there's a full album to look forward to next year too. Jared Wilson
Bent Up in the Air (Album) First finding fame in the noughties, when clubland’s chillout influence tipped over into the charts, Nottingham’s Neil "Nail" Tolliday and Simon Mills are back together as Bent. It’s been over a decade, but they’ve returned with a beautifully eclectic album. With soft synths and soothing vocals as well as some disco and eighties sounds there’s something for every music lover, no matter what genre you’re into. Perfect Sunday morning coffee and chill vibes. Ellie A
Felix M-B Chunk (Album) If haunting melancholic escapism is what you’re after this winter, then look no further than Felix M-B’s debut album Chunk. Launched on Nottingham record label Phlexx, it features ten evocative songs touching on themes of love, friendship and loss. Title track, Chunk, is both charming and fun, conjuring up care-free sun-kissed days while Shifts offers a pleading mournful intensity. This is definitely an album to get lost in with pure enchantment in every track. Addie Kenogbon
FLVZ Butterflies (EP)
Various Artists Circle of Light 2 (Vol.1)
Fusions of electronica, afro sounds, latin rhythms, hip hop and psychedelia all thrown into a melting pot that leaves you breathless. Showcasing FLVZ’s creativity, this Butterflies is the sonic reimagining of Nottingham-based fashion designer Dorota Stumpf’s work. Alongside FLVZ's original track are five remixes to keep you listening for all the nuances and possibilities that the music has to offer. A clever use of bass tones makes this a moody and moveable project that leaves you wanting so much more. Bassey
Perhaps fuelled by lockdown’s built up tension, listening to Circle of Light’s second album is like taking the lid off a mentos/soda pop combo; a rocket-powered stream of unexpected creativity. With less tracks but more collaborators than the first release, COL 2 is a two-part spectacular, with the next set coming at Christmas. Hats off to Tricia and co for overcoming the odds and keeping the community project alive, nurturing local talent and turning their studios into Notts’ new creative hub. Eileen Pegg
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.
BEKA You may recognise this crying face from dreamy duo These Your Children – or even from touring with HONNE. Well, BEKA is finally taking centre stage with her debut solo single. I’ll Be There is the slice of euphoric pop joy that we all need in 2020. Inspired by a mix of her husband’s honesty and toast, it’s poignant, relatable and, most importantly, a giant juicy pop belter. Throw into that some co-writing from her badass buddy HONNE, and it’s really something quite special. facebook.com/bekaontoast
LAYNE NG’s answer to Post Malone – that’s a one liner that does a pretty good job of describing LAYNE. Nailing everything from the image to a super slick Grammydeserving sound that’s brought consistently on a huge amount of tracks, his work rate plus this quality is definitely a recipe for something very exciting. 2020 might be a weird time for music but, somehow, LAYNE manages to make something that feels very resonant. 2020 Malone. instagram.com/layneofficial_ leftlion.co.uk/issue131 35
Art
UNDER COVER ARTIST
Pete Spowage You might be used to seeing original artworks placed on canvases as you walk through Byard Lane, off Bridlesmith Gate. PSpowage Art Gallery has been based here since 1998, but due to recent pressures, you’ll now find Pete Spowage’s shop, gallery and studio on Mansfield Road. He tells us more about the history of his gallery, and why he’s relocating after over twenty years... I opened my gallery in 1998, following a dream and going it alone because of certain encounters with the art establishment that left a bad taste in my mouth. I noticed Nottingham lacked original artwork in galleries, so how could I fail? I painted affordable modern art – in my own style of course; portraits, landscapes, abstract pieces of all sizes. l also noticed the commercial galleries didn't have odd sizes, so I made different shaped canvases. I realised no one was showing local artists, so I started showing artist’s work from Nottingham and the surrounding areas. The gallery started to become a hub not just for artists, but for anyone with problems, so l took time to sit, listen and try to help.
very grateful I could do so many projects, including helping children get an education in Africa. I'm now based in Kenya, where I frequent orphanages. Closing the Broadmarsh started the demise of Bridlesmith Gate and Byard Lane. intu bought lots of the shops around my gallery, upping the rent so only a few big corporates could afford the premises – but they stayed empty. Then Covid-19 came and sealed the area’s fate. My lease came to an end, so I decided to move in 2020. But I continue to do my art, and you can find me on Mansfield Road. PSpowage Art Gallery is now based at 185 Mansfield Road, Nottingham, NG1 3FS. Currently appointment only
The gallery became quite successful. l put aside a certain amount of money to help people, mainly abroad. I was
pspowageartgallery.com
Illustrator Andy Williams gives us the lowdown on his weird and wonderful cover, and invites you to get involved with what happens next... What was the inspiration behind the cover? 2020 has been a year of unexpected challenges, and none of us know what’s around the corner. I created this illustration as part of an art challenge to create an art piece depicting what happens next. There’s so much randomness and chaos at the moment, so I wanted to see what unusual situations other artists would imagine happening next in the scene I’ve illustrated.
Exhibitions and Events
How does it compare with some other projects you’ve worked on? Usually I work to fairly strict briefs and concepts. In this particular illustration I wanted to create a compilation of unusual, random elements to act as interesting prompts for other artists to use, so the brief was very loose. I want to allow complete freedom for others to interpret the scene in their own individual way and not to tie them down too much with specifics that don’t leave much room for their imagination.
Making Place Exhibition, Primary Fridays and Saturdays, 11am-6pm Until 12 December
Mat Collishaw Exhibition, Lakeside Arts Until 10 January Free, with advanced booking
Phoebe Boswell: Artist Talk Event, New Art Exchange Thursday 12 November, 6pm Free
This year marks three years of Primary running their community programme, Making Place, in which they explore: What do places inherit, and whose histories are preserved? Who imagines the city? And how can communities activate and reclaim public space?
Lakeside Arts has reopened with an exhibition by Mat Collishaw – a Nottingham-born artist who rose to prominence in the 1990s as one of the Young British Artists. Often drawing on subjects from the history of art and photography, his works play with binary opposites: nature and artifice, sacred and profane, beauty and the abject.
Award-winning artist Phoebe Boswell, (whose exhibition we’re looking forward to seeing soon at NAE) will perform in a special online event during which she will explore her own identity as a Kenyan-British artist, through presenting a series of visual essays.
The programme included inviting residents in Radford and Lenton to work with artists and designers to explore issues that shape our local neighbourhoods. These projects celebrated in the exhibition, cover a wide range of interesting local stories including the Windrush Generation, Mill Allotments, Asian Activism, ‘Lentonness’ and much more. The expansive exhibition is a celebration of the past projects through photography, maps, soundscape and film. Some of the works are placed within a structure that creates a meeting space for audiences to sit around triangular tables, to listen, engage with and be immersed in the space.
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They reveal the compelling power of imagery to attract and repel, as well as to deceive us. Collishaw's work often explores his fascination with early forms of photography and other Victorian devices of illusion such as the zoetrope. In combination with such recent technology as virtual reality and animatronics, he creates works that address the moral dilemmas of the present day. The exhibition features his large-scale 2016 installation, Albion – a ghostly apparition of the Major Oak in Sherwood Forest – the largest oak tree in Britain, which has been propped up with scaffolding since the Victorian era in an effort to preserve its ever-dwindling life.
Boswell, who has been described as “one of the most exciting young artists working today”, has exhibited her work in the United States, Sweden, South Africa, Switzerland, Ukraine and Italy, as well as here in the UK. She won the first ever Sky Academy Arts Scholarship in 2011, as well as the Special Prize in the 2017 Future Generation Prize in Kiev. Her upcoming exhibition combines drawing, animation, sound, video, and interactivity. During this performative lecture, she will talk audiences through her work relating to personal history, language, memory, race, freedom, the body, her artmaking, and how, as a Black female artist, she navigates the odious structures of power and conditioning that coloniality aims to govern us by.
How can people get involved with the competition? I’m running a draw-this-in-your-ownstyle competition via my Instagram. I want other artists to interpret this scene in their own way, and imagine what will happen next. The creative community has been struggling during the last few months, and many of us have felt uninspired and struggled with motivation. I wanted to create something that would help others start feeling creative and making art again. I will be selecting one of the submissions to receive a massive print bundle and a signed copy of the comic Neo-Tokyo 2019 that I featured in. You just need to post your submission to Instagram, and tag me (@andy_the_illustrator) and LeftLion (@leftlionmagazine) as well as the hashtag #drawitlikeandy. Is there anything else you’d like to tell the LeftLion readers? This year has been a difficult time for artists and those who enjoy creativity. In challenging times like these, it’s important to look for opportunities to be creative and express yourself. It might not always be obvious, but try to interact with other creatives, explore ideas, keep connected and communicate your thoughts. @andy_the_illustrator andytheillustrator.co.uk
interview: Rachel Willcocks photos: Richard Chung, Tom Morley and @mma.photography illustrations: Grace Barns
Creating Community by The Carousel Have you spotted the new faces in town? The vibrantly-coloured, imaginatively shaped characters have brightened up the corner of Hockley Street, representing the creative community you can find inside the curved building below. They are the new faces of The Carousel, a multi-disciplinary artist's studio… The hub was once a pram shop, and was more recently owned by Nottingham Writers Studio. But now, The Carousel is a space where architects, illustrators, photographers, filmmakers, writers, ceramists, printmakers, painters and others work away above a hot pink-painted floor. Together they brighten a previously gloomy part of town with an overflowing pot of artistic ideas and a synergy which creates a real 'get stuff done' type of energy. The Carousel crew's dedication to doing things differently with their do-it-yourself attitude is starting to turn heads (quite literally, with their new mural created by artist and illustrator Super Freak). For example, learning how to do the plumbing themselves, redesigning the building and up-cycling materials that would have otherwise ended up in the landfill. They are building a community along the way too – something we've all lacked in the past few months and that’s becoming increasingly sought after. The team that set-up the space just under two years ago include the boys behind Dizzy Ink, Benjamin Kay and Craig Proud, who teamed up with Nottingham-based artists Farida Makki and Martin Rayment. I went along to the studio (masked up and socially distanced) to find out more from the boys about how it all started, the studio's new look, the community they have built and their plans to expand. How did you guys meet and come up with the idea for the space? M: In 2018, alongside Helen Kennedy, I curated a project at The King Billy called Castle Ruins II, and Craig was one of the artists in that show. We'd known each other's practice for quite a few years, but around this time it came about that we wanted to start a new inclusive studio, with all the good things a studio should be. I then got to know Ben a bit more and also fellow director Farida, who was also an artist in the show and quite keen to join a studio and further her artistic practice. I told her that we had this idea of starting a studio and said to her, "You could join an existing studio or... how about starting a new one?". C: Lots of things at the time lined up, too. Farida has a background in architecture. Dizzy Ink had to move out of our former studio, and Martin was looking to start a new kind of studio in the city. Together, we had ideas about how things could work and what sort of space it
could be. B: We spent about a year looking for a space. We looked at old Scout huts, offices, big empty factories and even a former church. We eventually met up with Rob Howie Smith (who has a particular talent for finding creative spaces in Nottingham) and he showed us around three spaces which were better than anything we had seen before, including 25 Hockley Street. M: From the beginning of the project, we wanted a space that was both social and work-based. So one of the first things we did was build a welcoming kitchen/bar in the centre of the ground floor. I was inspired by travelling to the Netherlands for a residency at an exhibition space called Club Sol in Breda. Throughout my residency, the social parts became really important. You'd have meetings together, coffees and, of course, beers. I recognised how important bringing people together was. Those conversations shared over a brew can really help inspire you. C: In all the different art spaces we've worked in, the kitchens tend to be tucked away, whereas having a kitchen/bar in the centre of the building becomes a real focal point. It's kind of like at house parties when everyone always congregates in the kitchen; it's quite a natural place to socialise.
to have an inclusive space – the social aspect, the community, as well as somewhere they can create; it gives people a positive thing in these crazy times.
I think during the pandemic especially, it’s helped people through by having a space for them to develop their ideas
Any other plans in the pipeline? B: We're going to open a Saturday (only) cafe when the restrictions lift some more. It will be very laid back vibes with lots of herbal teas and coffee. There will be affordable food as well as pop-up kitchen takeovers, and we'll be supporting local suppliers. We have also just launched The Carousel co-working membership, so more people can have access to the building to get their work done! M: We have a record store opening on the 29 October called Take Away Jazz Records. Plus, in the new year, we're going to be launching The Carousel school of music, a music studio and a place for people to learn instruments. C: Dizzy Ink has just launched a screen printing facility for people to use. The Carousel is the first space where we have been able to set this up properly, which is great, so if you want to learn more about screen printing give us a shout!
Tell us about the community The Carousel has built up and what it's meant to artists during this time... B: We have 29 members and the community is really strong at the minute. What has been great over the past few months is seeing different practitioners collaborating and becoming friends. We have architects, illustrators, photographers, filmmakers, writers, ceramists, printmakers, painters and a seamstress, so it’s becoming this big melting pot of creatives that are able to support each other and use each other's skills. I think during the pandemic especially, it's helped people through by having a space for them to develop their ideas. M: Yeah, I think it's really helped people's mental health
Tell us about the inspiration behind your new sign... C: We picked Super Freak (Dan Whitehouse) because he is just ridiculously talented. A lot of his illustrations are really positive, and they are a great example of what happens in this space. M: By commissioning Dan we really wanted to illustrate an element of fun. We thought the street needed something positive and bright – even more so in these times. It's been great, and even while we've been making it people have been commenting on it. We see people looking up, smiling and encouraging us. Just after Super Freak finished the piece and signed his name we had three small groups of people come up to us and say how much they have enjoyed seeing the process and how much they love the result. What more could we want! B: As a project, it was also a real team endeavour with over ten people helping to paint. There's something incredibly rewarding about working on such a big piece together with lots of people contributing. Once completed, we cracked some prosecco, stood back, looked up and toasted the whole experience!
thecarousel.co.uk @the___carousel hello@thecarousel.co.uk
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Film Cinema as a Force for Change I recently watched David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet at the Savoy Cinema, and I don’t think a film has affected me more. Across a powerful 83-minute runtime, the legendary documentarian walks viewers through his personal experience with climate change over an astonishing seventy-year career, highlighting the ridiculous extent to which human activity is damaging the environment.
Lone Survivors
interview: Jamie Morris
Filmmakers Luke Radford and Toby Curson and Emmanuel House fundraising officer Rosie Needham-Smith tell us about the support centre’s new promotional short film, Lone… What is the premise of Lone, and why should people watch it? Rosie: We wanted to make a film that would raise the profile of Emmanuel House around Nottingham but also educate people on the kind of work that we do and the people that use our services. At the start of the process, I saw Soul Boy, which Luke and Toby did earlier in the year, and I knew the style that they work in was something we wanted to replicate with our film. Luke: One of the support workers at Emmanuel House told us some of the different experiences that people who use the services have had. We felt it was important that the film be rooted in real experiences. Toby: The overall theme of the cases that we looked at was the misfortune that was out of people's hands. Instead of it being a direct notion of drugs and alcohol or stupid decisions, a lot of the time it was things that were out of their control. The cast includes first-time actors, including Emmanuel House service users. What sort of coaching and training did they receive prior to shooting? Luke: Nothing – we just went and did it. We shot one scene and the actor, Lisa Terry did it straight off and was absolutely amazing. Lisa’s character comes in near the end of the film and gives the main character guidance as to what to do and where to go to receive help and support. When did you begin work on the film? Did the pandemic cause any difficulties? Luke: After things were really crazy with the pandemic and then it felt like things were going back to normal a little bit, we shot it during that time. We followed guidelines as much as possible and stripped back the crew. For the most part, it was the key cast and crew running round in one car to each different location and getting what we needed. It was quite refreshing shooting like that. Toby: The lead actor was off for a while with an illness she thought was possibly COVID, and the sound designer was chained down a bit when he was halfway through the score, so it definitely gave us quite a lot of setbacks, but more in the post-production phase than during production. Which Nottingham spots were used as shooting locations? Luke: Me and Toby feel that with films made in Nottingham, we see the landmarks quite a lot – you always see a shot of the Council House or a shot of a tram – but Nottingham’s not just that. In the films me and Toby make, we really want to make a point of seeing more of the margins – stuff that's happening outside of what we would normally see. Rosie: I think that element of the film is really powerful. There's quite a long scene where the main character is walking around the city centre at night and in the morning,
and you can see different recognisable parts of town. It's not really the obvious ones, but it's places that people will walk past every day. There's another bit where she's sleeping at a bus stop and I'm hoping that will hit home with people when they watch it because that bus stop, for example, is where all of the Bridgford buses come from. Toby: We didn't know this when we shot it, but after we finished filming we were speaking to Lisa, and where she wakes up in that bus stop is pretty much right outside where Lisa lived for eight months in the Broadmarsh entrance.
We felt it was important that the film be rooted in real experiences Is there anything else about the film you think deserves a mention? Toby: Our main character, she doesn't end up in housing – there isn't really a happy ending to tie it all together. The amount of cases we heard that were completely different endings, it felt like it was wrong to be like, "Welcome to Emmanuel House, now your life is better." That's often not the case, and it's often just the start of the journey. Rosie: It's the message that Emmanuel House is the first step of recovery out of homelessness. We always say it's three stages: prevention, intervention and recovery. There's not just one solution to a variety of different problems and situations. It would be difficult to pinpoint one of those because everybody's circumstances are different. Luke: Every single scene was improv as well, which again was quite exciting and refreshing for me and Toby, to walk into filming knowing where it's going to start and knowing where it's going to end, but just letting the actors fill the scene and figure out what direction they're going to take it in. There were a couple of scenes where we were working with [lead actor] Justine Moore and said "Try this" and she said "No, my character wouldn't do that". That's amazing – you're that involved in who your character is that you know exactly what the right decision is. Toby: That’s only possible through improv, as well. If it wasn't improv, it would be a little bit more "Well, we've written this, we know where this film's gotta go". But by taking that element away, it gives her a bit more freedom to be able to feed back to us, and I guess that's why the film feels as real as it does. Lone is available to watch on the Emmanuel House website from Friday 6 November emmanuelhouse.org.uk
This impactful movie definitely got me thinking – yes, about how Earth is screwed and that we’re all to blame – but also about the influence that filmmaking can have on the individual. Whether it is A Life on Our Planet tackling global issues such as climate change or talented filmmakers like Luke Radford and Toby Curson shining a light on the work of incredible local causes, movies have a unique ability to win over hearts and minds.
Filmmaking has the power to speak to mass audiences on an almost personal, intimate level When I left the cinema after a considerable telling off from Sir David, I was desperate to make changes to benefit the planet we live on and the people we live with. It’s not just me being overly sentimental, though – documentaries have been instrumental in bringing about vital, widespread societal progress. Take a look at 2013’s Blackfish, which exposed the mistreatment of orcas at SeaWorld and rallied enough public pressure to force the company to end killer-whale shows at its theme park in San Diego. Then there’s The Thin Blue Line 25 years earlier, which uncovered inconsistencies in the trial of Randall Dale Adams, a man wrongfully sentenced to death for a murder in Texas, and led to his eventual release. Filmmaking has the power to speak to mass audiences on an almost personal, intimate level, encouraging people to take action and inspiring positive change. It is a medium that must be protected and supported in these difficult times, so that we can continue to work towards a better world – or at least a world that isn’t a complete and utter hellscape. I can dream, right?
words: George White 38
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Tawn-19
interview: George White
Our Screen Co-Editor George White speaks to Tim Bryn Smith, founder of The Actors Workshop Nottingham, about their new, socially-distanced film, TAWN-19... The Coronavirus pandemic has caused havoc for many industries across the country, and the film sector is no different. Cinemas have been forced to close, shooting schedules have been pushed back indefinitely, and actors have had to dial into press junkets from their own living rooms. Yet a national lockdown wasn’t enough to stop The Actors Workshop Nottingham from celebrating their 10th anniversary in style, their determination to produce high quality entertainment helping them to overcome some difficult circumstances. Initially aiming to produce a full, feature-length film throughout June, Prime Minister Johnson’s command to stay at home earlier this year brought the Workshop’s plans to a screeching halt – until they had an idea. As Zoom became a regular buzzword in everyday vocabulary and entire workplaces began to operate remotely, director Tim Bryn Smith and writer-in-residence Sara Bodinar decided their film could still go ahead, albeit in an entirely new format. Using a screenplay completed by Bodinar, over ninety local actors were asked to film their scenes from home, with Smith and the Workshop team orchestrating things online. It was certainly a challenge, but a welcome one.
Globally, there’s a huge demand for content. Film and TV pretty much got the country through lockdown Joining the abundance of Nottingham talent was Kyle Secor, known for the likes of Veronica Mars and Grey’s Anatomy. Not only did he help to raise the profile of the film, but he was also a fount of knowledge for the other aspiring actors on the project. “He ran a fantastic online workshop for us and then also agreed to be in our film,” Tim muses. “He is such an inspiring actor and director. We couldn’t thank him enough.”
For Tim and his team, TAWN-19 is a prime example of the resilience of the film industry, which he believes will continue to thrive despite the current obstacles in place. “Globally, there’s a huge demand for content. Film and TV pretty much got the country through lockdown,” he claims. “Content providers will keep producing as long as there is money to be made.” Following a group of conspiracy theorists aiming to sabotage the UK government’s efforts to vaccinate the population against the ‘TAWN-19 virus’, the film uses satire to inject a bit of humour into the drabness of current social discourse. “Sara and I decided very early on that the film should have comedy elements,” Tim admits. “We knew that generally people were depressed enough without having to be reminded how severe the global health situation was.” Ironically, though, some of that satire started to ring a little too true. “Certain ‘conspiratorial’ elements were popping up on the news and on social media. Sara and I were constantly messaging each other in disbelief. The whole process felt a little Black Mirror at times.” TAWN-19 is available for free at theactorsworkshopnottingham.com/productions
Short Reels
“We helped the actors by providing virtual tutorials on self shooting and cinematography. It was
amazing to see how much they developed their skills as filmmakers in the process. Actors are constantly called on to ‘self tape’ when auditioning, so it’s been a brilliant learning experience for them,” Tim says. “Our screenwriter Sara Bodinar did an incredible job of formatting the script so each actor could film their lines in a way that we could piece the film together in post-production. Editing it was a massive task, the first cut was three hours long!”
To Watch Demolition Man
To Remember Easy Virtue, 2008
To Follow Vicky McClure
After a successful, safe return with Evil Dead II last month, The Loft Movie Theatre is back at the Savoy Cinema on Monday 9 November with a special showing of Demolition Man. So, if you want to kick back and watch Sylvester Stallone kick ass (and let’s face it, we all do), try to win some amazing prizes and support Nottingham’s oldest cinema, now’s your chance.
Easy Virtue, the Stephen Elliottdirected adaptation of Noël Coward's play of the same name, was released twelve years ago this month.
We’re sure you’re all following This is England, Broadchurch and The Replacement star Vicky McClure anyway – but if you’re not, you bloody well should be. As well as being an active champion of our great city, Nottingham’s own film and TV star posts a tonne of behind-thescenes content from cracking projects like Line of Duty and Our Dementia Choir.
Featuring Hollywood heavyweights Colin Firth and Jessica Biel, the romantic comedy was partly shot at Flintham Hall in Newark, and four lucky local residents were given the chance to play extras in the film.
@vicky.mcclure
facebook.com/theloftmovietheatre
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@CRBrewery Castle Rock Brewery
THERE’S SOME NICE STUFF ON OUR SHOP LIKE THIS LT D. E D I T I O N T-S H I R T, TA S T Y B E E R S , C O S Y B I T S + G I F T S !
We want to thank all of our AMAZING customers for their support during the toughest of times. The recent support package for Tier 1 and 2 represents real progress. However, Nottingham hospitality is now facing Tier 3 restrictions and we still need your help.
HERE’S HOW: 1. Ask your local whether they’re doing take-out (or visit our Drive-Thru) 2. Buy a gift card 3. Visit our online shop for beer and merch 4. Tell all your friends and family about how wonderful your local is 5. Connect with us on social media, and check our website for updates 6. Share all your lovely, positive pub and beer stories with us online, so that we can start a national dialogue about the importance of our industry 7. Let pub and bar teams know how much you love them 8. Come back when we’re through to the other side
S H O P AT W W W. C A S T L E R O C K B R E W E R Y S H O P. C O M
W W W.C A S T L E R O C KB R E W E R Y.C O.U K •
#LOVEYOURLOCAL
Literature words: Sarah Smith wanted – because we were those people.
Just Don’t Call Us Provincial Sarah Smith tells us about Notts’ newest independent publisher MOIST, and why regional publishing is on the rise A few years ago, a friend was offered a book-deal by a large and well-respected London publisher. The book in question was a literary novel, exploring the effects of the Iraq War in relation to the UK crisis of national identity. It also happened to be set in Nottingham, where we’ve subsequently opened our publishing house, MOIST. Yet the London editors either removed, or rewrote most of the more experimental passages, and in particular those that used colloquial English. They chose a cover better suited to bubble-bath than literary fiction, and all of the other accompanying bumf framed it as a holiday read that actively avoided any reference to the book’s political subject matter. Conversely, this was an attempt to appear ‘regionally inclusive’.
BOOK REVIEWS
Yes, Nottingham's cultural scene is different to London's. It's a smaller city with less to do for starters, so a really broad demographic attends even the most 'highbrow' events. The majority of people come from working or lowermiddle-class backgrounds. This means
that, unlike privately schooled Oxbridge graduates, their education is more likely to emphasise what is new than what is established. The main art gallery, aptly titled Nottingham Contemporary, has hosted literary events by the likes of Lisa Robertson, Tina Campt, and Owen Hatherley to name but three. The most widely read publication, with a circulation of 50,000 is LeftLion, which focuses on the arts. The local independent bookshop, Five Leaves, is one of the only places in the country that stocks Lacanian Review. It's clear why our friend felt insulted. Her work had been made to look silly (or to use the publisher's word, 'quirky'), and through this misrepresentation it became aligned with a view of inclusivity that she had always been opposed to. It's also clear why we, the target audience, felt insulted too, namely because being patronised is insulting. Yet this experience also led to an important discovery: unlike the publisher, we actually knew what the people they were trying to reach out to
At first, we joked about how we should set up a press of our own, but gradually these jokes turned into serious conversations. We made enquiries with printers and distributors and found that, due to advances in digital printing and print-on-demand, they weren't as expensive as we thought. The Goldsmith's Prize had just announced their 2019 shortlist. Four of the six, shortlisted novels were published by regional presses, and two were based in industrial, northern cities (an important distinction, because clearly not everywhere outside of London, or even north of Watford, is alike). We were particularly pleased by the inclusion of Isabel Waidner's We Are Made of Diamond Stuff: partly because their publisher, Dostoyevsky Wannabe, is the brainchild of two working-class Mancunians who have consistently refused to play by the establishment rulebook, and partly because Wainder's prose is dazzling, fresh, and just not posh.
At first, we joked about how we should set up a press of our own, but gradually these jokes turned into serious conversations Indeed, aristocratic Bloomsbury group legacies (or literary London's standard
'alternative') have often bored us. Yet art school swagger and New Narrative writing has always resonated – which means that we owe as much of a debt to US indies as we do to those mentioned above. We chose the aroused and arousing name MOIST as a nod to this sexy, DIY ethos, and because we too wanted to situate ourselves alongside the better dressed visual arts. Nottingham's community of artists' studios and project spaces is one of the things that makes the city's cultural scene so exciting, and so, of course, this was where we wanted to be too and not some ‘literary’ Farrow and Ball coloured enclave. Over the next year we'll be bringing out a shocking, camp – and at times shockingly camp – novel on Bach, BDSM and Brexit, and an illustrated, lyric essay on the life of Anna Atkins. Our first title however, is the late, great Italian screenwriter Tonino Guerra's Equilibrium. Reissued to mark the centenary of his birth, it remains a relevant, powerful, and intensely cinematic account of (post-)modernism and its discontents (that also happens to be set in a regional location). Acclaimed cultural critic, and graduate of Nottingham University, Michael Bracewell, provided us with a new introduction, while local girl and Academy Award winning actress, Samantha Morton, provided us with a praise quote. Regional audiences it appears, have sophisticated tastes, albeit ones that draw on a more international and contemporary frame of reference than the likes of Bougie Lit London Woman. moist.cargo.site @coolmoistbooks
Equilibrium Tonino Guerra MOIST
The Beauty Within Shadow Henry Normal Flapjack Press
The debut book from new indie publisher MOIST, Tonino Guerra’s Equilibrium is a fascinating, eclectic exploration of post-traumatic stress disorder through the eyes of a nameless graphic designer. Known primarily to film audiences for his collaborations with some of cinema’s greatest minds, from Antonioni and Rosi to Fellini and Tarkovsky, Guerra, who passed away in 2012, was also an accomplished poet and author. His prose tactfully muddies the waters between the past and present, exploring how the horrors of the former affect the latter. Haunted by the memories of being interred at a concentration camp – an event true to Guerra’s life – our anonymous protagonist struggles with a life that grows more and more unbalanced, descending into a surreal nightmare that combines the sharp, manic prose of Bukowski with, as Samantha Morton rightly endorses in the cover notes, a ‘trip worthy of Hunter S. Thompson’. In many ways, Equilibrium is the antithesis of Hemingway’s ideals of masculinity, showing that the modern man can, after all, be broken. Powerfully written, and endlessly mesmerising, it’s a story both timeless and incredibly resonant in 2020. Ashley Carter
With a CV that boasts a contribution to British comedy that few can equal, you’d be right to expect more than your fair share of humour from The Beauty Within Shadow, the latest poetry collection from Henry Normal. But if laughs were all you were expecting, you’re in for a welcome surprise. Like all great comedy, Normal’s writing is anchored firmly in pathos and an understanding of the human condition that is at once universally relatable and wonderfully, idiosyncratically British. His adroit use of language is playful and joyous, inviting you in like an old friend sharing an anecdote, before hitting you broadside with a level of emotion you perhaps weren’t expecting. Weighty, impactful highlights like Found alive and well and living in obscurity and To those reading these poems after my death are wonderfully counterbalanced by sharp, witty observational pieces like The Earth is over 4.5 billion years old and Why not put solar panels on your roof? The eclectic collection takes us from Greek mythology to dealing with COVID, and is a relentlessly enjoyable read. With Normal set to perform at the Nottingham Poetry Festival this month, it’s the perfect time to grab a copy. Jason Edgar
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13-22 NOVEMBER 2020
VANESSA KISUULE
HENRY NORMAL
ANTHONY ANAXAGOROU
LEMN SISSAY
We’re celebrating our fifth birthday! Join us for live and streamed performances, online workshops, panel discussions and more. Tickets and further info at: www.nottinghampoetryfestival.com
RUTH PADEL
Back in the Day
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…
Twenty-Nine years ago... From the pages of Overall… Notts Bar Scene Former Rock City DJ Andy Miller returns from London to manage Bobby Brown’s (now demolished bar on Mansfield Road). Another local DJ Phil Holmes (formerly of Radio Nottingham) takes over the Limelight Bar (now Playhouse Bar and Kitchen). Meanwhile the Arboretum Manor (anyone remember the bar in the Arbo?) puts on Monday night raves that don’t finish until well into Tuesday morning. Whut?
CAMRA Beer Festival Back in the nineties, before it made its home at Nottingham Castle and then Nottingham Arena, Nottingham’s biggest drinks festival took place at Victoria Leisure Centre in Sneinton. Overall were less than impressed: “Must have got my date mixed up in my diary and ended up at the Willie Rushton look-a-like contest – double booked with a Morris dancers convention.” Ho hum.
Bigger Picture AIDs claims the life of Queen singer Freddie Mercury on 25 November, who reveals his illness publicly just a day before he dies. Two weeks before this, basketball star Magic Johnson announces his HIV-related retirement. Michael Jackson (Black or White) and Vic Reeves and The Wonderstuff (Dizzy) both spend a fortnight at number one. The Addams Family and My Girl are released in cinemas.
Nine years ago... From the pages of LeftLion #43... Mimm A new t-shirt shop has just popped up on Broad Street and we want to know more. A chat to the owner Nathaniel, explains the name (Music Is My Motive) and how he plans to fuse music and clothing and create opportunities in the local community. Nine years on we salute you for all your achievements, for still being here and for the tasty treats you have served up at Street Food Club.
Lambhorse Cabaret 21st century vaudeville for the theatrical underclass, a party like it's 1889, or a gloriously elaborate arse-about through the city's biggest dressing-up box? All these years on it’s still hard to describe the visual impact of this nightmarish performance group; but our description in the contents of them looking like “Satan’s Quality Street tin” still makes me chuckle.
Bigger Picture X Factor protégés One Direction release their debut album Up All Night in Ireland and the UK. Breaking Dawn, the first part of successful emo-vampire franchaise The Twilight Saga’s conclusion comes out in UK cinemas. Wales Football manager Gary Speed is found dead at his home in Chester at the age of 42 after tragically taking his own life.
Richard The Great We speak to Paralympic hero Richard Whitehead as he passes through Nottingham as part of a mammoth challenge to run forty marathons in forty days, starting at John O’Groats and finishing at Land’s End. This is his follow-up from winning gold and the nation’s hearts a year before at the London Paralympics. Not bad for someone born without legs.
Bigger Picture Disney’s Frozen is released in cinemas and will go on to become the highest-grossing animated film of all time (although it has since been topped by its sequel and that Lion King remake). Happy by Pharrell Williams is playing absolutely everywhere. Grace Jones (no not the famed Jamaican singer, actress and model), becomes the last living British person born in the 1800s to die, at the age of 113.
Seven years ago... From the pages of LeftLion #55 Games Workshop The world’s most foremost purveyors of miniature wargames grant us rare behindthe-scenes access at their Lenton HQ. People in our team who had never played Warhammer before (including me) give it a go for the first time. The Workshop’s seminal artist John Blanche is impressed enough by LeftLion to draw us a beautiful cover, the first work he’s done outside the company for over a decade.
To read these issues and more from our archives visit overallmag.com and leftlion.co.uk/magazine.
Creative Quarter Nottingham Launches New High Street Recovery Throughout November, The Creative Quarter will be delivering a business support programme to assist smallto-medium sized businesses in the run up to Christmas. Funded by the Reopening High Streets Safely Fund, the programme will take place as a series of online workshops, events and mentoring opportunities for Nottingham businesses in the retail, hospitality, personal services and leisure sectors. The events are open to public-facing, small-to-medium sized businesses who operate alongside public spaces. Participating businesses must also be on a high street within Nottingham City Centre or a surrounding neighbourhood centre, and active and trading to its customers. “The project is about the swift, safe and successful re-opening of the high street,” Tamily Cookson, Programme and Event Manager for Creative Quarter Nottingham, says, “There is
an enrolment process, but essentially anyone is welcome to the workshops. Even if a business isn’t quite right for the enrolment form, for whatever reason, they’ll still be welcome at the events. The scheme aims to keep businesses up-to-date with the latest guideline information: “Going from the Furlough Scheme to the Job Support Scheme, which is now set to change again, means that having one point of contact for businesses to go to and get all the information they need is vital right now,” Tamily explains. The High Street Recovery Scheme aims to help businesses be pro-active in the run up to Christmas. “We want to allow businesses to understand that, even though they might only be thinking of the next week ahead, Christmas is still coming, however it will look this year,” Tamily explains, “Businesses can’t wait for the
Government or the likes of Marks and Spencer to announce what Christmas will look like – they need to have their own plan. Working collaboratively within their own neighbourhood and creating those micro-networks is important. So if we can bring some of those businesses together to have those key conversations it will hugely beneficial.” Mentors on the project include multi-award winning inventor and businessman Assim Ishaque, business development partner Chris Hayes, business adviser Emma Torrance, entrepreneur and businesswoman Jeanne Booth, facilitator and executive coach Steve Hobbs and creative marketer Suzy Rai. For more information or to register your interest as a business, visit the Creative Quarter website creativequarter.com/cq-rhss-fund
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BEST OF NOVEMBER Chachacha & Mambo Wednesdays When? Wednesday 11 November, 8pm Where? Summers Knight Dance Studio, Cranbrook Street How much? £7 (studio), £6 (Zoom) After months of curled up legs on the sofa, it’s time to dust off your dancing shoes with local performer Tamba. Learn to shake your hips to the cha-cha-cha and Mambo, with lessons online and in the studio for those of all capabilities.
Nottingham Poetry Festival When? Friday 13 - Sunday 22 November Where? Online How much? Free This year Nottingham Poetry Festival will be hosting an exciting online programme, which is set to showcase plenty of contemporary voices. Performers include Vanessa Kisuule and Lemn Sissay just to name a few. You’re sure to find a performer you'll resonate with.
The Avenues Independent Market When? Saturday 14 November Where? Sneinton Market Avenues How much? Free entry
Henry Normal - The Escape Plan When? Friday 20 November, 7pm Where? Online How much? Free
The Avenues Independent Market is home to an ever-growing collective of Nottingham-based independent businesses and studios, and this wonderful event celebrates that. It’s coming up to that time of year too, so it’s the perfect way to start your holibob shopping.
As part of the Poetry Festival – which Normal himself co-founded – the poet, writer and producer of award winning TV will be performing a show inspired by his new book. It will draw on over forty years of work including jokes, stories and poems.
Collabfest 2020 When? Thursday 19 - Sunday 22 November Where? Brewdog Nottingham How much? Free Returning for its eighth year, Collabfest welcomes over eighty breweries, from sixteen countries to our city centre. This year, with extra precaution to government guidance, is no exception. Wrap your smackers around plenty of extra-special craft beers.
Christmas at Wollaton When? Friday 27 November Wednesday 6 January Where? Wollaton Park How much? Child £13.75, Adult £19.25
Mat Collishaw When? Saturday 17 October Sunday 10 January Where? Djanogly Gallery, Lakeside Arts How much? Free, booking required
Kelly Convey When? Saturday 21 November Where? Just the Tonic at Metronome How much? Two people seated together £28.05
This year Wollaton Hall is hosting a spectacular light up Christmas event for all to enjoy. Allow yourself to be captivated by this stunning, multi-sensory show guaranteed to take your breath away. Wrap up warm and escape to a magical winter wonderland.
Mat Collishaw addresses the moral dilemmas of the present day in his previously sold out exhibition. Drawing on subjects from the history of art and photography, his works play with binary opposites such as nature and artifice.
Just the Tonic has a solid rep for hosting side-splitting comedy events. This month, Kelly Convey is set to give you a treat – she’s been recognised by the British Comedy Guide, and has supported Russell Kane and Alan Carr, so is guaranteed to tickle your funny bones.
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words: Ashley Carter ilustration: Natalie Owen
We take a look at the life of Sir Frank Bowden, the man responsible for creating The Raleigh Cycle Company and making Nottingham the largest producer of bicycles in the world... The Raleigh story starts in 1885 when Richard Morris Woodhead from Sherwood and Frenchman Paul Eugene Louis Angois set up a bicycle shop on the Nottingham road from which their soon-to-be-famous bicycle would take its name. From that small Raleigh Street location they were one of fifteen bicycle manufacturers operating in the city, and surviving records from The Nottinghamshire Guardian dated 15 May 1885 show what is thought to be
the very first printed advert for the Raleigh bicycle. The pair became a trio when Warren Ellis joined the company. Like Angois and Woodhead, Ellis’ background was in lace and, as well as much-needed financial backing, he brought with him the contacts and expertise to expand the workshop around the corner from Raleigh Street into the former lace works on the adjoining
Russell Street. By 1888, the company was employing half a dozen men and producing three bicycles a week. Raleighs were now being sold all around the country, and it was through the window of one shop on Queen Victoria Street in London that their craftsmanship caught the eye of a man who would change the future of the bicycle industry forever.
now and then
Wheeler Gate, 1910
Wheeler Gate, 2020
photo: Chris Middleton 46
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Frank Bowden was born in Exeter on 30 January 1848, to William Bowden, a manufacturer, and his wife, Louise. The 1861 census tells us that, at age thirteen, he was both a scholar and a visitor to the house of William Martin, a grocer’s assistant in Bristol. As a trained lawyer with an instinctive mind for business and a knack for marketing and public relations, the world was Bowden’s for the taking. Business prospects took him Eastward, and it was in Hong Kong that his first fortune was made in the stock market, aged just 24. Few specific details are known about his time there, other than the fact that, less than a decade later, his health was in tatters. The harsh Asian climate had decimated his body and he took the opportunity to travel, relocating to San Francisco where he married wealthy American heiress Amelia Frances in 1879.
Under his leadership, Raleigh and, as a result, Nottingham was revolutionised and placed firmly in the centre of the world for bicycle production But with his health continuing to flounder, he returned to England in the 1880s as an early venture capitalist looking to invest his substantial fortune into a worthy business. Visiting Harrogate to seek medical advice, Bowden was informed that he only had months to live, and instructed to take up cycling. At this point, the practice was less than a century old and far from the commonplace activity it is today. Machines were large and cumbersome, ranging from the awkward Penny Farthing to the bizarre two-person Coventry Rotary Quadcycle. It was while looking for a bicycle of his own that Bowden happened upon a model made by Woodhead, Angois and Ellis of Nottingham. Bowden recounts the event in his own words: “Its patent changeable gear and other special features struck me as superior to all the others I had seen, and I purchased one upon which I toured extensively through France, Italy and England during 1887 and 1888. In the autumn of the latter year, happening to pass through Nottingham, and with the idea of, if possible, getting a still more up-to-date machine, I called upon Messrs. Woodhead and Angois, the originators and makers of the Raleigh.” The visit would change everything, and Bowden soon replaced Ellis as the partnership’s principal investor. With his health much improved and his commercial interests piqued, he could see that the company had a profitable future. Shifting the marketing focus to promoting their
Object Walk
product’s innovative features, while simultaneously increasing output, cutting overheads and tailoring bicycles to the individual tastes and preferences of the customer, Bowden set about buying out Ellis’s part in the company. He allotted himself five thousand shares worth £1 each, with Woodhead and Angois maintaining a further five thousand shares between them. Today, that would have valued the company at around £1million. While Raleigh had ostensibly been trading since 1885, Bowden established The Raleigh Cycle Company in 1888 – a date confirmed in the Nottinghamshire Archives, and one that was publicly promoted as the start date for the company during the rest of Bowden’s lifetime. Still privately owned and with unlimited public liability, Raleigh became the first of a series of limited liability companies bearing the name. The new set up saw Angois as director responsible for product design, Woodhead director responsible for factory management and Bowden as chairman and managing director. The new vision saw a need for larger premises, and Raleigh rapidly expanded to a Woodroffe’s Factory and Russell Street Mills in 1891, and signed a tenancy agreement for rooms in Butler’s factory on the other side of Russell Street one year later. Shortly after, the company also occupied Forest Road Mill. In 1896, less than a decade after joining Raleigh, Frank Bowden was sitting at the head of the largest bicycle manufacturer in the world, occupying a custom-built, seven-and-a-half acre factory in Faraday Road. At that point, The Raleigh Cycle Company was worth £200,000 – almost £27million today. Having travelled overseas to promote export sales, Raleigh began to flounder in Bowden’s absence. Returning to England, he retrieved Harold, his son, from university to help him reorganise the company and manage the business more closely. To Bowden, it was clear: the more directly involved with Raleigh he was, the more successful it would be. By the turn of the century, Bowden was in his early fifties and living in Mapperley Road with Amelia and their two sons, four daughters and two servants. The fortunes of Raleigh continued upwards until the 1907 financial crisis (known as the Banker’s Panic or the Knickerbocker Crisis) saw Bowden secure the company’s debts with his own personal fortune, taking complete ownership in the process. By 1913, 1,700 workers were producing 60,000 cycles every year, and Harold Bowden was starting to take more control over the business as his father advanced in years. The outbreak of the First World War the following year saw Raleigh voluntarily offer its factories to the government for use in the manufacture of munitions. This decision saw Frank Bowden made a baronet in 1915 and,
as the conflict drew to a conclusion, Raleigh was one of the largest munitions manufacturers in Britain with a workforce of five thousand men and women. Sir Frank Bowden died in 1921, leaving his £475,000 estate and all business interests to Harold. It’s testament to his legacy that his death didn’t mark the end of Raleigh, but rather the end of the beginning. His son Harold took the business to even greater heights than his father, moving Raleigh into the motorcycle market, and introducing a profit-sharing system for his workforce following the 1926 General Strike. He wanted his workers to be proud of working for Raleigh, and believed it was essential to afford them fair treatment.
Less than a decade after joining Raleigh, Frank Bowden was sitting at the head of the largest bicycle manufacturer in the world, occupying a custombuilt, seven-and-a-half acre factory in Faraday Road Raleigh survived World War Two, again using its 9,000-strong workforce to almost exclusively produce munitions, and was back to producing one million bicycles per year in 1953, despite the rise in popularity and accessibility of the car. The next fifty years were arguably more eventful than the origins of Raleigh, with Tour de France and Olympic victories, iconic bikes like the Chopper, Burner and Grifter before the lease on the Nottingham factory eventually expired in 2003. But that’s probably another article. The story of Raleigh neither begins nor ends with Frank Bowden. He didn’t invent the first Raleigh bicycle, nor was he born in Nottingham. But under his leadership, Raleigh and, as a result, Nottingham was revolutionised and placed firmly in the centre of the world for bicycle production. Because of his endeavours and expertise, the name ‘Raleigh’ is woven into the DNA of the city as much as lace, Boots, Players, Robin Hood or two European Cups. Even now, over half a century after Arthur Seaton complained about working class life from the confines of the factory, and seventeen years after the last Raleigh bicycle was manufactured in the UK, the name is still as synonymous with the city as anything Nottingham has produced. The subject for this month’s Out of Time was selected by our Patreon backers. If you’d like to support LeftLion and have a say in future content, visit patreon.com/leftlion
We’ve teamed up with the National Justice Museum to put objects from the past into the hands of people of the present. This month, we took a truncheon used at the Peterloo Massacre on Monday 16 August, 1819, to Leanne Moden of Nottingham UNESCO City of Literature.
The Peterloo Massacre occurred in St Peter’s Field in Manchester after armed cavalry charged into a crowd of 60,000 protestors who had gathered to demand the reform of parliamentary representation. The event, which was recently the subject of Mike Leigh’s 2018 film Peterloo, saw up to 500 people injured and an estimated eighteen killed by musket shot, sabre wounds and being trampled underneath the charging cavalry. Victims included two-year-old William Fildes and pregnant mother of six Mary Heys.
Wow. It’s really weighty, and it feels like if you found yourself on the receiving end of it, you were really going to come a cropper. I certainly wouldn’t like to get on the wrong side of a weapon of this size.
I’m kind of in two minds about it, because I would love for it to have had a history of being used, but also it’s a very scary thought that it may have. It’s such an aggressive, violent object.
Peterloo is an incredibly important part of our history, and it’s really emotional to hold something that has been wielded as a weapon by representatives of the elite in order to repress working class people.
I'm really pleased that the National Justice Museum has preserved it, to help us understand Peterloo, working class histories, and the tradition of protest that has led us to our present political system. nottinghamcityofliterature.com
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