Nottingham: Your New Favourite City by LeftLion

NOTTINGHAM Your new favourite city

Your guide to living in the heart of the Midlands

Introducing your new favourite city... A city full of history with a creative, independent spirit; Nottingham offers its residents an outstanding quality of life. We’re situated right in the middle of the UK. Our transport links mean that you can access 77% of the UK population within a four-hour drive from here. We have some of the best art, music and theatre venues in the country. We might not always shout about it, but we keep producing many of the country’s most talented actors, musicians and artists. Our public sports facilities and legendary teams have made sporting history. We’re home to the National Water Sports Centre, the National Ice Centre and legendary cricket venue Trent Bridge. In 2015 Visit England named us as the UK’s official Home of Sport. From Robin Hood to DH Lawrence to Sleaford Mods, we buck national trends and forge our own path with our rich social history of pioneers, creativity and innovation. Our modern city centre is so compact that you can stroll among thousands of bars and restaurants within it. When you do want to venture further afield, our city transport infrastructure is among the best and most affordable in the country. We win awards for our focus on environmental issues. We have some of the country’s most amazing parks and green spaces, and we’re less than an hour away from England’s historic Peak District. If the great outdoors is your thing, you can get the best of both worlds here. Living in Nottingham doesn’t break the bank either. Our house prices are low and our levels of disposable income stay high. If this sounds like the place you might want to move to, read on to find out more.

Location, location, location Nottingham’s location at the heart of England means that when you live here, you’re never too far from anywhere... By car Peak District – 52 mins Sheffield – 62 mins Birmingham – 65 mins Leeds – 85 mins Manchester – 128 mins Liverpool – 144 mins Bristol – 150 mins Newcastle – 85 mins Source: Google Maps By train London London St Pancras – 1 hr 40 mins 2 trains per hour between 6.30am and 10pm Mon-Sat Birmingham Birmingham New Street – 1 hour 15mins 4 trains per hour Manchester Manchester Piccadilly – Usually 2 hours 2 trains per hour Source: Trainline By plane Flight times from East Midlands Airport Amsterdam – 85 mins Barcelona – 150 mins Berlin – 110 mins Brussels – 90 mins Dublin – 60 mins Edinburgh – 70 mins Milan – 140 mins

Trams and buses Nottingham has an award-winning integrated transport system of buses and trams. Our modern electric trams connect neighbourhoods to key destinations such as Old Market Square, Royal Centre, Nottingham Trent University, the University of Nottingham and the Queen’s Medical Centre. 20 of the 30 largest employers in the city are within 800 metres of a tram stop. An all-day adult tram ticket costs £4. An all-day bus ticket costs £4.20. This price can be reduced to as little as £1.43 per day (trams) and £1.56 per day (buses) by buying adult season passes. Over 5,000 free car parking spaces are available across our seven park and ride sites. The bus network has been voted Operator the Year four times at the UK Bus Awards, which is more than any other operator. We have the world's largest fleet of bio-gas, double-decker buses, winning the 2018 Environment Award at the UK Bus Awards. Sources: NCTX and Transport Nottingham

A shuttle bus from Nottingham City Centre runs every 20 minutes during the day, and hourly at night. Source: East Midlands Airport

On the money

Our quality of life in Nottingham is second to none. You can enjoy the essentials here at a fraction of the cost you would pay in many other cities.

Mortgages Our house prices are significantly lower than the UK coming in at around £143k. Renting Rent prices in London are 200% higher than in Nottingham. A one-bedroom city-centre apartment here averages at just £571pcm. Salaries Nottingham offers competitive pay for workers; the average digital salary is £44,023, which is well above the UK average. Annual savings When it comes to typical annual savings, Nottingham ranks number one, with workers saving on average £6k more per year than in London. Transport You can get an unlimited travel pass with Nottingham City Transport for just £1.47 per

day. That means you can make as many journeys across the city as you like. Childcare The cost of pre-school childcare in Nottingham is 57% lower than London and 30% less than in Bristol. Eating out Restaurant prices in Nottingham are 35% less than in London and 33% lower than in Manchester. Drinks The average cost of a pint of beer in Nottingham pubs is £2.98. This is significantly cheaper than other UK cities like Manchester (£3.15) or London (£4). Sources: investinnottingham.com, numbeo.com and pintprice.com

A green city

Thanks to its love of solar panels and electric transport, Nottingham has become the UK’s most self-sufficient city for energy. How has our city painted itself this lovely shade of green? Trams One of the first things you notice in our city centre is the big green machines zipping around town - the trams. The electric-powered tram network spans 18km throughout Notts, and is a great way of getting around the city without emitting any harmful gases. Last year, the trams were used for around 18 million journeys. When it makes travelling so simple and it’s good for the environment, it’s so easy to see why. Parks Would you believe that 20% of Nottingham is parkland, and 36 of those parks are Green Flag award winners? As well as being the perfect place for you to take a walk or a stressrelieving jog, there are lots of free events held in the parks throughout the year. These range from a raft of park runs to various festivals and fireworks. Wherever you live in the city you won’t be far from a green space.

Eco cars and buses As part of the council’s plan to promote sustainable travel, Nottingham is the first city in the country to build a brandnew green lane just for buses, taxis and bikes on an existing road. We’ve also recently become home to 53 brandnew double deckers, powered using renewable bio gas. These buses are expected to emit 3,500 tonnes less CO₂ into the air, and will help us have the lowest spread of emissions in the country. To become a Go Ultra Low City, the city will soon see the introduction of 230 new charging points along its streets for electric vehicles and the fleet of buses. By 2020, we’re aiming for every bus in the city to be gas powered or have a Euro-5 environmentally friendly engine.

Spending time with the kids Nottingham has a variety of offerings to entertain your little ones, whatever their interests. Chocks Away The perfect place for plane-sailing fun. Based at Nottingham City Airport, Chocks Away have toys and a view of helicopters jet-setting off to make the kids smile. They also have coffee and cake aplenty to keep mum and dad happy. facebook.com/chocksawaycafe Nottingham Castle The legendary fortress overlooks the city from 130ft high cliffs. It’s currently undergoing a £30million renovation and is due to reopen in 2021 as one of the biggest tourist attractions in the country. nottinghamcastle.org.uk Nottingham Contemporary Get creative gears whirring with artsy activities. The Contemporary hosts free play and learn events every weekend, and you can grab an Explorer Bag so all the family can interact with ongoing exhibitions. nottinghamcontemporary.org Rushcliffe Country Park Wind down with an escape to the countryside, where you can find a delightful play park as well as a lovely pond. For Thomas the Tank Engine fans, on certain days they even have a train you can chug along on.

Stonebridge City Farm This fantastic free-entry farm is right in the heart of Nottingham. There are animals of all shapes and sizes that the kids can feed and pet. Top off the trip with a visit to the cafe, where you can tuck into meals made with organic, locally-sourced produce. stonebridgecityfarm.com University Park Just a ride on the tram away, there’s loads of outdoor fun to do here. The sprawling park has an assortment of play equipment. On a sunny day you can also hire a boat out for a picturesque trip out on the lake. Television Workshop Have you got a little drama king or drama queen? They could get involved with the BAFTA-awardwinning group, that’s trained big names like Samantha Morton, Vicky McClure, and Joe Dempsie. thetelevisionworkshop.co.uk Victoria Embankment The bike track that runs along the embankment is a great place to cycle with the family. Afterwards, you can treat them at the ice cream kiosk.

People who relocated “I was excited about moving to Nottingham. It's very calm, and it's a smaller size compared to other big cities in the UK. Everything is in the same area and nothing is too far away, which means everywhere is easy to get to. The people here are a lot friendlier and approachable. I've found it really easy to make friends, as everyone knows everyone. Our family loves going to the cinema and the parks together. I feel a lot more comfortable with my daughter being in nursery in Nottingham than I would her being at nursery where I'm from. It's a lot cheaper up here as well. We live in a three-bedroom house, and you’d only be able to get a one-bedroom flat in London for what we paid for that.” Devaughan Gayle Relationship Manager, Yü Energy

“I knew that moving to Nottingham would be a good opportunity to settle down, get a bit calmer and to take that chance to be less distracted. Settling in has been easy, and it didn't take long at all as it's a very welcoming and easy-going place. You can dip in and out of the social scene, you can be really active in the countryside and there's a good music scene. I've recently started walking to work, so I go through the canal and back every day. Having that exposure to outside life, with ducks, swans and geese, is a really good headspace to get yourself in for the day. If you are somebody who enjoys a quieter, more measured pace of life, no matter what your age, Nottingham is perfect.” Elsie Houston International Sales, Boots

“There's a deep history here in Nottingham. I love the mix of old and new. I love the rural nature of the meadows, rivers and forests, while at the same time having town, shopping and cinemas on your doorstep. It's nice to be somewhere that’s busy without being stuffed. Me and my family have visited the caves, the castle, and Wollaton Hall. We come from a rural area, so my children like the excitement of seeing all the trendy people around. We are going to do a canal holiday here soon, and I'm even considering buying a boat to live on. Nottingham has great universities, a great tech background, and I think the quality of life is just really good overall.” James Worrall Narrative Director Deep Silver Dambuster Studios

“Nottingham is a good-sized city with a diverse mix of people and plenty to do. The student population keeps it young and vibrant too. It always has lots of new places opening, which makes it an exciting place to live. As a parent, I know the opportunities my children have here are much better for their age. A small town like West Bridgford is a great sized place to give children a bit more freedom, and Nottingham is quite a nice-sized city for teenagers. We knew that any school our eldest would go to would be great, and the secondary school he'll go to is fantastic too. In moments I miss London, I look back on things like that and remember why we moved here.” Gemma Johnson Speech and Language Therapist

What famous folk say

We’re surrounded by brilliant, talented people and a great city that supports them. The Television Workshop in Nottingham is one of the best training grounds for young actors in the country. I wouldn’t be where I am without them. Some of the best bands in the world have played at Rock City; it’s not a massive venue but it’s prolific. Broadway Cinema is one of the best independent cinemas in the country. Nottingham has become a much more creative city over the last decade and I’m happy to call it my home. Vicky McClure, BAFTA winning actor

The creative drive coursing through my home town in recent years has been remarkable to witness. It’s always been the birthplace of historical legends and rebel writers, a theatre of sporting miracles, and a training ground for un-Hollywood, Hollywood stars. However, the past decade has seen such a renewed artistic confidence in Nottingham, with Broadway, Antenna and LeftLion magazine all now established focal points for the city’s many creative talents, and beacons for its diverse, kinetic culture. Nottingham Contemporary provides a worldclass space for a burgeoning local, national and international art scene. The Television Workshop has, for thirty years, given myself and countless other actors a career in film that would have otherwise seemed completely unattainable. Joe Dempsie, Actor, Game of Thrones

Nottingham has been a heavy source of influence for as long as I can remember; the clubs, the streets, the people and their willingness to create their own thing in the face of a dominating London, Manchester or any of the other big cities. People here succeed by making things their own. It’s still partly one of this country’s undiscovered gems in the sense of what it contains in a creative capacity. But also its history, the buildings, the fields. It consumed me. Jason Williamson, Sleaford Mods

There’s something really exciting happening in Nottingham. It feels like there’s a lot of people doing stuff here and there’s a real energy between them. It’s not just the art scene but it’s music, it’s dance, it’s poetry and literature. To me it’s a really exciting city to be part of. Wolfgang Buttress, Artist

A pioneering history

Nottingham is a city rich with stories past and present of pioneers, disruptive thinkers and outright rebels. Let us introduce you to some of our best...

Robin Hood

13th-14th century The original outlaw and re-distributor of wealth, his legend lives on in thousands of books, films and TV programmes that just keep on coming. His DNA has remained in the disruptive spirit of our city and its people ever since.

William Lee

1563-1614 A Notts-born Clergyman who invented the first ever knitting machine. His patent was denied by Queen Elizabeth over concerns about the employment of hand-knitters so he took his work overseas to make stockings for the French elite.

George Africanus

1763-1834 Originally born in Sierra Leone, George arrived in England as a slave but went on to become a successful entrepreneur. He set up an employment agency, Africanus' Register of Servants, in the years before slavery was finally abolished in the UK.

William Booth

Ada Lovelace

1829-1912 The original founder of the Salvation Army, which expanded to many parts of the world and is known for being one of the largest distributors of humanitarian aid.

1815-1852 The daughter of poet Lord Byron was a British mathematician who was known for her work on on Charles Babbage's Analytical Engine. This is widely considered to be the prototype for modern-day calculators and computers.

Ned Ludd

Lord Byron

Late 1700s Unhappy about this newfangled technology nicking all our jobs, Ned formed a covert gang with some friends and went round smashing up all the machines - alas, the term ‘Luddite’ was born.

1788-1824 Said to be ‘mad, bad and dangerous to know’ this poet, politician and nobleman was a leading figure in the Romantic movement. His life and work helped to inspire the creation of both Dracula and Frankenstein.

William Abednego Thompson

1811-1880 A bare-knuckle boxer and preacher who became one of the most famous men of the 19th century. He has a city in Melbourne, Australia named after him to this day.

George Green

1793-1841 The mathematical physicist who offered up pioneering work in the fields of electricity and magnetism. He was proclaimed by Einstein as being at least twenty years ahead of his time. The windmill his father built still exists in the city’s skyscape.

Jesse Boot

1850-1931 The Boots Company was originally founded by his father John, but it was Jesse’s work that exploded the chemists into the international giants they are today. Their mission to offer affordable healthcare came almost 100 years before we had the NHS.

Stanley Middleton

1919-2009 Schoolteacher Stan knocked out about fifty novels from 1958 onwards. In 1974 he won the Booker Prize for Holiday and later on turned down a knighthood from Queen Elizabeth because he didn’t want to bow in front of her.

Herbert Kilpin

1871-1916 The Nottingham-born lace merchant was completely mad about this new sport called football. When he moved over to Italy for work at the age of 21, he set up a local team with his friends that would become known to the world as AC Milan.

Stewart Adams

1923-Present A leading chemist in the Boots team that invented Ibuprofen, one of the world’s most essential medicines and a staple part of every modern home’s medicine box.

DH Lawrence

1885-1930 Regarded as one of the most influential writers of the twentieth century, his sexually charged novels were banned from public libraries and saw his publishers prosecuted under the Obscene Publications Act.

Sir Peter Mansfield

1933-2017 English physicist and professor who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his work alongside Paul Lauterbur developing the MRI Scanner, a device that’s saved millions of lives.

Dame Stella Rimington

1935-Present The first female director of MI5 was raised in our city and is a proud alumni of Nottingham High School for Girls. After her stint as head of Britain’s security service, she went on to become a successful crime novelist too.

Sheku Kanneh-Mason

1999-Present He was the first black musician to win the BBC Young Musician of the Year award (2016) and played at the wedding of Prince Harry to Meghan Markle. Sheku and his six musical siblings are set to dominate the classical scene for years to come.

Margaret Humpreys

1944-Present British social worker, author and whistleblower who brought public attention to a scheme where thousands of poor British children were relocated to Australia, often without their parents’ knowledge. Later awarded a CBE and the Medal of the Order of Australia.

Sir Paul Smith

1947-Present His worldwide fashion empire started in a small shop in our city centre. Since then, it’s expanded to over 70 countries and the name is synonymous with highend fashion and stripes. The business still retains a strong presence in the city.

Businesses in Nottingham

Nottingham is a great place to live and work in. But don’t just take our word for it. Here, bosses from seven of the city’s biggest and highest-growth companies think about the place... Boots UK Mark Chivers Director of Estates “The soul and brain of all of Boots’ operations is in Nottingham. We made the decision about ten years ago to centralise all our outbound and inbound logistics and run them from the city. Our entire UK portfolio is run from here, as well as a fair amount of our international portfolio too. The fact it’s located right in the centre of the whole country really works for us. We have about 10,000 staff on site here at any one time and it’s a great city for them to live in. It’s affordable, it’s of a manageable size and offers a good quality of life. There’s a great transport infrastructure around the city too.” boots.com

Unidays Situl Bains Global General Counsel “Nottingham has proved to be a great base for our company to grow. We started out here in 2011 and now provide our services in 115 countries, with offices in New York, Sydney and London. However, all of our core operations are still run from Nottingham and we’re unlikely to change that anytime soon. The city has great transport links to London and the UK’s other major cities. The cost of living is low, which means our staff have a great quality of life outside of work and the fact that there are two major universities on our doorstep means that there’s a constant pool of talent for us to recruit our workforce from.” myunidays.com

Capital One UK Amy Lenander Chief Executive Officer “Capital One has been based in Nottingham for twenty years now. We chose this city because of the great transport links to London and because the population here is young, so there’s always a lot of talent to recruit people from. It’s also a city that’s developed a lot of collaboration across our sector between start-ups and big companies. It’s a vibrant city with a strong quality of life. The universities always have a lot going on and there’s loads of entertainment out there for our workers after they finish in that compact but fun-filled city centre. We’re also thrilled that there’s always so much regeneration going on around us that means everything keeps improving.” capitalone.co.uk

Browne Jacobson Sarah Walker-Smith Chief Operating Officer “We have a long history in Nottingham and our head office is here. We also have offices in Birmingham, London, Manchester and Exeter but most of our back-end functions like finance, HR and IT are run centrally from Nottingham. It makes sense for us to recruit and grow those functions from here as it keeps our cost base low. As a professional, living and working in Nottingham is a really intelligent choice. You can have a fantastic lifestyle here, affordable accommodation, great schools and great amenities. Plus you’re never far away from anywhere if you want to travel to another city.” brownejacobson.com

Experian Julia Cattanach Chief Risk Officer “Experian employs about 2000 people across five offices in Nottingham. We’re able to attract talent here in finance, HR, data analytics, sales and more, and it certainly helps us to have two major universities on our doorstep to work alongside and recruit staff from. I often work in London too, but the day trip down there and back is simple compared to other cities. My family and I moved to Nottingham almost two years ago. We really love the sport, we like to go to watch the cricket and the football and we love the fact that the green countryside is not very far away when you just want to get away to the great outdoors.” experian.co.uk

Impression Digital Aaron Dicks Managing Director “Impression started out in Nottingham’s Creative Quarter, but we’ve recently moved across town as we needed a bigger base to grow into. Starting out here was great for us, there was tons of start-up funding, great support from the city council and a really good network of other businesses for us to work with. Nottingham, being the moderate-size city it is, gives us a great work-life balance. It’s got a great bar, nightlife and social scene. We’ve got people here with young families who live out in the suburbs, yet are still only a 30-minute commute from the office. Then we’ve got recent graduates who live in the city centre and can walk to our office in ten minutes each morning.” impression.co.uk

LexisNexis Keith Binley Managing Director UK and Ireland “Working and living in Nottingham is a real asset when it comes to working with a broad base of geographically distributed clients like we do. Given that Nottingham is so centrally located, the city works tremendously for us as we can access other places on the roads and rail networks extremely easily. We can also access transatlantic routes through nearby airports like East Midlands, Manchester, Liverpool and Doncaster. We have access to a great talent pool for the price point, office space is affordable here and there’s a great nightlife and social culture for people to enjoy after they finish work.” lexisnexis.co.uk

A city of festivals

If you like festivals, then this is the city for you. Nottingham has a yearround calendar of cultural activity to keep you entertained... January Beat The Streets A music festival spread across multiple venues, with all the profits going to local homeless charity Framework. Acts have included Sleaford Mods, Saint Raymond and Ferocious Dog. beatthestreetsuk.com March Television Workshop Play Season Vicky McClure (This Is England), Samantha Morton (The Walking Dead) and Joe Dempsie (Game of Thrones) learned to act at this drama school. See the next generation of stars at the annual play season. thetelevisionworkshop.co.uk April Nottingham Fashion Week A celebration of fashion and clothing across the city, ranging from major high street shopping names to thriving independent designers and retailers. itsinnottingham.com/infashion May Nottingham Poetry Festival Poets take over the city, performing in dozens of venues large and small. Expect big national names as well as the best local talent. nottinghampoetryfestival.com Pint of Science It’s a simple but brilliant idea; some of the best academic scientists in the UK offer up talks in local pubs to explain their latest ideas and research to the public. pintofscience.co.uk

Dot To Dot A one-day music festival that takes place across more than a dozen venues in Nottingham. Previous headliners have included Ed Sheeran, The Slow Readers Club, Pale Waves and Sundara Karma. dottodotfestival.co.uk EM-CON A celebration of all things sci-fi and fantasy. 2019 guests included Nick Frost (Shaun of the Dead), Sylvester McCoy (Dr Who, The Hobbit) and Brent Spiner (Star Trek). em-con.co.uk June Detonate A big outdoor rave up at Colwick Country Park. Previous acts include Nas, Chase and Status, Roni Size and Wiley. detonatefestival.co.uk Download The UK’s biggest rock and metal festival. Headliners in the past have included Iron Maiden, Rammstein and AC/DC. downloadfestival.co.uk Nottingham Craft Beer Week and Festival A celebration of quality beer from both local and international brewers. Events during the week take place across 30+ bars across the city. It then finishes off with a weekend festival at Sneinton Avenues. nottinghamcraftbeer.co.uk Outdoor Theatre and Cinema Catch Shakespeare plays and movies in the picturesque grounds of Nottingham’s country parks from June to September. nottinghammuseums.org.uk

Newark Festival A weekend of music, food and fun in this market town twenty miles outside of the city centre. newarkfestival.co.uk Forest Live Every year the Forestry Commission puts on a weekend of gigs in the idyllic Sherwood Pines. Previous acts include Jess Glynne, Paloma Faith and Jake Bugg. forestryengland.uk/music July Nottingham Beach To make up for our lack of proximity to a beach, we put one in the middle of our Market Square from July to September every year, complete with rides, bars and attractions. nottinghambeach.co.uk Waterfront Festival A three-stage, day-long charity music festival at the Canalhouse, which usually has a fancydress theme. waterfrontnotts.com Splendour A 25,000-capacity music festival at Wollaton Park, thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s previously hosted Madness, All Saints, Manic Street Preachers, Pet Shop Boys, Dizzee Rascal and Kaiser Chiefs. splendourfestival.com Nottingham Pride The city always celebrates its LGBT community in style with a big carnival followed by numerous events across the city. nottinghamshirepride.co.uk August Nottingham Carnival Get ready for steel drums, jerk chicken and showstopping carnival costumes as Nottinghamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s annual festival returns with a parade, music stages, workshops, stalls and a funfair. nottinghamcarnival.com

A city of festivals

Classic Thriller Season Every year our theatres are overtaken by a run of classic thrillers and mysteries programmed by the Theatre Royal. trch.co.uk Riverside Festival A family-orientated event on the banks of the River Trent. It’s free entry, so you just pay for rides and snacks. facebook.com/riversidefestival Gloworm Children-orientated festival that takes place at one of the city’s country parks each summer, with live appearances from kids’ TV stars and other family activities. glowormfestival.co.uk Southwell Music Festival A festival of predominantly classical, chamber and choral music across half a dozen venues in this delightful Nottinghamshire town. southwellmusicfestival.com September Nottingham MELA A multi-venue South-Asian arts festival that recently turned 30, making it the oldest festival of its type in the whole country. October Goose Fair Annual travelling funfair that dates back over 700 years and takes place on the Forest Recreation ground. Mayhem The annual horror, sci-fi and cult classic film festival curated by filmmakers Chris Cooke and Steven Sheil and held at Broadway Cinema. mayhemfilmfestival.com

Robin Hood Beer and Cider Festival One of the biggest CAMRA festivals in the country. Expect live music, food and more beer choice than you can possibly get through. beerfestival.nottinghamcamra.org Nottingham Comic Con A comic-book geek’s dream, with hundreds of stalls, and dozens of authors and artists showing up for talks and book signings. nottinghamcomiccon.co.uk Hockley Hustle A one-day festival with dozens of venues and hundreds of musical acts involved. It’s a Nottingham institution and has recently expanded with Young Hustlers for the kids. hockleyhustle.co.uk November Nottingham Cocktail Week A celebration of Nottingham’s cocktail bar scene, which takes place over a week with various competitions and offers. itsinnottingham.com/cocktailweek Nottingham Comedy Festival Multi-venue stand-up festival that takes over the city for a week or so and offers big names as well as up-andcoming acts. nottinghamcomedyfestival.co.uk December Winter Wonderland Christmas comes to the city’s Market Square, complete with an outdoor ice rink, ice bar, German market, live music nights and more. nottinghamwinterwonderland.co.uk

The art scene If you’re after a spot of culture, look no further. Nottingham is packed full of art galleries, cinemas and performance spaces... Galleries Bonington Gallery An exhibition space situated at Nottingham Trent University - one of the best art schools in the country. They curate a monthly programme of exhibits and their annual degree show is brilliant. boningtongallery.co.uk Lakeside Arts The Djanogly Gallery presents a yearround programme of contemporary exhibitions, while the Weston Gallery is a showcase for unique manuscripts and collections. They are both based at the University of Nottingham. lakesidearts.org.uk New Art Exchange A showcase of contemporary art, with a focus on cultural diversity. The art here aims to stimulate political debate and highlight the voices of ethnically diverse artists. nae.org.uk Nottingham Contemporary One of Britain’s leading, and largest, centres for contemporary art, with four major exhibitions per year and hundreds of other events. nottinghamcontemporary.org

Savoy If you’re on a date, this 1930s art-deco cinema is an absolute must. Not only can you bask in one of their snug loveseats, but you’ll be treated to proper popcorn in a proper bucket. savoyonline.co.uk Theatre and Comedy Glee Club You can see some proper off-kilter stuff at this canalside venue specialising in both music and comedy. Regular burlesque, cabaret, comedy and music nights a plenty. glee.co.uk Just The Tonic This comedy club is big at the Edinburgh Fringe, but it proudly started in Nottingham. They gave Ricky Gervais his first stand-up gig with everyone from Stewart Lee to Jimmy Carr has performing for them since. justthetonic.com

Cinemas

Nottingham Playhouse A shining example of a regional theatre with a rich and impressive history. Sir Ian McKellen and Dame Judi Dench both started out here. They also have Anish Kapoor’s Sky Mirror installation outside the venue (see image left). nottinghamplayhouse.co.uk

Broadway One of the country’s best independent cinemas, showing indie, arthouse and foreign films. Shane Meadows started out here and Quentin Tarantino chose it for the European premiere of Pulp Fiction. broadway.org.uk

Theatre Royal This lovely venue is split into two sections; the Theatre Royal and Royal Concert Hall. One side is the place to be for fancy performances. The other hosts major touring music and comedy acts. trch.co.uk

Be our guest Nottingham thrives on interesting venues with culinary options to suit all tastes and budgets. We have the chains you all know and love but here are some of our more unique places... Award-winning restaurants If you like collecting Michelin stars then Restaurant Sat Bains proudly boasts two of them at their converted Victorian farm in Lenton. The stylish, brick-clad British eatery Alchemilla is based in the city centre and was awarded a Michelin star in October 2019.

as a boiler shop, but the queue outside points to the speakeasy delights within. Hockley Arts Club is a three-floor aesthetic delight with Instagramfriendly décor and cocktails. Penny Lane offers seaside-themed fun, and Revolucion de Cuba has some of the best rum cocktails this side of Havana.

Indie eats American-style burger restaurant Annie’s Burger Shack is one of the best in the country - it started here and has now expanded across the UK. Nottingham Street Food Club is a collective of vendors that have taken over the top floor of a shopping centre, led by Masterchef finalist Pete Hewitt. Meanwhile Zaap makes you feel like you’ve been transported straight to central Bangkok thanks to the vibrant décor that includes tuk-tuk booths and an old train.

Craft beer Nottingham now has over 30 dedicated craft beer bars and bottle shops. Junkyard is a local institution with fifteen taps dispensing rare American and European keg brews. Bunkers Hill has ten draught pumps and three fridges packed full of beer from across the world. JamCafe has regular live music and the Crafty Crow sits right next to the castle with dozens of options on tap. We also have major national names like Brewdog and Head of Steam. In June each year, many local bars join together to celebrate Nottingham Craft Beer Week, seven days of beer-related events.

Historical pubs Like most cities we have hundreds of great historic pubs. However, Nottingham boasts the oldest in England; Ye Olde Trip To Jerusalem, over 800 years old and carved out of the city caves. We also have Canalhouse, a pub with a working canal and boat inside, and Pitcher and Piano, a converted Grade II church dating back to 1876. Local brewing heroes Castle Rock operate fourteen incredible pubs across the city too. Cocktails Nottingham is spoilt for choice when it comes to cocktails. Boilermaker has an unassuming outward appearance

Cafe culture The Nottingham coffee scene goes way beyond Starbucks and Costa (though we have plenty of those too). 200 Degrees are self-professed coffee geeks and not only do they have two outlets in the city, they also run national barista courses. Blend is a lovely airy coffee shop situated in the growing artistic community of Sneinton Market Avenues and they serve up some seriously tasty cheese toasties. Wired is a cozy cafe in Hockley that’s always full of creatives enjoying a caffeine hit.

The great outdoors

Tired of inner-city life? Yearning to spend more time outdoors? Over 20% of our city is parkland, and 36 of our parks are Green Flag award winners… The Arboretum Located on the doorstep of our city centre, this is one of those tucked-away green spaces that’ll give you a big smile. A historic, beautifully maintained park that’s home to an important collection of over 800 trees from the nineteenth century. It’s widely been said to have inspired J.M Barrie’s Neverland as the author lived here just before he wrote Peter Pan.

Peak District Technically it’s in Derbyshire, but it’s less than an hour’s drive from Nottingham. It’s England’s first national park and one of our country's national treasures, a space of more than 500 square miles of beautiful landscapes. The area is known and loved for its breathtaking views, pretty villages, famous attractions and hundreds of traditional events. visitpeakdistrict.com

Attenborough Nature Reserve A slice of country life, just on the outskirts of Beeston. The on-site centre is a great place to learn about the local birds, or you could simply take the pooch in your life for a walk. If you’re feeling especially green, visit one of the tucked-away hides and spot some of the wetland wildlife going about their business. attenboroughnaturecentre.co.uk

Victoria Embankment Completed in 1870, and just as popular today. You can have a good, long look at the River Trent before swanning around in the gardens. With plenty of waterbased activities, it’s hard to get bored around here. There are also a couple of sports pitches nearby, so you can have a kickabout when you get bored.

Newstead Abbey Lord Byron’s old haunt is about twelve miles out of the city centre, but it’s worth the trip to see the lavish gardens and spaces around it. The park is free to enter and wander around, but if you want to enter the abbey itself and see how the lords used to live, then it’s a few quid for a guided tour. newsteadabbey.org.uk

Wollaton Park Known as Batman’s gaff because The Dark Knight Rises movie used the big hall as the set of Wayne Manor. This is one of the best places to get out and about in the city. One of the most notable things here are the roaming deer, who just saunter around the park with no fences to divide you or them. wollatonhall.org.uk

The home of sport

If you want to get involved with sports, Nottingham has all the options you need. In 2015 we were named Home of Sport by Visit England. Cricket Trent Bridge is one of the most iconic cricket grounds in the country and hosts regular England test matches and the Ashes. We hosted five games during England’s successful 2019 Cricket World Cup. In terms of county cricket, it hosts Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club, including England regulars Stuart Broad and Alex Hales. Our T20 Outlaws team also play here. trentbridge.co.uk Football Forty years ago, under Brian Clough, Nottingham Forest were the best team in Europe and they’ve still won the European Cup (aka Champions League) more times than all the football clubs in London put together. Notts County FC are the world’s oldest professional club (formed in 1862) and currently compete in the National League. The city also hosts regular England Lionesses games. nottinghamforest.co.uk nottscountyfc.co.uk Ice Hockey We take our ice hockey seriously in Nottingham, hence why we are home to the National Ice Arena. Our men’s team Nottingham Panthers play in the Elite Hockey League and get average attendances of 4-5000. Nottingham Lions act as a feeder club, with opportunities for talented young players at youth level. panthers.co.uk

Hiking and Biking The Forestry Commission’s Sherwood Pines is located within half an hour’s drive of the city centre and offers three unique cycling trails, as well as a range of hiking routes. We’re also within an hour of the Peak District, which has dozens of unique cycling and walking routes such as Carsington Water and the High Peak Trail. Rugby Celebrating their 140th anniversary this year, Nottingham Rugby Club had their best time in the eighties when England internationals Simon Hodgkinson, Rob Andrew, Dusty Hare, Brian Moore and Neil Back all played for the club. They’re not quite the force they were then, but with their new ground in Lady Bay they’re on the up. nottinghamrugby.co.uk Water Sports Nottingham is home to the UK’s National Water Sports Centre. As well as being a base for some of the nation’s most elite athletes, they also offer a wide range of family activities such as kayaking, canoeing and much more. nwscnotts.com

Let the music play Our city has one of the most progressive and dynamic music scenes in the country. We have a great grassroots scene that’s given birth to Jake Bugg and Sleaford Mods, as well as big venues that get all the touring acts... Rough Trade There are only five of these in the world. Two in London, one in New York, one in Bristol and one in Nottingham. It’s a record shop with a great live music venue upstairs. They’ve had some pretty big names in for intimate sets too (Suede, Thurston Moore, Jake Bugg) and usually you just have to buy the record to get a free ticket for the gig. Events are on most nights of the week. roughtrade.com Rock City This venue has achieved legendary status over the last 38 years; it’s a fullon Nottingham institution. Everyone from Oasis to David Bowie to U2 to The Smiths have graced the main stage, and it’s one of the best-known and loved live music venues in the country, consistently remaining independent and showcasing great live music and club nights. rock-city.co.uk Rescue Rooms Created in 2003 as a smaller alternative to Rock City, this venue sits right next door and has a capacity of around 450 in the live room. Acts to have graced the stage include Bloc Party, Ellie Goulding, Foals, Four Tet, Mumford & Sons, The Libertines and The Killers. They also have acoustic acts in the bar and a smaller room upstairs. rescuerooms.com

Metronome The newest kid on the block. Metronome is run by Confetti and Nottingham Trent University, but it’s far from being your average student union bar or club. It’s a 350-capacity high-tech centre for gigs, spoken word performances and everything else that deserve a spot on stage. There are six state-of-the-art recording studios and fourteen fully equipped rehearsal rooms downstairs too. metronome.uk.com Nottingham Arena A massive 10,000 capacity arena for when your act is so big that even Rock City is too small. Kylie Minogue, Justin Timberlake, Foo Fighters, Bob Dylan and more have played here. It also doubles up as a venue for ice hockey and all kinds of comedians and conferences. motorpointarenanottingham.com Peggy’s Skylight Live jazz bar and cafe with a Middle Eastern dining experience inspired by Duke Ellington's trip from New York to Damascus. It’s been open for less than a year, but it’s already proving to be one of the UK’s most-reputed jazz venues. Most acts do two sets; 7.30pm and 10pm. peggysskylight.co.uk

A city of literature If words are your thing, our city is the place to be. Nottingham has permanent status as a UNESCO City of Literature, on account of our literary heritage, as well as our commitment to encouraging emerging writers. Five Leaves Bookshop National winner of Independent Bookshop of the year at the 2018 British Book Awards. They’ve been fuelling radical fires since 2013, providing ad-hoc grieving sessions for the left-wingers of the city in the post-election periods and they support many local poets, authors and literary practitioners. fiveleavesbookshop.co.uk Bromley House Library If Notts’ new literary status and DIY poetry scene is all a bit too ‘now,’ then recline back in time in one of the few subscription libraries left in the UK. In existence since 1816, it holds a massive archive of 40,000 books. bromleyhouse.org

Ideas on Paper Home to arguably the most impressive range of weird and wonderful magazines in the city. Not only do they stock Monocle, Tapas and Positive News, they also have some of the most beautiful books and stationery available. ideasonpapernottingham.co.uk LeftLion This arts and culture magazine has been covering all things Nottingham for 15 years, and is still going strong. Look out for their monthly print issues, available for free all around town. leftlion.co.uk

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