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Selina Mosinski AKA Charity Shop Sue talks her new character Randy Cain

Most people will know Selina Mosinski as Sue Tuke AKA the indomitable Charity Shop Sue. This summer she’s bringing a new character to Edinburgh Fringe – and Notts – in her one-woman show Puss In Boots: A Working Class Fairy Tale, directed by Notts own Matt Chesney of Dead Sweet TV. Ahead of the show, we spoke to Selina about writing for the stage, 90s culture and how the Notts accent is reaching audiences…

Film review: The Last Spy

Katherina Otto-Bernstein’s insightful documentary ‘The Last Spy’ delves into the life of Peter Sichel, a German-born Jew who served in the United States’ secret service throughout the aftermath of Nazi occupation and throughout the Cold War.

A one way ticket to nostalgia: visiting Alfreton's 80s Video Shop

Right on the border between Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire sits the 80s Video Shop – a one-way ticket to the age of neon, fuelled by original Big Box Rental VHS Tapes. Owners Chris Annable and Rob Lane talk to us about the story behind this tucked away portal to another time… 

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

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

Lastheatre Christmas at Lakeside: the Littlest Yak

Theatre Review: The Last Noel at the Lace Market Theatre

At the Lace Market Theatre, Christmas nostalgia meets the sting of memory,  with nowhere to hide from either...

The Last Noel by Chris Bush

Vona Vella - The 3rd and Last Time!

Broadway at Lakeside - Little Shop Of Horrors (pg)

Gig review: The Last Dinner Party at The Level

Nottingham's Shakespeare Street is lined with hundreds of people dressed in long skirts, corsets and Victorian-esque clothing. Some wear hoodies with red embroidered writing that says From The Pyre. We know we're in the right place: The Level, where the incredible The Last Dinner Party are performing their latest album, released only a few days before...

Waste Nott want not: the Sherwood zero-waste outlet flying the flag for sustainable shopping

We may be used to the blaring brands and excess packaging of supermarkets, but in many neighbourhoods in Nottingham a more sustainable option exists for buying groceries in independent zero waste shops. We spoke to  Liz Thomas, a director and volunteer at Sherwood’s Waste Nott, to learn how the small not-for-profit is making an impact by cutting down unnecessary packaging and waste.

Theatre Review: The Last Stand Of Mary Whitehouse at the Nottingham Playhouse

Today's youth might think Mary Whitehouse was some cartoonish figure-of-fun. A prude and a bigot, leftover from the Victorian era. Not at all. Known as the most dangerous woman in England at the time, she wreaked havoc. The Playhouse's brand new play shares the horror...  

The Last Noel - Auditions

Flying colours: a look inside legendary local paint shop Montana

A cornerstone of Nottingham’s creative scene, Montana has made a name for itself as not just a paints shop, but a hub for local artists of all kinds – thanks to partners Sylvia and Dilk behind the business. Whilst Dilk is a well-known local artist Sylvia’s recently been taking the lead on some exciting collaborative projects. We sat down with her to chat about the importance of the local creative community, and the shop’s international reach…

The Last Stand Of Mrs Mary Whitehouse

Out of time: a idiosyncratic history of adult cinemas and shops in Notts

Sex sells….or so we’ve heard. We take a look back at Nottingham’s history of ‘adult’ entertainment cinemas and shops.

Playwright Caroline Bird on writing The Last Stand Of Mrs Mary Whitehouse

The Playhouse continues its streak of consequential new plays with the upcoming The Last Stand Of Mrs Mary Whitehouse, starring Maxine Peake behind those infamous horn-rimmed spectacles. Caroline Bird speaks to Leftlion about how and why she wrote about the 'most dangerous woman in Britain'... 

Counselling, community, and café cosiness: inside Maid Marian Way's new Pride Shop

This year will be the first Nottingham Pride since The Pride Shop on Maid Marian Way opened its doors to the public. More than just a shop, it offers a safe space to the LGTBQ+ community in Nottingham through support groups, events and counselling, as well as a cosy café. We spoke to founder Jake Hook about his motivations for setting up the business and its impact on the city.

Save the last dance: how Torvill and Dean put Nottingham on the ice dancing map

Beeston, 14 February 1984. I was fourteen, with nowhere to go for Valentine’s Day and zero interest in ice skating. However, these were the days of four TV channels (and the fourth was quite new), so mass TV events were a must watch. Plus Torvill and Dean were from Nottingham! So, we joined the twenty million to tune in to their Bolero at the Sarajevo Winter Olympics…

The Health Shop on Broad Street tell us how they're reducing harm among those afflicted by addiction

[Trigger warning: This article contains reference to needles, drug use and abuse]

Tucked away on the bustling Broad Street, is a place you might not have noticed unless you’ve needed to - The Health Shop. With their inclusive drug and sexual health services, they have established a legacy in harm reduction going back to the HIV epidemic. A vital part of this is their needle exchange - which has kept people in Nottingham safe for more than thirty years.

China Shop Bull

Collective Pop-up Shop

The Repair Shop Live - Secrets Of the Barn

"The power is with the people": standing up to knife violence in Old Market Square

After three tragic spates of knife violence rocked Nottingham, and were subsequently highly publicised, local campaigners organised a demonstration in Old Market Square to draw attention to the underlying, community problems that cause it. LeftLion went down to report...

Standing In This Place: Artist Rachel Carter tells us her inspirations behind a new sculpture for Nottingham's Green Heart park.

With just 17% of statues in the UK depicting women and only 2% dedicated to people belonging to ethnic minorities, there is a clear need for more varied representation in public art. Luckily, one local artist is looking to change this in Nottingham, whilst also representing the long and diverse history of our city’s textile industry. 

Standing In This Place, a sculpture by Rachel Carter will be erected in the Green Heart park in February. We asked Rachel to tell us more about the piece, how she became an artist, and what it’s like to work as a sculptor.