LeftLion Magazine #127

Notts Photographer Lamar Francois On Photographing Mindfully

25 July 20

Queer Today, Gone Tomorrow: The LGBTQ+ Spaces Nottingham Has Lost

22 July 20

As Nottingham gets set to celebrate Pride 2020 in a very different, online-only way, it’s probably time to remember that the city hasn’t always had such an open gay scene. With a long history of secret bars, hidden backrooms and, erm, gay flats, it’s important to remember just how far Notts has progressed. We asked Chair of Nottingham Pride, Leigh Ellis, and David Edgley of Nottingham Rainbow Heritage to share their memories of some of the LGBTQ+ spaces we’ve lost...

Out of Time: The Chilwell Catastrophe

24 July 20

It was one of the worst wartime disasters in British history, as well as the country’s biggest involving an explosion. The month marks the 102nd anniversary of the Chilwell Catastrophe, in which a World War One ammunition factory exploded, killing 134 Nottingham workers and injuring dozens more.

Penny Lane's Take a Pitcher It Will Last Longer Sangria Recipe

23 July 20

We may not be able to hog the 2p machines at Penny Lane on Fletcher Gate right now, but luckily you can mix up your own pitcher of their Sangria at home. It’s perfect for afternoon drinking in the sunshine, and – if you close your eyes really hard – you can try and imagine being on a Spanish beach instead of being in your back garden…

Southwell Jewellery Store Last Night I Dreamt on Setting Up Shop, Significant Trinkets, and Sending Love During Lockdown

22 July 20

The bright lights of Nottingham’s city centre might not be quite as bright – or as busy – as they were six months ago. Yet, for one shop in Southwell, lockdown has been a little different. Nestled in North Nottinghamshire, Last Night I Dreamt is not only a curated collection of the best treasure that British brands have to offer, but is also a hive for jewellery lovers up and down the country. Our Fashion Editor, Anna Murphy, spoke to its owner, Rebecca Gibbions to find out more...

Art Works: Naa Ahinee Mensah

21 July 20

Artist Naa Ahinee Mensah tells us about her George Floyd triptych...

"No Disney princesses wear glasses and that made me feel like I wasn't beautiful enough." - Lowri Moore and Our Head Designer, Natalie Owen on Their New Children's Book

19 July 20

“If you don’t like something, change it.” That’s what poet and civil rights activist Maya Angelou wrote and preached throughout her life. And, it’s exactly what Lowri Moore has done – fuelled by the lack of representation for glasses-wearing characters in Disney films, the eleven-year-old has collaborated with our very own designer, Natalie Owen on their new children’s book, Princess Rose and the Golden Glasses…

Beeston Film Festival Has Added an LGBTQ+ Category

20 July 20

After experiencing an increase in submissions, Beeston Film Festival is launching a brand new category for LGBT+ filmmakers in time for Pride 2020...

Nottinghamshire's Rainbow Heritage's David Edgley on Our City's LGBTQ+ History

19 July 20

Established in 2008, Nottinghamshire’s Rainbow Heritage aims to preserve the area’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender history. With many of the city’s venues under threat of closure due to COVID-19, Caroline Barry talks to the project’s David Edgley about Nottingham’s LGBTQ+ history, the dangers of complacent activism and what can be done to preserve the city’s safe spaces.

The Big Notts Quiz: Part IV

18 July 20

Some say these quizzes have been the highlight of their lockdown life, others think they’ve been an enormous waste of everyone’s time. Either way, we’ve done one more, and made it extra difficult to finish things off…

FlyGirl Are Launching to Empower Wxman of Colour in Nottingham

15 July 20

With the aim to empower womxn all across Nottingham – with particular focus on womxn of colour – FlyGirl is set to launch later this year. We caught up with Avarni Bilan, one half of the Wigflex team, to see what it’s all about…

The Winners of the Young Creative Awards 2020 Are...

17 July 20

The Young Creative Awards are an annual celebration of all the amazing things the mega-talented youths in our city can produce. Previous winners have performed at Splendour, published books and even designed for Beyonce. Every year the standard gets higher and higher, and 2020 has been no exception. Get impressed and inspired by this year’s winning work, and get their names on your radar – we’ve got a feeling they’re all worth keeping an eye out for in the future…

The Art of Beer's Seth Smith Has Drawn 41 of Our City's Best Boozers

16 July 20

Meet Seth Smith, aka the Art of Beer. He’s spent the last half-decade creating illustrations inspired by the nation’s favourite alcoholic beverage. This year he’s drawn 41 of the city's best boozers in conjunction with Nottingham Craft Beer Week and soon they’ll be available as free postcards at a pub near you…

Nottingham Community Engagement Worker Josh Osoro Pickering on the Deep-Rooted Problems of Systemic Racism

12 July 20

English-Kenyan community engagement worker and writer Josh Osoro Pickering explores the deep-rooted problems of systemic racism, the impact of capitalism on black communities and why now is the time for change...

Are Socially Distanced Raves the Future of Nottingham Nightlife?

13 July 20

This month, despite Nottingham’s bars and pubs reopening, the city’s nightclubs as we know them remain shut. Fortunately for all of the dancefloor addicts out there, some folks are coming up with a solution. Eileen Pegg speaks with promoters to understand what clubbing might look like in the current climate...

5 Nottingham Albums to Listen to This Month

13 July 20

The latest Nottinghamshire releases...

Next Gen Movement: The Group Behind Nottingham's Anti-Racism Protest

08 July 20

The murder of George Floyd at the hands of police officers in Minneapolis sent reverberations around the world, including Nottingham, where thousands of people descended on the Forest Recreation Ground in a show of communal strength against systemic racism on Sunday 7 June. The protests were peaceful, but the anger, frustration and passion for forcing change – in real terms – was overwhelming. Behind the protests were three young women, friends Shan Vincent, Tyla Henrique-White and Janelle Brown who have since formed Next Gen Movement, a project aimed at empowering young people to make sure the fight against racism continues to be impactful. We caught up with Janelle to find out more, and discover where they plan to go from here…

Happy Dough Lucky are Launching Vegan Doughnuts

12 July 20

Doughnuts. Just that one word alone can make you salivate. But sometimes when you sink your teeth into one, it doesn’t taste as good as it looks. Dry. Chewy. Not good stuff. The boys at Happy Dough Lucky – Sach, Lewis and TK – are aiming to change all that. They’ve spent a load of time perfecting their recipes and flavours, so their brand new vegan doughnuts are as delicious as can be. We chat to Sach Nijran about their upcoming launch and why you should give their bad boys a shot…

Art Works: Kai-Yan Lai

11 July 20

After bagging success at the Young Creative Awards, Kai-Yan Lai has earned himself a successful career behind the camera...

The When We Worked at Raleigh Project Celebrates the Lives of the Factory's Black British Caribbean Workers

10 July 20

Whether it’s due to its legacy as one of Nottingham’s most quintessential institutions, or the place that Arthur Seaton so resented working, everyone knows that the Raleigh Factory is woven into the very fabric of Nottingham’s DNA. While much has been written about its iconic cultural status, often overlooked is the impact of its many Black British Caribbean workers. That’s where When We Worked at Raleigh, the archival project that has collated visual and audio histories of those workers and their relatives, comes in...

Academic and Stand-Up Comedian Dr Claire Sedgwick on COVID-19's Impact on the Industry

09 July 20

Unpaid sets. No trade unions. Class inequalities. Even by the already difficult standards of the creative industries, stand-up comedy is a particularly hard industry in which to carve a career path. Dr Claire Sedgwick, an academic and stand-up comedian, explores how COVID-19 has only exacerbated those difficulties, and what the comedy scene is doing to keep the industry alive ...

Honey Williams on her July 2020 Cover, Representation and Her Career

05 July 20

Lockdown Laughs: What Happened to Nottingham's Comedy Scene During Quarantine?

08 July 20

In a time where the world needs laughter more than ever, we see how some of Nottingham's funny people have been coping during lockdown...

Snap Notts: Anti-Racism Protest

06 July 20

The Show Must Go On: Nottingham Pride 2020 Moves Online

05 July 20

With Nottingham’s annual celebration of LGBTQ+ culture put on hold due to COVID-19 restrictions, organisers have decided to move Pride 2020 online to provide a unique, innovative way for the community to stay proud...

Death in Exile: Why the WWII Polish Prime Minister in Exile Was Laid to Rest in Newark on Trent

04 July 20

77 years ago this month, at the height of World War Two, Prime Minister Winston Churchill arrived in Nottingham to deliver a eulogy at the funeral of Władysław Sikorski who was being laid to rest in Newark-on-Trent. The Polish Prime Minister in exile had died in mysterious circumstances twelve days previously, with his airplane crashing just sixteen seconds after take off in Gibraltar, killing all on board but the pilot. But what were the circumstances that led up to one of the key figures in WWII being buried in Nottingham? We look at the events and conspiracies that continue to surround the death of Władysław Sikorski…

The Pythian Club's Benjamin Rosser on His Time in Nottinghamshire Police and the Removal of Statues

03 July 20

Not only did the death of George Floyd spark anti-racism protests all over the globe, it placed the role of the police in society under a level of scrutiny never seen before. While Floyd’s murder at the hands of Minnesota police officer Derek Chauvin replicated an event that has become depressingly commonplace in the United States, protests in Britain had large elements of anti-police sentiment to them. Having spent ten years as a member of Nottinghamshire Police before leaving to establish The Pythian Club – an organisation set up to enrich and empower young people in Nottingham – community leader Benjamin Rosser is uniquely placed to offer an insight into the inner workings of the British police force…

Overheard in Notts

02 July 20

Big Baby is back roaming the streets, unluckily for you lot...

The Thompson Brothers on the Return of Football, Pubs and Holidays