Notts Going On: Petal spirals and puppet takeovers

Spring is officially in bloom in Notts, and there are so many ways to enjoy it this week...

Apr 08, 2024

Welcome to Notts Going On — your Monday digest of Nottingham news to have on your radar, events for your calendar, and more. This is all now broken down into section with bite-sized chunks, so you can find everything easily.

It was quite hard to choose events this week, as there is so much going on this month. I popped down to Nottingham Central Library this weekend and had my portrait drawn with my partner by Beermat Doodles (which is available for bookings, FYI!).

What other city can you just stroll down and get something as cool as this done, right? We’re so lucky to have so many talented people in it and that have come out of it, too. Below we’ve highlighted plenty of these.

Notts Going On

By Eve Smallman

News 🗞️

🧵 Nottingham designer Sir Paul Smith appeared on the High Performance Podcast, which basically gives inspiration to those looking to up their game in the business world. He talks about the full story of his success, which is a fascinating listen, but what tickled us the most was him saying that his dad was proudest of all when he got the freedom to the city of Nottingham in 1996, as this meant he could ‘take sheep across Trent Bridge.’ Listen to the High Performance episode on YouTube.

🎙️ BBC Radio Nottingham’s Verity Cowley has been nominated for The Radio Academy ARIAS Awards Moment of the Year. This is for her brilliant work interviewing Ashfield MP Lee Anderson, where he asked her ten times if she’d ever told a lie and she held her ground brilliantly. Verity told the Radio Times: “Local radio is fantastic for this — we’re in this very privileged position where we can hold local politicians, the councillors, and MPs to account in a way the national media won’t.” Listen to the moment and vote for her on the Radio Times site.

🥚 Nottingham Trent University’s famous peregrine falcons have been busy laying eggs over Easter, laying four over the holidays. From March 26-April 3, the pair that sit over the Newton building pair laid four eggs, which they’ll incubate for at least 30 days. This makes a May birth for the baby peregrines likely. Peregrines are protected species, making the stream a very popular watch for wildlife enthusiasts. Read the West Bridgford Wire piece and watch the live Peregrine Nest Cam on the Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust site.

⚽ If you’ve ever wanted to learn more about and see behind the scenes of Nottingham Forest, you can now officially do so thanks to their brand new Museum and Stadium Tour. On the guide-led tour, you’ll be able to see the pitch from the director’s box, glimpse at Nuno’s matchday office, before posing in the changing rooms in your favourite player’s spot. Meanwhile at the museum, the famed European trophies, a green jumper worn by Brian Clough, iconic match-day shirts and more will be on display. Time slots for the tour vary and prices are £10-£25. Find out more on the Nottingham Forest site.

Hot property 🏡

We’ve seen how much you guys like looking at beautiful houses, so we’ve decided to put it in its own special section. This week we’re loving this five-bedroom Edwalton home listed by Savills. The open-plan kitchen diner is ultra-sleek and polished, but we like the balance of lighter, traditional finishes throughout the other rooms. We’re particularly obsessed with the character in every bedroom and bathroom. It also has a huge back garden and even has an indoor swimming pool for lounging in. The listed price is a cool £3m. See it on Rightmove.

Events 🗓️

🕺 Remember Diversity being huge after winning Britain’s Got Talent in 2009 with their mesmerising moves? If you enjoyed watching them then, you’ll be pleased to hear that they’re very much still on the dance scene. They are at the Royal Concert Hall on Monday and Tuesday with a show that promises to have everything from comedic routines to ones with powerful statements. Tickets start from £32 and there is even a VIP meet and greet option. More info at TRCH.

🎭 One of the quirkiest city-wide events of the year is starting up on April 9. Yes — the Nottingham Puppet Festival is back for a fourth year. The launch event on Tuesday is In Conversation with Ronnie Le Drew, who puppeteers Rainbow’s Zippy. Don’t worry if you can’t make that, though — on Saturday, a whole load of puppets will be taking over the city centre streets for the day. There are plenty of events at venues across the area throughout the month though, right until April 21. More info at Nottingham Puppet Festival.

🛹 Have you ever wanted to do a skate trick? This is your chance to learn how to do just that, as well as find out about the fantastic Nottingham skate scene. The event, hosted by Samsung and Skate Nottingham will have skate coaching, workshops, panel talks, and even a skate jam with Forty Two Shop. Everything is free but it is worth booking specific events if there is one you’re particularly interested in. More info at Skate Nottingham.

🏹 Robin Hood is of course known for his iconic arrow-shooting skills. If you’d like to channel his spirit and give it a go yourself, you can do just that at his home Sherwood Forest on Saturday. The Sherwood Outlaws will be on hand to help you, with one-on-one tips and tricks. It’s just £3 for five arrows, so you haven’t got too much to lose by having a try. This could be an especially fun activity for those with little ones to entertain. More info at Visit Sherwood.

And finally 📸

We couldn’t resist putting in this beautiful artwork titled Under Magnolia, created by James Brunt at Clumber Park. We have serious admiration for his patience to lay out all those petals. @jamesbruntartist

If you’d like to see your picture in Notts Going On, email us your snaps at editor@thenottsedit.com or tag us on Instagram @thenottsedit