Don’t believe us? Here’s why…

1. Nightlife and music scene

Jake Bugg (Picture: Michael Malfait)

Jake Bugg’s success seems to have had a knock-on effect and Nottingham is now a hotbed for upcoming talent. Recent success stories include Harleighblu, Indiana, London Grammar, Saint Raymond and Sleaford Mods, to name but a few. Organisations like Nusic help new artists get their material heard, and there’s a multitude of venues giving them a stage. We’re also home to the best rock club and live venue in the country with Rock City, and a thriving club scene that caters to everyone, from drum ‘n’ bass to house to reggae nights, there’s always a beat-filled eve to be skanking out at.



2. Fashion


Fashion – Paul Smith (Picture: Dom Henry)

We’re a proper fashionable lot. From the innovations of Paul Smith to independent clothing outlets like Mimm, we’re running things when it comes to clobber. We’ve got one of the most established fashion design courses in the world at Nottingham Trent University, and there’s tons of vintage stores to get yourself decked out in the not-so-latest gear.

3. Arts

(Picture: Ian Stewart)

Nottingham Contemporary is one of the largest contemporary art galleries in the country, and New Art Exchange is the largest gallery in the UK dedicated to culturally diverse contemporary visual arts. You don’t have to go far in Nottingham to stumble across a studio or gallery that has been formed by local artists with unique exhibitions, as well as an ever growing street art scene keeping our walls interesting.

4. TV and film

Supermarket Sweep was filmed here. You’re welcome. (Picture: YouTube)

UK film and television has a lot to thank Notts for, not only did Central Studios used to be based here, producing shows such as Bullseye and Supermarket Sweep, The Television Workshop has been turning out some of the UK’s brightest stars for over 30 years with an alumni including Sam Morton, Aisling Loftus, Jack O’Connell, Toby Kebbell, Joe Dempsie, Vicky McClure… and Po from the Tellytubbies. Wollaton Hall was used as Batman’s crib in The Dark Knight Rises, and Control and Bronson were shot round these parts. We also lay claim to directors Shane Meadows, Jeanie Finlay and Stephen Frears, as well as Wellington Films who produced the award winning London To Brighton.

5. Accent and dialect

(Picture: Rikki Marr)

The Nottingham accent is harder than a Brazil nut to crack and we’ve got our very own vocabulareh. You don’t get a roll from the bread shop, you get a cob from the bakereh. You are not irritable because the temperature is low, you’re mardeh because it’s code. You don’t have a mother who works at Boots, you’ve gorra mam who wocks et Boo-wutts. That animal what you goo riding arahnd on and feeding carrots is an oss. Yer mates are all ducks and youths, and if someone needs the Michael tekkin out on ‘em for gerrin’ a mard on, shaht ‘Oooh-errr!’

6. Productivity

We invented the MRI scanner (Picture: AP)

Where would the rest of the world be without good old Notts? Riding around on clapped out bikes with cancer-free lungs, sporting granny pants and hopelessly wandering around in search of meds – that’s where. We’re the dons of the industries – with the invention of the MRI scanner, the huge fag factory Imperial Tobacco (Players) soon to be leaving a smoky legacy and Raleigh, who’ve been in the pedal producing game since 1885. There’s also the history of the Lace Market, which once boosted a thriving sexy knicker industry and, of course, the pharmaceutical giant that is Boots, who among other things saved generations from hangovers after developing Ibuprofen in the 60s.



7. Local legends

(Picture: Dom Henry – domhenry.com)

When we say legends, we don’t necessarily mean Robin Hood – although he is pretty trick. We love those interesting characters who wander the streets asking if they can flog you some prawns or sing you a song. That’s right, we embrace the Fish Man, Whycliffe, Xylophone Man (RIP), that bloke who rides around with a tonk speaker on the back of his bike – all of them have got their own weird and wonderful traits and we love them for it.

8. Hotspots

Goose Fair (Picture: Jessica Halford)

From having a paddle in the fountains of Market Square to getting chased by the deer on Wollaton Park, Nottingham is littered with places to hang out and have a laugh. Summertime in the Arboretum is the stuff dreams are made of; chilling on Victoria Embankment by the Trent is just lovely provided you don’t get mauled by the geese; and unbeknown to many, we’ve got the biggest allotments in Europe nestled in St. Ann’s. Don’t go pinchin’ taters now we’ve told you about them. And we’ve got Goose Fair on Forest Rec which has been an annual tradition for over 700 years.

9. Rebels

(Picture: the Howie Smith project)

We’re known for being naughty, but for all the right reasons. Of course there’s our Rob, stealing from the rich to give to the poor – what a gent. Then there’s our ‘Rebel Writers’ who stuck it to the man in their day. Considered some of the best novelists in the world, Lord Byron, Alan Sillitoe and D.H. Lawrence expressed forward-thinking ideas for the benefit and defence of the working classes. We burnt down our own castle in 1831 in protest to the city’s slums, and we also led the Luddites movement a few decades earlier. Riot on.


10. Proper pubs

(Picture: The Malt Cross)

Smoking bans and cheap supermarket booze might’ve stripped our pub culture back to the bone, but our tradition of downing pints of ale with mates soldiers on. The Bell Inn and the cave embedded Ye Olde Trip To Jerusalem claim to be among the oldest pubs in England, with visits from Richard I back in the day. We’ve also got the country’s only Victorian Music Hall that functions as its original design intended with The Malt Cross. Breweries like Navigation and Castle Rock make sure our pumps are stocked with the finest local ales, sharing the Harvest Pale love nationwide.

11. Sport

(Picture: Adam Poole)

Notts County have been kicking around since 1861 and as such they’re the oldest professional football team in the world. Nottingham Forest was founded not long after in 1865, and were most successful under the management of the now statued Brian Clough. Our footballing influence reaches all the way to Italy as Juventus FC paid homage to Notts County’s with their black and white stripes and a Nottingham man, Herbert Kilpin, co-founded AC Milan.

Never a one-dimensional city, swarms of fans follow our teams in both hockey and ice-hockey as well as cricket and rugby. Sportspeople such as Torvill and Dean, boxer Carl Froch, UFC’s Dan Hardy and fishlike Rebecca Adlington all hail from Nottingham, and we’re proper proud of that.

12. Castle and caves

(Picture: City of Caves)

Our remarkable underground caves are the largest network of man-made caves in Britain and date as far back as medieval times. They’ve been used for everything from homes, to protecting ourselves from bombs in WWII, to storing ale beneath our city’s pubs. That’s not to say we don’t have some grand things on top of these caves too, Nottingham Castle proudly stands above a maze of caves, and offers tourists the opportunity to explore the epic 17th century building, gain some historical knowledge and have a gander at some of the finest art this side of England.

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