Nottingham

by Maxine Bates

This article was first published ahead of Mensa's Diamond Anniversary celebrations which were held in Nottingham in 2006.

Nottingham lies in the heart of England, easily accessible by motorway, train or plane at the newly named Nottingham East Midlands Airport (though it’s actually located in Leicestershire!)

The city and suburbs are built on a myriad of caves and you can visit the City Of Caves tourist attraction which depicts previous uses for these caves such as a tannery, air raid shelter, slum dwellings and more. Bizarrely the entrance is situated upstairs in Broad Marsh Shopping Centre!

Ask any foreigner who or what they associate with Nottingham and the majority will say Robin Hood. Learn about this famous outlaw at the Tales Of Robin Hood tourist attraction where a ride takes you through the ‘Greenwood’ to see how Robin lived – complete with sounds and smells! A short film debates whether Robin was fact or fiction, but either way his legend is remembered with several street names such as Friar Lane and Maid Marian Way. Unfortunately Nottingham Castle is often a disappointment to those who only know the city from the blockbuster film Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves. There are no turrets as the castle is actually a Ducal mansion built atop Castle Rock. However, it’s lovely to wander round the Victorian gardens and admire the view and there are various permanent and temporary exhibitions inside as well as the art gallery in the Long Room which is said to be haunted!

Other top tourist attractions include the award-winning Galleries Of Justice located in the old Shire Hall in the historic Lace Market area. Here you can learn about crime and punishment over the years from an exhibition on deportation to Australia to a chance to stand on the gallows or sit in the original courtroom and witness a true trial. Less macabre is Green’s Mill; once the home of mathematician George Green and now a small hands-on science centre. You can climb inside the windmill to watch flour being produced and buy a bag to take home.

Nottingham is recognised as one of the UK’s top shopping centres with over 1,330 outlets. All the major department and chain stores are represented as well as unique niche retailers. Clumber Street linking Victoria Shopping Centre and Broad Marsh Shopping Centre is reputed to be the busiest pedestrian thoroughfare in Europe! For mid-shopping refreshment stops there’s everything from a pint of real ale at the oldest inn in England, Ye Olde Trip To Jerusalem, a cup of coffee at a pavement café or a cocktail at some trendy bar.

The city’s industries used to be the manufacture of lace and Raleigh bicycles. Alas the lace trade has almost died out and the area has been redeveloped with offices and modern apartment living. The designer Paul Smith started his business in the city at 10 Byard Lane in the Lace Market area. Nowadays the biggest employers are Boots and Capital One. Beautiful machine-made and hand-made Nottingham lace can still be purchased from the Lace Centre opposite the castle.

There are more practising artists per head of population than any other European city, so the city has a year-round calendar of events. This includes open-air Shakespeare plays during the summer months at National Trust and English Heritage properties, the Robin Hood Pageant every October, and music festivals at Wollaton or Clumber Park. For theatre lovers we have the Theatre Royal and Nottingham Playhouse which stage dramas, comedies, operas, plays and pantomimes. Outside the Playhouse is the UK's largest piece of public sculpture called the ‘Sky Mirror’. This used to lie horizontal but in summer when the material heated, unfortunate birds who decided to rest on the sculpture got frazzled. So it is now in a vertical position! There is, too, the famous Goose Fair that takes place the first full weekend in October. In olden days this was held in the Market Square with stalls selling - surprise surprise! - geese amongst other things. Nowadays the fair has relocated to the more spacious Forest Recreation Ground about a mile from the city centre and attracts thrillseekers wanting to try out the latest white-knuckle rides as well as those who just want to soak up the atmosphere and dine on mushy peas with mint sauce (apparently an East Midlands delicacy) or candy floss.

For sports enthusiasts Nottingham is home to the National Watersports Centre with its canoe slalom course, the National Ice Stadium (where Torvill and Dean trained and home to the Panthers, the world's oldest ice hockey team), both Forest and Notts County football stadiums, Trent Bridge cricket ground, and venue for the pre-Wimbledon Nottingham Open tennis championship.

I think my home city has something for everyone and I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else. (Well, maybe Sydney but my friends and family aren’t there!) But why take my word for it? Come to Mensa’s Diamond celebrations and see for yourself!

First published in VISA issue 67 (June 2006)