What's On In Nottingham - October 2013
/- October 2nd to 6th: Goose Fair, Forest Fields Grounds
- October 5, 12,19, 22, 26, 28, 31: Terror Tours, Gallery of Justice
- October 6th: Glasvegas @ Rock City
- October 5th & 19th: Nottingham Ghost Guts & Gore Tour, City Centre
- October 9 to 12: Nottingham Beer Festival, Nottingham Castle
- October 10th: Jesus Christ Superstar, Capital FM
- October 11th: Passenger @ Rock City
- October 12th: Bowling For Soup @ Rock City
- October 12th: Robin Tour, City Centre
- October 12th: Blown Away, Playhouse
- October 12th and 13th: Mansfield Mind, Body, Spirit Show, Mansfield
- October 13th: Jimeoin - What?!, Nottingham playhouse
- October 15th: The Goo Goo Dolls @ Rock City
- October 16th: Johnny Marr @ Rock City
- October 17th: The RAF in Concert 2013, Royal Concert Hall
- October 18th: An Evening of Burlesque, Royal Theatre
- October 18th to 20th: Continental Cup, FM Arena
- October 19th & 20th: Nottingham Regional & Speciality Food and Drink Market, Old Market Square
- October 19 to 26: Gamecity, Old Market Square
- October 19 to 31: Grisly Gore Tour, Nottingham Caves
- October 19th & 20th: British Rowing Senior Championships, Water Sports Centre
- October 20th: Jagwar Ma @ Rescue Rooms
- October 20th: Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra, Royal Concert Hall
- October 21st: Everything Everything @ Rock City
- October 22nd: London Grammar @ Rescue Rooms
- October 22nd: Midlake @ Glee Club
- October 24th & 25th: Jessie J, FM Arena
- October 26th: HIM @ Rock City
- October 26th: Parkinson’s UK Spooky Sprint, Water Sport Center
- October 26th: Paloma Faith @ Royal Concert Hall
- October 27th: Tom Odell @ Rock City
- October 27th: Steaming Day at Nottingham Industrial Museum, Wollaton Park
- October 28th: Bryan Ferry @ Royal Concert Hall
- October 29th: Jamie Cullum @ Royal Concert Hall
- October 30th: AlunaGeorge @ Rock City
- October 31st: Chase and Status, Capital Arena
For even more ideas on what to do, you can check out our Discover Notts page (Experience Nottinghamshire and LeftLion are also great resources for ideas)
What's On In Nottingham - September 2013
/- September 7th, 14th, 21st + 28th: Robin Hood Town Tour (see reception about Igloo discount)
- September 5th: Caitlin Rose @ The Glee Club
- September 6th: Outdoor Film Screenings at Wollaton Park - Les Miserables
- 6-8 +15th Sept: MELA 100 – CELEBRATING 100 YEARS OF INDIAN CINEMA AND POETRY (Indian Festilval)
- September 7th: Outdoor Film Screenings at Wollaton Park - Batman: The Dark Knight Rises
- September 8th: Barefoot Walk Nottingham @ Wollaton Hall
- September 11th: F*ck Buttons @ Rescue Rooms
- September 10th: Terminator @ Screen 22 (world's smallest cinema)
- September 12th - 15th: Attenborough Heritage Exhibition @ Attenborough Nature Reserve
- September 13th: The Wave Pictures @ Spanky Van Dykes
- September 13th + 14th: Night of Festivals 2013 @ Old Market Square
- September 14th: Allo Darlin' @ The Maze
- September 14th: Heritage Open Days - Arboretum Guided Tour
- 14th Sept: Vintage Garden Party
- 14th Sept: Bartons Classic cars and transport
- September 14th: NOTTINGHAM ROCKS @ Theatre Royal
- September 14th, 17th + 28th: Live SkyBet Championship Football @ Forest Grounds
- September 18th: The 1975 @ Rock City
- September 20th: The Big Breakfast @ Victoria Embankment
- 20-28th Sept: Nottingham comedy festival
- September 21st: Nottingham Regional & Speciality Food and Drink Market @ Old Market Square
- September 24th: Paramore @ Capital FM Arena
- September 25th: Sky Larkin @ The Bodega Social Club
- September 27th - 29th: Great Notts Show @ Old Market Square
- September 29th: Ikano Robin Hood Marathon & Half Marathon
- September 30th: Saint Raymond & Art Brut @ The Bodega Social Club
For even more ideas on what to do, you can check out our Discover Notts page (Experience Nottinghamshire and LeftLion are also great resources for ideas)
#1 On Trip Advisor!
/We woke up today to big news. Thanks to all you lovely people who have taken and take the time to submit reviews on TripAdvisor, we are back to the very top ranking in our field. It means the world to us....thank you thank you and thank you :)
Robin Hood Festival 2013 @ Sherwood Forest
/The Robin Hood Festival starts at Sherwood Forest today (runs from the 5th - 11th). Get all the details by clicking here.
Igloo Radio: 'Mix Tape Radio On Folk Radio UK - EPS 021'
/Starting the morning off with this mix tape. And coffee. Lots of coffee.
Robin Thicke on Jimmy Fallon
/Whether you love or hate that Robin Thicke song 'Blurred Lines' (or, at the very least, are a little tired of hearing it)… it's pretty hard not to like the version they did on Jimmy Fallon.
More cowbell!
What's On In Nottingham - August 2013
/- August 2nd to 4th: Riverside Festival 2013 @ Victoria Embankment
- All Of August: Nottingham Riviera @ Old Market Square
- All Of August: Aquatopia @ Nottingham Contemporary
- August 3rd, 10th, 17th + 31st: Robin Hood Town Tour (see reception about Igloo discount)
- August 3rd, 10th, 17th, 24th + 31st: The Original Nottingham Ghost Walk (starts @ Ye Olde Salutation Inn)
- August 5th - 11th: Robin Hood Festival @ Sherwood Forest
- August 14th: Sherlock Holmes @ Nottingham Castle (The Outdoor Theatre Season)
- August 17th + 18th: Twelfth Night @ Wollaton Hall (The Outdoor Theatre Season)
- August 23rd + 24th: Sherlock Holmes @ Wollaton Hall (The Outdoor Theatre Season)
- August 1st + 2nd: Treasure Island @ Wollaton Hall (The Outdoor Theatre Season)
- August 4th: Pagan Pride @ The Arboretum
- August 17th: Nottingham Regional & Speciality Food and Drink Market @ Old Market Square
- August 17th: Ezekial Bone: Magic Lantern Tour @ Theatre Royal
- August 17th: Red Bull Music Academy Sound System 2013 @ Forest Recreation Ground
- August 3rd - 17th: Nottingham Food & Drink Fortnight
- August 20th: Adjust Your Tracking @ Screen 22
- August 26th - Spetember 1st: Wildlife In The City @ Nottingham Castle
- August 17th: Summer Fete in the Mill Yard @ Green's Windmill
- August 25th: Riverbank Pop Up Party
- August 17th + 18th: Nottingham Caribbean Carnival 2013 @ Forest Recreation Ground
- August 21st - 24th: LV= County Championship Cricket Division One @ Trent Bridge
- August 25th: NOTTINGHAM ACOUSTIC GATHERING 2013 @ The Maze
For even more ideas on what to do, you can check out our Discover Notts page (Experience Nottinghamshire and LeftLion are also great resources for ideas)
Some Tips From A Fellow Traveller...
/Stay Healthy on the Road – and Help the Environment While You’re at It!
Many people come and go at the Igloo Backpackers Hostel in Nottingham…….
Backpacking can be the adventure of a lifetime, but falling ill while away from home can be a thoroughly depressing experience which can put a real downer on a trip. Staying healthy and happy while exploring new places is not too difficult, and there are more and more ways you can do it in an eco-friendly way!
Bring Your Own Bottle
Dehydration can be a real drag for a backpacker, so make a daily ritual of drinking enough water. According to the NHS, you should drink at least 1.2 litres of fluid a day. Water contains no calories or sugars, and it is safe to drink from the tap in the UK, so it is the best option for backpackers on a budget. Bring your own reusable bottle to the Igloo Backpackers Hostel and refill it as many times as you like for free! When you are in far-flung exotic locations the tap water may not be suitable to drink, so make sure you check first in every destination you arrive in.
Don’t Forget to Recycle
Make sure you recycle your plastic bottle once it is no longer usable, and the same goes for other items that become redundant, like all types of paper and plastic packaging, and things like batteries too. Whenever possible always recycle your rubbish. The Igloo Backpackers Hostel & Annexe have recycling stations in their kitchens and social areas so please do your bit to help them on their green quest.
Make Junk Food Your Enemy
Junk food from fast food outlets might be convenient and even cheap in some places, but it simply does not provide your body with the nutrients that it needs to stay full of energy and healthy. Add to the fact that the major fast food restaurants like McDonalds, KFC, Burger King, and the like create incredible amounts of waste through their use of plastic and cardboard top package food. So avoiding junk food will not only do your body good, but will also do the environment a favour too. Eating local produce from small independent establishments will give you the best chance of eating quality food at a reasonable price.
Volunteer to Eat and Have Fun
If you have the time, why not earn your meals instead of paying for them. The Secret Kitchen Café in Nottingham is a community café that will give you a nice hearty, healthy meal for a donation or if you spend just a couple of hours volunteering there. They source much of their food from supermarkets who throw away perfectly good produce, and invite people in to cook and share their recipes. There are also a number of community centres in Nottingham that offer free activities just as yoga and meditation, so stick your head through a few doors and see what is on offer!
An Eco-Friendly First Aid Kit
Accidents happen, and you are at much more risk of sustaining an injury while on your backpacking adventure than while in the safety of your home. Packing a first-aid kit is essential if you want to be able to treat minor ailments and avoid an unneeded trip to a local doctor or hospital. However, bear in mind that a fully-stocked first aid kit should never be considered a substitute for suitable backpacker medical cover. Where possible, go for the natural remedies over the chemically produced medicines, and purchase from companies who manufacture green alternatives to many everyday medical products. All Terrain is a company who sells a wide range of products like plasters, gauze pads, bandages, insect repellents, and soothing creams which are created using natural ingredients. If you need your first-aid kit in a hurry, try the eco-friendly SmarterBox first-aid kit, which is delivered to your door in a cardboard box which fits through your letterbox!
Use Your Feet to Get Around
While you are backpacking you will have to take buses, trains, and planes to get to your destination, but once there you can explore on foot. When possible, avoid opting for buses or taxi’s to get around, and instead walk or hire a bicycle to explore the regions you visit. In Nottingham, the city centre is very pleasant part of the city to walk around thanks to it being widely pedestrianized. Many of the historic streets no longer allow cars to drive down them. Nottingham City Council also operates a Citycard Cycle scheme which lets you hire a bicycle from major transport hubs like the train and bus station, along with some larger car parks.
Stay Active
While backpacking it is important to keep exercising, and not get into a bad routine of sleeping in, drinking too much alcohol, or spending your days reading books from the comfort of your hostel. You need to get out there an experience what life in a foreign land has to offer! If you have a sport you like doing, whatever it is, then pack some kit with you and try to keep up your passion while away backpacking. It could be a game of squash, jogging around a park, or playing a bit of footy. Regular exercise will go a long way in keeping you healthy and happy, and most outdoor sports are a very eco-friendly way of keeping you in good shape, in contrast to energy-sapping gyms with all their, lighting, heating, and electronic gym equipment.
Be Green, Don’t Turn Green!
All of these tips will go a long way in stopping you from getting sick on your travels, and at the same time you will be doing it in the most eco-friendly way. The right amount of exercise and a nutritious diet go a long way in keeping you fighting fit, just try not to fall of your bicycle or you will be using that first-aid kit of yours before you know it! Once you decide to carry on your travels, remember to turn the lights out when you leave, keep you footprints for the road.
By Melissa Hathaway, July 2013
Eat Good And Save Some Money During The Ashes
/We just had to take picture of this group's Ashes outfits!
Hartleys Coffee & Sandwich Bar (21 Carlton St - click here for walking directions from the Igloo) are offering a 10% discount off breakfasts Wed-Sat... you just have to show them your Ashes tickets at the till.
And don't forget that everyone staying at the Igloo / Annexe gets 25% off of their food at The Golden Fleece and 20% off at Red Chilli (both are just across the road from us - i.e. you can see both from our lounge window). You just need to show them your Igloo / Annexe room key (ps - the Fleece and Red Chilli discount is an all year round discount for you lovely Igloo'rs).
Enjoy the ashes everyone... and remember to eat in between some of those pints!