Did you know Lord Byron’s vault beneath St Mary Magdalene Church in Hucknall was opened in 1938? 👀 For more than a century, rumours had circulated that Byron’s body had been stolen — or that he’d never been placed in the family vault at all. So Canon Barber decided to find out the truth… W

It’s hard to believe this used to be part of a Nottingham maternity hospital! Thousands of babies were born here at what locals simply knew as Peel Street. But have you ever wondered why the pub just down the road is called The Gooseberry Bush? 👀 Well… there’s a brilliant reason behind th

Did you know Batman and a small Nottinghamshire village are connected? 👀 It all starts with the legendary Wise Men of Gotham, who supposedly pretended to be mad to stop King John’s royal road coming through their village. Centuries later, the name Gotham travelled across the Atlantic, became

The Arboretum in Nottingham.... What’s one memory you have of this place? 👀

Did you know the man behind the famous Dambusters March grew up right here in Hucknall? 👀🎶 Eric Coates was born in Hucknall in 1886 and grew up on Beardall Street before going on to become one of Britain’s best-known composers of light music. His music has been heard everywhere from Desert Is

Sheffield legends, right beneath your feet! 👀⭐️ Outside Sheffield Town Hall, you’ll find Sheffield’s very own Walk of Fame, celebrating some of the incredible people connected to the city. From Gordon Banks and Sean Bean to Jessica Ennis-Hill, Michael Palin, Joe Cocker and Def Leppard… there

Did you know there’s a close in Wollaton named after a Nottingham man who made swimming history? 🏊🏼‍♂️ Tom Blower, known as “Torpedo Tom”, was born in Hyson Green in 1914 and went on to become one of the greatest long-distance swimmers of his era. In 1947, he became the first person ever to s

Did you know about the terrible events that took place in Colwick Woods back in 1844? William Saville took his wife Ann and their three children into the woods, telling them they were simply going for a walk. He took their lives and then tried to make it look as though Ann had done it. Sav

Believe it or not, this pub sits within a graveyard… 😲 The Chantry Inn in Handsworth, Sheffield, is one of only a handful of pubs in the country located within the consecrated grounds of a parish church. Originally built as the home of a chantry priest, whose job was to pray for the souls of

Have you ever seen a monument in Nottinghamshire more impressive than most human graves - built for a dog? At Newstead Abbey, the most elaborately built memorial in the grounds was commissioned not for a nobleman, but for a Newfoundland dog named Boatswain. He belonged to the poet Lord Byron and

Believe it or not, Derby is home to Britain’s very first public park! 🌳 Opened on 16 September 1840, Derby Arboretum was the country’s first municipal public park, thanks to the generosity of local industrialist Joseph Strutt, who donated 11 acres of land for everyone to enjoy. Designed by re

The blue plaque on this Nottinghamshire pub wall in Lowdham marks a connection to one of the most famous maritime disasters in history. Harold Cottam was a Nottinghamshire man who, on the night of 14-15 April 1912, was working as the wireless operator aboard RMS Carpathia. He was about to turn i

Most people think Charles Darwin came up with the phrase “survival of the fittest”… but that’s not actually true. The phrase was first coined by Herbert Spencer, a philosopher born on Exeter Street in Derby in 1820. After Darwin published On the Origin of Species, Spencer used the phrase in h

Jesse Boot, the Nottingham entrepreneur who built Boots the Chemist into a national chain, left the city with more than just a pharmacy empire - he also gave it one of its most beloved green spaces. In the early 1920s, Boot donated the deeds to the land at Highfields Park to Nottingham City Coun

Did you know one of the steepest residential roads in Nottinghamshire is right here in Gedling? 😮 Apparently locals often call it “Death Hill”, although its real name is Freda Avenue. With a 1 in 4 (25%) gradient, it’s even steeper than Donkey Hill! I love the little twist too… just when you

Can you believe the very first mobile library dates all the way back to 1857? 📚 What started as a simple idea to bring books to more people has evolved into The Book Bus, taking affordable books directly into primary schools across Nottingham, Derby and beyond. I recently got the chance to vi

Did you know Arnold in Nottingham has actually had three theatres over the years? 🏛️ Arnold’s first theatre was the St Albans Picturedrome, which opened in 1912. 🍿 It was followed by a larger cinema and theatre in 1929. 🎭 The Bonington Theatre opened inside Arnold Leisure Centre in 1982. N

Why is one of Nottingham’s steepest roads called Donkey Hill? 🫏 Officially it’s St Bartholomew’s Road, but most locals know it as Donkey Hill. So where did the nickname come from? 🐴 Some say donkeys were used to carry bricks and clay up the incredibly steep hill from nearby brickworks. 🌿 O

Do you ever wonder why Nottingham Castle doesn’t look like a proper castle? 🤔 The answer lies in one of the most dramatic moments in Nottingham’s history. The medieval castle that once stood here fell into ruin and was replaced by a grand ducal palace. But in 1831, after the Duke of Newcastle

So, since my hedgehog highway video… has anyone made a hole in their fence yet to help hedgehogs travel between gardens? 🦔💚 I’d love to know if you’ve done it, or if you’re thinking about it! 👀