In Robin Hood County

A must for any visitor is a trip to Sherwood Forest and the Major Oak where Robin Hood is supposed to have hidden from the Sheriff. Couple this with a trip to the Robin Hood museum in town then head down the road to the castle then the oldest pub Ye Olde Tripe to Jerusalem.

A visit to the University campus is well worth it as it is one of the greenest places in the town. The lake (boating available in summer) is very beautiful with the old Trent Building crowning the top of the hill. There is also Wollaton Park where there are wild deer and Wollaton House with many portraits and period features.

Nightlife in Nottingham is a varied as you want. For the latest trends visit the Works; Ocean (near the train station) - which in term time runs a cheese night on Tuesdays and 80s night on Thursday; or there’s the infamous ISIS, which is not recommended unless beer goggles are employed. For gay visitors, there’s NG1 and @D2 on Lower Parliament Street with a drag act every Sunday providing good entertainment.

Quick Tips:

Shopping is good - visit Ark and Ice Nine for slightly more out of the way purchases. On a summer evening go for a drink in the Waterfront bar and sit next to the canal. Go to Bar Tantra and sample the cocktails, expensive but worth it.

Best Way To Get Around:

There are loads of cycle paths but not many bike shops. The bus routes are reliable and there is a new tram system running from North Notts to the city centre. Taxis are good and reliable, make sure you get one on a meter (black cabs are usually the best). Driving can be a bit of a nightmare in the town centre due to the one way system and road works, especially if you don't know it!

Nottingham's only gay club is a mixed venue, usually full of students on a Wednesday and Friday (especially) night and an older crowd on a Saturday and Sunday. Drinks are fairly expensive, although various offers run on Wednesdays. Poptastic is run on the last Friday of every month, and various other nights also take place.

There is the main downstairs dance floor, which plays mainstream dance, and an upper, smaller dance floor playing harder music and house which has a go-go dancer on Friday and Saturday. There are two sit-down bar areas: one with no music, Bar Soba, and toilet areas with security staff. Coat check is £1 per item, £2 per bag. Staff is usually friendly. For more info on various nights, check out their website, www.ng1club.co.uk, although the photos make it look a lot bigger than it really is. When leaving, make sure you get a licensed cab and pass one not straight outside the club, as there have been a few (very little but be on the safe side) incidences. Common sense, really. This is a good night out for both gay and straight people, as it is a very mixed crowd, especially on student nights. It usually doesn't get busy till about 11:30pm, but get there before 11pm for cheaper/free entry.

This is a saucy underground bar which is relatively expensive but does great happy hours when you can get a bottle of wine for £5. The cocktails there are great, especially the strawberry creamy ones! Its a mixed crowd, and there are three large bed areas you can book to lounge around on. It has occasional live music acts of chill-out style. It's a great place to go and chill out in or to take a date...