Nottingham

Nottingham is the home of Robin Hood and his merry men (or so the tale goes). Nottingham castle was rebuilt in the 17th century and now houses one of the city's many art galleries. Robin Hood does return to meet the citizens on a regular basis, so do not fear, the city is safe from the sheriff. During the Industrial Revolution it became famous for its lace, bicycles and tobacco.

The city itself is the second largest in the East Midlands, with a population of 330,000 in the city, and 640,900 in its urban area (2011 census) and has two universities.

Nottingham is host to the National Ice Centre, National Water Sports Centre, a world-famous test cricket ground, two professional football clubs, numerous art galleries and museums, two large capacity theatres (the Theatre Royal and the Nottingham Playhouse) as well as several smaller ones. The Galleries of Justice is a popular attraction, giving children the opportunity to see inside a 19th century prison.
Nottingham's two shopping centres, the Broadmarsh and the Victoria Centre, both feature major chain stores such as John Lewis, House of Fraser and Boots.

A £60 million initiative to create a creative quarter in the Lace Market area of the city in an attempt to pull more creative and technical people into the city went live in February 2013. Food wise, there are several AA rosette winning restaurants, and Restaurant Sat Bains (which has two Michelin stars), as well as a wide variety of family friendly, independent and chain cafes and restaurants.

There are numerous parks around the city, the largest being Wollaton Park, where deer roam freely across its 500 acres (Wollaton Hall was used as a location for the latest Batman movie).

The city receives approximately 300,000 visitors per year who are attracted by its nightlife, shops, the legend of Robin Hood, and its annual Goose Fair which is one of the largest and oldest travelling fairs in Europe.