PAH! NOTHING new about ‘ice bars’ in Nottingham. As a lad doing my drinking apprenticeship in the late 1970s, several pubs here were absolutely freezing in the winter. I even recall a portable calor gas heater being wheeled into one hostelry, The Wilberforce Tavern, as the landlord fought valiantly to stop friends and I from entering an extreme hypothermia induced coma. (It was either that or the local, infamous Shipstones bitter which owned an over-optimistic anagram of ‘honest p*ss’.)
Video inside Nottingham’s first Ice Bar – what the punters are saying
The former Wilberforce Tavern, Wollaton Street, Nottingham – several Trent Polytechnic students may have perished on these premises in the 1970s. At least there was a good chippy next door for the wake.
THE TEARS OF A CLOWN 
Ha ha we went on a long walkthrough the meadows into town and back today *15,500 steps accidentally registered on my (switched off for chirtmas app, so I don’t know what it was registering…vibrations maybe?) but we hunted of the Ice Bar, wandering down to the Ice House near the Ice Arena.. of course we realise that it was in the Market Square, looked it up and, apparently it cost £100,000? EEK gadzooks!
Sounds like a good walk!I’d have estimated it at 15,700 steps but I reckon your app will know best! A hundred thousand sounds an awful lot – even at £9.50 admission for 25 minutes and a couple of shots!
And closed on New Year’s Day…it would be great if the market square could come into use for markets and small businesses that need that support…
I read that some of the Winter Wonderland is being dismantled a week early as well, not sure why.
I would agree about the market square but it appears that it’s very much tied up these days by the services of one particular entrepreneur’s businesses. I tend to think the Exchange Arcade in the Council House is somewhat underused as well. It has nice businesses in it for sure and is a beautiful environment but it feels so underused for the heart of the city. Almost ghost-like at times.
True: we need more people more of the time to feel that the square can be used for lots of different things and the whole of the city needs TLC! (Pavements, streets, shop signs….)
I think one of the first stops has to be the Broadmarsh Centre. I’m aware that long overdue development is now planned though I’m not sure that retaining/renewing retail to that extent is what is needed. Personally, I’d make it an open area such as a park which could be also used for the things you describe. It would also make for a much more pleasant introductory passage into the city from the south.
I think that would be wonderful