Why Can't We Just All Get Along?

A guide to exciting DIY things in Nottingham

[whycantwejustallgetalong]

Nottingham DIY Events update 04/02/2026 pt.1

Tuesday 26th May The Rumours (USA) / Sunk / Super Mega Death Robot @ JT Soar £10 adv Friday 29th May Jon Spencer (USA) / Total Luck The Boat Club £22.50 adv Sunday 31st May Otis Gibbs (USA) @ The Chapel £16 adv Saturday 10th October James McMurtry / Betty Soo @ The Old Cold Store £24 adv Sunday 25th October Otway & Barrett @ The Running Horse £20 adv Saturday 31st October / Sunday 1st November JT Soar Fest #3 @ The Old Cold Store £50 adv

[whycantwejustallgetalong]

Nottingham DIY Events update 04/02/2026 pt.2

Saturday 2nd May Class of '79 @ Mist Rolling Inn £15 adv Tuesday 5th May Greazy Alice (USA) @ The Chapel £15 adv Thursday 7th May Engorgement / Visions of Disfigurement / Chainsaw Castration /Spawned From Hate @ The Old Salutation Inn £12 adv Friday 8th May Nape Neck @ JT Soar £12 adv Saturday 9th May Dawn After Dark @ Mist Rolling Inn £20 adv Thursday 21st May Poly-Math / Earth Is Doomed @ The Carousel £12 adv Sunday 31st May Otis Gibbs (USA) @ The Chapel £16 adv Saturday 10th October James McMurtry / Betty Soo @ The Old Cold Store £24 adv Sunday 25th October Otway & Barrett @ The Running Horse £20 adv Saturday 31st October / Sunday 1st November JT Soar Fest #3 @ The Old Cold Store £50 adv

[whycantwejustallgetalong]

Adventures with Creative Quarter, Nottingham

On 19th March, The Music Exchange will be closing, just 16 months after Rough Trade opened within spitting distance of the shop. 

Rough Trade received financial assistance from the City Council and Creative Quarter to locate their shop in Nottingham. However, CQ won’t tell the public what this assistance amounted to, or what steps they took to protect The Music Exchange.

I’m attempting to put an article together to detail this sorry tale. To that end I’ve put in a Freedom of Information request to Nottingham City Council. As the Creative Quarter are a private company, they do not have any obligations to share information under the FOI and they have routinely refused to answer the questions I have raised with their CEO, Kathy McCardle. Here are the email exchanges:

From: Matt N Sent: Mon, Feb 8, 2016 at 12:41 PM To: info mailbox <[email protected]> Subject: FOI requests

Hello there

Could you let me know if The Creative Quarter Company is a public authority as definied in section 3 of the Freedom of Information Act?

Many thanks

Matthew

From: <[email protected]> Sent: Mon, Feb 8, 2016 at 1:54 PM To: Matt N

Hi Matt

We are a private company and are not bound by the freedom of information act.

All the best

Cathy

Administrator

The Creative Quarter

From: <[email protected]> Sent: Mon, Feb 8, 2016 at 1:57 PM To: Matt N

Hi Matt

Apologies – should have said – if there’s anything you’d like to have a conversation about or know more about – Kathy McArdle, our CEO would be happy to have a coffee with you.  I can put a date in her diary if you’d like?

All the best

Cathy

From: Matt N Sent: Tue, Feb 9, 2016 at 2:23 PM To: Cathy

Hi Cathy

Thanks for getting back to me and clarifying that The Creative Quarter Company is not subject to the FOI (this is what I suspected).

I'm writing an article on the the closure of The Music Exchange and the impact it will have on Nottingham's music community. As part of my research I would like to understand what role The Creative Quarter had in bringing Rough Trade to Nottingham and any support that was given to them.

Nick McDonald, Nottingham City Councillor and Portfolio Holder for Jobs and Growth, was quoted as follows on the opening of Rough Trade:

“Nottingham is a city with a fantastic reputation for new music talent, and people in this city love their music. Home to top UK venues like Rock City, and birthplace of Jake Bugg, Nottingham is an ideal location for Rough Trade’s new music store.

“Their inspiring independent style of retail and support of the artist community will give another major lift to the Creative Quarter. Importantly, The Creative Quarter Company played a vital role in bringing them to the city, which yet again shows the value and importance of this project.”

Additionally, what discussions took place with The Music Exchange regarding the impending opening of Rough Trade and what support was given to The Music Exchange to cope with the competition from a bigger profit driven retailer? What discussions took place with the wider local music community regarding the impact Rough Trade would have on The Music Exchange?

At this stage I don't think meeting up for The Creative Quarter's CEO for a coffee is required just now, but thanks for offering to set it up. Perhaps we can look at doing that once I know if the Creative Quarter can provide any information.

Kind regards

Matthew

From: Kathy McArdle <[email protected]> Sent: Thu, Feb 11, 2016 at 1:25 PM To: Matt N

Dear Matt

Like you, I am very sorry to see the Music Exchange is due to close down at the end of March. It has been a special part of Hockley since 2009 and I know it’s been a major influence in many people’s lives –  the volunteers who have worked there, the staff and musiclovers in the city.

Just to respond to your questions, Creative Quarter representatives met with the owners of Rough Trade when they were viewing the premises they occupy now. At that stage, they were exploring other options to bring their store to a city outside London, and we encouraged them to move to Nottingham. They were very impressed with Nottingham’s music and cultural scene and loved the energy and vibrancy in The Creative Quarter. Working with The City Council we supported them to access the financial support that was available at the time for vacant shops and to take on apprentices, and these financial incentives were key to their decision to locate here. The Creative Quarter also helped them to deal with logistical and planning issues, including issues with installing water mains, which we helped them to resolve.

At the time when Rough Trade were talking to us and the City Council about coming to the city, The CQ had an informal conversation with a staff member at The Music Exchange about the potential move. He expressed a concern that a larger retailer of vinyl records in close proximity to their shop could have a detrimental effect on the Music Exchange. We understood this concern, but it was our view that having two very different and complementary record stores in the CQ would enhance the visitor experience and offer more choice for consumers. I think this has definitely been the case in the last year since Rough Trade has been present on Broad Street. Both are independent businesses and have a similar alternative ethos.

The Music Exchange have always been promoted by The Creative Quarter. We worked with them to support Record Store Day in 2015 and also featured them in our Explorers’ Guide to The Creative Quarter which promotes the retail and leisure offer in the area to all visitors to the city.

There are many reasons why a business decides to close and I’m aware we don’t know the detail of the current financial situation of The Music Exchange and the background to the decision. I don’t think people should jump to conclusions about why this has happened. It would be great to find a way of ensuring The Music Exchange could continue to stay open for music-lovers, and we will happily support any campaign or initiative to help make that happen, if EVEWorks and Framework endorse it.

I’d still like to meet for a coffee and find out more about Gringo Records and your work. Do let me know if you want to sit down early next week for a further discussion

Best Wishes

Kathy McArdle

Chief Executive Officer

The Creative Quarter

From: Matt N Sent: Mon, Feb 15, 2016 at 12:55 AM To: Kathy McArdle

Hi Kathy

Thanks for replying to the questions that I raised so honestly - athough they feel like the launching pad for further discussion (I have a lot more questions) which would provide some balance to the article I'm writing. Let me know if you are up for that and if so whether you would prefer to meet up or conduct by email. I work Mon - Thurs, 8.30am - 6pm.

I don't recall mentioning that I ran a record label - the only aspect of that I think relevant to discuss would be the impact the closure of The Music Exchange will have on it.

Kind regards

Matt

From: Kathy McArdle Sent: Mon, Feb 15, 2016 at 1:01 PM To: Matt N

Hi Matt

I’m happy to respond to any questions you have, but I, like you, work full time from 8 am to 6.30 pm and I’m not around this Friday. <next sentence redacted as relates to personal matter - Matt N>.

So I think email might be the best way to communicate, given the complications of our work lives.

It would also be good to know which publication the article is for, and, in the interests of your writing a balanced article, which other organisations you’ve been in touch with. Have you spoken to Framework, for example?

I don’t think you mentioned in your email that you ran a record label but I do know of your work and Gringo from an article I read in LeftLion which featured an interview with you, so that’s how I know a little about Gringo. It may not be directly related to what we are talking about re The Music Exchange, but I do like to keep up with creative businesses in the city.

Talk soon

Kathy

From: Matt N Sent: Thu, Feb 18, 2016 at 8:35 AM To: Kathy McArdle

Hi Kathy Thanks, I'll get some questions over to you soon. There is no rush to do it before the weekend, <next part of sentence redacted as relates to personal matter - Matt N>. With regards to publication, I'm looking at a local arts publication and also an arts publication in another city. Once finished I will also approach some national music / culture webzines. I'm hoping to speak to as many parties as possible - I have already spoken to TMX employees and volunteers, hoping to speak to someone at Eves. I also have a Freedom of Information request pending with the City Council. Kind regards Matt From: Matt N Sent: Tue, Feb 23, 2016 at 8:18 AM To: Kathy McArdle

Hi Kathy Questions attached, thanks in advance for taking to the time to answer these.

Can you be more specific regarding the financial support that was given to Rough Trade? Is that support ongoing?

What funding sources was the support derived from? Did RT's acceptance of the support mean they had to adhere to any conditions?

Who is accountable for the decision to support Rough Trade? (e.g. was it a decision by the entire board of CQ, just yourself as CEO, were parties outside of CQ involved)

Was any support, financial or otherwise, offered to TMX? (I'm aware that you included them Explorers’ Guide to The Creative Quarter).

Was an impact assessment carried out so that you could be sure that TMX would not be adversely affected?

Did you know that TMX actually moved to Hockley in December 2012, not 2009 as stated in your email?

Did you ask local businesses / non-profits in the music community what the effect of RT could be on TMX, and the knock on effect on their businesses / non-profits?

Were you monitoring how TMX was coping with the competition the CQ supported? Were you aware that two staff  were told they were being made redundant in September 2015? Did you take any action to contact Framework then as alarm bells were ringing?

In what way do you think RT and TMX have a similar alternative ethos? Does RT support vulnerable people and put any profit back into a social enterprise?

Was the CQ founded to boost "visitor choice" or to support local entrepreneurs such as TMX? At launch there was often reference to a drain of talent from Nottingham – how will the closure of TMX help to reassure Nottingham based individuals that the CQ is not more concerned with importing companies from outside of Nottingham at the expense of supporting local businesses?

What will "visitor choice" be like once TMX has closed?

How did the CQ assist with Record Store Day? What happened with the planned live stage in the Broad Street area?

How did RT work with TMX on Record Store Day?

What other events do you believe RT / TMX have worked closely on?

Are you aware that RT actively worked to ensure events at TMX were cancelled, such as a record signing by a successful local band?

In what way did RT's vinyl stock "complement" TMXs?

Are you aware of allegations that RT put out new release stock ahead of release dates, which is against industry rules?

Why has CQ not said anything publicly about the closure of TMX?

How many jobs have been lost / businesses closed since the Creative quarter launched? How many volunteering opportunities have been lost?

Will the CQ include the 4 full time redundancies and loss of volunteering places at TMX when you also publish how many jobs have been created in the CQ?

Have commercial rents increased or decreased since the CQ has launched? If so, by what % up or down?

Was an Equalities Impact Assessment carried out for the CQ Business Case? Did CQ consider the possible impact of RT on some of TMX's vulnerable volunteers?

Can you quantify the impact the closure TMX will have on Nottingham's music community? As an example, TMX was the single biggest physical retailer for my records; I would not break even without them. It reduces the possibility that I will be able to pay local musicians royalties. I will have less funds to pay for; • recordings at local recording studios • artwork design through local designers • local photographers for photo shoots • local video producers for music videos • PR companies for PR • website designers to update my website • promote events in Nottingham • The bands have less money for all their activities, such as renting practice spaces at local rehearsal rooms or buying equipment from local music shops. A whole supply chain will be impacted.

Were you aware that at the time RT’s relocation was announced, TMX was investigating opening a community venue / café in the CQ? This project was shelved because the business had to concentrate on the threat from RT. Regards Matthew

From: Kathy McArdle Sent: Thu, Feb 25, 2016 at 9:46 AM To: Matt N

Dear Matt

I understand that you’ve lodged an FOI request with Nottingham City Council re Rough Trade and The Creative Quarter so you should get some of the information you are requesting from them.

I hope you will understand that our contact with other businesses in the area, including TMX, EveWorks and Rough Trade, has to remain confidential and can’t be shared more widely.

We are genuinely sorry that The Music Exchange is closing but, having spoken to EveWorks, there are multiple reasons for this which go beyond the opening of Rough trade in the area and are connected to the challenges of the current retail trading environment, as EveWorks have said in the public statement on their website.

Regards

Kathy McArdle

From: Matt N Sent:Thu, Feb 25, 2016 at 5:16 PM To: Kathy McArdle

Hi Kathy

Thanks for your response; although it is extremely disappointing that you have taken the decision to avoid answering all of my questions. It doesn't reflect well on the creative quarter.

I look forward to seeing what I receive from the FOI request and I will continue to push for transparency and accountability from your organisation.

Kind regards Matthew

From: Matt N Sent: Fri, Feb 26, 2016 at 3:04 PM To: Kathy McArdle

Hi Kathy - following up on your e-mail yesterday, could you be specific about what information I "should" obtain from my FOI request - are you aware of the exact wording of my request and have you discussed it with the Information Governance department of Nottingham City Council?

Kind regards

Matthew