Birthday, la! The Post is five years old

How was the journey in? Let me take your coat. Are those real 110s? I’ll remember that when we pass the collection plate… but don’t worry about that for now. Nibbles in the pantry, wine on the rack. Beer’s in the fridge. Smokers in the back, if you please — we’ve just had the sofa upholstered. 

Who’s here already? Well, there’s me, obviously. Abi should be arriving soon, if her flight wasn’t delayed. David Lloyd’s in the lounge being the life-and-soul, and Melissa Blease is rifling through the record collection. Matt O’Donoghue? Last I saw him he was scrutinising the buffet — nothing gets past him. Where's Jack Walton? Having a crafty smoke on the veranda. (Don't say "in the entry...")

We’re so glad you could make it, though. You’re sort of the guest of honour. Let me show you around. First thing's first...

Drinks 🍺

What’s your tipple?

As a regular pub-goer, Liverpool might be my favourite city. The range and variety of drinking establishments across the city region beggars belief. 

I like to think The Post does its bit to reflect this alcoholic eco-system. In the last year, we’ve written about the new ownership of Ye Cracke, and published a popular talking-point piece about Rob Guttmann’s insatiable alehouse empire. In the past, we’ve covered Peter Kavanagh’s and searched for the heart of Saturday night. Nothing about the nightlife escapes our notice, as our investigations into the gentrification of the North Docks or nightclub Quarry having to make way for yet another apartment complex can testify to. 

If this is something you are about, you and The Post might be on the same page. For less than the price of a pint in the Pilgrim, you can sign up to support us today. 

Conversation 💬

With news sites, they say you should never read below the line. And normally they’re right. Reading the comments section of our competitors is like popping into the Sheil Park pub in Kenny at closing time: dingy, dispiriting, and downright hostile. 

But here is the exception. One of my favourite things about writing for The Post right now is the feedback. And we don’t see it as a useful critique. As corny as this sounds, it’s a vital part of building a relationship with our readers. I feel I’ve already made crucial contacts and even new friends there. 

Our ambition is to not just be a news source but a community. The Post should provide a service, but it should also be a collaboration. Over the next year, we’ll be tabling ideas for how best to do this: group chats, drop-ins, or events. And we want you to be in on the ground floor. So sign up now and don’t miss out. 

Entertainment 🥳

When I first met our founder Joshi Herrmann, I told him I wanted The Post to be like the Village Voice of Liverpool: whenever we covered anything cultural, it had to absolutely bang with critical insight and catchy prose. 

Since then, we’ve covered everything from theatre to film, photography to horror novels, crime telly to 19th century Greek poets. I don’t think we’ve quite fulfilled my ambition to be at the cutting edge of cultural commentary in the city region, but aficionados of live music, theatre, and locally made film and television are more than getting their money’s worth.

I’m one of these old-fashioned weirdos who thinks art is important, no matter if it’s “high” or “low.” Whether you’re a working-class Waltonite or a member of the Bebington bourgeoisie, The Post will always have an indispensable piece of cultural appraisal for you. 

Politics ✊

Ah, the inevitable part of every house party. 

I don’t know whether you’ve noticed, but there’s a bit of a love-in between our media elites and political elect. They all seem to have gone to the same schools, or have each other as in-laws once removed. 

That cosiness is why ministers or members of parliament are either soft-sudded in interviews or commandeered into pointless Punch & Judy theatrics you just know are mere preludes to a Fleet Street pub session. 

The Post isn’t like that. I come from a perhaps naive journalistic tradition that the relationship between writer and politician should be akin to predator and prey. Or, at least, suitably irreverent. And Abi is practically feral — hence our highly controversial recent piece about the “charisma bypass” of Liverpool politicians.

The ‘charisma bypass’: Why Liverpool’s leaders are so forgettable

After years of populist fireworks a new type of leader has emerged in the city. Polite, unassuming, passionate about ironing…

The PostLaurence Thompson

This doesn’t always endear us to political PR men, but that’s OK, because our responsibility is always to you, our readers. 

Sign up to The Post and we’ll be able to take the fight to the halls of power and afford regular rabies vaccinations for our investigative reporters. 

Games ⚽

One thing The Post doesn’t have is a regular sports slot. Nevertheless, over the past year we’ve done some of the best reporting around Merseyside’s vaunted sports scenes: Everton’s new stadium on Bramley-Moore Dock, City of Liverpool Football Club’s battle over Rathbone Park, boxing before the world championships, and the rising popularity of darts in the wake of Luke Littler’s title win. 

But that’s just scratching the surface of our city region’s athletic accomplishments. I want us to be able to regularly cover rugby league in St Helens and union in Birkenhead. Tranmere Rovers should get more of a look-in. And what about the Royal Liverpool Golf Club or Aintree Races? All things we’ve written about in the past, but with your support we could with more regularity do justice to your favourite pastime, whether it’s footy, prizefighting or footgolf. (Alright, maybe not footgolf. Although I did once hit a hole-in-one.) 

I think good sportswriting is as vital as any other. I also think there’s a dearth of it right now, both locally and across the country. Sign up now and help us change that.

Food 🥘

Oh, you want feeding and all? 

I love a free scran as much as the next lad. But let’s be honest: restaurant reviews don’t currently fit easily within our purview. 

Nevertheless, we’ve published some really great pieces on Liverpool’s culinary delights: a personal favourite was Abi’s interview with Bootle charcuterie North By Sud Ouest. I loved Melissa’s piece about the cafe scene of Liverpool’s past. And our former editor Shannon kindly indulged my desire to pen a love-letter to Chau’s, the decades-old Chinese on West Derby Road. 

Chau’s swan song

The end of an era for a Tuebrook institution, the ‘world’s best’ Chinese restaurant

The PostLaurence Thompson

If this is something you’d like to see more of, along with our investigative reporting, cultural criticism, deep dives and general old-fashioned local reporting sign up, become a paid subscriber and let us know. 

Prezzies 🎁

After five years, The Post is stronger than ever. We couldn’t have got this far without our readers. 

Our current goal is 2,000 paid subscribers. We’re tantalisingly close to that now. So why not sign up and give us the best 5th birthday present ever?

The best part is you’ll be giving yourself a gift, too: our entire back catalogue of quality journalism and every future edition we publish. All that at the introductory offer price of just £4 a month: that works out at a quid a week. 

Get The Post for a Pound and help us reach the next level. Becoming part of our community will make the paper work for you: we want to write about stories dear to your heart, but we can’t do that if we don’t know what they are.

Thanks so much for coming. Please make yourself at home. And, hopefully, we’ll see you at our 10th birthday party. 

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