A sober night out in Liverpool

A rooftop party, a city built on nightlife, and a woman's story of how she left it behind

Dear members — we’re focussing on personal stories this week. Today’s story is about Charlie Martina, a student at the University of Liverpool who lives an unusual life. She once wrote on a blog that when she set up a stall at the students’ union advertising a student sober society, people walked past and giggled. But now, there’s a flourishing sober scene among Liverpool’s students.

This edition is going out to 414 members. A warm welcome to those who joined after hearing us mentioned on BBC Radio 4 yesterday afternoon as one of three new exciting ventures providing long form local journalism in the North. Listen back on BBC Sounds.

Wednesday’s story was a very fun profile of Tony Chesnut Brown, better known as the people’s poet of Liverpool. One reader called it “my favourite article yet” and another understatedly tweeted: “He’s lived a life.” In case you missed it, read the piece here.