Dear members — in today’s story, Sophie Atkinson heads to the Curry Mile with Professor Yaron Matras, who served as the University of Manchester’s professor of linguistics for 25 years. Professor Matras has been leading tours in the area informally for groups of students for years — here, he explains why the area is linguistically so rich and why languages like Arabic, Polish or Urdu are often sidelined in the UK.

But before that, check out our mini briefing (covering, of all things, a rainforest in Manchester) and an update on the restoration work happening at Buile Hill Mansion.

Plus, a date for your diaries! While we haven’t yet found a venue for our second birthday party (drop us a line in the comments if you have any bright ideas), please pencil in Wednesday June 22nd at 6:30pm for this members’ event. More info on this to follow…