I've been popping in and out of this shop since I was about 10 years old. My earliest memory of the…read moreplace is when Granddad lived around the corner on Dyas Road and would always pick up his Evening Mail from there. I find it very satisfying that the shop is still there and looks pretty much as I remember it as a kid. Whilst it's changed hands a few times over the years it's still a reassuring fixture of the Kingstanding Road. These days I drop in once a month or so to buy tobacco, or some other 'essential' (is tobacco an essential?) as I pass through Kingstanding. As well as a newsagent this is also an off licence - it wasn't like that in my Granddad's day! - so, if the mood takes you, you can always pick up a beer or two for a reasonable price.

Selling a wide range of newspapers, magazines and everyday household items, this small…read morenewsagent-come-convenience store is a handy place to stop by whenever you're passing through Kingstanding. A large public car park is located just over the road, for shoppers visiting the Hawthorn shopping centre and several bus stops are within walking distance. Inside, the store is clean, spacious and very well organised. Though small in size, logical organisation and lack of makeshift shelving make ensure that the store never feels cramped, and friendly staff make every visit here a pleasant one. The prices are surprisingly good too.

Located just above New Street Station in the Pallasades shopping centre, Newsflow is a small,…read moreunassuming newsagent. However, despite its appearances, don't be fooled. If I'm every after a drink, snack, or something to read on the train, I always head here instead of the much larger Smiths down on the station concourse. Newsflow's main selling point is the surprisingly expansive selection of magazines that they have on offer, with more than their wall space seems capable of holding. The prices haven't been ramped up with the proximity to the station in mind, either (a sharing bag of sweets retails for less than £2, which is competitive for anywhere, even large supermarkets), and the staff are always friendly. Even better, there's rarely a queue, meaning it can often prove to faster to go upstairs to Newsflow and then come back down to catch your train than it is to go to the nearby Smiths and queue for five minutes.

Standard newsagents that I often pop to for a newspaper or lottery ticket. Friendly service and…read moreeverything you would expect from this type of shop. They may even have that extra bit of luck we are all looking for in life as the last time I bought a lottery ticket from here I won a tenner!

Gone are the days of buying fishing nets from this shop in some kind of English, Ladybird book-type…read moreidyll. But the principle remains the same - it's here where you can stock up on drinks, snacks or perhaps ice cream for a trip into neighbouring Sutton Park, accessible via Town Gate at the end of the road. Essentially, it remains a newsagent, with a range of magazines to boot, but, like many of its type, a mini grocery and essentials like bread and milk are added to the mix. Coffee to go is also available via a self-serve gizmo, although you can't imagine too many of those find their way into the park compared to rocket lollies. But it's a welcome addition for those surrounding residents who are just the wrong side of Brassington Avenue or Jockey Road to make nipping into Sutton's commercial hub, Beeches Walk or Boldmere a 30-second breeze. It really is a venue to which you walk - and it's not uncommon to see gents in their slippers. Driving is a bit of a non-starter. Wyndley Leisure Centre is situated nearby, so you can stock up on water here rather than scratch around for vending machine change.