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.

When I first nipped in here late last year for a paper, I found the place dying on its backside…read more Two blokes sat listlessly behind the counter; there was very little stock - the fag stand behind them only had a handful of packets in - and it was generally a mess. A nice surprise then when I dropped in a couple of days ago for a chocolate bar - a Toffee Crisp if you must know - and was immediately greeted by a different man and a tidy, fully stocked shop. With a Costcutter and another newsagents only a few hundred yards away, this shop has to work for its custom, especially as it has no other shops near it. However, it is next door to The Bell, which is where I suspect it gets most of its trade from. A happy little newsagents run by a happy man (he's not the tallest, but 'happy little man' just sounds horrible).

The Express and Star is a local newspaper targeted at those living in the Black Country and the…read morewider West Midlands area. The Star is Britain's best-selling regional newspaper. The Sandwell Chronicle is also published at the Express and Star Headquarters in West Bromwich. I read the Express and Star as well as the Sandwell Chronicle. Reading them is a great way for me to get an idea of what is happening in my local area. Although I visit the Star website, I do like having a physical copy of the newspaper. I have worked at the Express and Star previously and I had a very good time there. Working at the Star gave me my first insight into the world of journalism and how the media works. The journalists whom I worked alongside made me more than welcome and the environment they work in inspired me to want to get into journalism.

I grew up reading the Express and Star and have completed several placements in its various…read morenewsrooms. It is the biggest selling evening regional newspaper in the country, flying in the face of those who relish declaring the death of print media. It is something of a Black Country institution, with local issues for Wolverhampton, Dudley, Sandwell and Walsall amongst others. The editorial tone is perhaps more right-wing than I like from my newspaper and I miss the fashion and lifestyle supplements that they used to publish. They cover a lot of community events and stories, proving that there is still a big demand for this sort of news coverage. I tend to get most of my news online now, but I'll always have flick through my Nan's copy of the E&S. The daily TV listings and classifieds are really useful, as are the property pages when house hunting.