Small but busy newsagents in centre of town...right beside the cellar bar.but in Draperstown, you…read moreare NEVER too far away from a bar!!

My sister and I went into The Paper Shop in search of an ice lolly, and came out with two…read morenewspapers, two magazines and a packet of Werther's Originals Chocolate Caramels. Isn't it always the way? My sister had decided she wanted an ice cream (it was sticky, very warm, headache-inducing weather, and she was slightly below par bless her), so spotting the ice cream sign on The Paper Shop's window, I decided it may just be a good call to pop in and have a look (not sure what gave me that idea...). Once we were in, I got incredibly distracted by the newspaper section, and spent a good few minutes examining the plethora of papers. Meanwhile, my sticky sis was attempting to climb into the drinks fridge in order to cool herself down. Sometimes I pretend we aren't related... Refocusing on the job in hand, I pointed her in the direction of the ice-cream counter, but was met with a reluctant smile, and a "well, I kinda wanted an ice lolly more than an ice-cream" verbal explanation. Indecisive should be her middle name... I then decided to examine the magazine section, which was pretty vast I must say, and pick up a few for the journey home. Noting that The Paper Shop was much more expansive than I had first realised, I spotted a huge card section too. However, today was not a greeting card day, so my attention was once again diverted back to the magazines. Feeling somewhat satisfied with my reading load for the next while (and as an English graduate, I am utterly ashamed with myself, and hope the newspapers justify me in some way), I went to the till, only to be distracted for the third (or fourth? Eh, who knows) time that day by the Werther's Originals Chocolate Caramels that I haven't found anywhere for months. Ooooh excitement. Plus they were down to £1.49. Yes, this had indeed been a productive trip. No ice lollies, but Morelli's down the street had the curious ability to persuade my sister that she did actually want ice cream. Oooh man...

There are not many Eason's stores around these days but this one seems to be thriving, set in a…read morecentral location they've given the interior a real facelift - it's bright and vibrant and seems to be doing the trick when it comes to drawing the Belfast punters in. Eason's are specialist's in stationery and magazines, especially niche ones. I popped in here last week to grab a birthday card and to be honest I was a little disappointed with their selection but I suppose there's dedicated card shops for that sort of thing. One thing I noticed is that Eason's seems to have moved with the times, selling electronic goods and essential office supplies such as printer cartridges. On the lower floor there's a huge book selection that would rival Waterstones. Belfast actually doesn't have that many big book shops so if you still haven't succumb to a Kindle this will be your idea of heaven. This Eason is really well staffed so if you're looking for something in particular I would just ask one of the many attentive assistants (who are also pretty quick on the checkouts). All in all it's nice to see a familiar name in the city centre, I'm sure at some point the majority of Northern Ireland picked up their school stationery and chose that all important pencil case from an Eason's branch.

Easons claims to be a bookstore, but it is not a bookstore in the traditional sense of the word. It…read moreis a corporate store than sells art supplies, stationary, newspapers, chocolate, fizzy drinks etc. I am a fan of old rickety bookshops which you have to bump into people to get past. This is not one of them. Though they do have cheaper priced books than old bookshops, they can still be gotten on the internet so again if all you need is a book, try the internet. If you want the experience, go to an oldfashioned book shop. Not a fan

If you're in a rush, heading to get your train and then realise....damn I need a newspaper, soft…read moredrink, sweets or other snacky things then this is your place. I've been using Great Victoria Street station for many a day and I always need to stop by this little newsagent for a coke and the paper. Rail News not only has a clever pun but a solid range of magazines and local/national newspapers. I used to call in and buy a can of proper man coke and Kerrang magazine back in my younger days (I wouldn't read it now if I was paid). These days it's the Time, The Irish News and a bottle of diet coke (See, see how I've grown up) Prices are typical of shops in the area, they are quick and have what you need. They also stock a range of sandwiches if you're in need of a bite and nowhere else is open.

The most memorable aspect of McKay's was the wasp chase that ensued as soon as I stepped through…read morethe door. Them chasing me, that is. Says it all... McKay's is really your average newsagents, with your average magazine / newspaper selection, your average confectionery choice, and your average bits 'n' bobs component (a few groceries and toys). I waited in an average line for an average period of time. Once I got to the front of said queue, the average till conversation went averagely, and the service was well, average. [Eh, hello, smile?] I did manage to pick up a couple of Lisburn papers (reviews to follow), and a packet of 45p chewing gum (above average prices, it would seem), so the visit wasn't all that bad. Just as dreary as the weather outside... The wasp chase continued on my out (blasted things), but they needn't have bothered. I was already leaving.

Top drawer this wee shop is, I don't know what your other blade was on about, maybe she mistook the…read morenewsagents in Ballynahinch for Harrod's and was disappointed by the lack of wildlife running about (other than that wasp obviously). I found the staff to be great, it had everything I was looking for and as I needed directions I got a chance to chat to the ones working there. Couldn't have been more helpful

Sweetie Miller may be a bookshop / newsagents (that bears an uncanny resemblance to another local…read morebookshop / newsagents), but as far as I'm concerned, it's all about the sweets and chocolate...baby. I think it's physically impossible to come out of this shop empty handed. It's certainly that way for me. Having gone in with the notion to buy a box of chocolates for a friend, I came out with a box of chocolates, three bags of Werther's Original Chocolates (my Cheepers' review explains all) and five Curly Wurly's. [Guess who Mr Dentist is going to absolutely love next month?] I couldn't resist. The Werther's Originals were only 99p, and the Curly Wurly's were unbeatable value at not one, not two, or even three, or indeed four...but FIVE for 89p. Yes, this excited me greatly. And it should excite you too. As well as the bargainous sweetie section, Sweetie Miller also stocks stationery, books, cards, magazines and all that sort of jazz. And they're all cheap as can be (except the magazines...they're just average price, but hey, we can't have it all, eh?). Now, where did my Curly Wurly go? (Apologies in advance Mr Dentist...)

This shop is in Bow Street Mall and always seems busy. I guess it can be best described as a…read morenewsagent. They carry a large variety of sweets, mainly boxes of chocolates and packs of chocolate bars and maybe just a bit cheaper in price than other shops in town. So especially good to pop into at Christmas time. The other section of the shop that interests me most is the book section. They have an alright range of books, and you can certainly find something interesting at a very good price. The only downside I can think of is can be quite awkward to move around the sweet displays near the front the of the shop when there are a lot of people about.

This is actually an advertising vehicle dressed up as a little glossy mag. But, hey it's free and…read moreit is glossy, so what's not to like? It's a dinky handbag size publication which is totally professionally produced and I think it looks pretty darn good, despite its shameless plugs for various businesses. There are plenty of full page ads for upmarket clothes shops and the kind of bathroom and kitchen showrooms which set the husband's nerves on edge just by driving past. He's afraid I'll go getting ideas you see. There are also lots of photos of various glam people at various glam events like restaurant launches and celebrity chef cooking demos. I still can't believe I missed the delectable Gino D A'Campo in the flesh cooking at the Ulster Museum. Doncha just love that accent? What a cheeky chappie he is. I particularly like the recipe pages which have mouth watering ideas from our own local best known chefs, so you can have a go at creating your own version of Belfast's top restaurant food in your own home. In my case, they've got nothing to worry about in terms of competition. I usually find Ulster Life in my hairdressers and snaffle a copy to enjoy later so my advice is to do the same. Set aside the notion that it's a set of glossy ads stapled together and enjoy its compact glossiness.

This relatively new magazine (established 2009) is targeted at both male and female 18+ in Northern…read moreIreland. I only heard of this magazine recently from a friend who had an article published in it (See Light Box @ The Black Box - Aug 2010) and after picking it up I found I rather enjoyed the information contained within. Yes, I know it's a shameful plug for advertising business in the Belfast, but they've got to do it somehow don't they!) I particularly enjoyed Grainne McGarvey's article 'On The Pulse' though I'm not the biggest fan of Cathy Martin and her 'me, me, me' point of view. But all in all the freebie glossy certainly makes for an interesting read. I'll be keeping my eye out for it over the next few months to see how it progresses in content, features and photography. One of the better quality magazines on offer these days in Belfast.

I never thought I'd see the day when I found a decent fashion magazine published in Northern…read moreIreland, and containing more than just prolific pictures of exorbitantly priced clothing. Well, it would appear I have. Eve provides an accessible peek into affordable fashion, with garments coming from the likes of chain stores such as River Island and French Connection, but also apparel from the likes of local shops such as Liberty Blue and Posh Frocks. It's focus is much wider than fashion at large though. This month's edition features an interview with Kylie (oh my word...have you heard her new song?!), another interview with The Wanted, an article on safe internet usage on websites such as Facebook, another article on whether or not women should make the first move (good qu!), as well as a guide to night life, TV and film. I personally really liked it, although there are better magazines which aren't local. However, as Northern Irish magazines go, Eve is one of the best.

This is the biggest scam going. Not only have they conned their advertisers out of money, they have…read morelaid off staff without paying them, defamed them and are now embroiled in lawsuits. Support the local media industry by not bothering with this rag: absolutely disgraceful.

After a long Tuesday afternoon dandering around Lisburn, what's the one thing you need for the…read moretrain journey home? A couple of magazines of course. (Well, if you're female anyway). The nearest newsagents happened to be Sweeneys, which, luckily for us, was filled with a large variety of glossy mags. Unfortunately, it was that time of the week when next week's edition hadn't yet been published, and so we were left looking at pile of magazines which we had already read. Bummer. Thankfully, we did manage to come across a couple that we hadn't, so all was not lost. It did take my sister a few minutes to leaf through the various glossies in order to ascertain which ones these were (well, they do all look the same after a while, don't they?), and so while she was doing this, I noticed the lovely bright yellow stickers that adorned the shelves behind me, informing me that everything was £1. Thankfully for me, I had my careful hat on that day, and was easily able (well, fairly easily anyway) to a) dissuade myself from purchasing several bags of Haribo and b) distract myself by turning to the job in hand (magazine selection). Magazines sorted, we avoided the rest of the shop (for fear of my 'careful' hat tipping over slightly), and went straight to the till. By this stage on a busy Tuesday afternoon, I was managing to look like a bag lady...literally. With numerous plastic bags weighing down each arm, and no room for mags to fit into them, the shop assistant laughed and said she would happily provide a bag (groan...not another one). All in all a productive visit. Thank you Sweeneys.