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.

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.

For those of us who are unexpectedly caught needing mints, crossword puzzle books, Mars bars or…read moreNurofen - the green livery of a Londis is always a welcoming sight. The Londis that sits down at the bottom of Dog Kennel Lane goes further and manages to stock pretty much anything you could ever want. Need some needles? Stuck for staplers? Fancy a Feast? This place seems to stock a little bit of everything. I don't know if it's in competition or cahoots with the Lifestyle Express a couple of doors away, but I always find myself checking the prices of certain things in both before going and buying the cheapest one. As it turns out, they balance each other out quite well - Lifestyle Express being better for milk, whilst Londis wins at eggs. Something they both have in common (and is more applicable to Londis as it has the wider selection) is the curious choice of magazines. Maybe a Brummie like me should know better than to wander over the border into the Black Country and question the local reading, but I find it endlessly odd that you can't buy any music magazines or Private Eye but you can buy Horse Rider Monthly?