You know how 'what's on' and local guides are kind of cheap, tacky looking things filled with…read morerubbish you have no interest in? Fair enough, they're free right? You can't expect high quality design, print and content from a free guide, right? Area Magazine begs to differ. From the same people who produce the wonderful art/music/culture guide 'Fused', Area is a monthly pocket sized guide which contains all of the coming attractions in Brum. Gigs, shows, theatre, art, special events, and it's all present beautifully with original art, top notch layout and design and illustrated covers by various up and coming artists. The magazines are in all of the local hotspots, if you want to know what's what in Brum you should go pick one up. The only problem is that they are so nice you won't want to throw them away when you're done and you can end up with quite a hefty collection!

Daily Mail is my guilty pleasure. Sure it is often sensationalistic and it is definitely a tabloid;…read morehowever, it has many redeeming qualities. For tragedies like lockdowns, mass shootings, air disasters, or the deaths of famous figures, Daily Mail is the first "news" source to provide relevant photos, names, ages, and details. It's not without drama! Headlines often read So and So "Breaks Their Silence!" "Doctors Issue Major Warning!" "So and So's Secret Babies!" The comments readers post are often entertaining. Especially when a tornado occurs in the United States and the readers/commenters are just flabbergasted that people would chose to not have a tornado shelter in their home, or would even opt to live in a region that is often tornadic. I'm surprised Daily Mail has been around since 1896. I'm also surprised they offer Scottish, Irish, Continental, and Indian editions. For their coverage of United States celebrities, they generally publish a series of photos of the person or people walking to and from a coffee shop, a store, or in and or out of a restaurant. Often they are "under cover," "makeup free," or "unrecognizable," meaning they aren't dressed and made up as if they were going to a magazine cover shoot. Which becomes humorous after you get their M.O. regarding these "stories." It's fun, too, to learn the British phrases the Daily Mail often uses, such as "nappies" for diapers, and "pins" for legs. Checking the headlines on their app is part of my morning routine. Thanks, Daily Mail for being the first to report important details that Americans want before the United States can officially release a story's details.

A Yelp listing for the Daily Mail already exists and I'm kind of surprised to be the first one to…read morereview it considering its reach and popularity. I'm a fan of the Daily Mail. For many years, the Daily Mail's website at www.dailymail.co.uk has been one of my primary news sources. In recent years, I've also used the app. There are long stretches of time where I check the Daily Mail for news almost daily. My wife and her friends have eye-rolled at me for referencing this publication, but for the most part, I think it's pretty solid. The Daily Mail is not widely considered a legitimate news source because it's a tabloid. However, most of the news articles I've chosen to consume via the Daily Mail have been factual. Yes, the Daily Mail is sensationalist so you have to read its articles with a grain of salt. What I like about the Daily Mail, similar to TMZ, is how they are quick to get right to the point and dig up whatever photos and videos they can on a particular topic. For example, if there's a mass shooting, Daily Mail is good about identifying the shooter quickly and uncovering whatever they can about the shooter, from social media posts to any other sorts of publicly available information. Other media outlets don't do that and ethically, I understand why. The Daily Mail also puts together neat infographics. For example, I thought their infographics illustrating how the United States carried out drone strikes on foreign targets were particularly interesting and memorable. When it comes to photos and videos, the Daily Mail cuts straight to the chase, showing you the most important clips and screen captures. When it comes to reporting, each article is front-loaded with quick and easy-to-read bullet points that summarize the most relevant information. I appreciate that. No, Daily Mail is not perfect, but most of the time, it tells me what I want to know. I also read other news sources such as the Associated Press, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, CNN, and Fox News to see what their version or take might be. At the end of the day, for the foreseeable future, I see no reason to stop reading the Daily Mail. I like it.

Get a Grip offer a waterbased ink, screenprinting service and its all ran by Sam and Kay. Whilst I…read morehaven't as yet had anything printed by these guys I've seen them in action working with young people to produce screen prints and the fruits of their labour is on display and to buy in their studio at the Custard Factory. The quality of the print work is outstanding and they are super helpful if you have any questions. The list of their print services and options is really comprehensive both on the website or if you pop into the studio. In the studio they have badges made from printing offcuts, sweatshirts and tees with awesome graphics as well as bags and cards. Sadly the prints on the wall for bands you probably love that they've printed up aren't for sale, but they show off the quality of service.

Lovely printed goods - I'm a sucker for a pretty screenprint!…read more They printed some promotional totes for a friend of mine, and the quality was lovely. I popped into the shop last week to see what else they have on sale, and was excited to see they've been collaborating with other local artists - eg. Yellow Door Bindery - to create limited edition runs. Not only do these guys know their stuff (as clearly evidenced all over their website and blog, including how-tos which I LOVE as sometimes artists can be so precious about sharing tips!) but they're also environmentally responsible donating a percentage of their sale to charity. All round good guys - we need more like you!

My brother was murdered rundown for six minutes down the canal and two blokes sat on his back and…read morehis head and suffocated him for 3 1/2 minutes there was witnesses and I have got off with it and walked away because I said it was a citizens arrest so now the police are telling us it's okay to bring someone down and kill them for six months 3 1/2 minutes

I started my journalistic career at Redbrick! It was 2002 and I was a cocky and precocious young…read morewriter, working alongside plenty more cocky and precocious young writers. It was like Press Gang only with less double denim and more Home Counties accents. I didn't appreciate quite how good a student newspaper it was until I encountered lesser student publications. The editorial standards were, and still are, high. The free paper is distributed around the campus and contains a range of news and features, some specific to the uni and others of a more general interest. The crossword makes an ideal way to pass time between lectures.

As a previous student of the University of Birmingham I often found myself picking up a copy of…read moreRedbrick, the student newspaper. It is run entirely by students, which I think is really impressive. It is also free and is dropped around the campus every few weeks, which is a bonus as obviously students are supposed to be skint! They cover a range of areas and issues in the paper, including news features, arts, music, culture, sports and travel. It seems there is something for everyone and they do have regular features, one of which is a 'what's in and what's out' type of column which I think is highly entertaining. I think it is really useful especially for those who are new to Birmingham as it informs you of what is going on in Birmingham and of course around the campus. It is particularly aimed at students but I have also seen academics reading it too. It is definitely worth a read if you are a student at UOB!

Fused Magazine is a well-established independent culture magazine in Birmingham…read more A beautifully put together review of fashion, music, art, featuring interviews, competitions and much more. Expect to see gorgeous design layouts, amazing photography and great journalism. For any designer, band, DJ, artist or independent business in Brum being featured in Fused is definitely very high on the want list. Highly recommend any fan of arts or culture of any kind to get themselves a copy if they haven't already! Just ordered the new issue so I'll update this when I receive it.

Fused is somewhat of a Birmingham institution now, having been around for over a decade. It is an…read moreart/music/culture/fashion magazine that has beautiful layout and design, interviews and reviews. It's an innovative publication that prides itself on high quality content and artwork and boasts illustrated front covers for every edition. For years Fused was a free publication that also contained local listings and events but they have recently moved all that side of the mag over to Area Magazine (still free) and now Fused has more room for the other stuff. They have also shifted up a gear in terms of page count and paper stock making it well worth the cost.

Showtime Studios provided excellent work for our online business requirements. They are quick to…read morerespond while offering approachable, personal service. They went beyond our original requirements by thinking about our needs further. For example, they suggested a tracking mechanism for our online quote application, thus offering a more valuable solution. As a design and marketing agency, they have positively impacted our website by automating our online lead generation and sales processes. I enjoyed working with them and would do so in the future.