This Co-op is one of the smaller ones. It has all the essentials such as milk and bread but if you…read morewant much more than that, choice is very limited and prices are higher than most supermarkets. Co-op don't do many of their own brands and the brands they stock tend to be quite pricey. The shop is in a good location though and has very good opening hours.

This Co-op has recently been refubished to allow more stock on display and so a wider range of…read moreproducts. I use this shop a few times a week as it sells most things and saves a trip to the supermarket with associated queues etc. There is only a small team of staff that work here and after only a few trips you get to recognise and know them. They have a lottery machine and a large range of alcohol andalso the usual newpapers and magazines etc. They are open to 10pm on a Sunday night which means can always pop in there to buy stuff if the main supermarkets have been missed.

I love The Big Issue! I love everything it stands for and everything that it does! Not only does it…read morehelp unfortunate people get their lives back on track, but the magazine itself is a really useful resource, offering really insightful editorial, a healthy 'what's on' section and a plethora of jobs (usually for the caring trades and charities). When I'm in Cardiff I tend to buy my copy from Daniel, a Romanian father of two, who has been selling The Big Issue just outside Cardiff Central Station for the last two years. You'll find him quite close to the national Express offices and charity shops as you round the corner off Wood Street. These days he says that sales are significantly down, and only manages to sell about six or seven copies a day. With a wife and two children to feed, clothe and house, this is clearly not enough! He's resorted to borrowing from friends over the last few months. I used to know what proportion of the sale price the vendor retains. I think it's around a pound, with a cover price of £1.70. Sellers need to buy the magazines up front, and can return unsold issues with a refund. This avoids any abuse of the system, and helps the drug addicts invest in something a little more constructive. Head office 1-5 Wandsworth RoadVauxhall LondonSW8 2LN

Written by professional journalists and sold by homeless people, the Big Issue Cymru has excellent…read moreintentions. It aims to give the homeless a way of earning an income without simply begging, helping them save enough to get themselves into more stable housing situations, and then assimilate back into mainstream society. It also has a support and counselling arm, helping vendors with a whole host of physical and mental health issues. The publication itself is well-written, and while you might not be interested in every news story or feature, it does cover a good variety of social and environmental issues. I have one big problem with the Big Issue Cymru, though: why do I still see the same vendors on the streets of Cardiff now that were selling the magazine a decade ago? I know some of their faces from when I did work experience there, and I have bought the magazine from many of them over the years, yet still they are on the streets, selling the magazines, and not moving on into permanent housing and a brighter future. I wonder if after a while they start to feel safe being part of a community of Big Issue sellers, and their homeless status is normalised so that they get 'stuck' in that rut rather than moving on? And that surely goes against the aims of the venture. I hope that statistically the majority do move on from being Big Issue sellers, and that it's just a minority that get stuck in this way.

Cardiff University students' union produces a free, editorially independent weekly newspaper called…read more'Gair Rhydd' (which is Welsh for 'Free Word'), issued every Monday morning during term time. As it's run entirely by students, the newspaper provides a platform for new student writers to gain some practical experience and build up a portfolio of articles - so it's very popular amongst Cardiff's journalism students. Anyone can find the newspaper on the fourth floor of the students' union building, and volunteer to get involved - whether it's in writing, photography, production or other aspects of running the newspaper. The final product is widely respected, well-distributed and well-read, keeping the entire Cardiff University population up to date on major issues that effect students in the city and across the UK. It also includes sections covering, sport, the latest news, features, politics, interviews, health, and science & the environment - as well as a Welsh language section, 'Taf-Od'.

The Gair rhydd is a fantastic publication offered to you by the students of Cardiff University…read more This is a free publication that many a student will find in the university buildings around Cardiff. It is contributed to by an amazing, volunteering team of students, keeping you up to date with the happenings of Cardiff student life. There are regular columnists to entertain you, many of whom have been friends of mine and trust me, you will want to hear what they have to say. The Gair rhydd can be an essential part of a student's life if they are looking to write for a publication to build up a portfolio for themselves and with the student media awards being held every year in the Hilton, they can be recognized and rewarded for their work. I thoroughly recommend getting involved with contributing to this paper and also reading it, the content is of a high standard and demonstrates the talent and passion of the students who contribute to it.

full of local news and sports. comes out weekly. good price.read more

The leading men's magazine in Wales, RedHanded has aimed at the 18-40 age-group since its launch in…read morelate 2003 - traditionally the section of the male population with the highest level of disposable income. Accordingly, the focus is on quality living and culture, cover features mostly centring on big name interviews with pop stars either hailing from or touring Wales. That's far from all each issue offers, however, with top Welsh sporting figures grilled, fashion shoots, travel features, picture profiles of some of the country's most beautiful women, plus regular columns and reviews of the latest cars, gadgets, books, films, gigs, bars and restaurants, all from professional journalists. And while previous mags from the region have aimed nearer the Nuts/Zoo end of the market (remember Tidy?), RedHanded takes a leaf out of higher quality publications such as GQ, ie more entertaining than titillating. Published quarterly, it's totally free to pick up from a range of bars and retailers across Wales, with a circulation of around 30,000. (Personal bias disclaimer: their contributors include present company)

Quench is a magazine created by students for the student population. This is a fantastic…read morepublication that demonstrates what talented students with a passion can do. The design is superb and some of the illustrators are fantastic. The content is varied with music, arts, film and a truck load more, something for everyone. I thoroughly recommend students to get involved with this magazine as it can be an amazing platform to show what you can do. This year it is run by a lovely lady called Dom Kehat and she will ensure you feel welcome and give you a hand in writing whatever you have a passion for. The highlight of the student year is very much the student media awards held at the HIlton, where you could be lucky enough to be recognized for the superb work that you do with a pretty glass award. Quench has been awarded best magazine in the past by the Guardian student media awards, so get involved and see if you can help this fantastic publication win it again.

The pound shop in Queen street Cardiff is wondrous place . How can they make a profit on the things…read morethey sell ? It is a treasure trove of mostly everything you could want from cosmetics to tools for the workshop. You name it and it is a good guess that they have it somewhere in the store , All of which are one ( sometimes two) for a pound It is a large store and almost always overcrowded . Watch your pockets and handbags otherwise your purchase may not be such a bargain ! The tills at the pay station ring continuously. As an example of cost saving I priced a halogen bulb for my reading lamp in a well known Cardiff electrical shop ( no I will not give the name ! ) the price quoted was £2. 50 for one. I thought this was too expensive as it was not a top of the range lamp. In the pound store I purchased an identical bulb for an amazing four on a card for a pound . And I guess they sell the cheapest sugar than any supermarket. There are other bargains to sizeable to detail. If you are looking for a good buy this is the store to visit.

I agree that Buzz is a great magazine for finding out what's what in Cardiff. My only real problem…read moreis that is quite difficult to come by. Lucky then they have a website with all the same information, plus they have a twitter feed so you can keep really up to date on whats going on. Its not a cheap looking magazine, whoever makes it really puts a lot of effort into it. I wish Cardiff had those magazine boxes on the streets that they have in London so I could get it easier.

Buzz Magazine is quite an achievement considering that it is practically run by volunteers and, as…read morefar as I'm aware, pretty much on a shoestring. It is a 'What's On' for South Wales, but somewhat unsurprisingly, for this Cardiff based magazine, Cardiff listings tend to dominate the publication. Of course, the fact that South Wales doesn't have another city anywhere near the scale of Cardiff is another reason why it features so prominently. I have been consistently amazed by Buzz. Their listings are accurate, their features are well researched and well written, and their website is packed full of info and regularly updated. I don't know how they do it! The best thing about Buzz is that it's free. You can pick up a copy from loads of places around the city of Cardiff, but it's not so easy to find places that stock it further afield. Art Centres tend to be a sure bet. I even found a copy at the Art Centre in Pontardawe. Impressive!