Ireland's Homes Interiors & Living magazine is deigned and written in the heart of the Balloo…read moreIndustrial estate which I find a rather strange setting for the conception of a magazine. You would never know it existed unless you had some sort of insider info, and luckily I do. I have had the pleasure of working at this illustrious magazine. During this time I found out some interesting facts about it. For a start it is Irelands biggest selling monthly Homes and lifestyle magazine, secondly it has sold over 3 million copies. I know, who would have thought that so many people would buy a magazine that's sole purpose is to give the affluent people of Ireland a chance to show off there houses. But this said a lot of hard work goes into the creation of the magazine at Balloo, they have designers, advertisers, photographers and writers all housed in a tiny office that is brimming with creative talent. As a one off you should probably buy this magazine, even if you are not interested in furniture, it can be quite entertaining to see how the other half live.

The Wee Shop has gone by many names over the years, but one thing is for sure, it has been an…read moreabsolute life saver for many a Bangor resident. Located on High Street next to Bangor's various drinking establishments it has acted as an oasis for many revelers selling water and cigarettes . The Wee Shop has a night hatch meaning it stays open late specifically to accommodate these needs. More than just an oasis, The Wee Shop is a newsagents and a small grocery store selling the essentials. I noticed yesterday that it also sells e-cigs now too, so if you want to ditch the tobacco on a night out this is your place. You'll always get friendly service and a we bit of banter from the staff, no matter how late it is. This has been a staple of High Street for many years and long may it continue.

A complete landmark in the area and the newsagents where I used to break my mum's heart with…read moredemands for football stickers and sweets as well as rented videos for sleep overs with my friends. Located right on the Clandeboye road at the heart of a huge residential, there always seems to be a parking spot outside and the staff are always friendly, helpful and seem to remember you when you go in. Family ran with good prices and an excellent selection of newspapers, sweets and videos as well as a great spot to pick up milk if you are short for a cup of tea. A great wee local newsagents.

From the owner: Bangor's oldest newsagent, Corbett Flood, retired in 1974 after running his shop on Church Street…read morefor 31 years and being involved in the business for almost 50 years, having started as a newsboy. Mr and Mrs William Ferguson became the new owners until current owner Alan Field bought The Clandy in 1985. Over the last 25 years, The Clandy has become a landmark in the Clandeboye area, well renowned for its wide selection of confectionery, tobacco, newspapers and DVDs at competitive prices. The Clandy's most unique and unrivaled attribute, however, is the quality customer service from the dedicated and pleasant staff.

The Newtownards Chronicle (or 'The Newtownards Chronicle and Co. Down Observer' to give it its…read moreproper name) has just about everything a newspaper should have, and more. Seriously. And I love that at the top of each page there's a little title aptly describing what sort of reports come below. Organisation to the max. There's your 'News' pages, 'Courts' page, 'Features' page (which includes an article about a soldier from Ards who died in 1918, in this particular edition), 'Letters to the Editor' page (always makes for a good read), 'The Beauty Spot' page (where to get a hair cut / the GHDs fixed / some nice lingerie), the 'Family Announcements / Church & Public Notices / News' page, the Classifieds, and the Recruitment pages. There are even separate new pages for different areas, including Mid Down, Comber, Lower Ards and Donaghadee news. Oh, and not forgetting the Ards Shopping Centre 'Cutest Kidz' competition - a few pages covered in pictures of adorable (and not so adorable) little 'uns under five. As if all that wasn't enough (and you haven't fallen asleep tackling your way through the never-ending stories, articles and reports), there's a 'Sport, Schools, Entertainment and Motoring' supplement. Just in case you're really bored. Now for the catch. And yes there is one. The entire newspaper is broadsheet style, which is fair enough if you've got lovely long arms, but my stumpy little ones weren't appreciating this fact at all. Tabloids are the way forward peeps...

Raj Indian Restaurant and Take-away, Comber…read more With my sister, I have been enjoying the flavours of authentic Indian meals at the Raj restaurant for a number of months now. I started off trying the Chicken Madras merely because I wanted something hot but since then I have migrated to a number of other dishes, eg Chicken Chum Chum, and have enjoyed each meal I have tried. My sisters favourite meal is Curried Monkfish because this fish is quite meaty. The chef at the Raj has been producing Indian meals for over 30 years and has been quite happy to talk about the spices he uses, when time permits. We found all the staff at the Raj to be very helpful and friendly and that makes for a great meal experience one wishes to repeat.

I am definitely a loyal fan of Stewart Millar although I often forget its name and refer to it as…read moreStuart Little (as in the little talking mouse) which of course causes hysterical laughter and confirms the kids' suspicions that I am in fact a total muppet. Stewart Miller is an independent retailer of toys, books, magazines and sweet shop stuff. I'm sure there's a better term than that for chocolate, drinks, crisps etc but that's what I call it. This shop's strength is in the offers they are always running and which change regularly. In the toy department, you often find lego you won't see elsewhere and they always have the latest must have sets. They often run promotions of 25% off lego which is great news for stocking up as lego is eye wateringly expensive. The same goes for play mobile sets which are even more expensive. The latest paperbacks are often on offer too and older titles for both adults and kids are at unbeatable prices all year round. You also get one off offers like huge scented candles which last for ages and don't have that horrible cheap smell for just £3.99. The selection of magazines and comics has to be seen to be believed, stretching across one whole wall of the shop. And they don't have any of those hateful notices telling you that 'we are not a library' so feel free to browse.

An essential cornerstone of the greater North Down area. Fantastic book offers and something for…read morepeople of all ages. Support the local businesses!

Located on Bangor's Main Street the Spectator Offices are sleek and sophisticated, unlike the rest…read moreof the buildings on main street the you do not have to fear perched pigeons overhead. I recently visited the offices to enquire about placing an advertisement and to be frank, I felt under dressed. The staff on the reception did not judge my scruffy appearance, they were helpful and informative. They advised that the best way to continue with my enquiry was to go online. Although this was far from a wasted journey. The offices were a hub of activity, the sense of excitement alone prompted me to buy the latest issue of the County Down Spectator, the peak of local investigative journalism. If you have a scoop for the reporters or just want to buy the latest issue of the paper then my advice is to visit the Spectator offices and see where the local news comes from.

Again, this is quite hard for me to review this place as I have worked here in the past as a…read morereporter and know most of the staff so I can't really be mean about any of them. Not that I could be mean about anyone here because they really are a lovely bunch of folks who made me feel very welcome when I first worked here. The journalistic side of things is professionally run by Paul the editor and they have a real tradition of excellent reporting as well as a welcoming and interested attitude when you ring up about a story. Us hacks are always looking for a scoop so there is no need to feel intimidated or feel that you couldn't ring up. I never worked in the advertising office but always found them helpful and incredibly well informed anytime I had to deal with them. This really is a well established and much loved wee local paper, you can't go bad with it.

A pretty legendary shop in Bangor, particularly in the Ballyholme area. Quite a few of my friends…read morehave worked in here in various capacities. From working on the till to working as a paper boy. I'm pretty sure they threw quite a lot of the papers into a bush as most paper boys do but it was about 10 years ago so they won't mind me saying that. This wee newsagents has an awful lot going for it. It is locally ran and well established which means that you know you will get an excellent service with plenty of smiles and politeness when you pop in to get a paper, magazine or some of the various confectionary and drinks that you can pick up in here. Locally ran and always liked, this is an incredibly well liked wee newsagent and a Ballyholme landmark, when you call in you will probably see why.

The first time I popped into The Quik Shop, it didn't quite live up to it's name. On an incredibly…read moreinfuriatingly wet afternoon in Bangor, I had popped in for, what I hoped, would be a short and sweet visit. I just wanted a magazine after all. Unfortunately, the staff were hmm-ing and ha-ing at the back of the shop, while attempting to locate some grocery or other. After a couple of minutes waiting / coughing / clearing my throat (I'm a pro), I was eventually served by a pleasant shop assistant. Bingo. The second visit was more positive, and took place at 10pm on a balmy summer's evening. An alarming event had occurred (ie. the batteries in my camera had decided to die), and the prospect of an evening without prolific photo-taking was very unsettling. Where sells batteries? I asked myself, when *bing*, I remembered. Perhaps The Quik Shop would be the answer to my pictorial prayers. Dashing down the street, I was delighted to see the shop still open. I asked the girl if they sold batteries, whilst at that exact moment noticing that they did indeed. She checked the price of 3 packs, and informed me that the 8 pack one was the cheapest. I took it, titillated by the apprehension of further photo-taking opportunities. Thank you The Quik Shop for making my life whole again.

Another of Bangor's really well established wee businesses that has been around for as long as I…read morecan remember. A few of my friends have worked here as paper boys in their youth so I'm no stranger to calling in here. It is a pretty standard wee newsagents with a good selection of whatever it is you would expect in a newsagent. There is a good selection of newspapers, magazines and some groceries. The staff are friendly and polite and are usually young people from the area so the service is good, if not award winning. There is a good paper delivery service available here but its in a nice wee area so its not a bad walk if you want to go down and get your paper in the morning.

Great local newsagents. Wide variety of the local papers and magazines. The staff are always very…read morefriendly, are mainly young and local. It has a pretty decent selection of birthday cards if you can't be bothered heading down to a shopping centre of into the town. Does everything a newsagents would do. There is a great post office located at the back of the shop, which stays open to 6 and some nights 8. Handy to tax your car or pay of some outstanding credit card bills. This shop has a great paper delivery service if can't always pop down and get your papers, but with it being a lovely place and the beach is only a few metres away why wouldn't you want to walk down in the morning. The only thing is it's very hard to get parked here sometimes so walking might be your better option!