East Kilbride is the biggest town in Scotland so its local newspaper has a lot to cover including…read moresome affluent areas some less affluent areas. The area encompasses a hospital, shopping centre and tons of schools, all typical breeding ground for good stories. Annoyingly, the office is in Hamilton which is miles away. Such office closures need to be carried out in the face of tough times for the print media but it is a shame to lose the local paper face to face feel. However, the East Kilbride news have tried to salvage this by offering editorial surgeries every Thursday lunchtime in the library.

It's an indication of the demise of local newspapers in the UK that the East Kilbride News was…read moreforced to close up shop in the town it covers. Instead, it is now based solely in Hamilton in a move which will surely dilute reporters' abilities to have fingers on the local pulse. It's a great shame for a paper like the EK News which actually retained good links with the community.Indeed face to face contact has now diminished to one weekly editorial surgery. Nevertheless the paper continues to battle valiantly on and offers good exposure to local organisations. Serving one of the biggest towns in the UK, this is a generally better-than-average local paper with plenty of scope for a wide range of news. The initial signs have been reasonable, but only time will tell if the lack of a local presence will take its toll on circulation figures long time. Hopefully not.

The Hamilton Advertiser covers news in Hamilton and the surrounding areas. It is owned by Scottish…read moreand Universal Newspapers who own a number of local publications including The Lennox Herald and The Wishaw Press. It has all the usual local newspaper suspects such as births deaths and marriages. The newspaper also provides the most extensive coverage of the Hamilton Accies football team who play in the Scottish Premier League. The newspaper office is handily situated in the centre of Hamilton, close to the train station.

Better than average local paper which thankfully hasn't been affected too badly by the recent cuts…read moremade by its owners, Scottish and Universal Newspapers. This is because, while others have seen their face-to-face contact with the public eliminated by office closures, Hamilton is the location of the central office and as a result the Advertiser retains its local presence. As well as the usual fare, the paper excels with its well-informed sports coverage, particularly in terms of local side, Hamilton Accies. Despite being an SPL club, national exposure remains criminally sparse meaning the Advertiser's coverage is vital and well-deserved.

I went here recently when I had problems with my home computer to finish off some work I had to do…read more I have never been to an internet cafe in my life. It was super busy and full of mostly international students using email and the usual stuff. They didn't have the version of microsoft word I needed in order to do the tasks I had to do, so it was a waste of a journey for me and still had to pay £1 for 15 minutes even though I was there for approximately 3. The rates are reasonable but it is quite cramped inside with uncomfortable high chairs which are quite close to the person beside you which is awkward. Not as comfortable as a nice University library, which is what I'm used to.

It seems that all you crazy kids with your high falutin' smartphones and Blackberries and fax…read moremachines have made internet cafes obsolete. Most in Glasgow have folded; only Yeeha remains. So explained the fellow at Yeeha, anyway. On a Sunday afternoon I suddenly remembered I had to print out plane tickets for an insanely early Monday flight. So I was very grateful that Yeeha is open until 6pm on Sundays, an hour and a half later than the closest Staples. It doesn't look like much from the street, just a small sign that's easy to miss. Wear comfortable shoes for the two-storey climb upstairs. You may also wish to bring sanitary hand wipes; the keyboard I used was pretty grubby.

After walking across the Meadows to go to those early morning tutorials at university for a good…read moreyear, I had become familiar, as does everybody who walks that way, with the local Big Issue vendor. A cherry and friendly man, after a few months I decided to finally purchase a copy of the Big Issue. And since then, I have frequently bought it and enjoyed it. At first, you might not think much of it, but after a while you will appreciate what a great read it is. It has a range of interviews with stars (There was a brilliant interview with Amy MacDonald recently!) and also has a lot of in depth reporting on local issues. Indeed, I have found the Big Issue to be a brilliant hub of knowledge for reviews of local gigs and shows, and also a great source for adverts for jobs, events etc... Most of all, the majority of vendors I have come across are really friendly and are happy to show you directions as some know the city so well. If you fancy supporting a good cause and want a magazine which has the big interviews intertwined with local issues then the Big Issue is a great read! (Also, it reviews the Fringe Festival in Edinburgh, an added bonus!)

Local newsagent and Tobacconist. Gillian and the staff are all lovely, friendly and make buying…read moreyour daily newspaper a thing to look forward to. They have all the books, magazines and cards you will need and are happy to order anything they dont have that you require.

Tommy Tango is a little corner shop in Whifflet main street that has the biggest selection of…read moresweets that you have ever seen. It sells loads of sweets by the quarter such as the old classics sweet peanuts, pear drops and Cola Cubes. I still feel like a kid when I go in to this shop and see all the jars of sweets lined up waiting to be measured out. Staff are nice and as well as sweets can buy other items including magazines etc. I stocked up recently with Cola Cubes and Pear Drops to make flavoured vodka's and the prices were really reasonable.

i-on Glasgow is the sister magazine of i-on Edinburgh. It's a lovely glossy lifestyle magazine that…read moreyou can pick up for FREE in various bars, restaurants and shops around the city. Inside the magazine you'll find a great selection of well written articles and glossy photographs documenting fashion, interior design, culture and local Glasgow events. You'll also find interviews with celebs (emphasis on Glaswegians). Businesses such as Mr Ben Vintage and Boudiche advertise with i-on, as it's a great way in which to reach the culture vultures of the city. Definitely pick up this little gem next time you see it sitting in the magazine rack at your local cafe!

The Carluke and Lanark Gazette is a rather old fashioned newspaper which serves old ladies and…read moremembers of the women's rural institute who are keen to find out who won the best napkin shaped like a swan at last week's competition. Best bit of the paper is court watch. From serious assaults to shoplifting, every criminal's name, age and address is published for all to see and gossip about until the end of time.

As Johnston Press papers go, the Carluke and Lanark Gazette is one of the more exciting ones on…read moreaccount of its lively court watch pages. It is also a very traditional paper and continues to wrok in conjuction with many local organisatons to help promote activities in the town. With an experienced team at the helm, it remains one of the safest local papers in the Scottish market at the moment.

Manager is grumpy, apart from that its a good wee shopread more