Before its demise, Brow's Lane newsagents was the place to go for all your confectionary and…read moreperiodical needs but now that it's gone there is only one newsagents left in the village, the cunningly named Village News. Being that they are the only proper newsagents in the village and they have a good selection of sweets and canned goods, there's not much wrong with the Village News. Their collections of magazines is especially impressive, with a range so extensive it nearly puts WH Smiths to shame. One thing that is a bit annoying though is that all the sweets are just in front of the desk where you pay for everything, so choosing which sweets you want becomes somewhat of a palaver. There's nothing worse than having someone watch as you umm and ah over whether you should buy a Boost even though it's 57p or just play it safe and go with the tried and trusted Mars Bar at 40p. Aside from that though, this newsagents ticks all the boxes. They also have a container sat outside with different sized balls in, come rain or shine, which can be especially handy on nice days when the kids are outside. Not so much when it's pissing it down though.

Since the closing of the once mighty Brows Lane News (where once I scratched a living as a…read morepaperboy, eating wildlife bars and delivering copies of the Daily Express to the wrong houses) this is the only independent newspaper and magazine retailer in Formby Village. It's important to support the shop for that reason alone - although you can buy newspapers and magazines at Waitrose, Marks and Spencer and even Caffe Nero it's important to keep these places going. After all where else in the local area are you going to be able to get hold of a copy of Angling World or Tattoos Today? Nowhere, that's where. They do sell beach goods - inflatable balls, buckets and spades, that sort of thing - which are always indispensible should you find yourself heading down to Formby beach with youngsters in tow. They are also the only place for miles around that does loose Lions Sports Mixtures and Midget Gems which are like my very own version of crack cocaine.

S K B News is a solid if unspectacular newsagent that offers its customers the usual selection of…read moresweets, drinks, magazines and newspapers, all of which are available at a fairly reasonable price (obviously their sweets are pretty horrendously overpriced, but definitely no worse than anywhere else). The shop itself is quite small but they do manage to fit quite a lot in, meaning the selection of goods there is pretty impressive. One thing that did catch my eye in the window as I entered was a selection of drawings of such celebrities as Justin Bieber and JLS that whilst somewhat bizarre, was quite entertaining. So, S K B News is a decent place to go for all your magazine, newspaper or confectionary needs as well as if you're looking to pick up a drawing or two of your favourite celebrities. Whether they're done in store I don't know though.

I've not been in here for quite a few years, the main reason being that even at 10am in the morning…read moresometimes this shop is closed with a pile of newspapers and magazines still wrapped up outside and waiting for someone to come and open the shop. I was always under the impression that newsagents shops are supposed to be open at around 6.30am because there is always someone roaming around who may need something.

When I revisited Southport after many years, it was as a Manchester resident, and I've got used to…read morecity prices. I've also got used to not seeing my favourite niche items in newsagents, such as fizzy sugar-free Vimto and large bags of jelly babies for less than a pound or red rope liquorice fondant pencils. Now, in Manchester you have to shop around for these things. Poundland or Poundstretcher for the sugar-free fizzy Vimto, Tesco for the fondant pencils, Home Bargain for the cheap Maynards and so on and so on. This newsagent is crammed to bursting with retro stuff, pick n' mix, the widest variety of soft drinks I've ever seen and tons more, including, obviously, printed news and magazines. I'm a huge fan of it and the shopkeepers are mighty friendly too. Definitely check it out if you're shopping in Southport.

Angry and aggressive gentleman working at the till! Unable…read moreto return parcels unless you arrive within an hour of the courier coming to collect them- this would be okay if he explained instead of being rude and aggressive when you foolishly turn up with your parcel because you are unaware ( the courier website says differently to what they shout at you)

This is one of those bookshops that makes you love literature again, not that you'd ever fall out…read morewith it. A labyrinthine warren of wonderment at every turn, I came here on the offchance when I started my Postmodernism module at university. I was seeking out a book by Jane Rogers called Mr Wroe's Virgins, and I was quite excited to be studying a writer that I'd actually been compared to in my creative writing class the former semester. Oh yes, my head was feeling pretty huge. Anyway I hadn't found the thing anywhere, and my father suggested we pop in here and have a looksee. Well, they had the book, of course. There's nothing this place can't do. They had the book in hardback. Have you realised what a great condition hardbacks actually stay in? Mr Wroe's Virgins has been thumbed, pencilled, dragged with me back and forth to the lectures of a certain Dr Rowland (the only reason I did so well in my final semester was because of my all-consuming crush on that man), I've fallen asleep on it in the wee small hours while writing essays and drooled on its pages and the book still looks fresh as the driven snow. Gotta hand it to the hardbacks. You could literally spend hours here. Not only is there a 'new' bookshop for the non-second-hand stuff, but there are no less than eight second-hand book rooms, two rare book rooms, a book-binding and restoration service and school supply as well as there being an open fire in the middle of all this. The only thing it's missing is a cafe - get some hot drinks and brownies on the go and I'll actually move in. No joke. The place is incredibly atmospheric and beautiful. Your head swims with the scent of well-thumbed, well-loved tomes that carry the echo of the laughter, tears or comfort they might have caused. This is my favourite bookshop in the world. The staff are experts and you can tell they adore books, which is always reassuring to anyone browsing or seeking out something specific. It's been going since 1926 and long may it continue.