I am technically from Antrim (despite being on the periphery between it and County Down), but I had…read morenever come across this newspaper until yesterday. And I must say, I was pleasantly surprised. Covering a whole matter of issues, from UFF statements to Crumlin's new Tesco store, and from stories on animal cruelty to an article on the exorbitant charges in relation to hospitals (all included in this particular edition), the Antrim Guardian features a whole lot more than any newspaper I've ever read. You've got your family announcements (death notices and the like), careers section (including information and advice on career choices / how to cope with exam results), Classifieds, 'What's on in town' (a guide to entertainment etc), a Trades and Services Guide, Appointments (which is really just the job's section), Motor Showcase, pages and pages of pictures and a sport's section. Flip. As if that wasn't enough, they dot loads of little random stories throughout the paper, mainly with regard to legal enquiries / court cases. One such story that particularly caught my eye was a case on assault, with the charged pleading guilty to attacking another man. Apparently this was linked to his relationship with his girlfriend, with whom he had been having problems. The best bit (and this totally made my day) is when the defence says, "You can not be in love and be wise. The defendant decided himself to go and speak to the other male in person to sort things out." Excellent. You would really need all day to read the Antrim Guardian, and despite only incorporating stories from the county itself, it is a long read, and incredibly thorough. It is a great local paper, and I felt I got my money's worth for the £1 I spent on it.

Simpson's fitted the bill quite nicely for the purpose of magazine and sweet buying, and it was…read morequite an agreeable little shop really, so the outcome = happy Lynne, writing equally happy review. Deceptively big (I *love* these kinds of shops, sad that I am), Simpsons stocks a large variety of magazines and newspapers, including a Northern Irish fashion magazine that I have been unable to find elsewhere (review to come shortly). Once I had found this, my eyes were quickly distracted by the stand filled with offers on different confectionery, and in particular the 3 for 60p Chewits offer (I'm such a sucker for, well, anything chewy). Joining the queue, I realised that the back of the shop extends back much further than I had originally noticed. I picked up a packet of chewing gum, had a joke at the til, and went on my merry way. To happily write this review, you see.

The Newtownabbey Times is a local newspaper which has been circulated around the area for over 100…read moreyears. It is published by Johnston Press plc. (One of the top 3 largest local newspaper publishers in the UK) It's sister papers include the Carrickfergus and Larne Times, each with their own offices in the respective areas. Together they have been reporting news stories around the East Antrim area since the 1860s. Focusing mainly on local news, it is a valuable source of community information and news updates. It is currently published every Thursday and coverage includes news, sports, health and education amongst a number of contemporary news stories or reviews. For more information or to contact the newspaper, email susan.gillen@jpress.co.uk or send your letters to Newtownabbey Times, 14 Portland Avenue, Glengormley, Newtownabbey, BT36 5EY. Telephone: 028 9084 3621

Newtownabbey Times includes stories from all across the area - from Ballyduff to Ballyclare, from…read moreCarnmoney to Templepatrick, and from Glengormley to Jordanstown. It's comprehensive coverage mean that it's a) quite an in-depth paper (certainly not on par with The Sun etc), and b) it takes quite a while to read (not such a good idea when on a hot, stuffy bus from Ballyclare to Belfast, with ten screaming teenagers arguing over whether it's a bikelist or a cyclist...). I did, however, come across a few interesting nuggets of information. For example, who knew that there even was a Women's Rugby World Cup, let alone the fact that one of Ireland's players comes from Whiteabbey? Or indeed that there is a singing group known as the Belfast Phoenix Choir? My life has been greatly enhanced thanks to these wonderful pieces of completely useful information. As well as the news section, the Newtownabbey Times has a rather amusing birthday component (one particular vengeful twin used this to her advantage), as well as a jobs section (Primark are looking Christmas staff already?!), business news, a sports section, property news, a careers / training / education insert, and a lengthy motorcar segment. All in all, not a bad paper.

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.

If you are under the age of 60 then seven fm isnt for you, does play chart type music throughout…read morethe day but the djs are so out of touch as the listerners much be i guess it can be quite painful to listen too. You thought that was the bad bit? well it wasnt, at night they play this dire Irish country what i can only describe as diddly diddly music from bands and singers that no one has heard of

As an easy listening radio station that I think serves the area well. I love the 'local touch' and…read morethink the presenters do a good job, competing well with larger and longer established stations such as Downtown etc. The banter and craic can cheer up a dull day and it is amazing the following they get for their competitions. A plus point is that they do local community type announcements letting you know of events etc in the area.

Despite sounding like it could (and should) be me, Local Shopper is actually a free publication…read morethat provides a 'platform' (their words, not mine) for local businesses to advertise and offer deals to prospective clientele. Good idea, eh? Delivered by the Royal Mail once monthly to 207,000 homes and businesses in the Belfast, Bangor, Newtownabbey and Lisburn areas, there are different versions of the Local Shopper for each particular neighbourhood. For example, the one I receive is delivered to 13,500 homes in the Braniel, Tullycarnet, Gilnahirk and Dundonald areas, and is tweaked to suit our area, with adverts from the likes of Papa Johns in Dundonald, Envy tanning and beauty in Ballybeen and Gilnahirk Tyres and Exhausts. Not only do each of these businesses get a decent sized ad in this eight page magazine, but many of these ads double up as coupons / money-off vouchers for that particular company. Fun Works in Glengormley (one of very few businesses which isn't that nearby) are offering 20% off when you produce their ad, whilst the Green Energy Store in Bangor are promoting their business with £200 off selected energy store systems. Local Shopper is a great idea for local businesses, but also for the prospective customers. Good work!

The Local Shopper is a little advertisement free sheet which is popped in the door of of over…read more200,00 Belfast homes every month. It is quite informative and is tailored to suit your area. The businesses are actually quite useful, they'll let you know about skips for hire in your area, great deals on electrical goods and some great deals and vouchers for pizzas. As far as most advertisement free sheets go, this is a quality one worth reading instead of chucking in the bin.

These guys are at the heart of Northern Ireland's current film and TV renaissance - I can guarantee…read moreyou've seen some of their work. Whether it's Game of Thrones filmed at their Titanic Quarter studios or on location at the Mourne Mountains these are the folks who create all the magic. They manage all crew and production and many of Belfast's bearded men have appeared as extras in GOT thanks to NI Screen. They have also helped to boost the economy through tourism - they do great work and it's there for us all to see. Finally things filmed in Northern Ireland that we can all be proud of and it's down to the creation and vision of NI Screen. Keep an eye out for the workshops they run from their Titanic studios and their education programme - these are a must for aspiring Film makers and anyone who wants to work within mass media.

The Irish News is the paper which apparently represents the nationalist community in NI. Personally…read moreI think this paper is quite fair and offers honest articles which cover a large portion of both communities. My old history lecturer Brian Feeney has a column in this paper and it really is a very witty one. This papers fairness I think does tend to make it a little on the dull side. It's hard to be entertaining when your not pointing an accusing finger or 'exposing' someone as the Sunday World loves to do every week. The sports section is probably the most bias part of the paper. There is way to much coverage of GAA. I don't have a problem with this on any political grounds. I have a problem with this because I find GAA to be the most boring sport on the planet.

I don't put a lot of stock in newspapers these days. I think it's just to hard for them to keep up…read morewith news, since online and broadcast news can react so much faster, but the Irish News is one paper I do have faith in. Yes, it's a nationalist paper (really, there's very little in Northern Ireland that isn't split along nationalist/unionist lines, but hopefully that's changing), but it provides quality news reporting, that is influenced by nationalist ideas, but not blinded by them. It's a tabloid by definition, but doesn't share any characteristics with the British red tops. You won't find any up-skirt pap shots of Lindsey Lohan here! Rather, you'll get interesting commentary from writers like Newton Emerson. It is mildly annoying that the website is subscription only, but given that that seems to be the way newspaper companies are headed, it might be something we have to get used to...

I had the pleasure of doing an internship at The Irish Times Belfast office earlier this year…read more Fanum house, even with it's gray industrial exterior, broken lifts and air conditioning, still holds a certain charm for me. It was here I had the pleasure of working with Gerry Moriarty, Northern Editor and Dan Keenan, Northern News Editor, in the events running up to the devolution of policing and justice powers back in February 2010. The Irish Times northern correspondents have been based there since the seventies. Generally, the northern office contributes about seven stories or commentary pieces to the paper each day. The Irish Times, which is based in Dublin was established in 1859 and focuses on Irish news and politics, as well as international news, sports, arts and culture. The northern office mainly focuses on political issues in the province. The paper is published 6 days a week, Monday to Saturday. It is regarded as the most reputable newspaper in Ireland. The office is run by a super lady named Faye. If you ring with any queries, Faye will sort you out. Like most newspaper offices, the Irish Times Northern HQ (referred to the editor as 'The Rat Pit') has it's quirks. Most notably- an office which is painted completely green, yes even the radiators, the exuberant and charming cleaning lady from the Falls road and an old Jewish businessman who calls in every week with a pair of scissors to cut out sections of the previous days paper.

With the usual amount of tabloid rubbish taking up way too many pages, at least we can always rely…read moreon a newspaper ending in "times" to provide something of a journalistic approach to their job. When it comes to news papers, if it ends in "times" or "telegraph" 9 times out of 10 it probably has something to do with current affairs on their front page, and not something to do with Ashley Cole taking photographs of his bits and pieces to send to prostitutes. The Irish Times, though not my first choice in newspapers, certainly has me interested whenever I see it lying about. The journalism is focused on "important" events, usually politics but unlike a lot of the English press, the Irish Times relies heavily on local events, and local news stories. If it is a solid newspaper with it's head in the right place that you are after, then this is certainly worth a read. However if you want to find out about some X Factor winner going on a date with someone who once played football for Bristol City, then you probably will not find it in this paper. And rightly so.

I'm actually surprised by the fact that I enjoyed the Ulster Tatler so much. I'd always had it down…read moreas an older ladies magazine, which is certainly is to an extent, but I did rather appreciate the variety of articles and information covered. Of course, there's the obligatory photos of just about every social event in Northern Ireland (and that includes a few graduation photos...definitely the place to be seen, especially in relation to the style stakes), and the guides to finding the most exorbitantly priced makeup / beauty salon / restaurant in the province, but there are a few interesting articles that I didn't realise would feature in such a publication. A few interviews with local well-to-do people appear, as well as a focus on a certain town in NI, which happens to be Ballyclare in this month's edition, cultural information and travel news. I doubt they could have fitted in much more if they'd tried... Not quite my cup of tea, but you certainly get your money's worth with a well-packed magazine that features the best of Norn Iron.