This is a newspaper where nothing is new. But that isn't a bad thing. It is full of nostalgic and…read morehistorical news items, looking back over the Black Country's history. The Bugle has been going since 1972 and is still published weekly in 2012. The paper operates from small offices on Cradley Heath High Street, though it is now owned by Staffordshire Newspapers. My Granddad used to read it every week and would clip out pictures and stories that featured people he knew. It is Black Country through and through and something that always makes me proud to call Cradley Heath home.

This news paper is always in my grand parents house and it confuses the hell out of me…read more My old man used to go into to this store and request the articles and pictures printed in higher quality for him to keep. Starting in the 1970's and even it 2012 it has been a weekly newspaper. The archives and information held and collected by the Bugle is an ground breaking feat in its self. The whole idea of the Black Country is in need of a lot of love and the Bugle definitely pinors our local history.

I've been popping in and out of this shop since I was about 10 years old. My earliest memory of the…read moreplace is when Granddad lived around the corner on Dyas Road and would always pick up his Evening Mail from there. I find it very satisfying that the shop is still there and looks pretty much as I remember it as a kid. Whilst it's changed hands a few times over the years it's still a reassuring fixture of the Kingstanding Road. These days I drop in once a month or so to buy tobacco, or some other 'essential' (is tobacco an essential?) as I pass through Kingstanding. As well as a newsagent this is also an off licence - it wasn't like that in my Granddad's day! - so, if the mood takes you, you can always pick up a beer or two for a reasonable price.

Selling a wide range of newspapers, magazines and everyday household items, this small…read morenewsagent-come-convenience store is a handy place to stop by whenever you're passing through Kingstanding. A large public car park is located just over the road, for shoppers visiting the Hawthorn shopping centre and several bus stops are within walking distance. Inside, the store is clean, spacious and very well organised. Though small in size, logical organisation and lack of makeshift shelving make ensure that the store never feels cramped, and friendly staff make every visit here a pleasant one. The prices are surprisingly good too.

Located just above New Street Station in the Pallasades shopping centre, Newsflow is a small,…read moreunassuming newsagent. However, despite its appearances, don't be fooled. If I'm every after a drink, snack, or something to read on the train, I always head here instead of the much larger Smiths down on the station concourse. Newsflow's main selling point is the surprisingly expansive selection of magazines that they have on offer, with more than their wall space seems capable of holding. The prices haven't been ramped up with the proximity to the station in mind, either (a sharing bag of sweets retails for less than £2, which is competitive for anywhere, even large supermarkets), and the staff are always friendly. Even better, there's rarely a queue, meaning it can often prove to faster to go upstairs to Newsflow and then come back down to catch your train than it is to go to the nearby Smiths and queue for five minutes.