I have visited BBC Birmingham on a number of occasions and I have had the privilege of going into…read morethe BBC WM and BBC Midlands Today studios. I honestly felt at home working here and I would love to work at BBC Birmingham in the future if given an opportunity. I worked alongside some famous media personalities in the West Midlands such as Ed Doolan, Joanne Malin and Arshia Riaz. I have also spoken to some of the Midlands Today correspondents. So many fond memories occur when I keep coming back here and as well as the WM radio studios and Midlands Today being here, BBC Asian Network also have studios at BBC Birmingham. And there is also a BBC Shop where you can buy BBC related items such as: DVD's, books, mugs etc. That's not all. You can also tour the Midlands Today and WM studios by going on the BBC Birmingham Tour. Go onto the BBC Tours website to find out more.

I can't deny it, I am a fan of the BBC. I listen to their radio stations, I am a nut for Doctor Who…read moreand love their radio plays. Although the BBC presence in the Midlands has lessened over the years, we do still have the Mailbox visitor centre and hub; so at least there is still something here! I am yet to experience the full BBC tour (which includes a chance to present the weather, see the studios and watch live broadcasts), but I have popped into the visitors centre and the shop for an event recently. First thing to mention.... T.A.R.D.I.S. There is a blinkin' TARDIS in the shop! There are also darleks spotted around the place, so if you're a Whovian - you will be in your element! The shop sells merchandise from many of their well known television series (including lots of Children's toys), so if you have someone in your life who is a fan of a particular franchise; it's worth popping down and seeing what they have. There is a good selection of DVD's, CD's and general branded paraphernalia - so well worth stopping by when you're in the mailbox for a very quick gander. I'll have to update this when I finally get around to doing the tour, but if you've been - why not pop up your experience?

Arden News is a nice little newsagent located next to Somerfield on Weoley Castle Square. From the…read moreoutside it looks quite old fashioned and dingy - actually it looks the same inside but I like it in here because there is a good selection of products and the special offers and promotions are great! There are lots of magazines and newspapers to choose from as you would expect, they will order in various Irish publications at cost as there is quite a large Irish community in Weoley Castle. The newspapers and mags are laid out in such a way that I can see at a glance where my favourite is, the magazines are all displayed in groups so you can expect to find the celeb magazines (Closer, Heat etc) together, the womens interest magazines (Bella, Best etc) together and so on. Arden News also sells a good range of greetings cards which are very nicely priced, much cheaper than the cards in nearby Somerfield and very good quality. They also stock a good range of boxed and bagged chocolates which are ideal for a last minute birthday gift, the prices on these are brilliant and they regularly have special offers on the sweets and chocolates which makes this my first port of call in Weoley Castle when I am looking for chocolates for any occasion. You can buy a cold drink in Arden News from one of the tall Coca Cola fridges, again the prices are slightly cheaper than the supermarket next door so it makes sense to buy your small bottle of pop from here to wander around the Square with! I tend to buy my cigarettes from here, for the main reason that I am usually wanting to buy a magazine and some chocolate at the same time and I like the fact that I can buy all my bits and pieces from here and then sit on the bench outside and enjoy a fag and nosey at what Kerry Katona is doing lately! The ladies who work in Arden News are all nice, they serve quickly and don't tend to stand around chatting while people are waiting. This shop gets busy very quickly and there is often a long queue down the centre of the shop, but it quickly goes down once the women get serving.

Barrys newsagents is located in sankeys corner and right on the corner. It has been around for a…read morewhile now I would say at least 10 years maybe more. It is a really useful shop to have it will provide you with pretty much everything you need i.e sweets, papers etc. The prices are really cheap and the customer interaction is good staff are really friendly. It isn't the biggest of shops so do expect it to be fairly cramped especially when the school kids are out on there lunch time but if you manage to miss them then its fine.

Stars News Shops is the local newsagents, this store is based on Telford Estate in Shrewsbury. The…read moreshop is in the hub of the community, offering services such as newspaper delievery, be that the daily papers, sunday papers, or the local evening paper the Shropshire Star. The shop stocks newspapers, magazines, small sweet selections, a lottery facility, so you can buy those lucky numbers just incase you have forgotten to get your lottery ticket. The shop itself is in a small parade of shops, and there is a large car park at the side, which is free to use.

I'll be honest ... Its a newsagent. It sells paper, fags and assorted other stuff. It may be a…read morequicker option than the Spar next door and there's parking out back. Try not to park on the double yellow lines out front if you don't want to face me tutting mightily. But IT'S A NEWSAGENTS. Do you really need a review? Do you care about the ambiance when you are buying your copy of the Sun, your 20 B&H and your scratchcard??

A great newsagent and convenience store in St Georges, providing a crucial shop for older people in…read morethe area who cant travel far from home. This store is a lifeline for many people and the staff make it so, they are helpful and chatty and make an effort to talk to you, sometimes I think this is the only conversation some people get all day! For groceries, basics and newspapers this place is indespensible and they also have a lottery machine. Handy shop for everyday needs and also for those bits and pieces you forgot at the supermarket. Well recommended.

A local corner shop thats not on a cornerStars is twinned with a post office and serves the…read morecommunity very well whether you need that morning paper or to post a parcel that's to big for the letterbox. This place always has friendly staff and is very competitive on price and is in a great place to capture a lot of local trade and perhaps some people who are driving into Birmingham.

Whenever I'm shopping on the Hawthorn Road in Kingstanding I will always pop into the appallingly…read morenamed Supercigs for some sweets for the kids - and my cigs, of course! It's a great little newsagents which I believe is part of a chain, but this branch is absolutely brilliant. They have a large selection of magazines and newspapers which is great for me as I love my trashy celeb mags, the magazines are laid out logically which is great compared to the newsagents nearby who seems to think it's a good idea to place Heat magazine next to Coarse Fishing books! They have a couple of fridges stocked with a nice selection of soft drinks which are reasonably priced and always well stocked. The 'munchies' section is the best part of Supercigs; they sell a brilliant range of crisps, boxed cakes, chocolate bars, sweets, chewing gum and bagged sweets. My daughters' love the bagged sweets because as well as the usual pineapple chunks and jelly beans they can also choose more exciting sweets such as chocolate Brazil nuts or dried banana chips. The sweets are all very reasonably priced, not just the bagged ones but across the board in this branch. The use-by dates are aways a way off in the future so I'm not such how they can offer such large discounts, but on my last visit I bought multi-packs of Monster Munch for £1 and a bag containing six Cadbury's chocolate bars for just 99p! My kids love it in here because the couple of quid I give them for sweets lasts so much further than if they spent it in the Co-Op. You can also buy greetings cards in here and in the centre of the shop are usually some discount baskets which can hold anything from kids' gardening sets (£1.99, although this was a couple of Summers ago) to huge boxes of marshmallows. Another thing I love about this branch of Supercigs is the fact that I can pay all my bills in there, it's a Paypoint outlet so any bill I have which requires a card or statement for payment I would simply hand over for them to scan and pay the money owed with no charges for this service. Saves a trip to the bank, and believe me I'd much rather be in a shop than a bank!

The largest newsroom in Europe (outside of London), the post and Mail produces; The Birmingham…read morePost, The Birmingham Mail, The Sunday Mercury and it also prints the City's edition of The Metro. Located on Colmore row, it's a 10 minute walk from Newstreet Station, past Rackhams and down Weaman street. If you are thinking of becoming a journalist it is THE place to head. There are numerous well experienced hacks and photographers who you can steal tips from. Competition is tough and they apparently receive nearly 100 applications for work experience a week, so try and get in early. All teams will be re-locating to the Fort Dunlop building in the summer.