Oliver Schofield, formerly of the Nottingham Evening Post, takes a light-hearted look at the perils of being on the neighbourhood reporting beat in his entry for our recent writing competition. (Judging for the laptop computer prize is still under way).

War-torn Beirut is a dangerous place. The back alleys of Moscow are treacherous, even the old cobbles of London are a walk on the wildside.

But the suburban streets of Arnold, Nottingham? Surely not.

It may not sound glamorous, it may not sound dangerous, it may not even sound interesting, but believe me, the mean streets of quaint little Arnold are where the real action is.

On every corner there's a charity shop, a hairdresser's, a library, a community centre, a pub.

This is the real front line. This is where the real wars are won and lost.

Mrs Beaton, (62), from Dr. Barnardo's Charity shop is more fearsome than any evil dictator - she's forgotten more about jumbles sales than Oxfam Sally from across the road, who is no junk-hunt slouch herself, will ever know.

Try talking to Debbie, (22), from Golden Scissors Hairdressers - she's the pretty one with the deep mahogany tan. This snipper's loose lips are legendary and can, at any point, reveal who's sleeping with who, the current plot of Coronation Street, or the opening times of the Co-op.

The Dog on the Pond is a hotbed of interest, only last week it was found the quiz night was rigged - all hell broke loose.

And the library is not all about books. They also hire CDs, videos, and tapes.

Riveting huh? Maybe not, but investigative journalism isn't always about bringing down governments, dodging bullets, or sidestepping land mines.

It's about getting to the heart of a story, learning about the people and places involved, getting to know the truth.

It doesn't matter if it's Kuwait or Corby, the same rules apply.

And like someone once said: 'The truth is out there, somewhere.' What better place to start looking than your own back yard?

As for quiz night, I always thought Big Dave looked suspicious.

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