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Quiet day in the office? In need of some inspiration to fill that slot on the features page? Check out our story ideas here and see if you can take news developments from around the UK and localise them for your patch.

If you would like to share a story idea with our readers, you can email us at [email protected] and we will upload it to the site.

How small businesses recruit

What pitfalls do small businesses face when recruiting? What stories do local businesses in your area have to tell? Because a lot of companies still hire through word-of-mouth recommendation or “gut instinct” they could be lining up a lot of

Pampered pooches

Do you miss your beloved pet when you’re away on holiday? A handful of boarding kennels have set up internet webcams so that owners can check their precious pup is OK while they are away. With just one click they

Safe summer sex

Confidential advice services are gearing up ready to concentrate on safe summer sex for people going on holiday. Their motto is that people should come home with happy memories, not worry or illness. And they say people should pack condoms

Help yourself

Self-help groups exist where people with similar problems or issues get together to discuss their difficulties and bounce ideas off one another. A number of websites have links to groups for all kinds of people. One of the largest of

Students filling the gap

Students fresh out of sixth form college or university may be considering a gap year to gain some ‘life experience’. One student, Will Parkhouse, chose to combine his with some work experience on a newspaper in India. Read about his

Fitness after pregnancy

Starting a fitness programme is always daunting. But even though it is even tougher with the demands of a small baby, the advice is to make time for fitness after pregnancy. The first stop for fitness advice is the midwife

Carry on camping

More and more people are taking to the fresh countryside air and getting out camping. There’s much more on offer than cold baked beans, collapsed tents and rain, rain, rain. Special holiday deals mean that it’s even possible to go

Breaking bad news

As a journalist there’s a good chance you will have been to interview a recently bereaved reader after a road smash or some other tragedy. It’s never easy and nothing can prepare you for your first “death knock”. But what

Listed buildings

England’s Listed Buildings are immortalised online at: imagesofengland.org.uk. Check out the ones in your region.

Download your brain

By the middle of the 21st century it *might* be possible to download your brain to a supercomputer. Ask some well-known locals which parts of their brain or memory they would like preserving for ever.

Checking out the animal shelters

The summer months are busy for animal rescue centres as people go off on holiday without a thought for their abandoned pets. Is there any room at your local RSPCA, Cats Protection shelter or volunteer animal welfare group? Which animals

Flirting from your car

There’s a new trend spreading throughout the country for everyday drivers… The people who run motorflirt.com offers a service which allows drivers from all over the country to flirt and communicate by text message – using vehicle number plates. Members

Working from home

More companies are said to be waking up to the benefits of letting staff work from home and other remote locations so they rarely need to set foot in the office. Is this good for work-life balance but bad for

Take an e-citizen course

What’s an e-citizen course? Why not try one out at www.e-citizen.gov.uk.

Do it yourself?

Busy Britons are increasingly relying on hired help. Rather doing simple chores like ironing, cooking and walking the dog, people would rather reach for the phone and ‘get someone in’. Is there nothing we can’t get done for us these

Working from home

More companies are said to be waking up to the benefits of letting staff work from home and other remote locations and they rarely need to set foot in the office. Is this good for work-life balance but bad for