I'm all for promoting local businesses via this forum and sharing stuff we pick up along the way. This looks interesting from the Guardian:

Introducing the Guardian's local shopping map

Do you have a favourite local shop you want to tell people
about? Our new interactive map helps people discover and share the best places to shop in their area

We keep hearing about the death of the high street and the growth of chain-shop Britain. But there are still thousands of brilliant independent shops out there - and we want your help to find them.

Today the Guardian launches an open community project looking for the best retailers across the UK and beyond. We have built a comprehensive interactive map to promote fantastic local retailers, market stalls, restaurants, cafes, booksellers and all the shops that enhance your local community.

It's easy to get involved, and you do it using Twitter, Instagram, or n0tice – our new online community platform. As long as you have turned 'location on' and tagged your reports with #localshopping, the images and stories will be pinned to a live map of shops across the UK and beyond.

There are rewards too. The best tips will be featured on the map, with the "Best local shopper" crowned alongside the location that's the "Most popular #LocalShopping" hotspot.

The tool can also be used by local businesses to put their shops, products and best deals on the map so shoppers can find them, and discover something great to buy locally.

The Guardian's local shopping map can be embedded on other sites too, just like a YouTube video. Local blogs, news sites, community hubs and retail web sites can all benefit from what people are posting in their area and help spread the word about what's going on in the community.

So, here's our simple three-step guide to share your best tips and
pin them to the map

1. Take a picture and write your tip.
2. Turn your location on so we know where to pin your post.
3. Tweet, Instagram or n0tice it with #LocalShopping.

READ MORE HERE: http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2...p-guardian

(Hat tip: SydenhamCentral)