You know what, it may just be a bit of a dingy newsy, but this place is excellent. The chap in here…read moreis always really friendly, and what with all the drunken debauchery he must face night in and night out, that's an accomplishment alone. (They are on New Briggate near all the bars and take away.) Of course, there's nothing unusual about what they have inside, from chocolate, to drinks, to snacks to cigarettes, but for location and unsociable hours this place is fantastic. Basically, if I'm ever going to town and need tobacco later in the evening this place is always open. I believe they shut at 11pm, which is reasonable, but thus far I've struggled to find anywhere else open so late if I'm in need. Add to that the guy is always lovely, and you've one happy (and loyal) customer.

Gah, it makes me sad to write this update having returned to the world of smokers. It takes one…read morereally bad day and *bam* you're back on the fags. I had a school teacher that called smokers "dirty black lung faggers" and every time I fail to quit those eternal words run through my mind. Even so, I was in need of some extra cigarette papers so had the chance to pop in here once more to feed my habit. Friendly service was present, as with the last time I nipped in here, and not much more of a story to report! Handy, full of the essentials and small and poky just as all good newsys seem to be. Only minor thing was that they didn't have any extra slim filter tips, and since I try not to make my rollies cigar-sized, had to survive on my remaining few tips 'till I made it back to Headingley. No real bother though, y'know. It's only fags.

I desperately want to give this place a good review as when I was buying a paper and some crisps…read morethe guy behind the till was super-friendly and we had a good chat about the weather. Being British, I thoroughly enjoy these little exchanges. But the shop was pretty empty. There weren't many chocolate bars for sale, there were a few lonely looking space ships in a plastic jar on one shelf, I don't even smoke and I noticed the empty shelves behind the till that are normally full of cigarettes. Maybe I popped in on an off-day as there aren't many other news agents like this in Chapel Allerton so it can't be doing that badly! I did notice however a huge array of magazines, so perhaps everything else is superfluous.

It's only fair to update Bargain Booze, given how often I visit this handy wee shop. The main…read morepremise of my being a fan is twofold -one, it's merely 7 minutes away from my house, and two, the lady who works here is awesome. They mightn't have an excellent range of goods-you can expect the basics of most things you might need - but you can always expect a friendly welcome. All the chaps that work here provide plenty of banter, and are always friendly and helpful! In terms of basics, come here for cheap booze deals on wine, beer, spirits, cigarettes, basic bathroom items, sweets, snacks, milk, bread, drinks, pet food, cards and more. Not the cheapest, but not as ridiculous as some places, and always there when you need. Open until 10pm most nights-a little later on a Saturday I do believe. I'm a happy customer.

This newsagents was mighty handy when I spent days in the library as a student. They are…read moreessentially a newsagents selling cigarettes, papers, sweets and drinks but they also sold things I might want in study-breaks like yoghurts, cottage cheese or a muffin. The little pot of yoghurts are so cheap and if you ask they will give you a spoon too! It gets busy around lunch time but that's to be expected in any of the shops opposite the Parkinson Building. There is a big sign in front of the newspapers proclaiming that the shop is not a library, which always amused me as the space to read them is so narrow anyone attempting this would be put off by all the other customers barging past - something I have witnessed. Its a good place to pick up phone credit if like me you still have a pay-as-you-go mobile for fear of commitment to a contract and the guys working in their are pretty friendly especially if you're a regular.

WH Smith has become a staple of British travel, it seems every train station big or small pretty…read moremuch has one. This is pretty much your average location. The selection is pretty good for travel essentials, yet at an inflated cost which seems to be more expensive than anywhere else in the station. This Leeds Station branch appeared to be modernised slightly as a part of the station's improvement work. There was a good selection of snacks and drinks as well as newspapers, magazines. The alcohol here was VERY overpriced, you'd be better off heading to Wetherspoons at North Concourse if you're looking for a drink, with fresh drinks costing around the same as what you'd pay or the canned ones here. I get it, it's a train station and you're paying for convenience. The queuing area seemed to be a bit of a mess, with an employee appearing just to be talking to a number of people, who were blocking the self-service checkouts. I do think this could have been handled better. 3* - A great pitstop right next to the ticket gates as a last resort, but obviously much better options for price and selection within the city centre and cheaper options at the other end of the station if you have time.

The Smiths in the train station totally deserves a mention. I'm not saying I'm over the moon about…read morethe place - let's face facts. Everything in here has just that tiny bit extra on the price, purely because it is in the station and they will rely on you purchasing items before rushing to your train. We know this. However, being a massively panicky traveller who is useless and massively disorganised, this place can truly be a life saver. Rushing to train - no drink - argh need water! - Smiths=done. Rushing to train - no food - argh feeling hungry! - Smiths=done. Rushing to train - no entertainment - argh need paper! - Smiths=done. I could go on, but I won't. Also, the staff there are really nice. Had a very pleasant flirt with the chap who served me before rushing to my train - it certainly made me smile!

I came here recently to fulfill another passion of mine; reading. Well, obviously, it's a book…read moreshop. But I'll get to the point. This store is certainly a handy locale for the many students that Leeds houses, and has a huge collection of virtually every specialty, it seems. With the exception of feminism and gender studies. Imagine my disappointment when browsing the various obscure specialty subjects on offer here, only to find a distinct lack of books surrounding my particular subject of interest. There was barely a book in relation to the subject, and I was directed to try and seek out material in psychology, of all categories! So, some of you may chirp in that it's neither a particularly popular subject, nor a common one, which is as may be. However, since I know that both the Universities offer courses in Gender Studies, and the various surrounding elements (of which there are many tangents), I thought this was a little disappointing. They aren't out on a limb though, it seems the only place I've found which actually caters to this subject has been the Oxfam books in Headingley. Even Borders, when it was still around, went from having a Gender Studies section to a smattering of books lumped in with Social Studies and lesbian writing. I shan't give up my search in any case! However, in spite of the lack of material in that particular area it has to be said that the store has a lot to offer. With many other specialty subjects catered for, a wealth of popular and classic fiction, and some interesting gift style items (see the Leeds pubs posters and similar) this shop would satisfy most of the general custom it supplies. Staff have always been as friendly and helpful as I've needed too, so all in all, one can't complain too much. If you're looking to expand your mind thoughts, this place is certainly somewhere to start. With the exception, of course, in gender studies.

A relic to what it was like to be a student in the days before Amazon, a visit to Blackwell's makes…read moreyou feel like proper student even if the closest you've ever been to higher education is getting caught in an Otley run trying to walk home on a Friday night. The shelves are packed high with textbooks and academic tomes on every subject imaginable, and there's a good selection of non-academic works too. Books are both new and second hand, and you can get money in exchange for bringing your old books in for resale. The only downside is the price, and many students seem to use it as a venue to preview books before ordering them for cheaper online.

This handy little shop is somewhat of a chameleon, in so far as it seems to fit several categories…read more It is all at once a post office, bargain booze and newsagents which is perhaps a bizarre mix but it's certainly useful in such a little town as Oakwood. It's quite a small shop but nonetheless I've never seen it particularly heaving, so if you are nipping through and need to post a parcel I can imagine this being a rather modest and simple task - certainly nothing like the hell of using the town post office, that's for sure! They sell all kinds of cheap booze deals, which is great for anyone living locally too. As well as that there are all the snacks, crisps, confectionary, stationary and other related newsy items that you could hope for. My favourite part is their uber, and I mean uber, awesome little sweet bags for £1. You get *loads* of delicious penny sweets in a huge bag for just a quid! Penny-sweet-tastic. The shop on the whole is reasonably friendly, certainly the chap at the counter was nice enough if nothing else. All in all, pretty handy to know about!

Now I've got to prove to the world that I'm not a Special Brew swilling tramp who frequents parks…read moreand is partial to sleeping on benches. However, I will continue to fuel those rumours by my love of this Bargain Booze. Let me put this into perspective. Sometimes you want cheap booze but you also want cheap quality booze. Well this little beauty priovides the two. It's also useful for loads of stuff, getting rid of your letters and stocking up on some alcohol soaking snacks. I love my posh emporiums, I really do. From time to time though Bargain Booze fits the bill and this one especially. Maybe it's because it is en route to several of my friends houses or maybe it's because I actually am a tramp. Oh well, tramps these days have way too much access to the internet. I'll go find a dog to worry and some people to scare now but first up I'll get myself a fine bottle of red or even meths if I'm pushing the boat out. In all seriousness though this is a good stop off joint.

I don't know about you, but the Candyman for me conjures up images of the horror film made in 1992…read more Not really appropriate for the type of shop that it is but hey ho. It does actually sell sweets, so it kind of makes sense. The shop itself is essentially a large newsagent which sells tobacco products, sweets, biscuits, juice, fizzy drinks, newspapers etc but it also sells quite a large amount of stationary products. Biros, pencils, note pads, envelopes and the like are all available at wallet friendly prices. Plus, they do sell some really random ornaments, just in case you are visiting your granny and you want to pick up something for her mantle piece and also good old discounted Christmas decorations if you are one of those people who can't refuse a discount when they see one and plan for Christmas extremely early.

Arden News in Leeds is a fair sized news agents in the city centre, easily found by it's vibrant…read moreyellow sign! It sells mainly alcohol, tobacco, newspapers, sweets and small snacks and drinks. The shop isn't that big inside but it is usually quite busy and very popular as it's prices are very competitive. It is one of the best news agents in Leeds and certainly you will not find drinks any cheaper on the Headrow. Well worth a visit.