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.

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 don't think Leeds would be the same without the rabble of men, of varying ages and beard lengths,…read morewho sit at their mini-counters, every day come rain or shine, proprieting their wares - in their case, hopefully, the Yorkshire Evening Post. For some reason, I feel the need to approach them like Big Issue sellers. Which, of course, they are not. They probably think of me as an idiot. Which, of course, I am. More importantly, the paper? It's a decent daily read. Compared to others, it's better. I like the weekend sections. The music stuff is good and the restaurant reviews are always reliable. Like this place then, eh? ;-)

You've got to love the Yorkshire Evening Post, most especially if you are (like me) almost becoming…read morean honorary Yorkshire. It does feel like, since I've been here for so long, that I am now really more of a local than a long term visitor. It's not exactly high brow reading, but then what local paper is? The stories within are everything cutting edge about Yorkshire, all important restaurant reviews, night life information and cute local stories about schools and so on. It seems to have great coverage of all areas of Yorkshire, as opposed to focusing on the bigger cities, and where national news is most poignant the YEP will cover that too - such as the Iraq Inquiry. Their website is pretty reader friendly too. And, as Jonny mentions, it just wouldn't be the same without the army of old boys who steadfastly sell the local news at their local stands.

Emmaus is a charity shop specialising in second-hand furniture and books. The charity supports…read morehomeless people to "move on from homelessness, providing work and a home in a supportive, family environment. Companions, as residents are known, work full time collecting renovating and reselling donated furniture. This work supports the Community financially and enables residents to develop skills and rebuild their self-respect." (www.emmaus.org.uk). The furniture is generally of a high quality and very reasonably priced with some quite charming vintage-style cupboards and shelves. The books are very cheap at 50p for paper backs and £1 for hard backs. Although there isn't a huge amount of books, what they do have covers a wide variety of types and genres. I would definitely recommend checking out Emmaus if you're looking for decent furniture at an affordable price, especially if you want something with a bit of character. It's great to know you would be giving unwanted furniture a new appreciative home while supporting a very worthwhile cause.

This branch of Emmaus is great. It sells second hand furniture and a few books in support of this…read morecharity helping people out of homelessness. There is a larger branch on the edge of the town centre but it is a bit out of the way. This one provides cheap, good quality furniture whilst making people aware of the cause. They have tables, shelves, sofas and lamps. The staff are pretty friendly and if you can't find what you want here, are happy to point you in the right direction of the larger shop.