So there I was, wandering round the Northern Quarter looking for something new, and POOF it…read moreappeared! In a shadowy doorway near Leo's gross Fish Bar, is a little staircase, lined with cool music posters and a couple of outfits on hangers. To be honest, I didn't hold out much hope as I descended the stairs. The sign above the door isn't the best (though it gets kudos for being simple) and, let's face it, vintage shops are ten-a-penny nowadays, and Manchester's NQ selection is already so good, it'd be hard to live up to that. But, I am glad to report, Bratt's does it admirably. Located in a cellar, basically, Bratt's takes advantage of the exposed brick work and low ceilings, and the arched alcoves in the wall are used as features; one of them houses much of the homewares selection (more on that later) and the other has been curtained off as a fitting room, which is almost too cool for words. It's the best fitting room I've seen since Rags to Bitches' silky tent. In terms of stock, Bratt's has really got it. Endless racks of good quality, well-cared-for vintage merchandise line the tardis-like cellar, organised, by style and material. So you'll find all the cricket jumpers together, offset by a great collection of retro trackie-tops and a bunch of good-looking furs (faux, or no? I dunno.) There's a multitude of jolly good womenswear, from all eras and epochs, and a seriously decent selection of knitwear. There's also a fantastic array of upcycled dresses and skirts by Love Me Again. I love upcycling, and you should too! The homewares, though mainly concentrated in one area, are scattered round the shelves. The awesomeness is too much to list, and I'm sure it's changed since last week, but expect to see vintage telephones, Atari consoles, the odd coffee table and some very nice mirrors. The perfect addition to any bijous dwelling, and the sort of thing I yearn for, but cannot have, in my modernist gaff. Sigh. Anyway, if you've got a kitsch aesthetic going on, you could do a lot worse than to pop to Bratt's for a vintage milk jug. (£3!) Not only is the stock great, the people here are fab too. The manager was more than happy to have a wee chat about the place, and told me that originally he'd planned to open a bar there. Thank God he didn't; this vintage shop is far too good to miss out on. As well as Mr Bratt (j'assume) there's a lovely female shop assistant who wafted around being the epitome of vintaahhhge styyyyle, dahhhhling, making it look totally effortless. She's hard to hate, though, because she's so damn lovely. Considering the instant awesomeness of Bratt's, only two weeks after opening, I think this place is one that will go quickly from hidden gem to firm fave, and rightly so.

What a really cool vintage addition. Downstairs you go and explore and be fascinated and prepared…read moreto shell out on some very amazing pieces. Fancy a batman mobile telephone? A very old sewing machine? Listening to Rock FM and admiring the brickwork, the poster work and breathing in that vintage smell? Get yourself down to Bratts. Brilliance.

Forget pots of paint, stencils and fancy wallpaper…read more The only reason anyone would be crazy enough to go to B&Q this week would be to buy one of their wood burning stoves or electric fires. Last time I checked they had about half a dozen different models at reasonable prices. Admittedly, none of them looked as stylish as the fires you see in lifestyle magazines but when Britain is having it's worst cold spell for thirty years, I think some people might be willing to sacrifice a little style for the sake of staying warm! Handily, this branch offers Reserve and Collect so you can order products online or by phone and collect later.

B&Q at 'The Fort' on Cheetham Hill Road, less than a mile out of the city centre. What can I say…read morebut DIY. This store is very big has a large garden centre, both inside and out. Whatever you need for your home you will mostly find it here.

HUGE URBAN!! This location is huge!! Right in the hustle and bustle of the Manchester market. There…read moreare several floors to this location. There is a lift but I did not take it. Just like other Urbana, they have womens, men, children, vintage, home, and general accessories. There's something for just about anyone truthfully. I was able to find an amazing vintage piece from here. It is hard to find an employee since there are quite a bit of shoppers you sometimes can't tell whom is who. If you are looking for a cool, and unoriginal gift for someone you could definitely find it here! Just know the items do come with some punch to their prices....but if you are on a budget, they do have a decent clearance section to check out. All in all once again, this is a decent Urban Outfitters and worth a stop in.

One of two Urban Outfitters locations in North-West England alongside a branch in Liverpool which I…read morevisited a couple of days ago, this Manchester store is located opposite the Tesco Metro next to the Arndale Centre on Market Street and is a fairly large store over multiple floors, although much to my confusion the floor marked "3" on the lift is a staff floor and they really do need to make the lift clearer, as even the "downwards" button doesn't work. The store is pretty large, which is why I'm slightly puzzled at them putting stands all over the place, meaning you have to walk virtually in zig-zags, but despite this, the store does have a pretty decent feel to it and it is, of course, cleaner than the Liverpool branch, although I would say the selection of brands is worse and the store feels more crammed rather than the Liverpool store which is more spacious. The staff did seem pretty friendly, however, the checkout area was quite messy with a huge rack of clothes blocking the checkout which made it look inactive when it wasn't. They did have a small but nice selection in their ongoing up to 75% off sale, where I picked up some nice fingerless gloves for £2, they aren't decent quality but on a cold day in February, they still did the job and for the price, it isn't too bad at all. Pretty decent store, although it is a little too cramped at parts and they do need to work on making the store easier to follow rather than causing confusion, especially in the lift. 3*

There is only two things to say about this shop, and they give you a pretty big idea of what you…read moreneed to know! Firstly, the prices are really good, theyre not cheap, but theyre not painfully expensive either. You are paying for good quality lamps and lights. Secondly, you WILL find the COOLEST lights here! Whether you want something funky, something minimal, something other than a white light, you will find it here! Aswell as garden lights, lights for kids bedrooms, decorative lights and SO MUCH MORE!!!!

I came in here looking for a kettle. I didn't get my kettle. I got far too distracted…read more This... place... has... EVERYTHING. You think it's a homeware store, but then there's a wall of pick n' mix and sweet gifts. So you think it's a homeware and sweet store, then you stumble across shower gel and moisturiser. So then you think you know what's going on, you turn a corner, and there's a load of bleach and kitchen cleaner. And just when you thought it couldn't possibly stock it all, there's a whole aisle dedicated to storage organiser type things. This includes SHOE organises. Clear boxes you can pop your shoes in for in your wardrobe. And label. This is my kinda place. (Yep, my friends are coughing and muttering 'Monica' again.) Hub offers the whole lot, from crockery and cutlery to furnishings and garden bits and bobs. It's all tasteful and brightly coloured (well, I love a few primary colours in my kitchen), and the best part? Cheap! As chips! I've got my eye on the multi-tiered cake stand and the cookbook holder. Don't you dare go snatching them from under my nose before you get back, y'hear.

I was really quite impressed with the homeware section of this place. I'd just come from the…read morekitchenware section of TK Maxx: a bit of a car crash, but still a lot of high quality goods in there at prices which are hard to beat, if you don't mind digging through the piles of merchandise. Hub Retail gives TK Maxx a run for it's money on homewares price-wise, and Hub also has a proper retail display and nice wide aisles. The window display featured a boxed set of matching Chinese serving dishes and individual bowls - basically, order up your usual takeaway and serve it with a touch of class, as it said on the side of the box! Lots of big brand names - Viners cutlery sets, Russell Hobbs and Breville kettles and toasters, Heathcote and Gino-somebody cookware, Sabatier cook's knives (3 knife starter pack for £26 or something), lots of really good silicone bakeware and so on. I somehow felt an assured touch to the purchasing all over - well-made cast iron griddles for £7, and a full range of nice Le Creuset enamelled cast iron copies with the largest casserole priced at £55, whereas the real thing is likely to set you back over £100 - nice! Basically, all this stuff is about as cheap as it gets whilst still being elegant and durable. For me, I decided to go out on a high note straight from the elegant homewares section to the cash register, but the wide-ranging enthusiasm of Anyonita and Emma-Louise in their reviews makes me feel I need to check out the rest of Hub's offerings. In conclusion, especially if you are starting from scratch with kitchen and tableware (and home decor), I would suggest getting the notepad out and doing some comparison shopping: amazon.co.uk vs. TK Maxx vs. Hub to find the best buys. And then top it off with any specialist equipment you need from The Cook Shop in the Arndale Market.