Absolutely brilliant service, great advice on what I needed. Lovely staff who were really punctual…read morewhen delivering our machine. 10/10

sensible shop, sensible stock, sensible prices with knowledgable and helpful owner snd staff. I…read morewouldn't go anywhere else.

This is a pretty vast electrical shop located on a side road off Gloucester Road. By the looks of…read moreit, it looks like it used to be some sort of Church which gives you an idea of how big it is! To be honest, it's hard to say exactly what they sell. It's pretty much everything electrical, ranging from ovens, fridges and washing machines to small appliances such as kettles, toasters and hair dryers. All of which are available to view at their showroom. The company has been family run for 25 years and they are really helpful and friendly. It is nice to actually have a conversation with someone in one of these shops without being bombarded with technical information and being pressurised to buy something. Prices are marginally higher than Curry's Digital, but you are getting a much more personal service. Bonus: they have heaps of off road parking (which if you are familiar with Gloucester Road is a real selling point!).

I'm the kind of person that avoids shops like Nailsea Electrical like the plague. I much prefer to…read morebuy what I need from small independent retailers than huge sprawling shops like this one. I certainly wouldn't usually consider buying spares or having anything repaired here. I'm far too fond of Bobs Best Electricals and Beacon Electronics to willingly take my trade anywhere else. If it weren't for the recommendation I'd been given by the chap from Bristol Tools, who suggested that I try Nailsea Electrical to see if they stocked belts for my old Hotpoint Twin Tub, then I would never have thought to pay them a visit. He of course, suggested that I tried Bob's Best and Beacon first, but I explained that I'd phoned them both already, and neither one of them had anything in stock. Sharing the same level of reservation that I had, he gingerly suggested going to Nailsea Electrical, on the basis that I had nothing to lose. Ben dealt efficiently with my enquiry, and quickly told me that Nailsea Electrical never keep old items like this is stock on the grounds that there is very little call for it. Consulting a large catalogue he continued by saying that they no longer made the belt that I was looking for. He broke the news apologetically and then turned his gaze back to the catalogue. Stabbing at the page with his index finger in a triumphant gesture he announced, "but this'll do it". He said it with such conviction that I was instantly convinced he was right, and so I ordered it on the spot. A few days later I got a call from the shop to tell me that it had arrived, and I called in a couple of days later to collect. I've been washing non-stop ever since!

This Robert Dyas, located in the Galleries, is where I always end up coming whenever a fuse blows,…read moremy toaster dies or my very last light bulb gives out. It's not what I would call a particularly fun shopping experience, but it does the job and I don't think I've ever come out of this place empty handed. They've got pretty much everything you could wish for in terms of household necessities in this store and the staff are very helpful when it comes to helping you find what you're after. It's not the cheapest of places - if you shop around a bit I'm sure you could find yourself a better bargain for some items at Wilkinsons or Argos, but if you don't fancy spending your entire Saturday morning shopping for a new vegetable steamer/hoover/junior hacksaw, then head to Robert Dyas. You should find everything you're looking for within a matter of minutes.

A great place to find some hard to find cleaning items. They sell some very cheap mops, and also…read moresell alot of kitchen items, such as toasters, kettles and grills. Definitely a good place to shop. Staff are friendly,a nd alwasy pleased to help a confused customer.

I've used James as my plumber in Bristol twice. First time was to install a shower in a rented…read moreproperty. James turned up was clean, responsible, professional and fast- the price had been pre-arranged. The second time I used him was to fix the reservoir on my toilet. He turned up really quickly and not only fixed the leak but also replaced a flexible tube (at no extra cost) with a copper one because he believed it to be a better solution. Good plumber!

There are obviously a plethora of charity chops around Bristol (and indeed here on East Street…read morealong) and generally speaking what you get in each one from day to day is down to the luck of the draw. This one, however, is a bit different as it concentrates solely on home furnishings and electronics. Basically they've gone to the trouble of selecting all the best donations of this kind and stocking them here. Because of the extra trouble they've gone to the prices are perhaps a little higher than your average charity shop, but they are saving you time and the money of course still goes to a good cause. If you need some home furnishings, this is one of the few charity shops in the city that it's worth traveling a distance to have a good browse in.

The British Heart Foundation is a national charity that supports research, prevention and care of…read morethose with heart diseases. A specialist charity shop where they have gathered together all the electricals and furniture donated into one big shop. You can pick up toasters, TVs and a bed all here. Items are very good quality and all electricals have been tested.

Gloucester Road has seen so many shops and cafes come and go, that the sign of a good shop is the…read morefact it has stayed its position for over 60 years. This family-run business delivers and installs products with competitive prices. I cam in here to get my laptop looked at. The staff really knew what they were doing and with such a good reputation I knew I wasn't being over-charged. It is worth going a bit further up Gloucester Road to Horders where you will be comfortable in the knowledge that you are being helped by professionals who are extremely quick and efficient in their services.

Unfortunately, despite having bought a really good vacuum cleaner, a fridge and a washing machine…read morefrom Horders, though their products are excellent, I've consistently found their service a little cool. I like supporting local business, especially family business, but I won't go there again. I found them today plain unhelpful when I went in to buy a simple accessory, Just ridiculously and unnecessarily challenging and off-hand.

On a side street at the bottom of Whiteladies Road, F C Searle Electrical is an old style hardware…read moreshop, the sort not often found anymore. As seems to be the style with shops like this, they've packed in a lot of products in a small space, giving a nice feeling of busy hecticness, though each time I've been in the gentleman behind the counter has been pretty relaxed and friendly. The sort of place you can pick up a fuse, light bulb, or bigger electrical goods like an iron or radio. The beauty of shops like this is the price - they'll invariably do you a better deal than the megastore chains, especially if you take the time to have a chat and perhaps a little bargain with them. It's all about supporting the little guys - so next time a light blows be sure to visit Searle & Co.

Specalising in electrical appliance accessories this is a true corner store - although very small…read morein size, they always seem to have everything you need. We are constantly amazed that whenever we can't find something anywhere else, Searle & Co have more often than not come up trumps. On the rare occasion that they can't help, the friendly man points us in the direction of another brilliant one-man-band store who can. The traditional little bell on the door is always chiming so I think everyone else has also realised this little gem shining next to all warehouse versions popping up all over the place.

As soon as I walked into this grand furniture showroom on Whiteladies Road, despite the fact that…read moreit's a chain, I thought of the houses on the Downs. Can you imagine living in one of those beautiful mansions? Oh wow. Suffice to say, if I owned one of those houses, I'd furnish it with pieces from Wesley Barrel, especially one of their floral print classic sofas. Also not to be missed is their magnificent dining range. Be careful though; grand furniture for a grand house, or it could end up looking a little dated and stuffy.

From the frames of each bit of furniture being hand crafted from seasoned wood to the springing,…read morepadding and covering - each item of furniture here is made with love and care. It may carry a price tag that looks more like a phone number, but in this place it's really worth it. Sofas, armchairs and dining accessories the same - everything about this place oozes charm and sophistication. This is the sort of thing Country Living thrives upon. And so it should. Bravo.

Bob's Best Electrical is the kind of shop that makes Gloucester Road really special. I'm not sure…read moreif it is still the case, but when I first moved to Bristol five years ago I heard that Gloucester Road was the longest street of independent businesses in Europe. These days, this long and winding road is occasionally punctuated by small supermarket outlets that could very well have robbed the road of it's unique status. This would be a dismal shame, not least because the local population ardently supports the independent businesses that still form the vast majority on this 3 mile stretch. Bob's Best Electrical is living testament to this fact. It's one of those quirky businesses that stocks an eccentric array of goods with an owner that is deeply knowledgeable, and a character to boot. I have only ever bought light bulbs at Bob's, but have been known to make up excuses to go in, just for the experience. I love that 'stepping back in time' feeling I get when I walk through the door. You get the sense that even the foundations are made out of odd looking spare parts for antiquated machines and gadgetry Bob's Best sell a range of reconditioned second hand cookers and other electrical appliances, as well as servicing your faulty ones. I called by today to see if they had a replacement belt for the spinner in my Hotpoint twin tub, but I got snarled in traffic and arrived too late. (This is one of the problems with Gloucester Road. Being one of the few arterial routes into the city centre it is often heavily congested, so it's always best to leave in plenty of time to get where you're going. Parking is another issue, although around this stretch of road it's often not too bad). It's a little infuriating that I didn't get what I needed, (I have a months worth of washing at home, and there's a strong chance that I'm going to have to resort to some pretty unpopular measures if I'm going to avoid revealing too much skin in the immediate future. Go Fabrese!) They also sell an interesting selection of new goods including toasters, irons, kettles and telephones. I've heard tell that some of the supermarket outlets are run at a loss on Gloucester Road. I find it hard to believe, but a big part of me hopes that it's true. It would be a tremendously sad day if Bob's Best Electrical were to close down.