Incredible art store. I was blown away by how well stocked the store is. I loved the top floor with…read morecool crafts and unique art gifts to purchase. The second floor had every art supplies I could dream of, and the bottom floor was an amazing selection of paper and canvas. Truly a great art store for all

Incredible place, but dangerous at the same time as you could easily spend a lot of money in here!…read more The first time I popped in was when I needed a few items for an event and I thought I'd gamble on Fred Aldous having the stuff I needed - they did! Anything you need for arts & craft or decorations they have it and with some good choice! I've now been in a few times when I need to pick up bits and bobs or essentials for work i.e. scissors etc. Loads of interesting present and gift ideas in here as well so if you're out and about birthday shopping or it's coming up to christmas - I'd say Fred Aldous is a great option with some similar style stuff to Oklahoma! Most of the stuff here is well priced and I've always been fairly surprised that my total wasn't higher when purchasing as I think the interior and style gives off an expensive vibe but really it's good value for money! A short simple review for a top NQ shop!

Let's get one thing straight first. I love stationery. I enjoy stationery I don't even need. If I…read morehave to do a lot of writing, I prefer tipped pens as opposed to ballpoint, in as vast a variety of colours as possible. Now, we all know we can get multipacks of these at the local supermarket or pound shop, but it just doesn't feel quite the same as purchasing something from the bevy of office supply loveliness that is Paperchase. One thing you'll always notice when standing outside this humongous, triple-floor branch in the centre of Manchester is not the Big Issue seller, although that might make you feel a little guilty for overspending on that eraser shaped like a flower or that Dalmatian print stapler. No, the biggest wow factor is the window display. They darn well make the most of it. And it's seasonal too, whether it's that phrase that strikes fear and depression into the hearts of children between the ages of five and sixteen and teachers everywhere, 'Back to School', or Mother's Day, Father's Day, Easter, Christmas, Valentine's Day... Paperchase will always via the medium of magical window dressing find a reason for you to buy stationery. I'd seriously recommend this branch over any of the weeny little concessions in Kendal's or Selfridges. You've got way more choice. But this isn't just a place for quirky little diaries, fluorescent pink post-its, pencils in every colour of the rainbow, stickers, iPod covers, damask wrapping paper, furry pencil cases and heart-shaped calculators. There's so much more. It has one of the biggest and best greeting card selections I've ever seen. There are gifts aplenty for the friend who has everything. There are home storage solutions. Pretty boxes. Lunchboxes. Tupperware. You can even buy pet supplies. Little random toys for stocking fillers. Toddle on up the stairs and find an entire floor dedicated to art supplies. There's even furniture, clocks, mirrors... I could go on. But I won't. Go see for yourself. I'm telling you, you'll walk in with the aim of buying a simple mobile phone cradle for your office desk and you'll come away with five different photo frames in five different shapes. You have been warned...

Now January has started it's only a matter of days before retailers swap their discounted Christmas…read morecards for Valentine's Day cards! One of the best places to go looking for cool cards and wrapping paper is Paperchase. They stock sweet, witty, playful and kitsch cards from a variety of designers and a brilliant array of notebooks, journals, address books, recipe cards, pens and stationary. This being their biggest store in the North West, there's also good quality paints, pastels, paper, card and brushes for artists upstairs. Before you get too carried away and fill your basket full of goodies - check out the prices as some of the Japanese papers and pastels are pretty steep.

Magma Magma books is possibly one of the coolest shops I…read morehave been into in a long time! Why you may ask? Because it sells MOOMINS merchandise and books!! They sell all sorts of cool things here like books, magazines, swirly notebooks, cuddly toys (moomin ones!), eco friendly stuff which comes in the shape of recycled objects made into something else uselful, the mother board coasters are pretty snazzy! Like the other shops on Oldham street, its only small but the layout is perfectly set out to seem like there is so much space! I love it!

Situated on Oldham Street, but a hop and skip from the Night and Day Café lies this fantastic…read morebookshop. I've been visiting this place for ages, even if it's just to browse through the store and short list future gifts. I've recently acquired some American Film Making/Studies from there (the Steven D. Katz shot by shot/cinematic motion - books that are usually pretty hard to get hold of unless you're on the net. This is one of those places where the staff know what they're talking about and can help either find what you're looking for or influence you enough to take a punt on their own expertly led recommendations in the vast array of different books and magazines in this store (increasingly rare in the accountant led 'United Chaindom'). It's a shame many more shops were as enthusiastic and passionate as the folks behind magma...I know they can't all be this way but it's currently unfairly balanced. One large chain book store dominates now (and with unfortunately less choice, more celebrity led airport reading fodder) and with supermarkets getting in the act of the book market (albeit with a truly disturbing 'array' of 'books') we should be thankful that places like this are still open in our cities. A large section of this shop sells magazines which are more like the aforementioned coffee table books the higher echelon of mags if you will. Film, Architecture, Typography, Illustration, Photography, Graphics, Fashion, Art, Design, Cities all these creative acts and scenarios collude together in the books and magazine range. They sell a top mag called 'Specialten' which is a 'bi-monthly collection of short films, music videos and exclusive interviews' which comes with a DVD for the media. Just reminded myself to pick up the next edition as I type this... This shop (alongside one or two in London village possibly the other two Magma's as it happens) was the only such store to stock Daniel Johnstone's graphics/drawings books (and as such is referred to in the fantastic Daniel Johnstone documentary). Reanimate your creative synapses and spare at least half an hour to imbibe the glorious fractions of the arts world we don't see as much as we should. It's always a pleasure to walk into a store like this, find what you're looking for (or see something jump out at you which grabs your interest by the book ends) and after downpiping your debit/credit details into the 21st Century piggy bank walk from the shop, freshly acquired book in hand. Rifling through the pages of a new 'Ilva Table book' in a nearby boozer/café is one of life's great, small pleasures.

Much less incognito now it has a cafe set up out front…read more Coffee strong and nice, served with ice water and a slice of lemon, nice twist, if you will. I'm loving the new trend of serving coffee with water in hot weather. Nice atmosphere and probably more for groups than a solo act tbh, can't moan though, lovely blend, will try a crepe or a quesadilla when I have not been filled by a home sweet home breakfast another day. The outdoor seating, although on Stevensons square is absolutely fine as it feels set back Enough from the street as to not feel congested... Also, the little vanilla biscuit spoon is a lovely touch. Will be back!

Incognito is exactly that; the number of times I have walked past and totally forgotten about its…read moreexistence is to be frank quite ridiculous. Once you step inside, you're a treasure trove the likes of Fred Aldous but with more focus on the gadgets and home decor than arts and crafts. Goodies here range from the practical - cards, retro rotary phones, beautifully decorated jewellery boxes - to the slightly silly - otter patterned tin, briefcase shaped cheese grater, skull light. (Who am I kidding, the cheese grater is amazing.) If you're struggling to find something for the person who has everything, this is a great place to start.

Fab graphic tee-shirts? Tick Cool design books? Tick…read moreIncredible photography and art books? Tick Huge style bibles? Tick Quirky hand-made badges and zines? Tick Ace cards, stationary and wrapping paper? Tick Thanks to Magma, I was able to buy lots of unique and arty Christmas presents in one go. Wait, I forgot to get something for myself! How about the new Yoshitomo Nara book?

I'm not much of a shopper hence why I've only just become aware of Magma's existence but I will…read moredefinitely be popping back! I was about 3 feet into the shop before I spotted a load of books I would like (guide to house plants, for e.g.!) but sadly I was not gift shopping for myself but my non-book-loving bf so he got an ice ball tray (which he loved).Looks like there's a v impressive magazine selection as well. Definitely a place to stop by if you're looking for a taste of the NQ.

Cards Galore is a small cards shop in Piccadilly Station. There's not really any 'galore' to be…read morefound, but there are lots of quality cards on offer and is a good place to browse whilst you're bored and waiting for your train. Thankfully, Cards Galore refrains from having shelves upon shelves of garish cuddly toys which is somewhat of a blessing. Clinton Cards: yeah, you heard me. I can't stand those things everywhere.

Lily Greenwood is a local artist based in the awesome Manchester Crafts Centre. Her studio is…read more lovely little haven away from the hustle and bustle of Manchester, and as well as her incredibly beautiful canvasses, she designs and sells tote bags and greetings cards. Lily Greenwood (real name Liz) has been working and exhibiting as an artist in Manchester for over 4 years, and has gained quite a following, taking up commissions from businesses across the North West. Her paintings are priced £100 upwards, which is not a lot to pay for an original work. She's a super-friendly, lovely girl, and she'll give a lot of time over to chat if you pop in on a quiet day. As I said before, the studio really is something. Softly lit and furnished with vintage furniture that complements her works, it is obvious from the off that Liz has put a lot of thought into making the studio as lovely as possible, and that she has an eye for what really works in a room. The art (which can be found at her website) is lovely. Probably more on the girly side, which is alright by me, she paints large vividly coloured canvasses with butterflies and flowers. Some of the most lovely works have a Japanese feel to them, and I sorely wish I could afford her Irises picture! The MCC is a great place for local artists, and I highly recommend a visit to Lily Greenwood, whether you're looking to spend a few hundred on a unique piece of art, or a few quid on a lovely card for our mate's birthday, a trip to Lily Greenwood is support for a fresh young local artist, and is well worth doing if you're in the NQ. Liz prefers not to be contacted by phone, but if you email her at mail@lilygreenwood.com you'll get a pretty prompt reply.

If you're looking for something to cheer up a bare wall, beige office space or dreary nook, then…read morelook no further. Lily Greenwood paints bright, vibrant canvases that are ready to hang. A common theme in her work is nature and in particular butterflies. Her artwork combines original painting with mixed media embellishments. Japanese kimono designs are also evident in the colours and pattern. Commissions are welcomed if you're looking for something unique and a little bit special.

Great value card store offering a vast range of cards at discount prices. They also sell helium…read moreballoons, a large range of celebratory gifts and a range of humorous cards. Theres a good choice of cards in a 5 for £1 deal.

Really good quality greetings cards at prices you won't believe. Their prices start from as…read morelittle as 29p for cards with mum dad etc. Staff are friendly and helpful. Great selection of valentines cards to suit your needs. And they also stock party balloons and novelty bags and some stationary. Will use card factory again without hesitation.

WHSmith at Manchester Piccadilly is a pretty good branch, especially for a travel store, the prices…read moremight be really high, to the point I can't understand why as there are multiple rivals nearby selling many of their items or similar items for less, but they do have a pretty good selection if you're in a rush, ahead of getting a train. I do like the special events they seem to have on here, they sell Airpods and more recently they brought the Carabao Cup here ahead of 2020, giving supporters the chance to get a selfie with the trophy, this was a pretty cool experience to lift the trophy right before Manchester City defeated Aston Villa to retain the trophy for the third year in a row at Wembley back in 2020. (This was an experience offered by Carabao as part of their trophy store, but it is nice to see the store arranging experiences like that) They do also sell the IRN-BRU Energy drink range here, they are one of the few stores outside of Scotland to do so, I think it tastes terrible and at 2.5x the price of Carabao, it isn't worth it, but if you do love IRN-Bru, you'll probably like it. 4* - For a travel location, this branch of WHSmith is good, although I do prefer grabbing my drinks and travel stuff from the Co-Op just outside the station as the store looks a little better inside and is much cheaper.

The Observer? Tick Sunday Times? Tick…read moreTelegraph? Tick Mojo magazine? Tick Elle magazine? Tick Food and Travel? Out of stock. Thanks WH Smith for almost making my Sunday afternoon.

If, like me, you are religious about your magazines then a good reliable newsagent is essential. I…read morebeam at the sight of a whole wall of magazines: Computer magazines, golf magazines, Gay and Lesbian magazines. Young girl's magazines with High School Musical stars grinning at you inanely. I don't buy any of these publications by the way but it is the promise they contain and their newness that impresses me. My specific weakness is of course, fashion glossies plus a music mag or film mag every now and again. Here, Percival's does itself proud. Most of the rest of the shop is divided between cards (I managed to get two Jewish New Year cards this week for £1.30 - beat that Tesco), gift bags and stationary. You may take these things for granted at the moment but trust me, you would be crying on someone's shoulder if Percival's suddenly disappeared. Despite recently changing hands, this remains a stalwart that would cause the levels of 'Post Office closure uproar around the country' if it were ever to alter.

I don't know what has happened to this place, it is still a brilliant card shop but its less good…read moreregarding stationery pens and stuff.It used to be great and have a shelf full of great range of pens but now its reduced in size and just sells boring Bic biros.There used to be Tiger pens, fountain pens, Stadtlers and tracing paper; now its just been really watered down.I still think its brilliant for cards and some magazines but it seems to sell more toys and kids novelties rather than stationery which I find quite sad.