I usually love this place, there is always a great present for a difficult friend or relation to be…read morefound here, However, yesterday a blond, short haired assistant bustled up to me with an aggressive "Can I help you MADAM!" just as i got in the door. Not the usual greeting. Then she was too busy to serve me. So I went across the road where the ambience was far more agreeable.

The Pen Shop is the ultimate gift shop, especially for those people you know with a good business…read morebrain. Packed with every conceivable sort of writing instrument, even pens that can work in space, don't be surprised to see something by all the top names: Cartier, Mont Blanc, Parker, Sheaffer and Waterman to name but a few. You have the option to have your purchase neatly displayed in a clear-windowed gift box, wrapped up and ready to go. Or perhaps you've been meaning to write a book for ages and the creative urge hits you as you take a seat in the nearby airport lounge. I'd suggest grabbing a nice, expensive pen to write down your lyrical musings: even if your book's a failure you'll still have a gorgeous pen to talk about.

Laura Jacks is a lovely gift and card shop in Egham, which suffers a bit from its location. As it's…read moreslightly out of the way of the main High Street it would be easy to miss, which would be a shame. It stocks unusual cards, gifts, jewellery, handbags, paintings, candles and so much more. It's a great place to find something unusual and is particularly good for gifts for new babies. There are so many beautiful things here I often end up wanting one of everything. Some of the stock is reasonably expensive, but there really is something for everyone. Plus if you're buying something as a gift they will gift wrap it for you too free of charge. A real treasure!

A lovely little shop, rammed full with so many lovely items. This is a great shop to go to for a…read moregift when you want something different from the usual run of the mill high street stuff! The staff are wonderful, lovely and friendly and so helpful. Makes me wish I had a little girl as a lot of the items are quite girly hmm but then I would be spending a fortune in there so maybe it's best I have boys! lol. That said there is something for everyone.

I had an excellent experience here. Visited a few weeks ago to look at watches and both the…read moreassistant and the manager were engaged. Then a few weeks later visited, dealt with a different assistant but the same manager and purchased a watch. Once again great service at this Staines store.

I haven't bought anything in a branch of H Samuel for years, and I have to say it was the Staines…read morebranch that put me off. I had a bad experience with poor service and a necklace that had to be replaced three times (as they kept breaking) and made the decision not to shop there again. H Samuel in Staines has a good position on the main shopping street, but despite being renovated a couple of years back, it seems a bit down at heel. The carpets in particular are generally a bit dirty, the display cases are often untidy and the staff aren't particularly friendly or helpful.

Birthdays has a great site in the Two Rivers shopping centre in Staines so should do a roaring…read moretrade. It did for a number of years, until Card Factory opened up nearby, as it was the cheapest place to buy cards in Staines. It's not a huge shop but there is quite a lot in there so it's worth a rummage round even if you're not looking for anything specific. They do a good range of wrapping paper, gift boxes and so on. Their range of cards is similar to other local card shops, but they do a cheaper range in which you can often find what you need. Recently they've started stocking dress up outfits - for hen nights etc - and a lot of people seem to buy them. The staff are quite friendly, but you rarely see the same person twice, so turnover must be quite high.

If you know London, you must know about this place. Of course the main store in the city is massive…read morewith floors of amazing shopping. A store that is known worldwide. Floors of amazing shopping with food halls, home wear, apparel and all the designer stores you can think of. Well that's the most common one. Then you have all the smaller pop ups scattered through out the city. The location at terminal 5 London Heathrow has nothing compared to the original....lol... it's your usual pop up that tends to cater to the last minute shoppers needing a gift. This store carries your usual tourist gifts that is fast and simple. Chocolate, teddy bears, of course the tote bag and lots of trinkets. Things that catches holiday maker eyes. Small concert at the airport for all your friends and family last minute gifts from London.

I wasn't able to get to the real Harrods while in London, but was thrilled when I saw a Harrods…read morelocation at the Heathrow International Airport, making my last day in London all the more memorable. Even just getting a taste of Harrods, I can see why people love this posh department store. I checked out Harrods before catching my flight and was happy to see all the merchandise they had, especially since it's just an airport location, so the inventory is limited. But it was nice to see the designers they offered here, and since I love Tory Burch, they had an entire section just for Tory Burch. The staff were super friendly and even told me what products would be cheaper to get back home versus in London, so it wasn't all about them making money. I ended up getting a Tory Burch card wallet and they escorted me to the other section of Harrods where they offered more of their gift items. This was perfect as I was able to get some gifts for loved ones. Glad I was able to get a glimpse of Harrods, a London specialty.

I was excited to see this store in the airport! I had planned to pick up a few souvenirs before…read moreflying back to the US. There are two sections for this store so don't miss them both! (I almost did!) One if mostly clothing and accessories. The other contains bags, candy, and many other treats. I purchased a cosmetic bag set and a small fabric tote bag. (I have received so many compliments on the tote bag since returning home!) They were reasonably priced and perfect for what I wanted. The cashier was extremely polite, friendly and helpful. The store was a little crowded but pleasantly displayed and decorated.

Maheen made this shopping experience so lovely, she is warm, kind, and goes above and beyond…read more Fantastic customer service.

Love this local boutique...gorgeous and unique jewelry pieces, candles, gifts, quality lingerie,…read moreholiday wear...so much! Not to mention wonderful customer service and warm, helpful staff that makes you feel right at home.