The Candy Box is Millisle's lifeline, because it is one of those wee shops that are totally taken…read morefor granted until we run out of something at the last minute. It is an aladdins cave inside , no matter what it is that you need this we shop will have it from sweeties to dog food and washing powder to gift bags , it really has an amazing stock of everything. What is also very commendable is that the prices are not over the top they match that of the high street stores. So this may not be the biggest store in town but it does have everything thar is needed including very pleasant staff who are more than helpful. They also have everyone's favourite for summer the good old ice cream cone with trimmings!

Sometimes I say to my dog, "I'm going to take you to The Candy Box, would you like a walk?"…read more Of course I am referring to a Newsagents, Tobacconist and sweet shop located on Millisle Main street. This wee shop is a jack of all trades, Milk is 99p for 2 litres and you would be hard pushed to beat or meet that price anywhere. It also doubles as ice cream seller, sometimes the dog and I sneak a cheeky Ice cream on our way home from getting the Sunday papers. This leaves both of us with a bit of a brain freeze but the ice cream is so good it would be hard not to rush it. The Candy Box is a favourite with people visiting the seaside, Millisle must be the only seaside town on the Ards peninsula without a dedicated Ice cream parlour, so The Candy Shop makes a bit of a killing with its cones. Whether it is a paper, a packet of cigarettes or North Downs famous Poor Bear ice cream you should pop into The Candy Box if you are passing. Also try the Fresh Dulce and yellow man, these are specialities of the region.

This was the place to go for sweets, drinks and the like when I was a lad and my friends and I used…read moreto go fishing off the pier or simply just jumping off the pier to impress the local young ladies. It was all very juvenile but The Tuck Shop never let us down for a stock of orange juice by the pint or bottles of coke. The staff here have been working her since the beginning of time and it has a lovely family business feel. They're always friendly and were even helpful to me and my friends when we were annoying little teenagers cluttering up the shop. Its a little bit out of the way from the main part of town but its perfect if you are on the pier or going for a walk round the coast.

BEST EVER! Anyone…read morewho remembers Carrick from years ago will remember that we used to have an old sweet shop at the top of North Street called the Pipe Shop. Unfortunately that closed years ago, and there's been nothing like it since, until now. They have over 250 different types of sweets in here, and the sweets are weighed out for you in the old style scales. It genuinely is like stepping back in time, really lovely. My favourites are the Chocolate Toffee Rolls and Army & Navy!

The Cabin is an old fashioned ice cream shop looking over Donaghadee harbour. It only sells vanilla…read moreice cream and I do not even like vanilla but the cabin takes vanilla and pimps it. Add marshmallows, sprinkles and sauce and this plain old ice cream becomes an ice cream super power. Unfortunately pregnant women can not eat the Cabin ice cream as it is made with raw eggs. There's another helpful tip for you.

Sweets, sweets and more sweets. Seriously, the largest number of sweets I have ever seen. Boy was…read morethis going to be a problem... The shop assistant was ever so patient, as I stood trying to a) take in the various kinds of sweets, and b) make my mind up from the huge choice. Five minutes later (they were a loooonnggg five minutes), and I was eventually able to come to a conclusion (of sorts). Don't think the shop assistant was as ever as glad to see me stop gazing longingly at the profusion of delectable sweeties. Honestly. First up was a quarter of a pound of jelly beans (apparently they don't work in grammes), as apparently my dad likes them, or so I thought. Upon further investigation, this is not the case...they're just "all right". Hmph, well that's the last time I buy him any sweets. I couldn't possibly leave without purchasing Millions (blackcurrant flavour s'il vous plait), so I took a load of them too. The best bit about eating them is being able to say to people "oh, I lost a million" when you drop one on the ground. Priceless. Just as I was finishing up, my eye caught sight of those little fruity stick things (wonderful description I know...and the shop assistant even told me their name, but alas, I have forgotten), so I took twenty of them, just for good measure. And so that Mr Dentist will love me even more tomorrow...eeek. The shop itself is truly retro...man, it's even got a wireless in the corner! There's a cute little fireplace, a few pictures, and whole lot of charm. Sweet, in more ways than one.

I have never left Stewart Millers empty handed. I'm not kiddin', honestly. It's like some kind of…read moremagnetic force which leaves me completely helpless and powerless, removing all inhibitions and barriers which prevent me from purchasing extreme numbers of goods from this fave store of mine. Or maybe that's just me shopping normally... Anyhow, Stewart Miller is a bargainous store which is primarily a newsagent and confectioners, but is also a bookshop, cardshop and toyshop. I've found books for peanuts, excellent sweetie deals, and, when I was younger, it was my first stop for TY Beanie Babies (remember those?! I still have an absolute ton of them stashed away in my wardrobe...couldn't bear [excuse the pun] to part with them quite yet). The Holywood store is undoubtedly my favourite. The toy section is huge, and they are genuinely well-priced (not always super cheap), top-quality playthings. The card section is extremely well-stocked, with a huge variety to choose from, and at reasonable prices. The book section is my favourite - I've gotten presents for my mum and dad for next to nothing, and even picked up a football book for £1.99 from £12.99 today, and I've found travel books for a fiver. Oooh, its a good 'un.

I'm lovin it. This gem on the Holywood main street has some of my favourite everyday treats -…read moreglossy mags, cold drinks and chick lit style books at very good prices. It also keeps the kids very happy as it has the best selection of football trading cards I've ever come across. My favourite thing about Stewart Millar is the magazine and comic selection. One whole wall of the front section is given over to mags and comics which means that I can happily browse Marie Claire and 25 Beautiful Homes and the kids can look at the Beano (yes it still exists) and Shoot! before making our choices. And there are none of those shouty 'This is not a library' signs either. At the back of the shop are the toys - good selection of lego- and books. The books are worth a particular mention as the prices are great. Some of the not quite latest releases can be snaffled at Tesco-esque prices which certainly floats my boat. There's a good selection of kids books too, especially quite unusual activity and pop up books which are always good for Christmas presents. All I need to do now is stop accidentally calling it Stuart Little which makes the kids fall about laughing every time as Stuart Little is of course a talking mouse. It's happened, I've become an Embarrassing Mum.

The Candy Shop has been in the same little unit in the main shopping plaza at Glassillan Court in…read morethe village of Greenisland for as long as I can remember. It is a useful little shop crammed full with a selection of greetings cards, wrapping paper, stationery, confectionery, magazines, newspapers, snacks and drinks and so much more. A good range of postcards are on offer as well, which are much cheaper than in some of the other shops. There is a large car park out the front of the shopping unit, so you are always guaranteed a handy space. Other than this, it is pretty much as you would expect from a newsagent/sweet shop. Very convenient for the local residents, and has been a valued business in the local area for many years, but if you are 'just passing' and happen to pop in, don't expect anything out of the ordinary!

So where do I start this is my favourite shop in the world. The candy and drink selection is…read moreincredible and there prices are just perfect!! The hot food and sausage rolls that Mrs shop lady makes are really the best saucy sausages about!

This shop is really just a small convenience store in the Castlemara estate…read more There is a limited amount of parking out the front, owing to the fact that it is generally exclusively used by the residents living in the immediate area, except on weekdays before 9am, during lunchtime, and after 3:30pm, when it is surrounded by crowds of school children from the local secondary schools. The interior is very small and as such, they have a small range of convenience items, carbonated drinks, confectionary, and a small selection of magazines and newspapers. There is a chest freezer with ice lollies and the like, and some fast food items like sausage rolls and burgers. They also have a microwave available should you wish to heat up said sausage roll or burger (probably aimed at the kids coming out of school on their lunch hour) All in all, quite an unremarkable wee store, as mentioned, really only used by people who live in the immediate area.

Inside ards shopping centre is Thornton's store with plenty of stock…read more There is a wide range of chocolate on sale here from white chocolate , milk chocolate and dark chocolate and flavoured chocolate. You can get chocolate eggs or chocolate plaques, chocolate bears etc personalised with a message or name of your choice perfect for a gift. Theres a massive chocolate fountain in store you can buy marshmallows and fruit to dip into the chocolate fountain in store. Also selling ice cream in a variety of flavours from vanilla, honeycomb, mint, chocolate and more. There is a good range of diabetic chocolate in here which doesn't taste too bad at all, its actually the nicest diabetic chocolate I've tasted. Also sell yummy fudge and in different flavours and yummy sweets. Great store for any chocolate and sweets lover. Prices are reasonable and they regularly put on deals in this store and sometimes have a reduced section. Quality chocolate, one of my favourite shops.