If you were to take away all the things that come out of my mouth that I stole from a film…read morepredominantly from the 1990's I'd be left with probably not much more than a few lines. It was in this era too that DVD really had its day - VHS was on the way out (VCD doesn't even get a mention) and mass internet downloading hadn't started yet. Thus a shop such as Hollywood Nites (spelt this way I assume purely for the gimmick factor) is a sure find for me - rammed to the hilt with such diamonds as Passenger 57, Predator and Young Guns. The deals are incredible too with such absurdities as three films for a fiver - long gone are the days of forking out £15 at HMV for but one title. These guys also buy films, consoles, controllers - anything electrical. Ideal if you've just robbed a house I suppose but let's not concern ourselves with such details. Rather, let us think of Wesley Snipes on a plane with hoards of terrorists and awful one-liners. For £2. Get in.

My two big vices (beside my Butcher shop whoring!) has to be books and films. Everytime I see a…read moreshop that looks as if it will seel either of these at a vaugley cheap price then i'm in like a shot. Hollywood nights had a stack load of films, so many on offer. Some brilliant offers as well, like buy 2 for £5 get one free! it was amazing, this is why I should never take my wallet out with me! They buy films, consoles and games off you as well, so if you need to whittle your DVD collection down a bit then this is ideal.

This store is a little gem, up against the big rental stores like Blockbuster and Choices, Flicks…read morecompetes in it's own special way, value for money. Don't expect to find a big catalogue of films here, this is a very small store, about the size of a newsagents, but even so, it does cram in a lot to see. All the newest releases can be found here, and lots of others crammed in to the small shelves and all at very good rental prices with good deals on hiring a group of films in one go. Where it does excel above the likes of Blockbuster is the games rentals. Here you can rent out Wii/X-Box/Playstation games at dirt cheap prices, so while I tend to buy second-hand games at Blockbusters I'd rent them here first to make sure I like them first. Also, the owner is a very nice man who knows what he's talking about and is always happy to look in to finding more films/games for you to buy/rent. Overall 4/5

What a fantastic find this book shop is. Hidden down at the bottom end of the main street where it…read moreis buried among the Estate Agents and charity shops it is easy to miss it, but it is a really excellent place to find really cheap books. We always pop in here when we're in town and I always find some excellent bargains. The book range changes all the time and usually they only have 1 or 2 of each book, so its hit and miss but there is often plenty of works by well known authors if you are looking for fiction and an interesting range of information books too. Their kids books are very good and they have a good range of board books for very young children. They often have special offers for example buy 2 books for £5 etc. The staff are very friendly and the shop is rarely crowded.

Bath is a bit lacking on the music shop scene. There's a tiny HMV and a record stall in the market,…read morebut since the closure of Fopp things have become a bit dire in the city. But thankfully Oxfam Books and Music is there to save the day. With a mixture of old and new, classics and obscurities you're bound to find something that takes your fancy. But the volunteers here aren't fools - they know exactly what their stock is worth and will charge you full whack. It may not be a bargain, but at least it's going towards a good cause.

Actually, I don't know if it's because Bathonians are particularly well read or what, but this is…read moreactually one of the best places to pick up a wide range of fine books, especially the classics and underground hits like Charles Bukowski or Henry Miller (two of my favourites). And all of this comes at amazingly cheap prices and the profits go to helping one of the best charities in the world - so what's to lose. On another note, keep this place running by donating any books you can here. Before I went to live in Spain, I took three rucksack's full of books here and they loved it. Keep bookstores alive!

This was where I bought my copy of Dark Side of the Moon years & years ago! I went home, shut my…read moredoor and put the record on, and I don't really remember much after that. But this shop symbolises everything the Independent Record shop should be; the staff will always chat to you about music and ask you what you like so they can recommend stuff to you, or keep music behind the counter for when you next go in. If you're lucky enough to find this shop open you are in for a treat, they are always playing something you won't have heard before, and my advice is, buy the music they recommend to you. But finding this shop open is a game in itself, I had the misfortune of stopping by earlier today to find they have shaved even more opening hours from their week. So now it's just Fridays & Saturdays, which gives it more of a market stall feel. I hope by doing this they will get the business they need to stay open. So stop by at the weekend and start digging into the boxes of old records they have in the back! You'll find a Zeppelin album you didn't even know you needed.

An independent second hand record shop on Cotham Hill, The Beat Goes On is a rare find nowadays…read more Specialising in vinyl, they've got a big collection of second hand music, both on wax and on cd. Their range isn't massive, but there's definitely a few gems in here and it's worth really taking your time and having a peruse. Like the hardware store just around the corner, they've managed to cram an awful lot of stuff into a small premises, and it gets really crowded with just a few people in here. It's got a nice feeling to it - a bit messy and untidy but in a good, hippy and shambolic way. Definitely a shop that's well worth supporting, come and find a gem and spend a happy Sunday afternoon in musical bliss.

WHSmith in Bath is one of the most unusual outlets, as far as the exterior of the building is…read moreconcerned. It is not a traditional blue - it's green. And for this reason it is easy to miss it the first time round. It is also easy to mistake for the trendy black Waterstones. At the same time it is one of the best placed outlets. You can do everything in one go: get the latest fashion mag from the Smith and cross the road to buy the new dress and a few bangles at Monsoon and Accessorize, respectively. Or you can buy your dress and bangles first, nip into Carphone Warehouse for a quick glance, and then go to Smith to buy a novel, a crossword book, or the latest fashion mag. The main disadvantage of this store is the cashier area. At a glance it appears to be a brilliant idea: four tills planted on a half-spheric counter. The doors that are used both as exit and entrance (as it happens in most shops) are located at both ends of the counter. The disadvantage is that the whole area gets terribly crowded, and people have to wriggle around the stands and each other. Not the most pleasant preoccupation for one of Britain's holiday hotspots. And the stock apparently causes occasional grievance to customers. Most of the time they cannot find a leading local newspaper. However, when I was there a guy with American accent was desperately searching for a copy of The Economist. He didn't find it, and it leaves one to wonder if he posted on his blog about this peculiar fact...

Not a place to ever pay full price for anything, they do have frequent offers. Good bookshop…read moreupstairs with a Costa Coffee, not always easy to find a member of staff to order books athat aren't on the shelf. Good selection of chart DVDs and other popular box sets, I like the art and craft sections (both children's and adults) upstairs and get lots of presents throughout the year. Downstairs is more of a jumble sale, no space to look at the cards or stationery, so I tend to avoid getting anything. The newspapers are right by the door, so you can buy these without having to go into the scrum of the rest of the downstairs. Always take the escalator to the first floor for the same reason!

Nickleby's Bookshop is part of a dying breed. I'm not talking about shops that close for lunch,…read moresomething wonderfully quaint unless you want to buy something on your lunch break. Nor am I talking about shops in the Poundfield Shopping District, I couldn't believe the number of business that have closed in the year or so since I moved away. I am talking about independent book sellers. Once the staple of every town, they are now disappearing thanks to the rise of Amazon and the supermarkets undercutting them. But the supermarkets don't have anywhere near the range of a little shop like Nickleby's, nor the knowledgeable staff, while shopping on Amazon simply doesn't offer the same experience, the personal touch that you get at a shop like Nickleby's. Rant over, Nickleby's has a good selection of material for young adults and children as well as separate section for the classics, which I always appreciate in a bookshop. The prices are reasonable and the lady behind the counter takes orders, so if they don't have it they can get it for you. So ignore Tesco's, bypass Amazon and support your local bookshop!

Well the shop is fab, I have loved buying books there of the author Karl-James Langford. Will be…read morevisiting there soon for his latest book. Ghosts of Glamorgan is calling me.

Martins is a large new agents with a post office at the rear of the shop. Martins sells DVD's, some…read moretoys, sweets, cards, newspapers, crisps, ice creams, lottery tickets and a few odd items that are on offer. The shop is well laid out as you enter you are met by special offers and promotions. The store always seems to be well stocked and have a good range of promotions. They sell some stationary and packaging items which is very useful for customers who are using the post office and have not go everything they need as they can buy envelopes, packaging tape, marker pens etc. The shop has a huge range of cars which are separated into categories to make finding the right card for the event much quicker and easier. There are usually two members of staff behind the counter and they are always quick to serve customers although I have heard them moaning about the working conditions and they are not very well mannered at times!

The Here Gallery is such an assuming little place. They are fully stocked with tonnes of inspiring…read morearty things; books, posters, wallpaper, stickers and lots more, that always makes me really smiley when I'm here. There is a gallery downstairs which exhibits interesting work, from local and international artists. They always welcome submissions for their consideration, and you can tell they are quite select with the work they choose, as the work shown always is quite spectacular. If you're a little down in the dumps or facing a mind block with your own artwork, this place will really help re-jig your mind.

Stokes Croft's got a few flowers poking through the grey concrete, the Here Shop is one of them. A…read moregallery and bookshop, they've got an often changing range of contemporary art. They do exhibitions by visiting artists, with pen drawings of slightly alien looking organic shapes (that description's ripped off their website) by a Yugoslav-American Yellena James currently on display. Whatever is being shown the gallery is always a warm and quiet respite from the traffic on Stokes Croft. The bookshop side of things is similarly left-field and varied. They have loads of children's books, as well as books on graffiti, manga, and an eclectic mix of other subjects. You really have to go along to get a proper sense of the sort of thing they have. It feels like one persons just taken their personal interests and made a shop around it. I like this about the shop, you get exposed to things you might not otherwise get exposed to. The Here shop is kookish and neat, a nice play to wonder round for half an hour or so.

This is literally my favorite bookshop of all time. I've…read moredriven from Bristol and back again just to go to this book shop...it's like Aladdin's cave! I'm a therapist (of many therapies, but holistic based) and every book i could ever need is at the speaking tree. You can order wholesale as well if you are wanting to sell them on for your business. The staff are incredibly nice and helpful, best part the books are not expensive. Typically i pay about £3-£5 per book which is amazing! Esp for Glastonbury... They have two floors and a 'sale' section as you head up the stairs, if you cant find what you were looking for do ask i've been in that boat and found the best book i could have found. They also sell books and poetry by local authors, tarot cards and notebooks. I personally adore books and it's like a little slice of literary heaven. Cannot rave enough about it!

Great selection and not unreasonable pricing (unlike too many bookshops in Glastonbury).read more