I spy with my little eye something beginning with 'J'. A jellyfish? No. A jug of water? No. A…read moreJaguar? No. I spy Jones & Jones, of course. Jones & Jones is an independent optometrist practice in Barry who pride themselves on 'clinical excellence, whilst providing high quality eyewear at very competitive prices.' All their optometrists - Dr Adrian Jones, Mr Chris Evans, and Dr Rhianon Perrott-Reynolds are highly skilled and experienced, qualified to doctorate level and have a background in clinical research, teaching and hospital practice. This enables us them to deliver the highest standard of eye care, tailored to you THE PATIENT'S individual needs.

I recently broke my glasses completely and because I'm literally as blind as a bat it was a huge…read morerush to get me some replacement ones. As I can't drive without glasses on (due to the illegality of the situation) I had to chose the opticians within walking distance and annoyingly abandon my beloved vision express. Being such a big chain, I expected specsavers to be efficient and proactive, they weren't. It took them 2 days to book me an appointment for a week in advance at this point I'd taken to only walking places, and balancing my (broken) glasses on my face for emergencies. When I begged and pleaded with them to make me an earlier appointment I was met with teenage girls with blank faces and no concept of customer service. The eye exam itself was quick and my optometrist really sweet and chatty, despite the fact that I always find eye exams a bit too intimate. (It's the bit where they practically sit on your lap and stare right into your eyes, it's almost romantic) In an effort to save time I went down and chose/paid for my frames in advance. They said they needed to order them and considering I'd chosen the frames 5 days before my eye test I assumed they'd get right on that. Unfortunately I was mistaken, after my eye exam the girl had to be prompted to order my frames. This was Monday, I was told to come back Thursday to collect them as they'd be ready. Suprisingly, or not, they weren't. A girl with a vacant stare told me laboriously that they hadn't come in yet and that they would ring me when they did. A few more days passes so I call again, I'm told one pair of my glasses are there but the other isn't. "Can I come and get them" "They're still not here" "No, I mean the ones that are there, can I get them?" "Oh, I suppose so". It's been a month and I'm still waiting for my second pair of glasses. The frames are good, the selection is decent and the eye exam itself of high quality. The customer service however, is horrific.

After my horrible experience with specsavers, I was aching for a good eye experience elsewhere…read more Luckilly Barry Eye Centre was far more accommodating to my needs when I needed some new sunglasses. I have an incredibly expensive eye wear habit and Barry Eye Centre stocks my favourite pleasure of them all, Ray Bans. Yummy. There are lots of real designer frames here, gorgeous ones but be warned, they do come with a hefty price tag. Though, if you live in Barry and you've got a few quid to spend, I'd seriously recommend looking here for some posh specs.

A friend recommended Barry Eye Centre when my Dad had been waiting three weeks for new glasses from…read moreVision Express! They had a good range of frames and prices and the service was excellent. They cut his old lenses from his broken frames to fit into a discounted pair, so he walked out with useable glasses straightaway while waiting for his new glasses. His new glasses are a lovely, high quality frame and arrived in 24 hours. I would definitely highly recommend Barry Eye Centre to anyone.

I love this shop it sells great ladies clothes for very cheap. The shop itself is quite narrow but…read moreopens up slightly at the back. I go to this shop quite alot as the stock is reuglary changes and you can get a bargain. Normally outside by the door they have some reduced clothes. I got a lovely red coat from there for four pound. Then inside the shop it has all the upto date trendy clothes. At the back of the shop it has a few bags and slightly older stock or reduced items. It also has two changing rooms at the back of the shop which have big mirrored glass doors. I often find these hard to shut. The staff there are always friendly and often give me advice on what suits me and sizes.

Predominantly a shop which sells guitars and harps. The lady who runs this store is incredibly…read moreknowledgeable on her stock (particularly when it comes to the harps). They do however, also have a good selection of music books and sheet paper, Including many scores from popular films, TV shows and Musicals. My younger sister particularly liked this store as she was delighted to discover that they had a Glee music book, which she has now been practicing continuously!

When it comes to musical instrument shops, there's a lot to be said for service. In the more…read morepopular, wider-known stores such as Cranes, there's an unfortunate tendency for snootiness to set in amongst the staff. That distasteful though that goes "we are the instrument masters, and you people want to come and get your grubby fingers all over them? Eugh! Peasants!" And Cranes has that particular element of snobbishness all over them. And in stores such as Gamlin's, there is so much choice, and so many people asking you questions about what you're looking for that there is a small element of intimidation. That's not their fault; it's a symptom of their dedication to their field. In Pencerdd Cyf though, you have the perfect balance. The reverence for the instruments and the knowledgability that comes with it is there, but there's no sense of "us insiders, you outsiders". Instead, there's an atmosphere of community in the store; an atmosphere that fosters musicianship. If I could combine the service here with the stock of Cranes, you might just have the perfect music store.