I must admit that until I moved over West Bromwich way, I'd never heard of Betel. Having swung by…read morethis shop a few times, I was very interested to learn that it deals mostly in furniture restored by people taken in by the Betel charity and taught, among other things, how to restore furniture. The amount of stuff in the shop on West Bromwich High Street is staggering. There are tables, bookcases, chairs, stools, footrests, wardrobes, chests of drawers, the lot. The prices of a lot of the stuff are quite high - we're talking £150 for a restored bookcase. Generally this is because it's proper old-school hand-carved stuff and not horrific 1970s cast-offs which line their aisles. Most of it's not particularly my taste (or in my price range) but the quality is fantastic and probably far better than you'd find in a lot of antique shops.

What a con! Taking advantage of bereaved people in their time of need. Booked to discuss taking…read moresofas which were £4000 and 18 months old, free from smoke and pet smells. Offered £70. What a joke. Would get more than that on ebay. Why bother trying to give local businesses a try! Never again.

reply to recent comment, i offered £70 for X2 seater secondhand sofas which was accepted by…read morecustomer and received a call just after from daughter saying that she was expecting a few hundred to which i replied i would return if not happy but said no. what more could i do

Levines is a furniture store manned almost entirely by a team of smiling chaps in neatly pressed…read morewhite shirts who are happy to swap advice on the beds, armchairs and cupboards sold here. As well as selling simple, discount furniture at cheap prices it stocks a wide range of beds - including orthopaedic ones - which frankly is a godsend if you have a jippy shoulder (like me). Despite being relatively young for such things their range of reclining chairs is pretty awe inspiring and they are happy to deliver at a time that is convenient. They are also great at providing brilliant customer service - when I got a bit confused by a recent purchase (a headboard for the afore mentioned orthopaedic bed, which just wouldn't sit right) they were really kind and patient - even when it turned out I was trying to fit it upside down. A really lovely shop.

We ordered a bed, wardrobe, chest of drawers and headboard from Levine's…read more We were initially told we'd have to wait a couple of weeks for the headboard which we said was fine. The first delivery only included the bed (the drawers and wardrobe had been left behind). We rearranged for the drawers and wardrobe and waited in throughout the delivery slot assigned but nobody ever showed up and nobody ever communicated this to us. We were then told that the 2 week wait on the headboard would be another month. In the end, it took the best part of 4 months for the headboard to be delivered. No discount was ever offered by management despite this terrible service. I would seriously discourage anybody using Levine's in future. I would however say that the furniture is decent quality (when it eventually arrives).

I love indoor markets and for a really good indoor market this side of Birmingham you can forget…read moreabout Harborne (although the cafe is still going strong) - Bearwood is definitely where it's at. Outside, signs promise a dazzling array of stalls - including 'bags 4 u' and my favourite 'smokers paradise'. Inside there are one or two shops that deserve a special mention: * The Sewing Box Sells ribbon by the metre, lovely wool - included textured yarns, buttons, hair accessories, buttons and thread. It's really cheap and the lady who works there is lovely * DJ Pet Supplies Sells dog treats, toys, bedding, leads and the ever popular pigs ears at a good price - the staff are funny and if you don't get called 'bab' at least three times during your visit you're obviously doing something wrong * Andy's Cafe If you're vegetarian you may struggle a bit, but if you like a hearty English breakfast washed down with tea then this is the place to come. Also offers OAP specials!