Making cold heads a distant memory, Beanie Box is now reaping the rewards of simple genius. Rather…read morethan attempting to cover lots of stupidly unrelated areas with a myriad of pointless products a la lots of other Afflecks Palace stores, the big BB has instead picked just one area to focus on- bad hair days- and stuck steadfastly to their guns. The result is has been the cultivation of a seriously strong identity- it has become "the hat shop" to every student in Manchester. Where else would you go for a hat?

This shop is packed absolutely full of fashion 'accessories'. Top name handbags, hats that would…read moregrace ladies day at Ascot, scarves, purses and even fake tan and sunglasses to complete the look! It's not all top price though and I reckon there would be a handbag there for most people's taste and budget. All in all a great little shop.

We were attending our youngest son's wedding and my wife has only ever worn sunhats in the past…read more she actually hates wearing any hat! As it happened, the bride and groom insisted on some formalities. We were told about Felicity's by the bride's mother and I was taken along (under protest) to help with the choice. In the event, I quite enjoyed the experience as the service we got was excellent. I am presuming that it is Felicity who served us, as I have only seen the one woman in there. She was wonderful and spent a long time selecting lots of possibilities, based on the clothing to be worn and my wife's hair colouring. I was asked my opinion, and listened to, even though she didn't know I spent twenty years as a fine arts teacher and actually do have some idea of aesthetics. In the end we agreed on a hat which really did suit, painlessly paid for it and departed with the hat carefully wrapped and in an impressive hat-box. On return, I was given a receipt to say that it had been returned in good condition and the lady was genuinely interested in how the wedding had gone. All-in-all, I would definitely recommend it to anyone needing a beautiful hat whatever the occasion; there are a surprising variety of styles and colours, as well as other accessories available in a relatively tiny shop.

And the prize for the most random shop in the whole of Afflecks Palace goes to…read more...... Seriously, the people who run this place must have used folded up pieces of paper, a hat and blindfold to help them come up with their business strategy as the links between the things sold here I'd describe as tenuous at best. Mooching around Rowfers I've come across jewellery, stripy tights, piercing, oil burners, candles, mirror balls, ornaments, bandannas, makeup, badges, studded belts, hair dye and incense. Luckily I'm thinking of throwing a stripy tight and bandannas party and don't have any electricity in my tree house. There's going to be a guess the smell competition where you get the chance to win a pair of really baggy trousers but the loser will have to wear a badge that says "I'm incensed."

As a regular shopper in Afflecks and particularly Rowfers i can say that the previous review by…read moreJames B accurately describes the products available in Rowfers. Though why he has to sound like such a childish, sarcastic know-it-all is beyond my grasp. I'm old enough to remember Afflecks opening in the 80's and Rowfers has been there most of the time since then. So i'd say their "business strategy" was working just fine for them. As for links between products being tenuous at best? Poppycock! If James B actually took time to look around the shop properly he might recognise two product ranges; 1) Alternative clothes and accessories. 2) Fairtrade crafts and home-wares. Thus the products James described, Jewellery, Stripy tights, piercing, bandannas, make-up, badges, studded belts and hair dye all fit into range (1) and perfectly compliment the large range of alternative clothing they primarily sell which james conveniantly omited from his review and causes the review to be inaccurate. Oil Burners, candles, mirror balls, ornaments and incense sit nicely next to their african wall masks, crystal balls, crystals and windchimes for product range (2). I wonder if James would be equally confused in TK-Max as they also sell both clothes/accessories and home-wares? Although i respect James has the right to review shops and express his opinions i just found his review lacked accuracy and was overladen with un-needed sarcasm. On the plus side i think Rowfers sells some great stuff, often hard to find in the high streets and theyre cheaper than the competition (even their rivals in afflecks such as Sohos and Extreme Largeness). The staff are always friendly and chatty without the hard-sell and the music in the shop is always weird and wonderful. On the down-side i'd say the stock is poorly lit, the location can be hard to find for those who aren't regulars to afflecks and often the sizes are a little on the small size. this might be ok for the hordes of teenagers who regularly flock to afflecks but for those of us with a middle aged spread- we need a bit of give!

A stunning shop, can't praise it enough. Owner will go out…read moreof her way to help you out, even if its some thing she doesn't stock or deal with. Well stocked, lovely items, and very reasonable prices.

This shop closed down about 1 year ago.read more

Ridelow is the perfect place to get a really good range of kitsch, weird and wonderful bikes that…read morefrankly you won't find anywhere else in Manchester. It's awesome inside, with bikes and all kinds of things hanging off the ceiling, and a sofa to have a sit down on if you want. But it also has a line in doing loads of other stuff. Be that watches, gothic jewellery, skater t-shirts, rucksacks and even a desk offering canvas printing services! The limited clothing stock out on view is apparently for display purposes - they have more sizes and if you ask they'll go find the one you need in the storeroom. The staff in here are dead friendly and willing to give you a hand or even just have a chat. I always like it when a shop has that kind of vibe.

Ridelow, as the name suggests, is for the cool kids. If you know your bikes then you'll know that…read morethis store doesn't just stock any old brand. This store stocks the crème de la crème of lowriders, cruisers, bmx's and choppers. Since this is the store where the likes of Kate Moss and the Beckhams come to get their rides, you can imagine that it isn't all that cheap. In fact, you're looking at around £500 for an Amsterdam or from £200 for a chopper, but you won't find anything else like them on the street. You won't want to leave them unattended on the street either, even if you have 3 locks, and for a city dweller like me that poses a huge problem. I guess the people who can afford these bikes also have a private place to store them?

I actually rubbernecked when I saw this stall, and that's not something you get to do a lot of…read morethese days. Aesthetically, it is beautiful. Although the stall is diminutive in size, it is so colourful and vibrant; a mix of feathers, netting, ribbons and pizazz. There are many different styles of hat to choose from. The couture hats are extremely elaborate, definitely worn to make a statement. Whether at a formal wedding or ladies day at the races, you would guarantee some serious head-turning when sporting one of these creations. The range of fascinators is fairly impressive. For the weddings I have been to in the past, I have opted for this alternative. A bit more quirky and trendy than a traditional hat, it accessorises the hair elegantly. The stall also sells many items online, the products varying dramatically in price. As I already have two weddings to attend this Summer, I will be keeping an eager eye on Love Hats.

Love Hats is an eye-catching little shop full of wonderfully flamboyant hats and fascinators…read more Brimming with feathers, flowers and bows it stands out a mile among the many disused stalls in this part of the market. The stall owner sits lovingly hand-stitching a weird and wonderful creation- in-the-making surrounded by the impressive evidence of her skills. The headgear is a mixture of fantastically OTT hats that might be worn to the races or a wedding, wildly striking fascinators and unusual vintage-inspired winter hats. Prices vary from between £85 and £850 for the more flamboyant hats, £60 to £170 for fascinators and £32 to £48 for winter hats. Love Hats is an example of a shop in the market really taking pride in its presentation, displaying its wares lovingly and making sure its sign is visible and provides the necessary information. Love Hats is exactly the kind of shop that is needed to breathe life into the Leeds Kirkgate Market, making it appeal to a broad range of people and reflect the creativity and passion that the small businesses of Leeds have to offer.