It's not my normal territory, you know, Mothercare. Because I'm not a mother, and I don't really…read morecare, which generally absolves me from ever needing or feeling the urge to go into this shop. This all changed the other day, when my brother and his wife had their first child, a beautiful little girl called Peggy. I started to care. I understood what this care thing is about, and I became a mother. As I said it all changed. No wait... I just cared, I didn't become a mother. So anyway,now ticking one of the boxes, I entered Mothercare alongside my brother, to buy a Moses basket and some other baby related items? I always assumed (not that admittedly I thought about it much) that Mothercare was just a big impersonal superstore, much like a massive Sports shop, where essentially you would be left to your own devices, and things would be scattered around everywhere just waiting for the recession to seal the last nail in it's coffin. But actually it was not. Inside, it was surprisingly tidy and well kept, and the store assistants were empathetic and friendly to new, anxious mothers and fathers, as well as enthusiastic and helpful. As well as baby clothes, Mothercare is a prime place to get all your practical motherly/fatherly hardware, such as prams (which are on display like cars in a showroom), mobiles, cots, and nursing bras. I wouldnt recommend this shop as a cool place to hang out (obviously), but I would to mothers and fathers who want a serious shop for their little ones, and a friendly face to help them do it.

This Mothercare is situated in the lower level of Churchill square, near ELC and a discount toy…read morestore. It always seems very jam packed with stock to me. Good displays of highchairs, pushchairs and cots etc so you can have a good look see before buying. Products also sold are toddler's clothes, shoes, toys and a small selection of books. This shop also provides a very valuable free service of a changing and feeding room at the back of store, free to use with running water, nappy disposal and discreet area to breast feed. There was until recently an Olan Mills photo studio in this store which closed in December 2008 due to financial difficulties.

You know when you see those kids that are casually but precisely dressed like in an advertising…read morecampaign? Well, I'm guessing their parents shop at Toby Tiger. A tiny store in the heart of the North Laines, it sells a breath-taking selection of beautiful, brightly coloured romper suits, pyjamas, skirt, dresses, trousers, tees, hats, mittens, wellies and blankets. Some of them are in tasteful stripes and spots that would compliment Cath Kidston homeware, others are in simple rainbow shades of blue, pink, yellow, green, etc. They also have a selection of tasteful printed garments with dinosaurs, robots, pink apples and embroidered slogans like Drama Queen and Cheeky Monkey. To buy one or two items would set you back £15 to £50. To buy a whole wardrobe that would make your kids look like they're young, hip and advertising-worthy? You might need to remortage.

A friend of mine used to work in here, so despite having absolutely no need for anything that they…read moresell, I used to pop in and out quite a lot and just couldn't help myself from nosing around and ooh-ing and aah-ing over all the little clothes and toys As far as babies and kiddies' shops go, this one is a little bit more special than most. Rather than the cheap, plasticky tat that a lot of toy shops sell for kids, most of the toys sold here are wooden, painted in lovely bright colours and seem to be really good quality. Their 'Charlie and Lola' stuff is very cute too especially the t-shirts with funny little slogans. Because the stuff is good quality, branded, or both, expect to pay a bit more for it. But unlike some of the toys out there, these aren't going to break in five minutes flat. The classic wooden designs also mean that they're unlikely to go out of fashion. Because, y'know, there are so many fashion-conscious toddlers about nowadays...

Jo Jo Maman Bebe is a pretty typical baby-themed shop. Racks of baby clothing, ranging from onesies…read moreto fancy dress coats at fairly expensive prices. Basic outfits ran from 12 - 18 each. A tiny hat was 4, and some knit booties were 10. Also available are toys and books; including several bath toys and accessories. Jo Jo offers a maternity section at the back of the shop, including breastfeeding bras, pyjamas and casual attire. Along the ground was a comfy-looking body pillow. I remember when my younger sister was pregnant, she was always looking for one of those...Maybe next time. In summary, I wasn't overly impressed with this shop. There wasn't anything unique about it, and things were a tad pricey.

Jojo Maman Bébé makes me so homesick for France- the cute name, the window displays with french…read morecursive writing, all the lovely babies clothes in practical shapes and striped fabric! They have brilliant cashmere babies clothes and hats that I want in my size. And the maternity wear is so reasonably priced and good quality! This is the perfect place to stock up on good maternity basics- skirts, trousers, t-shirts in every length and colour that you could need to get you through nine months of bellydom. They have all sorts of practical baby things as well- blankets, mobiles, toys, diaper bags. I checked out their website after I went in to see the quality and was so impressed by the even larger range of goodies online, I happily ordered a gift for my friend to be sent to her door.

I've been really disappointed on my last couple of visits to Mamissima, not by the shop itself, but…read moreby the attitude of the staff. If you are going to run a high end boutique with high end prices, the service has got to match, but on both my visits I haven't even been acknowledged on entering. I could understand this if the shop was busy and other customers were being dealt with, but on both occasions I have been the only person here! The shop assistant (owner?) has either had her head in paperwork or been too pre-occupied with her mobile phone. Although I've had a browse, I've never been inspired to make a purchase as the atmosphere is so unwelcoming. The products themselves are lovely, although quite often overpriced, and would make a nice treat, but with this attitude it's just not going to happen. With Jojo Maman Bebe just around the corner, whose staff are always so welcoming and friendly, I know where I'll my spending my cash in the future.

Mamissima is a lovely one-stop-shop for baby and maternity wear. Both sections featured high…read morequality, though a little pricey, clothing in many styles and sizes. Baby sleepers were between £19 - £25, for example, and the tiny but cosy winter hats were around £18. Maternity clothes actually looked fashionable, which is a plus, and included a range of maternity jeans. The front of the shop contained baby toys and equipment : snuglies, mobiles, stuffed animals, etc...all looking to be of nice, long-lasting quality.

I'm not normally a fan of second hand games, as none of the money spent on them makes its way back…read moreto the people that made them... That said, not all of us can afford to spend our hard earned cash on brand spanking new products, and if it weren't for second hand stores like this 'un, most games would be off the shelves in a couple of months. Gamestar then does something that bigger chains like Game don't do. They sell great games, from many eras at damned decent prices. I picked up a completely unscratched copy of Okami for £10 here, which is practically unheard of! There's plenty of more modern "hardcore" games here to sleight your thirst with, as well as more one off fun purchases. And Gamestar buy back games too, so you could get some extra cash towards your purchases... But if your anything like me, then you'll probably be happier seeing your collection grow ever larger rather than yo-yo with the days of the week. Of course, prices range hugely across the titles and systems, but with buy back deals that can be as little as £1 a night (honestly!), and some seriously cheap gems to be uncovered, you should definitely swing by and see if you can bag yourself a retro/ cult bargain. Go Gamestar!

While you won't be putting your money in the hands of developers, there's no better place in the…read morecity to get games on the cheap. Solid 7-8 month old titles sometimes go for as low as 10 pounds, and their retro game selection is huge. Staff are some of the nicest people around.