Great place, friendly staff,prices ok, pp plants good, carpark small but if only they had a cafe it…read morewould be perfect.

It's little nursery tucked in the corner of the M60 junction near Sale. Chances are, driving past,…read moreyou don't even know it's there. Not sure what they do the rest of the year but this is the simplest, most organised christmas tree shopping I have ever done and I was well pleased with the product and the experience. You got 3 types of trees and 4 - 5 ranges of height, organised in rows. Bloody simple, and the trees look pretty good too. I don't know what are the prices but we paid £37 for a 5-6ft Nordman. Job done !

So there I was, wandering round the Northern Quarter looking for something new, and POOF it…read moreappeared! In a shadowy doorway near Leo's gross Fish Bar, is a little staircase, lined with cool music posters and a couple of outfits on hangers. To be honest, I didn't hold out much hope as I descended the stairs. The sign above the door isn't the best (though it gets kudos for being simple) and, let's face it, vintage shops are ten-a-penny nowadays, and Manchester's NQ selection is already so good, it'd be hard to live up to that. But, I am glad to report, Bratt's does it admirably. Located in a cellar, basically, Bratt's takes advantage of the exposed brick work and low ceilings, and the arched alcoves in the wall are used as features; one of them houses much of the homewares selection (more on that later) and the other has been curtained off as a fitting room, which is almost too cool for words. It's the best fitting room I've seen since Rags to Bitches' silky tent. In terms of stock, Bratt's has really got it. Endless racks of good quality, well-cared-for vintage merchandise line the tardis-like cellar, organised, by style and material. So you'll find all the cricket jumpers together, offset by a great collection of retro trackie-tops and a bunch of good-looking furs (faux, or no? I dunno.) There's a multitude of jolly good womenswear, from all eras and epochs, and a seriously decent selection of knitwear. There's also a fantastic array of upcycled dresses and skirts by Love Me Again. I love upcycling, and you should too! The homewares, though mainly concentrated in one area, are scattered round the shelves. The awesomeness is too much to list, and I'm sure it's changed since last week, but expect to see vintage telephones, Atari consoles, the odd coffee table and some very nice mirrors. The perfect addition to any bijous dwelling, and the sort of thing I yearn for, but cannot have, in my modernist gaff. Sigh. Anyway, if you've got a kitsch aesthetic going on, you could do a lot worse than to pop to Bratt's for a vintage milk jug. (£3!) Not only is the stock great, the people here are fab too. The manager was more than happy to have a wee chat about the place, and told me that originally he'd planned to open a bar there. Thank God he didn't; this vintage shop is far too good to miss out on. As well as Mr Bratt (j'assume) there's a lovely female shop assistant who wafted around being the epitome of vintaahhhge styyyyle, dahhhhling, making it look totally effortless. She's hard to hate, though, because she's so damn lovely. Considering the instant awesomeness of Bratt's, only two weeks after opening, I think this place is one that will go quickly from hidden gem to firm fave, and rightly so.

What a really cool vintage addition. Downstairs you go and explore and be fascinated and prepared…read moreto shell out on some very amazing pieces. Fancy a batman mobile telephone? A very old sewing machine? Listening to Rock FM and admiring the brickwork, the poster work and breathing in that vintage smell? Get yourself down to Bratts. Brilliance.

I love Golden Days Garden Centre, I love sitting in the cafe and wandering around the plants…read more I always pick up a good book and nice smelling candles along with my bird food

Visited this weekend purely for the purposes of buying a Christmas tree and it did the job…read moreperfectly. There were loads to choose from and we even got a complimentary mince pie and glass of gluhwein. Not exactly cheap, but there were lots of lovely decorations in the shop and also there was a greyhound pulling a small sleigh outside. What more can you ask for, really?

Forget pots of paint, stencils and fancy wallpaper…read more The only reason anyone would be crazy enough to go to B&Q this week would be to buy one of their wood burning stoves or electric fires. Last time I checked they had about half a dozen different models at reasonable prices. Admittedly, none of them looked as stylish as the fires you see in lifestyle magazines but when Britain is having it's worst cold spell for thirty years, I think some people might be willing to sacrifice a little style for the sake of staying warm! Handily, this branch offers Reserve and Collect so you can order products online or by phone and collect later.

B&Q at 'The Fort' on Cheetham Hill Road, less than a mile out of the city centre. What can I say…read morebut DIY. This store is very big has a large garden centre, both inside and out. Whatever you need for your home you will mostly find it here.

Furniture stores are few these days as big chains are in charge more or less. This shop though has…read moregrown from strength to strength. It offers all sorts of furniture to customers and is very popular to locals as it is cheap and unique furniture. If you don't want to follow the herd and go to IKEA then this is your perfect find. It really is great!

From the owner: We are an independent retailer specialising in home furnishings and bathroom products. Good quality…read moreluxury at affordable prices.

This is a really well stocked garden centre it have varieties of plants and I really love their…read moreselection of roses. They have an aquarium and animals at the garden centre. As well as funitures, clothes and food shop. The restaurant and cafe served hot and cold food. I even joined the membership card where it costs a tenner. You'll get free 2 drinks each month and buy one get on free meals three times a year plus 10% discount. I've already made my money back on money i've saved. Really happy to have found this relaxing place to go to on a sunday.

A community run garden centre in the middle of Hulme. I've admired it from the top of the 86 bus…read moremany times. This is a very well designed space which feels surprisingly big as you walk around it. There's a good variety of flowers, fruit trees, shade plants and more for sale. There's a gluten free, vegan cafe on site. I saw a sign for vegan hotdogs, cakes and coffee when I was there but didn't sample anything. There's lots of seating at the cafe but also lots of little quiet spots with seating all over the centre. It feels like a community park as much as a business. There's also a 'schoolroom' with hay bales for the students. This place is not the cheapest garden centre but then your money is going to support a community not B & Q shareholders. Also all the plants are organic and in peat free compost.

A non commercial garden centre that has a really lovely relaxed feel to it and a good selection of…read moreplants and shrubs with some unusual varieties. The path leading in has lots of lovely plants growing along it and you are drawn in to the various areas with a smile. Loved the sensory garden and the staff are very friendly. If you need some vegetables for planting the have a selection. Also there are various courses run by this centre and details are on the website.

As my friends will tell you, I love a bargain. I have been known to buy things I don't need or even…read morelike, because they've been cheap. I always get a good feeling when I grab a bargain, more so when it's something I actually want. And when it's for charity, well that makes it even better! The Wes, as it is affectionately known by locals, runs entirely on donations and voluntary work and aims to help those who might not be able to afford to furnish their homes by offering everything they sell at incredibly low prices. A fridge will set you back £25, a washing machine £35 and you can pick up a double bed for £20. It's a great place to go if you're just setting up house; me and the boyf got a dining table with four chairs, and a bedside table, for £60. The dining set is incredible quality, and the chairs are very similar to ones sold in M&S for £150 a pair. Needless to say, I was pretty chuffed with that particular bargain. As well as a fantastic furniture section, the Wes has a great section of bric a brac, where we picked up two camping chairs for festival season for £10. This section sells clothes, shoes and household bits and bobs, and there is a great book section, with books from as little as 20p. The Wesley prides itself on supplying low price furniture "to those in greatest need from all over the City of Manchester". As if its low prices weren't enough, they also offer 'starter' packs for £50-80, for those who have very low incomes and who can get a referral letter from the council, or social services. These starter packs are a great resource for those who are really in need. The Wes is a fantastic hidden gem with a real heart of gold. All of the money spent on furniture here goes to the running of the centre, and it's such a good cause that it makes me feel even better about grabbing a bargain.

Forget B&Q, Ali's DIY shop is amazing and should be your first point of call for getting nails,…read morelightbulbs, a hammer, or whatever random piece of DIY equipment that you actually need. This place is packed to rafters with stock, and it's all reasonably priced. The customer service is great. I'm not sure if the guy serving was actually the famous Ali, but I hope he was because he was mega friendly, smiley and chatty. I love a good bot of pleasant customer service for a change. Keep things local. Next time you think about driving to B&Q, just go to Ali's instead. He'll sort you out and he'll do it with a smile on his face too.

Ali's Diy is your one stop shop for everything to do with diy, before you go to BnQ I recommend you…read morego here, the rates are very reasonable and he is very friendly. Trust me when I say I think that this shop was the reason they created the phrase 'don't judge a book by it's cover'. It is packed with everything you could ever want.