My three-star rating here is neutral for a reason; I wasn't even aware this adult-only…read moreestablishment existed until two weeks ago but, hunting down new places to review with a friend for the purposes of reviewing on Yelp, the two of us - for the purposes of 'research', you understand - entered the premises on Hurst Street , which sticks out like a sore thumb with its 'hello, we're seedy here' red-and-black exterior. So, I don't frequent places like this and, besides trips to the actual Amsterdam where shops like this feel quite quaint amongst all the brothels and sex show venues, I have no experience to compare it to. The shop itself is an eye-opening plethora of skin vids, phallus-shaped playthings and all sorts of other (sometimes scary-looking) sex aids. The member of staff manning the till was quiet and discreet, which I imagine visitors to places like this appreciate, and he didn't bat an eye lid when my mate and I giggled at a nightmarish-looking rubber fist. A back door in the main shop leads through to a cinema, as advertised outside on the shopfront. I wasn't that committed to my research for this review to test out the cinema and discuss whether its seats were sticky or not, although I'm sure other more specialist sites may give those looking for an erotic cinema-going experience more of an idea of what to expect. So, yes - three stars as I wouldn't want to mark this place down purely for the fact that I'm not its intended audience. Avid sex shop fans may think it's good or bad but that's for them to judge - I'm just here to give the opinion of one curious, very baffled young man who feels really vanilla after my trip here.

The very first time I walked down Langley Green High Street, I was shocked to find a random music…read moreshop dumped in amongst the other outlets. For ages I thought it was closed because of the permanent railings on the windows. When, having established that it was a going concern and someone hadn't just abandoned a shop and left the drums in the window, I eventually ventured in and found it to be a comprehensively stocked musical outlet. Guitars hang next to drums which lead you to a counter behind which a friendly bloke will provide you with whichever little bit of musical equipment you need at a fair price (a Stagg clutch cost something like £7.25). It's still a very odd place to put a music shop, but from what I can gather from the website, it appears to be a specialist shop catering to the brass band market and so its reputation must allow it to remain in an obscure part of the world whilst still attracting customers.

I've been popping in and out of this shop since I was about 10 years old. My earliest memory of the…read moreplace is when Granddad lived around the corner on Dyas Road and would always pick up his Evening Mail from there. I find it very satisfying that the shop is still there and looks pretty much as I remember it as a kid. Whilst it's changed hands a few times over the years it's still a reassuring fixture of the Kingstanding Road. These days I drop in once a month or so to buy tobacco, or some other 'essential' (is tobacco an essential?) as I pass through Kingstanding. As well as a newsagent this is also an off licence - it wasn't like that in my Granddad's day! - so, if the mood takes you, you can always pick up a beer or two for a reasonable price.

Selling a wide range of newspapers, magazines and everyday household items, this small…read morenewsagent-come-convenience store is a handy place to stop by whenever you're passing through Kingstanding. A large public car park is located just over the road, for shoppers visiting the Hawthorn shopping centre and several bus stops are within walking distance. Inside, the store is clean, spacious and very well organised. Though small in size, logical organisation and lack of makeshift shelving make ensure that the store never feels cramped, and friendly staff make every visit here a pleasant one. The prices are surprisingly good too.