I went to get a sports bag. I have difficulty with stairs. After 20 minutes of being ignored,…read morewalked away from and left standing at a till as staff attempted to find the price, I came away empty- handed. No one spoke to me unless I spoke to them first. Staff made me feel a nuisance. The only exception was the young girl near the lift who helped me operate it. I try to shop locally to support real businesses but I'm going online now to buy a sports bag.

Packed full of sports clothing and some sports equipment. Over packed in my opinion, like many…read moreclothing stores. Hardly room to get around. That aside, they do fit in a huge amount of product. Also, casual clothing, jeans, polo shirts etc. The staff are always polite and helpful. Unfortunately they did not have the item that I was looking for - an Arsenal polo shirt (definitely NOT for myself I hasten to add!), which was advertised as being in-store on their online site. Pricewise, it is usually great value for money and fantastic if you have a gaggle of children to clothe. I ended up buying an arsenal mug (again NOT for myself) and was unfortunate to end up at the till behind the customer who appeared to be buying every item in the shop! There is ample parking outside, being part of the Springhill retail park, and is very easily accessible coming off the Bangor bound carraigeway from Belfast.

Now This is a real oldie, it is located next to Bangor's oldest building and it would not be far…read moreoff being Bangor's oldest shop. Trap and tackle sells all the things you could possibly need for fishing. When I was young I called trap and tackle the gun shop. This is because it had a massive selection of pellet guns and hunting knives. It is the sort of shop that you see Ray Mears and Bear Grylls queueing at the counter Kitting themselves out for a lads weekend in the wilderness.

Perfectly situated right by the pier for rods, reels, nets and bait - basically everything you need…read morefor a days fishing you will be able to pick up in this wee shop. With fishing off the pier or chartering a boat being a popular past time in Bangor, particularly in the sunny summer months, there is real need for a shop like this that has something to offer for occassional fisherman or the seasoned professional. I used to go in here when I was younger to get stuff when me and my friends spent summer days fishing off the pier and the staff were always friendly and happy to help out. The prices are pretty standard, so you definitely won't be ripped off and won't be sold anything you don't actually need.

This is one of a chain of surf, skate and mountain gear shops in Northern Ireland and has been an…read moreabsolute fixture in Bangor's Main Street since I was in my teens. You can pick up clothes, as well as all sorts of gear and hardware that you will need for a sporting weekend that extends beyond a game of squash or a kickabout in the park. The staff in here are absolutely brilliant. They have been running the shop for years and really, really know whats what. They're inviting, friendly, enthusiastic and so well informed that they can help you with any questions you may need. There is no need to be intimidated or put off if you are a beginner, as can be the case in these kind of places. Top stuff.

You won't be too shocked to hear that Surf Mountain sells all you could need to go surfing or climb…read moreup a mountain. Now the first I find quite appealing, but why, why, why do people climb mountains? Why not just look at pictures of mountains in a book or go for a gentle stroll around the block? Anyway, if you really need feel the need, Surf Mountain will kit you up for exploring the great outdoors. Boots, coats, camping equipment and proper hiking clothing and gadgets and stuff to keep you safe, and all from reliable brands like North Face and Jack Wolfskin. The husband always insists on browsing round this section, god knows why. Then there's all the surfing stuff which my kids love and which even I like. Swimwear, hoodies, boards, accessories from labels like Billabong, Animal and Silva. Nice trendy stuff which you can wear even if you don't plan on going near a beach or a wave any time soon.

Without revealing my age, Insport has been an unwavering and dependable Ards business since as long…read moreas I can remember (and I'm 30 - oooops!).With a vast array of sporting goods from shuttle cocks to goalie gloves this family run business definitely has it all. As well as the budding sportswoman, Insport also caters for school sports wear and I have fond memories of annual visits to replace sweaty hockey socks and the like. Best of all was when a new pair of gutties was required and the helpful assistants would have to tackle the staggering wall of shoe boxes at the back of the store. Like a giant game of jenga the staff member would carefully ease the relevant box from its precarious home, whilst all the youngsters in shop secretly hoped for a cardboard avalanche! My fact filled fiancé tells me that the shop proprietor, Derek Harkness, is not only a well renowned Ards-man but is also a founder member of the Blair Mayne Association. Who is Blair Mayne you may ask? This could be a convenient lead to my next review....

Great products. Great service…read more Have worked with there guys for years. Always very helpful and communicate well. They have a show room where you can try on items. Lots of choice in custom wear. Also a customer fancy coffee machine. Could not recommend them highly enough.

It is all about getting a holiday T-shirt printed. Say you are off to Benidorm and you want…read moreeveryone to know who you are with, what your nickname is and your favourite number. The best way to do all this is to get a T-shirt printed and the place to do get this done is Sports Crest. They will embroider even the craziest nicknames, Chopper number 10, Wee Man number 8 and Big Chief number 1 are all T-shirts that can be conceived at Sports Crest. They even offer different styles of tops. The traditional Polo that lets you can pop your collar when group of girls walk past or perhaps a vest to show off the guns you've been working on for the last 2 months before your holiday. Whatever your printing need Sports Crest are the company to do it. They will generally offer competitive printing and embroidery that will not start peeling off like your holiday tan. They also offer bulk commercial printing for employers and sports teams. They offer polo shorts for as little as £9.10 an item. So you if you want a Holiday memento or a professional looking team, look no further than Sport Crest.

This store situated on the outskirts of Bangor is a wee find, it has just about everything that you…read morecan think of including a lot of big brand names. The prices are very reasonable although some items can be bought elsewhere at cheaper price but that's not to say that you can't find that proverbial wee bargain! The store is big and spacious and there are plenty of parking spaces. It is well laid out and is pleasant enough to browse around and the staff are very helpful. It is worth visiting this store especially if you are looking for those seasonal items as the deals are very competitive .

Over the last few years I drove past this large unit of a shop about a million and one times on my…read moreway to the gym. It never attracted me because I imagined it would be full of cheaper-quality clothes and pound shop quality home wares. I was right! My sister made me go as she loves a bargain. We stopped off and walked into this huge cave of a place - a mixture of ladies, gents and children's clothing. There were groceries, household products, sports equipment, jewelry and pet store products. I trawled through lots of different clothes, some marked with stickers that say 'This garment was produced for a popular high street store' - I guess they have a small amount of factory seconds but most of the products are too expensive for customers looking for a bargain. I did buy one top for £7.00 so I was happy enough. My sister, who usually loves shops like this, thought it was full of things you could buy in the pound shop for half the price. I won't be back.