How to screw up a business in a short amount of time. Was a great business but one man managed to…read moremurder a long standing business within a year, didn't listen to the staff and bought in crap and sold it st stupid prices.....

I love stationery - ergo I love stationery shops. Shopping for a new notebook or decent pen makes…read moreme happy. Osborne's for me then, is a real treat - encompassing a wide range of notebooks and pens as well as diaries, address books, (do people still use these? I hope so) notelets, paper by the sheet, stickers, rulers, pencil cases, plastic folder things, index cards, hole punches and card. There's a photocopying service that always seems very much in demand and a comprehensive crafting range where you can buy paper flowers and best of all GLITTER and they stock a nice range of cards and non-fiction books - the latter best described as 'stocking fillers'. At Christmas I also like perusing their calendars which seem to consist almost entirely of cute kittens or scenic shots of the canal network (but never both at the same time sadly). It's the place to go for reams of paper and printer cartridges and situated by the 22/23 bus-stops is the ideal place to waste a few minutes before your bus is due.

Ethos has to be my FAVOURITE florist in the whole of Birmingham!…read more The uplifting smell of fragrance from the fresh cut flowers in here, when you walk in is soo pleasant and makes you smile. The florist offers gifts, greeting cards, sweets, flowers for business events & parties, candles, bunches of the finest bouquets, pots, balloons, cuff-links, vases, mugs, photo frames, clocks and even soap! There is something here for everyone. Only the flowers are available online however. And Gift vouchers are ONLY available through Facebook. I would certainly and quite highly recommend this to anyone, regardless of who your shopping for as the variety of diverse gifts available, as mentioned above, is quite astonishing. You may find you spend a little fortune in here, but well worth every penny!!!

I love this shop and not just for the gorgeous flowers but the plentiful greeting cards it stocks…read more There's always a warm welcome too and they don't seem to mind if you just browse for cards and gifts. After all, we're not exactly spoilt for choice for shops in Brindleyplace! However, the flowers are stunning and they offer some amazing arrangements. I've noticed, Ethos have started an on-line service now too so you can order gifts that they will send for you. I especially love the flowers in a teacup and saucer which is unique in an arena where it must be so hard to come up with new ways of arranging flowers. Ethos are clearly very adept at organising arrangements for events too and furthermore it's great to see a business thrive after ten years!

Good range of cards and gifts including bears, balloons and keyrings. Good staff who are very…read morewelcoming

Birmingham lacks many high quality art & craft supplies shops. That's where Birmingham Bead Shop…read morefits in. Small but perfectly formed haven full of shiny things and pretty things and crafty things for you to buy to make yourself prettier, or to make something pretty for someone you know. I've been spoiled by a recent trip to NYC where I visited the Brooklyn Charm Shop and spent a long time ogling shiny expensive and inexpensive charms and other jewellery making supplies. I was grizzling away about how there's nothing that even compares anywhere near me - so it was an AWESOME surprise to pop into the Birmingham Bead Shop only to be blown away by the range they manage to cram into such a small space, as well as the helpfulness of staff who can show you how to properly open and close a jump ring, or what a crimp bead is for. They've even run classes in the past in jewellery making, though they have none advertised at the moment. I'll be keeping my eyes peeled though!

Just one store that shows there's life yet in Birmingham's independent retail scene, the Birmingham…read moreBead Shop is a haven for craftsy types who like to create pretty things for their own amusement, to give as gifts or sell online. Back in 2010 after consuming too much cider at the sunniest Glastonbury in recent history, myself and my equally sun/cider-addled friend decided we were gonna give up this capitalist lark and make felt owls with button eyes and sell them at festivals. This never happened, of course, but having my eyes opened to her skill with a sewing needle and bits of material I couldn't make heads or tails out of, I was on the search for a shop like this for a while until discovering it just before Christmas. Now, our annual DIY Christmas gift pact (make each other garish jumpers, stockings, etc. - this year, a onesy has been proposed, eek!) means I always make a trip here to stock up on supplies. Whatever I don't use in my fumbling attempts to create something cool, I simply give to her as part of the gift seeing as she's into her jewellery making and whatnot. As well as lots of cool stuff to aid in 'Blue Peter'-style craftsmanship, fashion fans who like to pair things together to make something exponentially cooler can find all kinds of cool charms and sparkly bits and bobs to add to charm bracelets, necklaces, pin to their clothes, etc. As someone who works for a high street jewellers that sells massively popular Pandora and the like, I have to say this little shop of treasures offers something a bit different for those who like to get creative with their accessories.