A treasure trove of second hand & vintage items!…read more This is a charity shop which funds the work of the Mustard Tree. They support vulnerable people across Greater Manchester in a variety of ways. This shop is a couple of minutes walk down Oldham Road, just out of the end of the Northern Quarter. They have a huge range of second hand items including furniture, white goods (but not cookers), clothing, bric a brac, electricals and entertainment items like vinyl. Everything is very reasonably priced as you would expect and they get some amazing vintage items in. They offer delivery for either £5 or £10 depending on the distance which is much cheaper than most other local charities. They also accept donations of items and can collect furniture for free on their vans. Call their office to book in a collection of you want to donate or you drop things like clothing off at their site. Check the website for opening times. It's well worth the extra small walk out of the main city centre to have a rummage in this hidden gem!

This place has furniture so laughably cheap I could, well, laugh. As the proud new owner of a small…read morehouse I visited here one Saturday to kit the place out. I left with: 1 double bed (frame) 1 single bed (frame) 1 double wardrobe 1 single wardrobe 1 chest of drawers 1 bookcase 4 kitchen chairs 1 hallway unit All look very nice, all very functional. Combined cost: £253. Add on a tenner and they delivered the whole lot, carried each piece into the correct room etc. NB: CASH ONLY. They know where the nearest ATM is, but don't get caught out.

One of my favorite Mosques in Manchesterread more

Yes, yes, yes. Just my kind of place…read more Somewhere I can drink coffee, relax and be surrounded by modern art. It is hard to find places like this near home. The art here is different, unusual and probably most people will find it strange and meaningless. Yes, there is a big rat head (costume) and a giant teddy bear hanging around. Constantly something is happening - life drawing, film nights and street artist exhibiting their creations. I'm always too distracted doing something or even just sitting on a comfy sofa drinking good coffee. So I've never tried the food here. Drinks are good. It is an interesting place to visit and take a break from your regular cafes. Why don't we have places like this in London ?

The quirky and cool social atmosphere…read more Plenty of seating that ranges from extra comfy to just plain weird. The coffee is great for the price and the tea is the same, the food is decent enough, if a tiny bit pricey. I'd say the staff are mostly awesome and friendly, although there is 1 guy who works though with a really crappy attitude that really puts me off staying whenever he is on the counter. Other than that, its a cool place.

Oxfam Emporium is attempting to take charity shops to the next level. Not content with making money…read morefor an awesome charity, this branch on Oldham Street is attempting to fit in with the multitude of amazingly cool record and art shops that litter the Northern Quarter. It does a half decent job of it, with a really good books, records and CD sections that actually house some decent titles. Also, it's not as ramshackle as other charity shops and definitely has more of a boutique feel. Oxfam Emporium offers photocopying as well, if you're in a fix. Make copies and support charity. Excellent!

Girls with small feet. Ooh don't get me started…read more I have been blessed with my height of 5 foot 2 and a half inches, yet what size am I in shoes? 5 and a half. Smack back in between the two most popular sizes. You see a friendly red 'Sale' sign, rush in, see a beautiful pair of black patent sandals with bows, heart beat quickens... Oh, they only have 3s and 4s left. And so it also is at the Oxfam Emporium- their glass case of Miu Mius flats and Marc Jacobs heels at the back (bargains) is all in small sizes. Ahh well. At least the rest of this massive 'emporium' will cheer me up. Its like a really cool supermarket but without much food (bags of tea, Green and Blacks and Divine chocolate). They have loads of ethical goods and some adorable material jewellery, like a felt flower brooch made by women helping themselves in developing countries. Good selection of vinyl too; I'm building up my collection and was tempted by a Barbara Streisand record. Don't worry I decided that I only really liked Hello Dolly not her music.

Ryman in the Manchester Arndale is A-OK, specialising in stationary, they have a great deal of…read moreofficey items (pens, lever arch files, printers, USB sticks), some of their prices are a little higher than average but this is eased slightly by their Student discount. The selection is pretty good, the selection of printers is smaller but with Currys PC World, nearby, no longer stocking them in-store, it is one of the few bricks and mortar stores nearby with physical stock. I find some of the staff to be a little rude, and sometimes I just wish I'd have ordered on Amazon at a cheaper price, that being said the store is easier on the eye than other stationery stores which I find to be often a little messy, and the selection is good, so if you do need stationery in a hurry, this store isn't too bad and the location is convenient being on the upper floor of the Manchester Arndale, next to the old Specsavers unit, which was taken over by Foot Locker. 3*

Isn't it funny how so many people claim to love stationery but hardly anyone can spell it? Even…read moreotherwise flawless spellers seem to confuse stationery and stationary. I was always taught the spelling by the rule, 'e' is for envelope. Alongside envelopes expect to find diaries, calendars, folders, paper, printer cartridges, pens, highlighters, Tippex, Post It notes, blank CDs and pretty much every other item of stationery you'd need in the office or at university. They don't sell larger objects such as office furniture and printers, as it is really only a tiny little shop.