Beales in the Brooks Shopping Center well worth a look…read more Well known Fashion names from Espirt, Fred Perry, Henri Lloyd and Ben sherman for the guys To Country Casuals - Vyella - Kaliko - Dash - Windsmore for the Ladies Fashion accessories for the Sparkly handbag for a night on the town or a sophisticated one for the office

I really do not see the point of having this Beales store in the Brookes Shopping Centre in…read moreWinchester, as for its always quiet, dark inside and there product range is so limited. Theres hardly anything interesting in there to see, seeing as the larger department stores like Debenhams and BHS is in close reach. Beales has really outdated itself making itsself a failure. There product range is poor, the items are pricey, the customer service is very poor and all seem to be stuck up attitude. The interior design is extremely poor and lighting is bad. If this store doesn't improve, it will definitely go down hill.

Fabulous Dept. store!! Spectacularly laid out, clean, really attractive staff!! Quality of stock is…read moreall you would expect it ti be from such a high quality name. Toilets are quite a long way up and not very spaciouswasn't impressed with them. Don't try and walk up to themvery busy staircase. Restaraunt is bit pricey and has that lingering warmed up pasta smell!

This is our local 'posh' shop. A lovely old fashioned department store where you can buy most…read morethings. Although the prices are a little on the high side they only sell quality so its probably worth it. At Christmas its always worth a visit as its is always beautifully decorated. A classy shop for classy shoppers!

Great store, lots of variety. I bought too much in UK and needed an extra suitcase for the trip…read morehome and found a very nice on sale at a very reasonable price. Sales people were helpful and polite as would be expected in UK. Last time I was in Oxford ('08) I also bought a bag so it is my place to go for luggage type purchases, although they have other things as well.

Boswells is a GREAT department store where you can find so many varying things that you can do a…read morewhole load of shopping all at once. From bed linin to plates, from shampoo to hankies, from alarm clocks to pen knives.... it really does have everything. The kitchen dept. is pretty large doing some really unique cutlery, place mats and odds n bobs. At christmas time it also sells alot of christmas decorations and candy goods etc. The staff are helpful and their are quite a few tills which is good as it can be quite busy. The goods are cheaper than most other department stores and so for that reason alone are worth a browse!

While on a trip to London we made a quick stop here to purchase a delightful umbrella for my wife…read moreto use during our travels. Fair price, helpful customer service reps, and a clean, well-lit store... I've got no complaints at all and we would gladly go back again if we ever visit Oxford again - hopefully we will.

I love this shop. It used to be a real rabbit warren of a place, a bit like an old fashioned…read moredepartment store. (Think 'Are you being served') It was gutted a few years back and although the building looks the same on the outside inside it's a totally different place. There are three floors (as per usual) which are jam packed full of things to peruse and buy! The womenswear floor is large with a wide range of items for women of any taste. They have a Coast branch inside and a big collection of fancy dresses to suit. The homeware floor is big as well with quite a decent range of kitchen utensils which is nice because a lot of stores skimp on things like this. All in all the store is nice and bright, it can get a bit congested on the escalators and in the lobby though so be careful.

This is the most adorable department store! It is not a chain store but can be described as a…read morepocket-sized Nordstrom's crossed with a Macy's and seasoned with a dash of Bloomingdales. It has a small and apparently carefully chosen selection of anything you could possibly need, from housewares to luggage to shoes. A tiny escalator goes between floors. The most extensive collection is women's clothing but they have menswear as well. Upstairs is a cafeteria and a hidden away hair salon and a beauty salon. I love coming here for a quick browse in the center of town.

Very poor service from staff at John Lewis . I waited almost an hour to be served in the home…read moreappliance /electrical department. I think i must have been invisable as i waited until the salesman had served another customer but he just ignored me and went on to serve a couple that had just entered the department.He then called for help but unfortunately nobody came. i finally walked out. What a waste of my afternoon.No wonder their sales are dropping. I had travelled about 12 miles there to order a fridge freezer as my own has packed up and i needed to order one straight away. Too bad they have lost out to Currys

JOhn Lewis is a great store, there's no doubt about that. The one in Welwyn Garden City stocks…read morepretty much all the usual stuff - clothing, cosmetics, electronics, homeware, haberdashery, appliances, oh I could keep going for a long time. I went to the store at he weekend to buy some things for my new home - bins, pillows, cutlery storage, towels... and I am happy to say they had virtually everything on the list (although some was on the pricey side and I bought elsewhere). It wasn't easy to find everything - the kitchen department is a bit haphazard, but if you hunt you'll eventually find what you're after. The main problem with the store in Welwyn Garden City is the building. There are three floors and it's a maze. Different areas are in separate small rooms so it's very difficult to find what you're looking for. I feel like a floor plan or more signs would be really helpful because it would be very easy to get lost. The website suggests there's store parking (for a fee), but even if you can't find that there are many options nearby.

I do love House of Fraser and this one seemed really nice as well. But we came in here with one…read morepurpose when I met some friends on a sunny Saturday in Guildford. Lunch! Noone had tried the tea room at the top of this store so we thought, why not?! We can be middle class Brits for a lunch... Well we can try! We ascended into the gods of 4th floor to a typically British styled tea room - quaint patterned crockey and duck egg blue stylings with a glass roof so you could embrace the sun's warmth. There was also a balcony area with a view of Guildford's rooftop buildings (not the best view ever I thought, one side had a massive radio antenna next to the window) but it was cold and had been raining so we thought better not! Little bit confused on entry as it seemd like a cafe where you seat yourself and then go to the till to order, but people were also being table served. After standing for 30 seconds like lemons and having noone come to show us a table, we found one ourselves and proceeded to natter and catch up as true Brits do. hen after the 5th waiter came along in quick succession to take our order, we thought 'let's look at the menu first!' Side point, one gripe about this placed (I've mentioned this in my reviews before), I HATE BEING WATCHED IN A RESTAURANT. You shouldn't have to feel that kind of pressure choosing your food. I did choose however, not feeling too hungry I went with a savoury scone - very high tea indeed! I have to admit, they were boasting about their scone selection here but they were right to boast. Amazing choice and the cheese scone came warm with a generous helping of creamy butter, it was amazing! At £4 I would expect so!! A pot of tea to finish things along, love the crockery here, typically British patterning. Friends had a sundried tomato tart, which also looked really good. They also served freshly squeezed lemonade here! Very fancy. Was it overpriced? I have had better in London for the same price. But this isn't London, Guildford is known for being pricey. Not only Guildford, where there is less choice and hence less competition in the realms of afternoon tea, but House of Fraser, which is a respected establishment. So yes it was overpriced, but I can't say I wouldn't return to work my way through their scone menu!

House of Fraser is a great department store in Guildford. It is designed well and is laid out…read moreperfectly for wandering around. They have a large make up with most of the big brands covered and perfume section with some very helpful staff. They also have a nice section of homewares and a lovely cafe to break up your shopping experience. Womens clothing is located on the 2nd and 3rd floors which again boasts a good selection of brands from high street brands to the more expensive brands. Overall a great store with excellent staff.

This shop is England at it's most upmarket and quintessential. Winchester is a small market town 12…read moremiles north of Southampton and has an idyllic, relaxed atmosphere as you walk around the cobbled streets, through the cathederal grounds and along the river side. And the feel of Winchester life is encapsulated, bottled and gift-wrapped in this shop. It sells designer furniture, coffee table books, clothes, baby paraphenalia, very posh toiletries and things for the home. You might struggle to find anything you need in here and will have no trouble at all finding everything that you want. The innocent looking white swing tags pack quite a punch to the wallet and match the affluent clientele to a tee You never see men in here, you just see them waiting outside with a nervous look on their face! The upstairs is entirely dedicated to providing the beautiful Winchester ladies with suitable attire for their many social arrangements. The value of their clothes stock would probably pay for the entire relief effort needed to get Burma back on it's feet. The menswear is equally, effortlessly cool. The clothes hang by very contemporary banksy-style wall art. They have mixed this very modern style with the very much desired homely, rustic, family-orientated feel that Winchester oozes from every pore. The outcome is utterly irresistable. There is no average in here, in fact they are noticably aiming to be anything but average. The womenswear ranges from £50(t-shirts)-~£600(dresses, jackets, bags), with some affordable middleground. I have bought a few dresses from here - a butterfly print halterneck (£75) and a black wrap dress (£80). Menswear £30 (ubercool T-shirts)-£300 (jackets, suits). A fantastic place for stationary and little gifts. At Christmas time the whole of the town comes into it's own, doing the traditional Christmas with spectacular charm. The Hambledon becomes a heavenly Christmas wonderland, just make sure you bring your flexible friend along. Once every season (twice a year) the owners sell off all their designer clothing to make room for the new stock and just recently this has happened in a smaller shop a few minutes away, rented for 3 days or so and rammed to the rafters with designer bargains. Arrive early, the queues reached the 1 hour wait mark within 10 minutes of opening. And beware - these Winchester ladies don't hold back. And you need cash or cheque, they are open to a bit of bartering, so be prepared to strike a deal. Check out their website for details or to join their mailing list. I love this place, but it's extravagant, designer, way-too-cool image always leaves me feeling slightly uneasy and thinking about foreign aid crises So it's a comfortable 4 stars. It is, after all, in the south, you wouldn't find a place like this up north, not even in York :)

I really enjoy visiting this shop in my time off. It's so unique and has so much character with…read morelovely staff and a great asthenic. The only downside would be the price point but this shop is great for finding clothing, gifts and small brands.