I visited this store recently with one of my oldest friends and her four year old son. They offer…read morea measuring and fitting service for children's shoes. My friend finds the fact that they specialise in properly measuring children's feet reassuring and the staff were super friendly and knowledgeable. The little man getting new shoes is a typical four year old, he wasn't that impressed at having to pick up new school shoes. However, the member of staff that served us seemed well trained with children and dealt with any issues calmly, with a sense of humour, and got the job done. They stock some great brands (Start-rite, Hush Puppies, Lelli Kelly, Geox, Skechers, Ricosta, Rainbow, Kidorable) and offer high-end children's shoes for school or best occasions. I was a bit stunned by the price but this is Knowle and these shoes seem the best that money can buy.

Touchwood Shopping Centre might not be the largest shopping centre, but it's a pretty cool place,…read morewith a good number of brands, making it excellent for a small town like Solihull, meaning people can shop without making the short trip into Birmingham. It can be easily accessed via public transport, with many buses stopping right outside and Solihull Railway Station a short walk away, I do find the buses can be confusing if you don't know where you're going, due to the many different stops even to the same destination (Some buses to Birmingham take longer than others for example) Brands located here include Apple, Footasylum, JD, Nespresso and Lush. There is also a large John Lewis store here, which is all the more useful after their Grand Central location closed. This also features a Joe and the Juice. Food and beverage locations within the mall include Joe and the Juice, TGI Friday's, Nando's, Starbucks, Pizza Express and Wagamama. Most of the shops are on the Ground Level, while the restaurants seem to be on the upper level, there are exemptions to this rule, for example, Starbucks is on the Ground Level. I did like the contrast of the modern and older parts of the mall, I did find a lack of lifts/staff around the centre to be a slight problem. 4*

A very poor experience today!…read more I found myself with 45 minutes to spare in Solihull before my meeting so I walked into the town centre and into Touchwood to take some photos to share with you here and on twitter for my 100 Days of Birmingham photos. I took a portrait photo of the closest shopping arcade and then turned my camera to take a landscape photo. A security guard walked up to me and asked me what I was doing. I told him I was taking photos to share of the shopping arcade on twitter and he told me that I was not allowed to take photos. Ironic since there are already 12 photos on here. He suggested that I was taking photos of the people in the shopping centre which wasn't the case. He then asked me to DELETE my photos. I tweeted from BrumHour's twitter account about my experience and received a reply back that said they can ask people not to take photos. As its private property they are well within their rights to do so.

Located in the ever-fabulous Solihull, in the poshy posh Touchwood Centre, Mamas & Papas is the…read morepremium baby and tot clothing & accessory store in the UK. Slick 30something bankers and Marketing Executives finally having their first child in a quiet, leafy suburban neighbourhood shop exclusively at John Lewis or Mamas & Papas for their foetus wear - but don't let that put you off. M&P truly do have some very nice stuff. Of course, it's overpriced. No one needs to spend £749 on a baby buggy - it's not worth that, it didn't cost even half of that to make, even if an Ikea designer's name is attached to it. If you're after something like a crib or baby buggy, go elsewhere - you can find similar or nicer quality items at Mothercare or department stores, with 1/3 of the pricetag. But the baby clothing, bedding and toys are really divine from M&P - think White Company for infants. The feeling of walking into a mostly all-white M&P, picking up a £30 set of two babygros for your hungry little caterpillar just feels divine. And if you truly can afford to buy all of your baby's things from here, well done, you! Are you hiring at the moment? There is also a line of maternity wear, which is actually very nice, all in the suburban housewife sort of style, but good quality. The Touchwood M&P isn't the largest, so if you're after quantity, skip this store and head to the Bullring one.

Mamas and Papas is in the main Touchwood centre so has the advantage of being indoors and near the…read morecarpark. It is a fairly large shop and stocks everything you need for a new baby from clothes to baths and prams. They sell some lovely stuff but it is very expensive compared to other baby goods shops. I guess though you pay for what you get. Their clothes selection is good and they sell boys, girls and neutral stuff. There are lots of funky baby toys and mobiles, even 'baby on board' signs for cars. Again, it is expensive. They have a good selection of prams and travel systems in store that you can look at. The staff are helpful and chatty and will actually demonstrate to you what each pram does so you can try before you buy.

Whispers is a wonderful fashion agency that stocks new and nearly new designer clothing. Much of…read morethe clothing is for slightly older women, and they stock much that would be suitable for weddings and more formal occasions. Their new stock includes brands Kirsten Krog and Zele. However, they also operate as a concession selling others peoples never, or hardly, worn designer pieces. They accept recent clothes from brands such as Gucci, Karen Millen, Jaeger and Planet. Items should be seasonal, of current or classic styling (less than 2 years old), in perfect condition, freshly laundered or dry cleaned, all buttons and zips intact, no staining or signs of wear - in fact, nearly new, hardly worn. Full terms & conditions are available on request but basically they operate on a 50/50 sale or return.