This is a great store to find xmas presents for little ones. Its a reasonably size and it caters…read morefor toddlers to the older children. It also has toys for kids to 'test' in store which is superb for a distraction so you can get on with browsing. The staff are very friendly and helpful. It tends to have most things in stock. Its definitely a place for those with young children and you are not sure what to buy. It also stocks learning things and not just toys. The shop floor is divided into age groups which is helpful when you don't have much time on your hands!

And they have the nerve to put LEARNING in the title. Should be called poor quality tatt for lots…read moreof money!

Owned by two curators, The Studio Shop is a cute neighbourhood store that supports and promotes…read morelocal artists and crafts folk. It's so small if you did a cart-wheel you'd probably knock something over. And yet, they manage to stock a lovely array of original ceramics, vases, jewellery, scarves, prints, stationary, plants, lampshades and a few small pieces of furniture. The stock changes frequently and the owners pride themselves on finding unique and distinctive designs you can't find anywhere else. Personally, I love the distressed picture frames and the ceramic milk cartons. The thing I can't get out of my mind though, is the mugs with ceramic toy animals and cars as handles.

There are a lot of lovely homewares shops in Brighton, many with a shabby chic, craft feel- which I…read morehappen to love- and The Studio Shop fits into that category. The Studio Shop stands out of the crowd though- mostly I think because of the lovely colours they introduce into their style through some amazing fabrics, stunning silk cushions with abstract patterns, fantastic painted reclaimed wooden frames. The two owners- who are really relaxed and full of good ideas- have a real sense for textures and have picked up some great wallpapers, cards, and art that play with textiles, texture and colour. The prices range from very inexpensive for small pieces to much more for the art. Love the green front as well.

Vacant has quite a mix of men's and women's clothing, ranging from kitschy ski sweaters to lacy and…read moreracy night-on-the-town shirts (uh, in the women's section.) I saw some fancier styles as well - all were in the range of £20 - £40. The men's section contained - other than ski sweaters - long sleeved shirts and jeans. Mostly casual stuff. Accessories included warm winter hats - with lining and ear flaps, sunglasses and a few other odds and sods. The shop was quite bustling - possibly because it only recently opened, or because of all the signage advertising the Christmas 10% off sale. Either way, there are some unique styles here - I recommend checking it out whilst the sale's still on.

When did this shop open?! I swear I walked past this place the other day and it was...well,…read moreum..vacant! Now there is a shop selling men's and women's clothing there, appropriately called Vacant. I went in for a peek- the decor is industrial warehouse look- unvarnished plywood floors, metal scaffolding style bars holding up rails and shelving. Considering it seemed to appear overnight it looked fairly established and cool- loud music blaring, funky staff, stock presented nicely. There is a room for women's clothes and a second for men's- all the items seem to be repeated in both but in varying shapes and sizes so as to fit the respective shapes and sizes of ladies and gentlemen. So the batman logo t-shirt embellished with sequins and rhinestones for women gave way to a similar batman t-shirt without embellishment for men; bright check lumberjack shirts- the same for both but the women's slightly more tailored. You get the idea. The style was very much young emo- lumberjack shirt, skinnies, sparkly ironic t-shirts, starsky and hutch style cardis. The quality seemed ok and the prices were startlingly low- £25 for a shirt, £40 for a chunky cardigan. I have no idea about the brands though- I had never heard of any of them, a mystery all round.

This is another branch of Tiger that opened in Churchill Square…read more If you read my other Tiger review, you will know that I'm a huge fan and buy all sorts of random items that I don't need (Yoga eye pillow anyone?) - my main qualm is that it is always rammed! Well, the second branch opened may or may not have eased the congestion on the north street store. Whenever I go in to this branch it seems a lot quieter than the North Street one. It's laid out in a similar way (once you go in, you have to navigate all the way around to go out, kind of like a mini Ikea) which is annoying but clever marketing on their part. It sells all the usual stuff you can expect at Tiger - colouring books, fans, sunglasses, candles, novelty cushions, tweezers, bicycle bells, pipe cleaners... I could go on. You go in for a quick look around and come out with a basket full of what is mostly junk! But lovely junk. Bright, cool, shiny, useless junk... must... resist...going to... Tiger.....

This shop is absolutely wonderful. I fell in love with this shop as soon as I saw it. It reminds me…read morea lot of IKEA as it sells a lot of similar small bits that they do. It is also incredibly cheap but yet the quality does not suffer for it.

The Mole is one of a handful of boutiques around the North Laines that sells both street and…read moresportswear. Their window display draws you in with dozens of pairs of cool sunglasses and wicked headphones. Once you step inside, you'll find there's also a large selection of sneakers, training shoes, sweatshirts, hoodies, tee-shirts and jeans. Labels include Vans, DC, Etnies, Nixon, Von Zipper & Emerica. All you need to complete the look is a skateboard - which you can pick up next door at Oddballs! Review to follow once I've done a few tricks on my BMX. :-)

The Mole annoys me... Not the rodent of course, which is perfectly lovely and surprisingly small…read more.. No, I mean the store. It doesn't matter how much I tell myself that you can create your own "look" on a low budget, and look everybit as well presented as someone forking out four times as much three times as often... Places like this always come along and show off some of the most awesome versions of my clothes... and charge £55 them... £55 feels like the standard... Whether its the ludicrously soft and well fitting hoodies with their gorgeous designs, or the series of gut wrenchingly bad ass trainers....... Gah! There aren't many brands here, with a strong loyalty towards the three or so on offer. In addition to the usual jeans, trainers, jackets shirts and hoodies, The Mole also boasts a strong offering of very sexy accessories. Be they the stylish wallets, trendy shades or somewhat (in my opinion) tacky headphones to match your clothes, The Mole has got colours and styles to impress... Not great value, but offering exceptional quality, The Mole is a place to treat yourself, or to blow that big bonus (not that I've ever had one to wield).

I just love these stores. Its like a toy shop for adults. They sell things like Master Maze. A ball…read morebearing game that one has to weave through a maze. And lots of magic tricks for very little cost. They even stock an accordian for £17.99p. And what about a wooden xylophone? Or buy a harmonica! Now who doesn't want the Evel Knieval dare devil set! Or Jelly babies that are modelled on old people called Jellyatrics. They even have a Snoopy sno-cone maker. The big one is the worlds smallest micro-brewery. It can make 30 pints! Average cost of pint is quoted as £1.38p. There is a choice f bitter or pilsner. http://www.hawkin.com

I love this placeI take my 2 year old son in here just so i can play with the toys!!!read more

Converse might have dominated the sneaker market over the last decade but Vans remains the label of…read morechoice for lots of skates, surfers and snowboarders. This new Brighton store occupies a corner position on West Street and houses a small but solid selection of the label's latest threads and footwear. As well as baggy jeans, tees, hoodies, slip on sneakers and hi-top baseball boots, they have signature collections designed by surf and skate icons Johnny Layton, Joel Tudor and Anthony Van Engelen. Time to hit the sidewalk and go for a ride....

It was only a matter of time before Vans opened a store in the city: I think there is definitely a…read moremarket for their products. You only need to walk around the city with your eyes pointed down (which I often do, due to the massive shame weighing me down) to see all the pairs of checkerboard Slip ons, and the bright colour ways of the Old Skool and Era. The Vans brand is pretty dominant in the footwear stakes, especially more recently, with their chunkier version of the plimsoll being Office and Offspring favourites too. It is therefore only befitting they open a new store (conveniently slap-bang between the Office and Offspring) in the heart of the city's commercial shopping area. The store is well stocked with the footwear ranges, tees, jeans, hoodies and hats, and also some eye candy when it comes to the staff. Definitely the place to go if you want anything Vans. But that's kind of obvious really isn't it?!

Richard is very creative. I love visiting. You can find very unique items. It is not genetic so…read morebrings back the magic of Narnia and beyond. Love live Lewes.

This place is a gold mine for people who like vintage clothing and ephemera. They stock all sorts…read moreof old odds and sods: vintage clothing; an impressive selection of old kids' books, such as Enid Blyton novels and complete Ladybird series; old pin badges; leather travelling cases; vintage crockery, and so on and so on. There was a copy of 'The Chap' magazine (produced in Lewes) on display in the menswear section, which set the tone for the rest of the shop. The guy that runs it is sweet, and obviously an enthusiastic collector. I'd recommend this place for an interesting present, or just a place to pass a bit of time!