This lovely ladies-wear shop situated just five minutes or so from the Cross Gates arcade shopping…read morecentre. I discovered it on a recent outing to Cross Gates, having heard about the arcade here I decided to check it out. I had some time to wander around and so stumbled across this little store. As soon as I wandered in I realised that the clothes weren't particularly suited to me, but this isn't a criticism. It's just that the fashion inside is very much suited to a more mature lady. They had some lovely dresses and jackets to make up the perfect 'mother-of-the-bride' style outfits, all priced in the region of £150, and lots of accessories. They had some Radley bags, lovely knit cardigans, little shrugs, vintage rose style clutch purses and much more! There was even a very reasonable £10 and under sale rack which had quite a lot of items on it. One of the best bits about this lovely shop however is the welcome. As soon as I wandered in the two ladies who were serving greeted me with some really friendly banter - one of the ladies asked me about my camera which was hanging from my neck. She asked me what I liked to photograph and so I told her I liked taking portraits, to which she responded - "I've a friend who likes photographing the ups vans." I smiled, not knowing what 'ups' was, and she explained - "You know, the parcel delivery guys - ups vans!" I smiled, getting it and said, "Oh! You mean the UPS vans! I see. How strange!" She agreed with the classic - "Well, you know what they say, there's nowt as queer as folk!" And we had a right laugh about her friend and her ups/UPS obsession. They didn't once go for any kind of hard sell, it was completely relaxed and friendly, and a totally lovely experience. I didn't buy anything, of course, but I shall certainly be recommending it to any friends/colleagues who are in need of something nice and occasional. Lovely!

I 1st visited Joans's last year, when searching for an outfit for a special party. Although I…read morefound many of the items in the shop over my budget, I managed to find 1 dress which was reduced to just £20. I am very conscious about my 'slightly larger' size so didn't feel too confident about buying however, both my sister who was with me at the time & the assistant commented it really suited me. I bought the dress (a very ritzy style) as I love glamourous dressing!. at the party I received so many positive comments on how amazing I looked. That was the 1st time for years I have worn a dress so 'thank you' Joan's for boosting my confidence. It will now be my regular shop when I am in need of a special outfit. I have actually seen another dress there this week, for a very bargain price of £10!!! I am aiming to go back for it.

A run down dump..In its 70s hey day it was fantastic. Its now had its best years, many empty units,…read moreand some have been empty for over a year...Not great shops, rubbish cafes catering to gossipy old locals who spend their lives in their, parking charges, how much worse does it get,? It will be shut within two years, and good riddance

Now, for me personally, Crossgates shopping centre wasn't exactly a haven of super cool choice…read more However, I wasn't exactly offended to the point one 1/5 - I honestly didn't think it was quite that bad. For my money, the centre itself is certainly lacking in indie interesting stores, but there sure are a few stores here that I frequent back in Headingley (such as Wilkos) so I couldn't in good conscience say I thought the shopping here was utterly useless! To be honest, the shops here are rather middle of the road to my taste. New Look is always worth a browse, their cafe Flavours offers a great cup of coffee, Alison Holmes Decor is really interesting and they have plenty of cheapo stores for bargains. However, there are a few boo boos here to behold, I did not enjoy the service of BB's (which I'll go into in its own right) and I'm not a fan of places such as Bright House on the principle of their crazy APR rates! So, a mixed bag of shopping experience, in my opinion. One thing that would sway me more towards a four star review is their manager. I was walking along, happily snapping for the reviews, and one of their security came up and collared me. It always amuses me when people approach me, all aggressive and suspicious, demanding to know what I'm doing photographing other people's property. 'Cause, let's be honest, it's not like I'm going to photoshop some sexy younger more naked building over the top of this one. Still, he wanted to know, so I explained that I was reviewing businesses. He said I'd have to get management permission, so I said "Ok, take me to your manager now if you like." Off we trundled and in I went. The chap explained to his superior what was going on and the manager, in a very friendly manner, asked if I had any proof that I was who I claimed to be. I said that if they had internet I could show him my profile, explaining Yelp (of course) and we brought it up for him to see. Satisfied I was who I claimed he set me free to continue about my business! The whole thing was very easy going, down to earth and a bit of a laugh really. For that alone I liked Crossgates shopping centre just that little bit more. Props to the manager, he's all right! And hopefully, after his enlightenment, a regular Yelper too. Gotta' spread the love, after all!

Can not get a telephone call as no drops out.Takes your money but…read more employs that Evi delivery co to deliver to a parcel shop when I have paid for home delivery.

Bon Marche is one of those tricksy companies. They sell women's clothing and I had always…read moreconsidered them to be somewhat drab and tame. However, similar to Newlook only at the opposite end of the age scale, I'm sure that Bon Marche must have had a makeover or something. I nipped in here, somewhat glumly as I imagined that I'd not find a great deal in here as I walked in, and was pleasantly surprised. The clothes on sale are still, for certain, aimed at ladies who are perhaps 40+ but have lost that dowdy edge they once had. Yes there were floral shirts on display still, but this time in a fitted flattering silk print. Yes they still had below the knee skirts, but in a lovely a-line bright pink and white print. You know what else? The prices are good! That skirt? £22. Sweet! The store was awash with colour and detail, all the cuts seem purpose cut to flatter, with all the correct concerns of an older lady covered - arms were covered with little capped sleeves, skirt lengths were not too short and so on. I'm not saying I think older women should cover up, on the contrary, I think women of all ages should feel free to wear what they please. However, society puts pressure to conform and, having worked in retail, I know that in spite of what you say most 40+ women just don't feel comfortable without that bit of sleeving! My absolute favourite bit about Bon Marche though was their choice of models for their decals and signage. There was not an underweight, twenty-something in sight. Good on Bon Marche. If only more companies were bold enough to put real women of real sizes with real beauty on their displays, I think the world would be a much less insecure place! The chosen models were beautiful, older women with shapely figures and showed the clothings beautifully. Yey! Perhaps still not a suitable shop for someone with 'younger' or 'edgier' taste, but a fabulous bargain filled place for anyone a little more refined. Lovely!

West Yorkshire Jewellers is a rather large jewellers situated along the main shopping road in front…read moreof the Crossgates shopping centre. From the signage and design I assumed that this might not necessarily be the kind of jewellers for me, but then that was somewhat of a flip judgement. On closer inspection there was plenty there to entice me inside for a quick browse! Cleverly, they had a lot of the second hand deals on display on the outside window. Loads of vintage-looking rings with beautiful stones, all for between £50 and £100, stared out at me temptingly. Most especially pleasing were the garnets, but then that's my personal taste! Along to the other window display I went and saw a lot of items that were perhaps a little more contemporary, sovereign rings and large hoops etc, which although reasonably priced were of less interest to me. Inside they had their more high end collections, displays of some really lovely contemporary items by Fiorelli, Silverline, Fluid and more. They had those ever popular charm pieces too, which don't really pique my interest, but I know a lot of people who buy into them. Interestingly enough, I spotted some 'dog-tag' necklaces for £47, which I thought bizarre and there was also a large range of watches, clocks and timepieces on display too. All in all, a pretty all inclusive range of jewellery, with truly something for everyone! Not bad.

It's funny to imagine categorising these sorts of places, but if one were to attempt such a feat,…read morethen I'd say that Claire's is the up-market version of Extras. Or, in the very least, the more tame and slightly more tasteful version. Perhaps it's because Claire's really is a shop aimed towards teens and younger, as opposed to twenty somethings and upwards. I suppose that means, given my age, I ought to move on from merely using hair accessories and take on some more hardcore items, such as 'sexy' devil horns and the like. No thanks. Even if Claire's is for the childs, it's way more up my street. Even so, for every funky item in Claire's there is something so uber trying to be 'girly' that it makes me cringe. (Calling on the wisdom of Naomi Wolf here.) My visits usually go something like this, Crossgates being no exception: Ooh, cool scarves. Oh. Pink bunny ears. Ooh funky earrings! Oh. Super pink girly hair bands. Ooh cool necklaces! Oh. Day-glo pink leg warmers. You get the idea. I suppose, sigh, it's what the masses of young girls have been swayed towards. It also amused me to find a selection of Alice in Wonderland themed items - just in time for the release. Clever. Still, is it wrong to have considered a Johnny Depp a la Mad Hatter purse? Maybe. But I admit it, *want*. I guess the thing is that Claire's may well be the perfect haven for young fashion accessories, and those older types who don't want to go trashy, but it's still all a little predictable and a little bit too encouraging of the no-brainer-be-pink-be-a-girl type shopping that I'm simply not interested in. Shocking. I'm female, and yet, I don't feel the need to dress everything in pink. Who'd-a thunk it?

Matalan is situated at the top of the hill in Halton. The parking is always easy and there are lots…read moreof things set out nicely. I always want to have a good look as soon as I go in at the jewellery, shoes and handbags then to the children's clothes which were on offer today at a reduced price. I then look at women's clothes, and try them on usually, 4 items maximum, then to the mens and househols gifts. There were some great unusual Christmas decorations and I bought a snowman draught excluder which looks great. The only drawback I find with this store is the number of tills open and you always have to queue quite a while before you can buy your goods. The staff on the till are always helpful and friendly, it is just that you have to wait. I will go back again as soon as possible for some more Christmas presents!

Great For The Sales And For Kids Clothes Thanksread more

I haven't been to select for years, and today Emily and Ellie gave me a personalised shop, helping…read moreme decide what to wear and assisting up to the changing rooms. It was like shopping with my best mates. Great team, lovely girls. Well pieced together outfit. thanks guys!

Remember Roland Rat? "RUBBIIIISH!" well that's exactly what I wanted to shout in Select yesterday…read more The store was a mess, clothes on the floor, rails of sale goods blocking every aisle, two members of staff shouting mindless bobbins about their meaningless social lives to each other over the counter and completely ignoring their wandering and confused customers. Having managed to find one moderately pretty dress I let myself into the changing rooms and slid out of my winter boots to try it on, in the process discovering a whole new sensation of grittiness as my socked feet hit the filthy floor. But hey, at least they WERE socked. The dress was godawful, slung together with wonky seams, nasty cheap fabric and hung off all the wrong places with the elegance of a hand towel on Tony Soprano. At this point I re-dressed, took my coat off the curtain rail to find it white with dust and put my boots back on. As I stepped out to leave I felt something in my boot, took it off and there was a delicious little treat trying to hitch a ride on the underside of my foot......a filthy used tissue. Hurrah! So, on the downside this shop is dirty, badly run and stocked with guff....but on the plus side if you are in the least bit interested in what the staff's moronic friends said to each other on facebook last night and just how drunk they were at the weekend then Bob's your Uncle. Go and knock yourself out.

What is New Look, well it's not quite Primark and it's not quite TopShop. It's kinda in the middle,…read morewhich will probably have many people scream in outrage, but that is essentially what it is. There are many an item in here that copy or offer mimics of the latest fashion trends, but don't leave you bankrupt as a consequence for purchasing them. New Look clothing, is well, I wouldn't say it's got endurance power, it's definitely seasonal, which serves the budget well, as you won't get too long out of many of the items either due to the quality falling apart or the look of them going from acceptable to shabby in a matter of washes. Like I said, seasonal. There are many styles in here, from casual everyday wear, jeans, tops, t shirts, little jackets, sort of sports wear running through to the going out gear, of trousers, sequins, waistcoats, summer jackets, winter jackets, all that kinda jazz. There's the odd workwear item too, although if it's interview fodder I wouldn't purchase a suit from here, it really does look cheap. They even do pyjamas nowadays. Fancy that. Oh and underwear. Depending on which store you go in you can find a men's wear department but at the Crossgates store they haven't got that far yet. Footwear is a great bargain, I really do believe that, as most of the footwear in here is made from real leather, and it's inexpensive whilst fulfilling that fashion bracket. Bonus. The only umbrage I really take from this particular New Look is that it's always really messy. There's never been an occasion I've dipped in and seen items strewn over a rail or something working its way across the floor via kickings or tramplings. But that could be due to short staffedness or general busy times.