Ok, now for a little history lesson (sorry I wouldn't do this unless it was very interesting). The…read moreClifton Arcade, a beautiful Victorian version of a shopping mall, was buried under 60 tonnes of debris (including a caravan) until just 20 years ago. The story goes, when a builder was working around the site twenty years ago and started drilling into a wall, his drill went all the way through, meaning it was hollow inside; he made the hole big enough to look through and saw this beautiful old Victorian parade of shops, untouched for decades. Now I don't know how much of that the complete truth, but pretty cool is nonetheless. As far as shops go, they are suitably useless but fit in with this special building. They are lovely little independent businesses. There is an amazing little Mexican shop that only sells, well, Mexican things. Like wrestlers masks. Nacho Libre!!! There are art shops & a really cool vintage clothes shop (woman only, dam!). The biggest shame is that the brilliant little record store that used to be at the far end has now closed. Dam, now this arcade really is only suitable for woman, mothers and grannies who can literally get lost in their for hours. Some peace for the rest of us.

This is kind of symptomatic of everything that's good and bad about Clifton Village. You enter by…read morethe Promrose Cafe and stroll through this beautiful arcade, though I have to say, I'm struggling to think of a time that I've ever bought anything here. Pretty much everything in here - bar the music store - is high end, which means, especially in this day and age, that it's all a little rich for my blood. Always worth a quick stroll when you're in the area, but you may want to encase your wallet in concrete before you enter.

Walking through the doors of shop is like literally taking a step back in time. Everything from the…read morefurniture to the shop assistants look as though they've come from the swinging sixties. This is a little slice of retro happiness on the Christmas Steps. They stock everything from home ware to jewellery making it a vintage girl's paradise. Not only is Shop one of the best shops that Bristol has to offer, but they also hold gig and film nights where they'll serve you hot buttered pop corn and cups of tea. Keep an eye on the website for an event that takes your fancy and then try it out for yourself.

A lot of shops have come and gone on Christmas Steps, but this little vintage shop has kept its…read morechirpy little doors open. Focusing on modern vintage ('70s to '90s with a few nods to '50s and '60s) the first room has carefully displayed homeware and little nick-nacks. Owners Jayne and Brett are always there with a 'hello' - they always look so damn happy! - and the lounge music will usher you in smoothly to the back room. Here you will find some good retro clothes, particularly nice are the accessories and brooches available. TOP TIP: Pick up a 'shop-fir-mation' from the bowl at the back, a pick-me-up fortune cookie message in SHOP's unique style.

Until very recently the centre (being the open plan water fountain area by the Hippodrome) only had…read morea couple of independent newsagents, which was fine. Then in the space of a few months two of the big players popped up - Tesco Metro at College Green and Sainsburys Local in Broad Quay. Each can complete with a much-needed cash point in the area. Previously, people had to either walk halfway up Park Street to the HSBC or halfway down Baldwin Street to the Alliance and Leicester. Sainsburys Local is your bog standard Sainsburys Local but it looks much nicer and newer. It sells the usual from sandwiches to chocolate and soup to milk and eggs. It's also handy for the smokers in the nearby office blocks. I don't know about you but I'd much rather shop at Sainsburys than Tescos and now you can if you live or work around the city centre in Bristol.

Good selection of ready-to-eat sandwiches and meals, even late at night. Besides that, it's not…read moremuch different from any other Sainsbury's. Oh, unless you love Reese's. They also happen to have an epic selection of Reese's peanut butter cups, pieces and even the oft-unseen crunchy candy bar. Heady stuff.

I adore this shop - I wish that my house could look like this with all fine furnishings and…read moredelicate glasses and jewellery strewn about with glamourous abandon. I would have to have genetic modification to stop my clumsiness though and, as the lady looking after the shop pointed out, I probably wouldn't want to do the dusting! A two-storey treasure trove of vintage items but displayed with finesse. I came looking for some champagne saucers and the lady was very helpful in showing me some (the wrong decade for me, but they were beautiful Edwardian cut glass). The prices are astonishingly reasonable verging on cheap so if you like quality items in your home and kitchen then I highly recommend coming here and finding bits and bobs.

Spike Island is a leading contemporary art and design space on the docks in Bristol and hosts a…read moremicrocosm of artistic activity. They show frequent exhibitions, hold residencies and offer opportunities in research into contemporary art. The building is huge, an old warehouse (you could almost draw similarities between here and the Tate). Spike Island is also home to the Aardman Animations team, creators of Creature Comforts and Wallace and Gromit.

A large warehouse space which has many functions for artists of Bristol…read more Publicly there is a gallery on the ground floor which has regular exhibitions and a large space for scheduled arty activities with children. There is also a nice little cafe - open on Mondays when the galleries are closed - with some seats outside when it is nice weather (although there is a lot of traffic on the road outside spoiling the harbour-side view). If you become a member of the studios then you can use their good printmaking facilities (Spike Print Studio) and rent studio space. The community here is friendly and supportive. If you just dabble in art then I can recommend their workshops - find details on this website instead of the main one http://www.spikeprintstudio.org They have lino and etching classes for beginners or to brush up rusty skills. They are up to date with some fantastic processes. Classes may run over a weekend or one day a week for a season.

A long stander in the charity shop world Oxfam have always put on a good show. This store is…read moreabsolutely no exception effortlessly blending the usual pre-loved items with some of Oxfam's own ethical produce. This means hats, scarves and jackets sat next to Oxfam gift cards and chocolates. It's an environmentally and ethically conscious charity and this really shines through in their shop. Well done Oxfam!

This is one of the more 'high-end' charity retail outlets in the city with slightly higher quality…read moreproducts that are carefully selected and not just any old knick-knacks or bits and pieces. This is because of the shops location in Clifton Village. They have good quality ornaments, pieces of furniture and although you can still grab a bargain they also sell a lot of new products like Christmas cards and fair trade chocolates (good job they're not second hand). You can also buy some great Christmas presents from this branch, like the 'build a school' or 'buy a goat'-type gift packs (where you donate the appropriate amount of money in return for one of these gift packs, it's a nice way of imagining what the money could be spent on). They have some useful bits of homeware in this branch, like curtains, rugs & fabrics; they even had a bean bag once that I wish I'd bought.

If Photoshop were to personify itself as a traditional British gentleman then this is probably the…read moresort of place he'd run. Everything about this place has that sort of modern yet classical chic design look to it. If you know what I'm on about you'll probably love it down here. From kitchen wares to cookery books to candle holders this place has everything the modern housewife (or husband) could wish for, all with a sort of bold and colourful twist to it. They also have a wonderfully easy to use website with all their kit on display so maybe the best thing to is check that out, as opposed to imagining a bold, colourful, modern and chic Photoshop man.

A bright and modern gift shop perfect for the yummy mummy friends in your life. They had a wide…read moreselection of Orla Kiely and Cath Kidson items which should help you gauge the style here. Think pink and pretty with a dollop of vanilla ice cream and cherries on top. Over two floors, if you are buying for children check out downstairs for some interesting kids toys and games. However be warned - I did have to leave after 10 minutes because I was beaten into submission by the incredible tweeness of the music. Any more and I would have started swearing and smashing things just to get the status quo of the universe back into kilter.

Great little surprise, a beautiful old Victorian shopping arcade tucked away in Clifton Village,…read moreBristol. Hidden down Boyces Avenue, this treasure originally opened in 1878 but later fell into disuse. It has been restored now and is home to a wide range of small shops selling all sorts of stuff from antiques, furniture, jewelry, designer clotes, art, music and books. A really good mix to tempt our various interests. Apparently, the building has been used as a film location, notably in the BBC drama Little Sir Nicholas, De Amitri's video Nothing Much Happens Here and on more than one occasion by the BBC for Casualty.

A warning to all you ladies out there: if, after dragging your doting boyfriend around the retro…read moreshops of Park Street, you loving ask, 'is there anywhere you want to go?' you may just end up at Forbidden Planet. This comic book and sci-fi mega store is every boys dream and every girl's nightmare. Be prepared to lose several very important shopping hours here. Having said that, it's easy to admire the scale of the store and the quality of the goods they have to offer. Even I, a sci-fi phobic, enjoyed flicking through the comic books and eyeing up the DVDs. It's a great place to shop for presents for boyfriends, friends and little brothers. And, luckily for me, the shop assistants are so helpful so even the clueless can pick the perfect stocking filler.

Comic book nerds and geeks (or those that think Sci Fi is so square that it's hip) from all around…read morewill love forbidden planet. It's not the easiest place to find - it's on the less visited part of triangle, so a little away from the main shopping drag on Park Street, but definitely worth making the effort for. If you're not into comics too much yourself, this is definitely a brilliant place to grab an original gift for someone who is - there's endless amounts of memorabilia. The stuff here is pretty expensive though.

When I first heard that the Bristol Industrial Museum was very close to where I lived, just by the…read morewaterside, I went looking for a building of some sort with a big signboard that would say 'Bristol Industrial Museum', and walked along the riverside for ages but didnt' see any big building that was a museum.. just many warehouses. It was only until I headed back towards home that I realised all the boats I was walking past looked oldish. Then I started noticing the old steel looking crane, and looked down and saw old train tracks. It was at that moment i went 'aah' and saw that I was walking right through this 'museum', and didn't even notice. Everything in the 'exhibit' is simply scattered around this riverside walkway, and now there are small information boards with their stories, next to the exhibits. It's a great way to showcase these objects - simply integrate it with the existing surroundings. Further along near the Brunel Buttery, comes the end of this 'museum', where the old train and its' carriages stand. This is a superb way to have a museum, where you can really look up close to all these old machines, walk on the train tracks and even hop on the train and pretend you've time warped back to the olden days. And after that, have a cup of tea from the Brunel Buttery.

A museum dedicated to the industrial growth of Bristol. Shows our journey from sail to steam and…read morehorse to car. The aeronautical exhibit includes a mock-up of Concorde's cockpit and there is also an honest and upsetting account of Bristol's involvement with the slave trade. Outside along the quayside at the front of the museum a steam engine shunts back and forth.