Unfortunately, I was completely unsuccessful in stopping the aging process and ended up turning 30…read moreyears old anyway. As there was nothing I could do to prevent it, I decided I could start 30 off with a bang. Through a little fancy dress party. As the theme was Cowboys & Indians (as in bindis and saris, not feathers and tomahawks) I was in desperate need of a Cowboy costume. Not wanting to travel all the way to Camden, I was told about Harlequin's Costume shop on Lee High Road. WOW! While the place isn't big, can easily be passed, it makes up for it inside with wall to wall costumes, accessories and EVERYTHING you could possibly need to a fancy dress do. They also have a large selection of costumes for hire, which is what I eventually went with. The price was quite reasonable and they were very flexible. I reserved my costume, then bought some quality accessories like a Sheriffs badge, Western mustache, belt with guns as well as some decorations for the house. The selection is very impressive, the owners are extremely friendly and helpful (despite one being a City supporter) and the prices were quite reasonable. I will definitely be headed back to Harlequin next time I need any fancy dress options.

this is by far the most dedicated fancy dress shop i have ever been to…read more they have books full of fancy dress ideas and stuff you can buy or rent. its not the cheapest, but fancy-dress never is. They are very helpful and always wonderful to have a chat with. the quality of the rentals is not amazing, but it is suitable if you do want to spend a forture. they do some amazing and scary masks and i always find there window displays great to look at. Me and my mates have hired stuff from this shop many times and never had a problem, and they will always go out there way to accommodate/help you.

So High Soho is so eclectic. Downstairs they have a costume shop. I spent hours down there trying…read moreon boas and Superwoman outfits. Why aren't costumes daily wardrobe wear? Wouldn't humanity be much more interesting if we dressed up as alter-egos everyday, shielding our true identities from strangers, gallivanting around as heroes or truly heinous villains? I vote for 365 days of Halloween. Anyway, back to the shop. The main floor has an array of really cool randomness. Ashtrays, prints of Marilyn Monroe, games, keychains, tapestries, candles, incense, buttons, mugs; you name it they claim it. When I need to get a gift for someone I come here to buy it. Finding something cool here is guaranteed.

Being so far away form home and wanting to look fantastic for my first Halloween night out, i came…read moreacross So High Soho thanks to the amazing yelpers.. The service that was given to us was amazing. They were so busy as Halloween was the next night.. I picked up one customs an was told 'no no no don't try this Queen of Heart's costume this one is the best and so much more you..' I tried it on and was perfect, they ensure that had everything I need to look the best, a crown, makeup, playing card stockings, heart stickers the works. The costumes are very well price the shop is small and crowded stuff everywhere but the guys and girls that work there are amazing they know where everything is and the have so much passion for making you feel and look the part you want to play at your party.. If only it wasn't so far away they could dress me for all fancy dress parties..

The best costume shop I have ever seen! Anything you could ever want in terms of costumes or party…read moreequipment is available under one roof, it is like Toys R Us but for slightly more grown up people. This place is like an aladdin's cave of the ridiculous. My friends were holding a pirate party and I happened to find this place at the last minute. There was a whole aisle just for pirate gear. I was in heaven. The staff were really helpful, I guess it has to be a pretty fun place to work, but even so, they were perfectly willing to indulge any degree of craziness, which was a good job in my case. Even if you don't live in the area, if you have a fancy dress party to attend, it is well worth the trip.

You can hire or buy outfits. So so so much to choose from. Male or female, child or adult, you will…read morefind something. The difficulty is choosing which one! From Betty Boo to pirate wench, you name it, they've got it. They also provide party decorations for the whole shebang, or maybe just a plastic sword and pirate hat, what ever you want. Their window displays give great inspiration as well, the last one I saw was for a beach party so had lots of inflatable plamtrees and grass skirts! At hallowe'en they don't just go for the easy option, last hallowe'en they had a Beetlejuice inspired display. Geniuses. Pop in if not just to kill time before your train. Such a fun shop.

I purchased a product from this business and found out within 24 hours, I contacted customer…read moreservice about it wanting to cancel my order and was informed I couldn't as it had already shipped. Then, 2 days later I get an email telling me my package was processed and will ship shortly. So I was misinformed. Wrote to costumer service to explain and even after 3 emails I had no response or reach out. Very frustrated! Asked to verify return process and nothing. Really irritated by the blatantly wrong and misleading information.

I visited Mad World first thing on a Monday morning on the hunt for an astronaut costume. In fact,…read moreI had been on the hunt for the astronaut costume since the Friday before and luckily this was the one shop that had one in stock. Astronauts must be in demand. The staff were extremely helpful on the phone and on walking in, despite my practically jumping on the lady who worked there as soon as she arrived to make sure I got the costume, she wasn't at all irritated and very friendly. I had a mooch around the shop which I have to admit made a light start to a gloomy Monday morning - they have all sorts of fun costumes and accessories including some huge and gorgeous 'Bling Rings for £2 which I actually contemplated buying for real use. The outfit cost £60 hire for the week which is very competitive in comparison to other London fancy dress shops. The costume was a bit more...colourful (lots of sequins on the boots) than probably what Neil Armstrong is used to but it did the job! The place is a little tricky to find and almost like a warehouse when you get inside. Definitely one to try for your next fancy dress (or astronaut) party.

A very big thank you goes out to the Escapade staff for putting up with three very excitable…read moreyelpers looking for fancy dress outfits for over two hours. They couldn't of been more accommodating and enthusiastic. The sheer magnitude of outfits they have to offer and the fantastic computerised system we used to find things like the Danger Mouse outfit and Ninja turtle suits was just awesome. This has to be the best fancy dress shop in London. They covered almost every fancy dress eventuality we could think of.

I walked past Escapade and the displays in the window simply beckoned me in. Escapade are serious…read moreabout costumes and their wide range of stock proves it. Available is a wide range of characters from TV and film such as The Simpsons, Rocky Horror and Flintstones which in many cases include an outfit and a rubber mask to fully immerse yourself into a character. A lot of these costumes will attract serious attention at parties. Accessories such as wigs, make up and other basics are available at the front of the shop too for those who don't wish to get too dressed up or who just want to add a few finishing touches to their costume. The shop is spacious and easy to browse your way through with the stock all displayed clearly with lots of sections to explore. The staff are very helpful and seem to enjoy their work which adds a fun atmosphere to the place. The prices are also reasonable and not out of the price range of most people. If you don't wish to buy then a hire option is available. If you have a party coming up, it is well worth visiting Escapade before you buy a costume to get ideas and inspiration.

This is a Toys R Us for adults! I went on the hunt today for mini cup cake liners and went in my…read morelocal bakery to ask where I should go. Head straight to the source was my thoughts. My baker lady said, "Party Party, just in Dalston market" so off I trotted. As I approached this vast store firstly I was shocked that I have lived here for 3 years and never actually seen this magical place. Down stairs as you walk in you are greeted by sales staff in themed waist coats, this time of year they have pumpkins all over them. The head fella wears a fez - that automatically gave these guys an extra star, it's not often I get sound advice from a fez but this guy knew his stuff. Downstairs there is this wonderful area filled with party accessories, from balloons to costumes (pretty basic but good value for money) and hats, masks, tinsel, tablecloths, candles the lot! But this wasn't the best of it... anyone who loves to bake needs to come here. Upstairs hidden away is a shop that sells cake accessories, from cutters, to edible glue, to silver balls, cake stands, plastic bride and grooms and more. I was in a rush and only meant to spend a few minutes picking up the liners but walked out with 2 silver cake trays, silver edible balls , cake liners, vanilla extra and icing caps. I want to go back and buy more right now. If you are making a cake, you must spot by here, it's everything you need all under one roof!

This place is for all the celebrations, birthday, wedding, anniversary, christening, holy comunion,…read moreballoons, banners, beautiful cakes that you can order and every thing you need for craft. Their balloons are absolutely unique, I didn't see the models anywhere else. The staff is very patient when you have to try or open the different items to see how it will look after.

ARCH gallery is under a railway station and is in a railway arch…read more The street it is on is not a street, more like a wide alleyway with a few parked cars and bins, but is not smelly or creepy in anyway. The gallery is amongst other arches that have various business's their. You will see the sign ARCH and then you just slide the plastic doors and go in. It is a small space with white walls. On my right was this big purple plain kinda like a skateboard slope on the wall. I was thinking too myself "Is this it? "where is the art? Well I went to the back and the artist was their. The back was like an office and plus where he stored his other artwork. He also had information table with leaflets about the events their and other art galleries around Deptford. Well I asked the artist where the rest of the work is? He goes what do you mean? (its not my fault, I'am a novice in the art world). Well I quickly asked him "what inspired this work? which he explained. ARCH gallery is host to a lot of solo artist and gives them a chance to exhibit their work. They also have selected shows as well. Would I come here again, not really! Not just to see one piece of work.

So i've been around several art stores looking for cold press board. What can I say, i hate canvas,…read morealways have and always will! The hours of this shop isn't great. But it's deptford, not west London. Which is why it's the last place I gone to find my boards. Needless to say, they were fresh out. but it's nice to have someone behind the register know what the hell i'm talking about. They were fresh out. But i've found something similar which will do for a practice run. So for a shop about 1/3rd of the size of the big inner london shops, they actually store more of what I need then the big shops do. And the person behind the counter is an actual artist. Well... I assume he is, he knew what I was talking about. Next month their getting some strange metallic board you can paint on. I'm dying to see what this is!!! Great place! I will certainly return! PS: prices are better than the larger shops!