This is one of those places where you've always been able to get your paint and other DIY malarkey…read more They're also pretty popular as an establishment where you can hire all sorts of tools and equipment whether you're tidying up the garden or building an extension. You can hire equipment from hedge clippers and lawn rakers to kangos and cement mixers. It seems the only thing they don't do is a crane, but I'm sure if you asked them... It's a family owned business and in recent years has diversified to offer other services. They now do a line of party items, Halloween costumes, and even floral arrangements for weddings. Still, their hire services for equipment is pretty useful, especially if you're sitting about the house with nothing to do and think, "I reckon that wall would look better with a hole in it..."

I'm a big kid at heart. I'm a bit like the female Peter Pan (if only I could fly!) I just don't…read morewant to grow up! In light of this it's a little more understandable why every year when it comes up to birthday time I always ring these guys and see what deals they can do for me when it comes to hiring a bouncy castle (yes, that's right, bouncy castle at 22!) I know I'm mad but everyone loves it! Well, for the past decade or so, both my brother and I have availed of this opportunity to release our inner child (albeit a grown up slightly tipsy version) and we hire out different amazingly fun bouncy castles. If this is the type of great fun party solution you're after then don't hesitate to get in touch and see what deals they can do for you!

That time of year again, schools are back and so are kids birthday parties. This venue is great for…read moreparties, it's reasonably priced and holds quite a few. My two girls have celebrated many friends birthdays here-as they are today!!! There are facilities for tea and coffee making and arranging any food that one brings. Only drawback is that there is not much car parking.

What a lovely wee shop right in the heart of Queens University! I absolutely loved all the local…read morecrafts on sale. There also seems to be a focus on education with science kits and great literature on offer. I really liked everything they stocked. I was having a nosey for Christmas gifts and I got loads of great ideas. If this is the first port of call for people visiting Belfast it's certainly a good snippet of the City. The staff are great too - I overheard the last working giving out directions to tourists! It warmed my heart! Lovely! You might not have been in here before but I urge you to pay it a visit!

As per the Queen's University Belfast (QUB) website "The Queen's Welcome Centre is a Northern…read moreIreland Tourist Board Local Information Office for South Belfast. It hosts a regular programme of exhibitions and serves as an information point for visitors and tourists, as well as offering a varied selection of souvenirs and gifts." It's a great gift shop full of locally made arts and crafts as well as QUB merchandise. You can arrange a guided tour of the beautiful QUB buildings via the Welcome Centre. Staff are friendly and helpful and you can pick up lots of leaflets and information about what's happening in Belfast. Lovely shop and information point.

Would give zero stars if possible. This review is for the coffee bar, The Tavern. Hot drinks were…read morelow quality, watery instant mix served in mugs with spills down the sides. At least 3 tables were covered with dirty dishes, cups and rubbish. The waitress just ignored it even though there were customers (tourists) trying to find a clean table. Just embarrassingly bad. Welcome to Belfast, this is what passes for "premium" here.

So so glad that I was able to visit the castle. The views and the garden stole the show. It's a 4…read morestory castle but only the second and third floors are accessible to the public. This castle also doubles as a venue for various events. The cafe which is located on the ground level has light options such as coffees/teas and sandwiches. The coffee smelled as good as it tasted. Now the garden is breathtaking with a fountain in the center. Along the garden paths are seating areas. You can view the mountains and all of Belfast from the garden. I wasn't impressed with the inside of the castle. It was very empty and not a single sign of any historical information. I saw some staff around the grounds, but tours were not offered. I would have loved to learn more about this castle but was grateful for the views.

House of Elliot is a beautiful formal shop with clothes to die for! It's pricey but it's only to be…read moreexpected as you undoubtedly get what you pay for. Head this direction if you're after that unique wedding dress or something special for a black tie occasion. I got a beautiful dress here a few years ago for my school formal, ah the memories! The staff were more than welcoming and helped me choose my perfect selection and handily they had all the accessories to match, saved me trooping all over the place looking for them, this would have been a nightmare! I would recommend House of Elliot more so for special occasions as it is at the higher end of most peoples price range. You do find exquisite tailoring and quality. It's not to miss for that special event you might have coming up.

Portaferry Presbyterian Church, a fine Greek Revival style building, has been refurbished and…read morerebranded as "The Portico of Ards", functioning both as a church and as a major arts venue in the area. I visited it on 13th July and was impressed by the smartness of design and colour, internally and externally. I certainly look forward to attending musical events there in the future, especially organ recitals. I have plenty of photos but don't seem to be able to upload them yet, probably as I've just added this site to Yelp, subject to approval.

We try to arrange family photos in foreign countries so we don't end up with all selfie type…read morephotos. I came across Shine Pics Photography and although I didn't see a lot of family photography, decided to give them a try anyway. Diana made us feel at home and really captured the "Ireland" feel for us in our family photos. When we look back at them, we definitely are happy with the outcome. Hiring someone in a foreign country is weird and you never know what you are really going to get. I have to say - I got a ton of usable photos of high quality/resolution even before I made it home from my trip. Definitely recommended !