It just struck me (like a bolt of lightening, some might say) before I began my review as to why…read morethis place is named so...Hardys Hardware. Excellent. Aside from the innovative name, Hardys is a pretty darn good wee shop. The fact that it's slightly more than a hardware store made me feel slightly more at ease (you may recall my previous review [singular] of a hardware store, and how I felt completely out of place), but I have to say that it was also the accompaniment of my dad that made the whole experience generally nicer. Thanks Daddy. Back to the vast range of stock though. Yes, it's got the wood, tools, gadgets and DIY stuff, but there's a huge variety of other stuff too. There's toiletries, household cleaners, pet goods, home decor...even confectionery! I got lost in the toiletry section while my dad looked for some man thingy. Or something like that. It's definitely the extensive assortment of goods that makes Hardys that little bit special. Hardys and Other Items You May Find Yourself Needing doesn't have quite the same ring though...

One of the best general hardware and DIY stores you will find in NI. The range is huge and its more…read moreconvenient being in the centre of Comber than travelling to B&Q and other superstores in Ards north Down or Dundonald.

Blimey, Wardens should be renamed "The Never-Ending Store That Has Just About Everything"…read more Seriously. I have many fond (ahem) memories of being dragged, I mean brought, down to Wardens with my parents. Usually the visit was a long and tiresome, er, lengthy and informative one, consisting of mum and dad dandering round the furniture department, the decorating department, the gardening department, and the kitchenware / appliances department. Every ten year old's dream really. These days, I definitely appreciate Wardens much more than I used to. You could literally spend all day in the place, browsing the various departments. If you come in off High Street, you are greeted by a beautiful gift section, filled with ornamental goods, china, glassware and the like. You can find everything from Alice in Wonderland figurines to Goebel cats to Denby pottery to Tyrone Crystal. Seriously good stuff. Following on from this is the gardening / pets / kitchenware / decorating department (they sort of merge into one), in which I found a little jar of Jellybeans (considered purchased). Really goes to show the variety of goods Wardens has. The furniture etc department (you know what I mean...pictures / frames / carpets / rugs and all that jazz) lies beyond this, leading out towards the car park which is located off South Street. Parking here is advisable - Ards is an absolute madhouse when it comes to trying to find yourself a space. You just never know what you'll find in Wardens...there truly is something for everyone.

Warden's is, for me, the best bits and bobs shop in Newtownards. It's one of those huge big…read moredepartment stores with lots of different areas and slops and upstairs and downstairs areas and parts where tall people have to duck and fat people have to squeeze. It stocks everything from bespoke wedding hair pieces to hose pipes. It's a general store not unlike the department store on the popular BBC comedy of yesteryear 'Are You Being Served?' There is a section for wallpaper and paint, cookware, furniture, artwork, jewellery, screws and garden accessories to name only a small fraction. The only thing I will say is that it can be expensive and parking out the front is impossible. Go out the back to park, you will have to pay and display even if you are only nipping in as there is a traffic warden lingering somewhere all the time - don't risk it. Although the store is expensive it does stock a lot of bits and bobs and the sales are pretty good.

I bought a cadac grillogas from this company the temperature…read moregauge went wrong, despite several emails all I have had is promises despite item still under warranty so if you want good after sales service AVOID this company!!!!!!!!!

I bought a couple of Carbon Monoxide Detectors form Hamilton Gas Products online. They offered the…read morebest prices I could find on the Internet and were much cheaper than my local wholesaler even when taking into account the [very modest] postal and packing charge. I received them next day. Well impressed with the price and speed of delivery

I have been to this garden center several times because, unlike me, my fiance has a green fingers…read moreand drags me here even though I don't want to go. We have purchased bamboo hedging and rather large pot plants as we attempt to stop our neighbours out the back seeing into our dining room! The place is massive and divided into many sections dealing with the garden, conservatories, play equipment, hot tubs and spas. The inside space is home to much home furniture and it is beautiful at Christmas time when all the Christmas ornaments and trees are set out and it is lit up like Santa's Grotto. If you need anything for your garden, from furniture to manure this is the place to go in the Crawfordsburn/Ards area.

I apparently loved Dixons so much as a child that I named my goldfish after it. Yes, his name was…read moreDixie (qu: can you actually distinguish between male and female fish?), and his partner's name was Dora. And I was about seven when we got them, before you're thinking this was a couple of years ago... Dixons no longer specialises in the provision of fish, unfortunately, but it's a pretty 'cool' place nonetheless (if garden centres can be cool). Hardware, gardening tools, plants, furniture, and my fave - the gift section - are all available at Dixons, and all under one roof. Excellent. My mum and dad purchased their conservatory furniture from Dixons about ten years ago (it's still intact), and dragged us there in the process. In fact they dragged us there for quite a number of years any time my mum needed new plants / compost / any of the jazz for the garden, or my dad wanted a new toy, er, I mean tool, to play with. Ah yes, Dixons will always hold a special place in my heart. I mean, there aren't too many who would name their fish after a garden centre (R.I.P Dixie)...

The Bangor Homebase is one of the bigger stores in the province. It's size can be a bit of a drag…read morewhen you don't know your way round it. They have a card as a type of loyalty scheme whereby you get money back in the way of voucher. the more you spent the bigger the percentage of cashback. Watch out for some great bargains on garden equipment at the end of season you can get worthwhile reductions.

Homebase in Bangor is situated in Balloo Retail Park next to Sainsbury's supermarket. There are…read moreadequate parking spaces although on a Saturday afternoon you may struggle to get a space close to the entrance. As with most DIY chain stores there are a wide range of materials on offer. This store has a pleasant garden centre which I always find well stocked with healthy plants at great prices. On the downside, l find the service a bit hit or miss. Staff are hard to locate on the shop floor and if you do find one their knowledge of products can be sketchy! If you know what you are looking for I would recommend this store.

Have you ever rotivated a garden? If you have not heard that word before then you probably have not…read moredone it. But let me assure you it is a nightmare. The basic concept is that you need to turn over all the turf and flatten the garden. There is only one real way to do this and it is to hire a Mini Digger and get the hang of the controls pretty quickly. Balloo Hire Centre can carry out all these services and if you are not sure if they can help you can give them a call and one of their advisors will come over and explain what you need to do. They will always be honest and give you the best advice around as well as the best diggers.